Everything about baseball


Baseball in the world

The history of baseball in Canada haswas launched. Competition between
remained closely linked with that of thenational teams, such as in the World Cup
sport in the United States. As early asof Baseball and the Olympic baseball
1877, a professional league, thetournament, has been administered by the
International Association, featuredInternational Baseball Federation since
teams from both countries. Whileits formation in 1938. As of 2004, the
baseball is widely played in Canada, andorganization has 112 member countries.
many minor league teams have been basedSince the early 1970s, the annual
in the country, the American majorCaribbean Series has matched the
leagues did not include a Canadian clubleague-winning clubs from Puerto Rico,
until 1969, when the Montreal ExposVenezuela, Mexico, and the Dominican
joined the National League as anRepublic. The Confédération Européene
expansion team. In 1977, the expansionde Baseball (European Baseball
Toronto Blue Jays joined the AmericanConfederation), founded in 1953,
League. The Blue Jays won the Worldorganizes a number of competitions
Series in 1992 and 1993, the first andbetween clubs from different countries
still the only club from outside theas well as national squads. The
United States to do so. In 2004, Majorinaugural World Baseball Classic, held
League Baseball relocated the Expos toin March 2006, had a much higher profile
Washington, D.C., where the team is nowthan previous tournaments featuring
known as the Nationals.national teams, owing to the
The first formal baseball league outsideparticipation for the first time of a
of the United States and Canada wassignificant number of players from Major
founded in 1878 in Cuba, which maintainsLeague Baseball.
a rich baseball tradition and whoseThe 117th meeting of the International
national team has been one of theOlympic Committee, held in Singapore in
world's strongest since internationalJuly 2005, voted not to hold baseball
play began in the late 1930s.and softball tournaments at the 2012
Professional baseball leagues began toSummer Olympic Games, but they will
form in other countries between theremain Olympic sports during the 2008
world wars, including the NetherlandsSummer 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 leaguesand softball from the 2012 Olympic
were founded in many Latin Americanprogram enabled the IOC to consider
nations, most prominently Venezuelaadding two different sports to the
(1945), Mexico (1945), and the Dominicanprogram, 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 leagueswas a factor; more important is the
as well, the most successful beside theunwillingness of Major League Baseball
Dutch being the Italian league foundedto have a break during the Games so that
in 1948. Compared to those in Asia andits players can participate, something
Latin America, the various Europeanthat the National Hockey League now does
leagues and the one in Australiaduring the Winter Olympic Games. Because
historically have had no more than nicheof the seasonal nature of baseball and
appeal. Recently, the sport has begun tothe high priority its fans place on the
grow in popularity in those nations,integrity of major-league statistics
most notably in Australia, which won afrom one season to the next, it would be
surprise silver medal in the 2004more difficult to accommodate such a
Olympic Games. In 2007, the Israelbreak in MLB.
Baseball League, featuring six teams,



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