The most concrete legacy from that baseball event is in the players that went on to major-league careers from Winnipeg. The '99 Games represented the first time the baseball competition was open to pros, but Major League Baseball made it difficult for the nations by refusing to part with players on their 40-man rosters -- or even others that weren't.

Cuban pitcher Danys Baez, who made news headlines during the Games with his defection in Winnipeg, also went on to a distinguished big-league career -- he's racked up 114 lifetime saves, including 41 in one season -- and is still pitching with the Baltimore Orioles.