| The history of baseball in Canada has | | | | was launched. Competition between |
| remained closely linked with that of the | | | | national teams, such as in the World Cup |
| sport in the United States. As early as | | | | of Baseball and the Olympic baseball |
| 1877, a professional league, the | | | | tournament, has been administered by the |
| International Association, featured | | | | International Baseball Federation since |
| teams from both countries. While | | | | its formation in 1938. As of 2004, the |
| baseball is widely played in Canada, and | | | | organization has 112 member countries. |
| many minor league teams have been based | | | | Since the early 1970s, the annual |
| in the country, the American major | | | | Caribbean Series has matched the |
| leagues did not include a Canadian club | | | | league-winning clubs from Puerto Rico, |
| until 1969, when the Montreal Expos | | | | Venezuela, Mexico, and the Dominican |
| joined the National League as an | | | | Republic. The Confédération Européene |
| expansion team. In 1977, the expansion | | | | de Baseball (European Baseball |
| Toronto Blue Jays joined the American | | | | Confederation), founded in 1953, |
| League. The Blue Jays won the World | | | | organizes a number of competitions |
| Series in 1992 and 1993, the first and | | | | between clubs from different countries |
| still the only club from outside the | | | | as well as national squads. The |
| United States to do so. In 2004, Major | | | | inaugural World Baseball Classic, held |
| League Baseball relocated the Expos to | | | | in March 2006, had a much higher profile |
| Washington, D.C., where the team is now | | | | than previous tournaments featuring |
| known as the Nationals. | | | | national teams, owing to the |
| The first formal baseball league outside | | | | participation for the first time of a |
| of the United States and Canada was | | | | significant number of players from Major |
| founded in 1878 in Cuba, which maintains | | | | League Baseball. |
| a rich baseball tradition and whose | | | | The 117th meeting of the International |
| national team has been one of the | | | | Olympic Committee, held in Singapore in |
| world's strongest since international | | | | July 2005, voted not to hold baseball |
| play began in the late 1930s. | | | | and softball tournaments at the 2012 |
| Professional baseball leagues began to | | | | Summer Olympic Games, but they will |
| form in other countries between the | | | | remain Olympic sports during the 2008 |
| world wars, including the Netherlands | | | | Summer Olympic Games and will be put to |
| (formed in 1922), Australia (1934), | | | | vote again for each succeeding Summer |
| Japan (1936), and Puerto Rico (1938). | | | | Olympics. The elimination of baseball |
| After World War II, professional leagues | | | | and softball from the 2012 Olympic |
| were founded in many Latin American | | | | program enabled the IOC to consider |
| nations, most prominently Venezuela | | | | adding two different sports to the |
| (1945), Mexico (1945), and the Dominican | | | | program, but no other sport received a |
| Republic (1951). In Asia, Korea (1982), | | | | majority of votes favoring its |
| Taiwan (1990), and mainland China (2003) | | | | inclusion. While baseball's lack of |
| all have professional leagues. | | | | substantial appeal in much of the world |
| Many European countries have pro leagues | | | | was a factor; more important is the |
| as well, the most successful beside the | | | | unwillingness of Major League Baseball |
| Dutch being the Italian league founded | | | | to have a break during the Games so that |
| in 1948. Compared to those in Asia and | | | | its players can participate, something |
| Latin America, the various European | | | | that the National Hockey League now does |
| leagues and the one in Australia | | | | during the Winter Olympic Games. Because |
| historically have had no more than niche | | | | of the seasonal nature of baseball and |
| appeal. Recently, the sport has begun to | | | | the high priority its fans place on the |
| grow in popularity in those nations, | | | | integrity of major-league statistics |
| most notably in Australia, which won a | | | | from one season to the next, it would be |
| surprise silver medal in the 2004 | | | | more difficult to accommodate such a |
| Olympic Games. In 2007, the Israel | | | | break in MLB. |
| Baseball League, featuring six teams, | | | | |