Baseball in Nicaragua is not merely a sport — it is a cultural institution with roots in the American occupation of the early 20th century that has grown deeper and more Nicaraguan with every passing decade. The country has produced a number of major league players and takes enormous pride in its baseball tradition. The winter professional league (LNBP) runs from late November through March, with teams from Managua, Granada, León, Masaya, and other cities.
Games at the Estadio Nacional in Managua are a social event as much as a sporting one. Families come with children; vendors sell beer, rum, churros, and nacatamales throughout the stands; the crowd shouts and argues with the umpires with great feeling. The quality of play is genuine professional baseball, not exhibition sport. Tickets cost a few dollars and can be bought at the gate. If the league is running during your visit, an evening at the baseball is one of the best things you can do in Managua.