Last evening, while watching my favorite baseball team lose another game, I began wondering about work visas.

Both baseball teams had a good number of Latin America players. I know none of these are "undocumented workers" but they have some sort of a work visa that allows them to play baseball in the USA and, I am sure, to bring their families with them to enjoy the American lifestyle of a multi-millionaire sports star.

With all the American guys who play college baseball, how can the work visas for the Latin America players be granted or justified? I thought the work visas were only for jobs in which there were no qualified Americans to fill. Why allow recruiting for these position outside the country when there are definitely home-grown baseball players who are chomping at the bit for the chance of being a superstar with the superstar lifestyle?

I am sure there are experts in sports law out there in Political Forum-land who can give an answer. How long are their work visas valid (for the season - if winning - or for the term of their contract - or for the rest of their lives)?

This is not going to be one of the posts that gets people riled up.