Baseball World Cup

[BenReilly]

This could be freaking huge.

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/news/mlb_news.jsp?ymd=20030731&content_id=453766&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

[SoccerScout]

Its about freaking time MLB took head heads out of their A$$ and realized that Baseball is an International game and that a "World Cup" would only promote the sport.

I dumped baseball a few years ago for many reasons (after being an baseball addict) but would be interested in watching a World Cup. Finally a REAL WORLD CHAMPION and not this centrist view of World Champions that American sports have.

Im not sure the US would win the WC. Also I have mixed feelings about them using the term "World Cup" but thats OK, it basicly an acknowledgement of the importance of WORLD CUPP of soccer.

"We want to keep it special, in a non-Olympic year."


I suggest then keeping it off the Soccer World Cup years also. So 2005 does seem like the perfect year .

[s]

[hangthadj]

I'm all over this. I'm starting to save starting next paycheck.

[metroflip73]

Let's see:

USA
Canada
Mexico
Puerto RIco
Dominican Republic
Cuba
Nicaragua
Panama
Venezuela
Brazil
Japan
Korea
Australia

Any country I forgot?

[WingsFan]

Why does baseball need a World Cup? Don't they already have an All-Star Game that REALLY counts?

[SoccerScout]

Even though Brazil has a team made up of Japanese-Brazilians a US x Brazil game would be a slaughtering of mommoth proportions. Im not sure I would want to see that!!!

[s]

[dfb547490]

Originally posted by metroflip73
Let's see:

USA
Canada
Mexico
Puerto RIco
Dominican Republic
Cuba
Nicaragua
Panama
Venezuela
Brazil
Japan
Korea
Australia

Any country I forgot?

Baseball is fairly popular in Taiwan, and is starting to make inroads in Italy and South Africa. It's also been around in Holland for awhile (the Ajax museum at the Amsterdam Arena has a display of Ajax baseball memorabilia, including Johan Cruyff's old catcher's mitt).

Anyplace with a large number of American ex-pats or dual citizens with the US could also field a team, even if baseball isn't that big in the country itself, so countries like Germany (who usually have a good team in the Little League World Series, altho they're all sons of American servicemen), Ireland, Israel, etc. could be represented if the field is big enough. Israel could probably actually put together a decent team since any Jew is eligible for Israeli citizenship, so they'd have their pick of any Jewish players not good enough to make the US team.

[yellowbismark]

Don't forget Colombia too (they would have all-star Edgar Renteria).

I remember seeing some baseball world governing body website that had links to every country that has a baseball federation, and there were surprisingly very many. Even Yugoslavia had one, I will try to dig it up.

[yellowbismark]

here are the Yugoslav baseball clubs (with logos) on this page:

http://www.baseball.org.yu/klubovi/index.htm

[Red Harvest]

Originally posted by yellowbismark
here are the Yugoslav baseball clubs (with logos) on this page:

http://www.baseball.org.yu/klubovi/index.htm


http://www.baseball.org.yu/images/Sleepers.jpg

The "Sleepers"???

I thought I had seen it all...

[DoyleG]

Should add a Saudi team with all those American players.

[Fah Que]

Originally posted by dfb547490
Baseball is fairly popular in Taiwan

Baseball has been the most popular sport in Taiwan for a long time. They actually won the silver medal in 96 Olympics in Atlanta.

[soccernutter]

Originally posted by DoyleG
Should add a Saudi team with all those American players.

The American's that play in Saudi Arabia are still US nationals, not Saudi nationals. If you're thinking of the LLWorld Series, those players are mostly from the military bases

[nyrmetros]

This is about damn time.......
Anyway........... MLB will surely muck it up.......
The national championship of AMerican/Canadian baseball is called the World Series...... only 2 countries participate in it....... So now MLB has a World Cup open to different nations?..... I surely hope the IBF runs this competition and not MLB..... I doubt that will ever happen.......Go Team New Guniea!!

[dfb547490]

Originally posted by soccernutter
The American's that play in Saudi Arabia are still US nationals, not Saudi nationals. If you're thinking of the LLWorld Series, those players are mostly from the military bases

Exactly. US dual citizens, or sons of servicemen or ex-pats playing for the country of their birth just to get a chance to play at this high a level is one thing when they're playing for Germany, Italy, Hong Kong, Israel, etc., but I don't think most Americans would represent Saudi Arabia even if the Saudi Olympic Committee agreed to send a team comprised of Americans to this event (which I highly doubt they would).

[DoyleG]

Originally posted by dfb547490
Exactly. US dual citizens, or sons of servicemen or ex-pats playing for the country of their birth just to get a chance to play at this high a level is one thing when they're playing for Germany, Italy, Hong Kong, Israel, etc., but I don't think most Americans would represent Saudi Arabia even if the Saudi Olympic Committee agreed to send a team comprised of Americans to this event (which I highly doubt they would).

The right amount of $$$$$ can change a persons mind.

[Excape Goat]

Originally posted by DoyleG
The right amount of $$$$$ can change a persons mind.

But they are mostly amateurs who won't last a game in the minors. Some of them might have played some NCAA baseball.....

[DoyleG]

Originally posted by Excape Goat
But they are mostly amateurs who won't last a game in the minors. Some of them might have played some NCAA baseball.....

It can apply to professionals who are caught in a tight selection process for anotehr nation.

[Excape Goat]

Originally posted by DoyleG
It can apply to professionals who are caught in a tight selection process for anotehr nation.

True. I was referring to the team from Saudi Arabia. But I do see what you meant....

Italy and Ireland can form a team full of American players if they want to. I know about the Italian ice hockey team.... they used to have a player named Wilson.

[SJFC4ever]

Instead of scraping the barrel with nations who maybe have one good player, plus some Americans with dual citizenship, would it not be a better idea to have some of the teams representing individual US states? I think this would be more interesting (and more competitive).

eg

8 of the larger US states (could someone make some suggestions...)
Dominican Rep
Cuba
Canada
Japan
Mexico
Australia
Puerto Rico
Venezuela