You'll get replies from US posters desperate to prove baseball is a true 'world' game, saying that it's popular in Italy and Holland. It isn't. In those countires I would put it as about as popular as cricket in the US, perhaps not even that. A few people play it, but I really do mean a few. In the UK, it's about as popular as dysentery.
I thought that over a decade ago we (the US) were trying to teach the Russians how to play baseball. They still haven't learned yet ???
I think that nation in particular had more pressing matters to attend to. And anyway, why the initial question? Have you spotted a niche market? You trying to offload the game to those that don't want it again?
Finnish Rules baseball is very popular in Finland. Its called pesapallo and is probably about as big as hockey. The rules are different though, as the bases are arranged differently and there's also vertical pitching.
Well I am surprised baseball hasn't caught on in Europe yet. I'm very surprised actually. Oh cause it's an american game thats why they don't like it that ain't why people don't like soccer over here.
I don't think there is room for baseball anyway. Other teamsports fill up the calendar: Football, handball and Hockey. Don't know in Southern Europe though. Never seen a baseball field on my trips there, but they might be hidden somewhere.
Deparate for nothing. I have seen lots of small baseball stadiums in Tuscany, and the Adriatic coast of central Italy. The Stadium I visited in Rimini looked like a nice AA stadium. When I asked the manager of a youth team practicing on an auxiliary field if the players were mostly American ex-pats, he said that all the players were Italians. He also said they "sometimes" get several thousand for the professional league games. So read into that what you want. It is no where close to soccer, and probably less than even soccer is here in the US. But there is some niche following there at least.
There is niche following for more or less every sport everywhere in the world if you search long enough.
Arent we (the US) teaching the Greeks to play now in prepreation for Athens 04? This seems like a bad idea to me; if the greeks catch on, then the turks will try and one up it and all we need are baseball bats in turkey.
without being disrespectful but the reason i think baseball will never really catch on in europe is because it is soo boring and the only way i can ever watch is if im a) really trying to watch it to try and understand what you all like in it. b) to go to sleep if i cant get to sleep (thank you C5) also the game is too similar to cricket (not really, but in a generalised view). Im sure baseball isnt that bad to play, however to watch is just tedious and sooo many stats get thrown at you. do you really need to know that much about a guy hitting a ball?
Yea but america's views hold little head way really considering the rest of the world pays and loves football. While on america and a few select others play baseball
America's views hold much headway in America. And all of a sudden we're comparing footy to baseball? No comparison, but it's still as big or bigger worldwide than some of the sports you might consider "major" across the pond: cricket and rugby, most notably. This thread conveniently omits that baseball is probably the third most popular team sport in the world after soccer and basketball. It is HUGE in Latin America and the Caribbean, Canada is getting good at it, Korea is good, it's the national sport in Japan and Taiwan, and it must even get some run in Australia, considering there have been major leaguers from down under. The fact that some Euro nations are also starting to dabble in it is icing on the cake. Notice the Olympics--baseball is there, rugby and cricket are not. I don't think many baseball fans hearts are getting broken over here by the views of someone across the pond, anyway. Besides, we're on a soccer board, so we all pretty much agree with the startling announcement that soccer is bigger than baseball.
This has been discussed plenty of times but... just look at the places that play cricket at the top level (or even level 2 aswell). Maybe baseball isn't 3rd. Being in the Olympics isn't the yard-stick by which things are measured. Especially team sports. Both cricket and rugby have huge world cups, the need to play a bastardised version of rugby in the Olympics isn't there. The fact the US don't play either at any decent level is also a good enough reason why they aren't at the Olympics. Do you really thimk beach volleyball would have been let in otherwise? Seriously?
Perfect English response, being a nation with less olympic success than most Scandinavian countries, a nation so foriegn to the winners podium that they hold a special olympics for their own to feel what it's like to win something. Un-juiced. Basketball and soccer are legit team sports. 4x's in water and on the track are rather legit, eh? Crew's a team sport, right? Doubles in tennis/tabletennis/squash/handball? But I guess those sports are okay since they are UK participated, right? Right, India has beat england plenty enough to prove that they are the best team in the world at a sport that less people play than baseball. Well, considering that Brazil run beach volleyball and that the american male who led the push for it is actually a Sweed, I dont fully see any point you are trying to make. You've allready answered why they're not in the olympics, genious: the same 12 nations play Rugby each four years to decide just who is the best and the same 6 (if that) nations play each other in cricket all the damn time. And still, the number of rugby/cricket playing countries is signifigantly less than basketball/baseball playing nations. Sorry, your niche games just are lame to most of the world, not just us.
If you are referring to the Commonwealth games there, it isn't that small. Sure it isn't as big as the Olympics, but it is something like one third of the population of the planet that belong to one of the countries who compete in it.
Botswana, Cameroon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe Belize, Bermuda, Canada, Falkland Islands, Guyana, St Helena Bangladesh, Brunei, India, Malaysia, Maldives, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos England, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Malta, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu. The giants in the world of sport.
ok...where shall i begin...u are a tw@t for a start... Rugby is played in more countries than baseball. and rugby has an international level. Cricket is the same. Baseball is lingering around rounders as most popular sport in the world.... You say india are better than england. How so we are 2 test into the series enland are 1 up. So how does that prove you theory? "Basketball and soccer are legit team sports. 4x's in water and on the track are rather legit, eh? Crew's a team sport, right? Doubles in tennis/tabletennis/squash/handball? But I guess those sports are okay since they are UK participated, right? what the fu*k are you trying to say?...this doesnt even make sense... rugby is played by more nations than just the ones at the world cup u dumb bitch...that comment is like saying football is only played by 32 teams....that is the stupidest comment i ever heard. Even america plays rugby...but does anyone really play baseball bar u and japan.? prehaps cuba.....or are unstill peterafied of it. Basketball maybe an enjoyable game to play, but to watch is boring...same thing over and over...without a score board u wouldn't know who won... I think its about tie you actually based your arguements on facts u arogent little tosser...
There was so much to have a go on with this post but after an opening shot across the bows like the quote above, I just felt it would be too damn easy. http://www.the5rings.com/medalcount.htm
Please do some research before posting that kind of stuff. To say only the US, Japan, and "perhaps" Cuba (What does "perhaps" mean anyway? Cuba IS baseball) play baseball shows a level of ignorance you people always accuse Americans of. The countries outside of those three that legitimately play baseball are: Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Panama, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Aruba, Curacao, Taiwan, South Korea. And saying even America plays rugby is ridiculous. You people have 2 guys in the NBA but that doesnt mean the UK is basketball mad.
same as saying there are a few Aussies playing major league, so anyone here gives a toss about baseball.