Tuesday, August 24, 2004
The Incumbent Sets his Agenda for his Next Term
Czarina Selig has issued yet another edict in the form of an opinion: no major leaguer shall be allowed to play in the Olympics. As major league baseball proceeds ahead with its plans for a World Cup -- now, apparently, reluctantly admitting that there are other leagues in the world, and they might actually have to consult Japan -- it continues to torpedo international baseball, in particular Olympic baseball. One wouldn't want any bothersome competition for a profit-making venture by having a competing tournament every four years, would we?
This is probably just good business, but I think it's bad for the sport in the long run. Baseball's proposed World Cup would be a fantastic event, but it would be popular only in countries where baseball is already played. Olympic baseball is one of the few ways baseball has of evangelizing its sport to new countries and new markets. Cutting off the Olympic nose to feed the World Cup face will cost the majors talent and audience in the long run. As it is, baseball and softball are on very thin ground as Olympic sports; they'll be played in 2008 at Beijing, but both are under review by the IOC for 2012 and beyond as being too expensive, not popular at the games, and dominated by the same team every year (softball by the US, baseball by the Cubans.)
posted by The Crank 3:07 PM
