Baseball may start its own WC

[Red Card]

Looks like MLB is taking the lead in starting a World Cup for baseball. Will there be designated hitters? Aluminum bats? Adherance to drug testing? TV contracts? Will it devalue the regular season? Will it devalue the World Series? Cause injury to the players by extending the playing season? Will it be able to compete in the sports media with March madness? Most importantly, will the MLB players be paid additionally on a pro-rata basis?

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=1362&e=1&u=/ap/20040622/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bbo_world_cup&sid=95747885

[DAGSports]

this has been hinted at for a while...

I'd be interested, but at the core, this would be to try to develop international revenue since MLB's North American revenue realistically can't grow too much more in the next few years.

[voros]

Yeah this is something Selig really wants and for once I agree completely with him.

Saw a graphic in a minor league baseball magazine the other day that mentioned that close to half of the players in the minor leagues were born outside the USA.

Most people don't know that there already is a Baseball World Cup that has taken place every 4 years, but this one usually takes place in November (and all of the big countries besides Cuba sends low level minor leaguers and amateurs). I wonder why March was picked instead of November.

[nyrmetros]

Baseball World Cup is discussed in detail here

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=64046

[ChuckA]

My guess is March is the traditional spring training. Players can get their arms in shape, take some cuts and it not really be much different than what they would be doing anyway. They will just have on a different uniform.

If you have it in November, it will be like the Olympics with basketball. Everyone will be having "surgery." Guys want time off in November.

[MasterShake29]

The World Cup of Hockey is the same way, being held in the NHL's pre-season.

[swedcrip34]

A baseball WC would be awesome. May bring back some fans.

[prk166]

Does this mean they'll have to admit that there shouldn't be 'world' in the "World Series"?

[Lithium858]

Does this mean they'll have to admit that there shouldn't be 'world' in the "World Series"?
They should use the nick name "Fall Classic" instead of World Series. It sounds more traditional for some reason. The name World Series just sounds too generic and is really not even accurate.