CUBA
• Capital: Havana
  
• Population: 11,346,670 (July 2005 est.)
  
• GDP per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,300 (2005 est.)
  
• MLB players born in Cuba: 150
  
• First major leaguer: Esteban Bellan, 1871
• Hall of Famers: Tony Perez, Martin DiHigo, Cristobal Torriente, Jose Mendez.
  
• MVPs, Cy Youngs, and Rookies of the Year: Jose Canseco (1988 AL MVP), Zoilo Versalles (1965 AL MVP), Tony Oliva (1964 AL ROY)
  
• Most career home runs in MLB: Rafael Palmeiro, 569.
  
• Most career wins in MLB: Luis Tiant, 229.
  
• Who taught these guys how to play baseball?: Picked up mainly from Cubans returning from schools in the United States in the 1860s, as well as American sailors.
  

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
• Capital: Santo Domingo
  
• Population: 8,950,034 (July 2005 est.)
  
• GDP per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,500 (2005 est.)
  
• MLB players born in the Dominican Republic: 410
  
• First major leaguer: Ozzie Virgil, 1956.
  
• Hall of Famer: Juan Marichal
• MVPs, Cy Youngs, and Rookies of the Year: Albert Pujols (2005 NL MVP, 2001 NL ROY), Bartolo Colon (2005 AL Cy Young), Vladimir Guerrero (2004 AL MVP), Miguel Tejada (2002 AL MVP), Pedro Martinez (AL Cy Young 1999-2000, NL Cy Young 1997), Sammy Sosa (1998 NL MVP), George Bell (1987 AL MVP), Angel Berroa (2003 AL ROY), Rafael Furcal (2000 NL ROY), Raul Mondesi (1994 NL ROY), Alfredo Griffin (1979 AL MVP)
  
• Most career home runs in MLB: Sammy Sosa, 588.
  
• Most career wins in MLB: Juan Marichal, 243.
  
• Who taught these guys how to play baseball?: The Dominicans picked up the games from Cubans who moved to the country as well as from visiting American sailors.
  

JAPAN
• Capital: Tokyo
  
• Population: 127,417,244 (July 2005 est.)
  
• GDP per capita: purchasing power parity - $30,400 (2005 est.)
  
• MLB players born in Japan: 32 (includes 6 Americans born in Japan)
  
• First major leaguer: Masanori Murakami, 1964.
  
• Hall of Famers: None
  
• MVPs, Cy Youngs, and Rookies of the Year: Ichiro Suzuki (2001 AL MVP and ROY), Kazuhiro Sasaki (2000 AL ROY), Hideo Nomo (1995 NL ROY)
  
• Most career home runs in MLB: Hideki Matsui, 70
  
• Most career wins in MLB: Hideo Nomo, 123
  
• Who taught these guys how to play baseball?: An American missionary named Horace Wilson is given the most credit, introducing the game sometime between 1867 and 1873. But other American teachers and missionaries also helped out.
  

KOREA
• Capital: Seoul
  
• Population: 48,422,644 (July 2005 est.)
  
• GDP per capita: purchasing power parity - $20,300 (2005 est.)
  
• MLB players born in Japan: 12 (includes 1 American born in Korea)
  
• First major leaguer: Chan Ho Park, 1994.
  
• Hall of Famers: None
  
• MVPs, Cy Youngs, and Rookies of the Year: None
  
• Most career home runs in MLB: Hee-Seop Choi, 40
  
• Most career wins in MLB: Chan Ho Park, 106
  
• Who taught these guys how to play baseball?: An American missionary named Philip Gillett brought the sport to Korea in 1905. Korea's annexation by Japan in 1910 also had a profound influence on the development of the sport in Korea.
  

Sources: CIA World Factbook, Taking in a Game by Joseph A. Reaves (2002, University of Nebraska Press), Baseball-reference.com, Cubanball.com, ESPN.com