ABSTRACT
In 1867, Horatio Alger, the famed novelist, saw the release of his "Ragged Dick" series. Indeed, with enterprise, hard work, and perseverance, triumph, according to Alger, was inevitable; a virtual certainty. These, and other tales, became a banner for the American prototype of the nineteenth century. So Horatio Alger, meet Sammy Sosa, for it is Sosa, his cultural peers, and their predecessors who were all, in many respects, the shoeshine boys of our myth. Though the author died in 1893, his idealism resonated well beyond his anticipated audience. And one of those areas of indirect impact was in the Caribbean. The materialistic philosophies of his era, to be sure, accentuated these beliefs. Rewards, too many, were no sheer accident. Professional sports, of course, had long been regarded as a symbol of democratic opportunity. In theory, at least, ethnic background, skin color, and position in society took a back seat to talent.
