baseball and softball

[dacher]

Let's talk.




Baseball and Softball are out of future olympics. What? Why? Whay? Whaaa!!!!


Baseball is a major multi-national sport. Baseball @ olympics sucks because MLB won't let its players go. I understand that in the past, it couldn't be allowed because so many baseball players where 'roided up, but now, I think MLB should let the olympics show off its game every 4 years for 2 weeks. It's not like it takes much prior practice before a baseball team can play together.

Softball gets the best players in the US and in the world. I know the official reason is US domination and lack of foreign interest. But you could apply that standard to so many smaller sports. I kind of think the real reason softball got the boot was collateral casualty of gender equality. I think all team events have both genders represented -- except for sync. swimming (thank you).

[5DOM]

never knew baseball was a MAJOR MULTI-national sport.

[dacher]

It's not? Don't Montreal and Toronto have MLB teams?

Little league world series is really well represented globally by carribean, americas, asia countries.

[Mags FTW]

World Baseball Classic is probably why baseball is leaving.

If USA's domination is the reason for softball, maybe their loss will have them reconsider.

[doraem0n]

Baseball is only played in USA, Japan and Taiwan. Actually Table Tennis is more popular than Baseball...

The major reason that Baseball is out is because of the cost! The host city will have to build a stadium specially for baseball which is likely won't be used very often after the event. It is not like table tennis that you just need to put up a table and host the game in the toilet!

[dougthonus]

I'm not surprised that they took out baseball and softball, there doesn't seem to be that many places in the world it's really popular. Plus the best athletes can't participate given that they have their own professional leagues going on at the same time which really kills the sport too.

[BlackMamba]

in what do they base the decision? popularity of the sport? $$$?

because i don't know, for example, how field hockey would be more popular or important to the olympics than baseball? i know it doesn't have that much interest in europe, but in asia and america it's a pretty popular sport.

[Rasho Brezec]

I think members of IOC vote which sport will be in Olympics, so yeah, the sport must be popular worldwide to some extent.

[JN]

The main reason that baseball got kicked out I beleive nothing to do with what has been mentioned.

The IOC is no longer about amateur athletes. They want the best athletes in a sport to be represented at the Olympics. MLB has refused to co-operate, and my understanding the IOC has removed it from the Olympics as it has no interest in having minor leaguers.

I'm not sure if the IOC is the one that requires representation by African and European teams, but the lack of the best countries being there as well also hurts.



It is the same deal for golf. From what I have heard on the Golf Channel, the primary stumbling block with allowing golf in the 2016 Olympics is that the top world tours have not committed that they will participate. Without that commitment of the best participating, the IOC is not interested. Its a little more of an issue for golf, because players on tours are essentially contractors

[manun]

Cause both sports take 2 long and cost way more they are worth? The stadium isnt exactly cheap, also baseball outside of america, cuba, japan and tawain have no popularity at all. It would be cool if they had Floorball in the games.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floorball
its a fast sport and fun 2 watch also there are rarely waitings during the game (its hard to shoot the ball outside)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_drxYrxt5E

[Rasho Brezec]

They already have something similar, it's called hockey.

[dacher]

Baseball fields don't have to cost anything to build. The movie Field of Dreams baseball field was a converted corn field.

[j127]

Baseball is only played in USA, Japan and Taiwan. Actually Table Tennis is more popular than Baseball...

The major reason that Baseball is out is because of the cost! The host city will have to build a stadium specially for baseball which is likely won't be used very often after the event. It is not like table tennis that you just need to put up a table and host the game in the toilet!

And South Korea (who moments ago defeated Japan to advance to the gold medal game), Cuba, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, etc...

Many countries play it, but it seems to be concentrated in the Western Hemisphere and East Asia.

[canoner]

Baseball is not a popular sport in the world, neither is BMX bike riding. There are much more popular sports out there, such as cricket, that deserve a spot in Olympic games.

[The Raging Bull]

The main reason that baseball got kicked out I beleive nothing to do with what has been mentioned.

The IOC is no longer about amateur athletes. They want the best athletes in a sport to be represented at the Olympics. MLB has refused to co-operate, and my understanding the IOC has removed it from the Olympics as it has no interest in having minor leaguerss.

If that's the reason then they should get rid of the soccer as well.

[doraem0n]

If that's the reason then they should get rid of the soccer as well.

That has been discussed as well. The president of FIFA said that FIFA is considering to quit the Olympics game after Beijing 2008.

[canoner]

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. There is no reason to remove it.

Baseball is not that popular and countries don't send their best players. So it deserves to be rotated out.

Softball is just painful to watch. Good riddance.

[hermes]

the MLB not suspending its season and sending over its best players is one reason

[5DOM]

under 23 soccer would draw more attention than pro baseball in many countries.