When will baseball be an olympic sport again?The reasons for jettisoning baseball are crystal-clear. The drug-testing in the sport is far behind that of the Olympics, and baseball does not allow its professional players to participate because it does not want to take a two-week break in the middle of the season. The IOC is not happy about either of those negatives, and they won't allow baseball to return unless something is done about them.
Making things worse is that baseball could not draw any fans in China this past summer. While this might be alleviated by allowing professionals to play, it still indicates that baseball hasn't really taken hold outside of its homeland, Latin America, and Japan. Baseball has earnestly tried to globalize its game by going to China, South Africa, and India. Europe is even beginning its own leagues. I'm sure the ambassadors mentioned this in their presentations to the IOC, but the IOC probably countered with the fact that baseball has not been in those countries long enough to 1) become popular and 2) build competitive teams.
As for drug testing, baseball has made advances, but it still is not on par with that of the Olympics. One thing working in favor of baseball is that basketball's doesn't either, so this can be worked around. Also, baseball's "attempt" to improve testing may look good enough to receive some credit.
The major sticking point will be the players. The IOC likes the best in the world showing up, and they have every right to want that. The Olympics are the pinnacle of international sports events, and to be included, the sport needs to send its very best. The Olympics has earned this. However, baseball is not likely to bend on this. Go ahead, mention the World Baseball Classic, but that is another story. The WBC happens before the season, not during the season. Go ahead and say the players and owners are greedy for not wanting to go, but I can't wait to hear the complaints about baseball going not just into early November, but mid-November. You won't be happy about it, either. Logistical problems make this worse. How do you work pitchers? How do you ensure everyone gets enough at-bats/innings? I'm thinking teams don't want their players taking two weeks off.
I want to see baseball in the Olympics, but I doubt it would happen. I know most people don't really care, but if they included professionals, I think people would pay attention. Heck, it might even get better ratings than the World Series. Heck, it would probably help "globalize" the game. But it won't happen.
It's the dollar vs. nationalism, and in the end, players are mercenaries. Some might choose patriotism but not enough to make a difference. Sure, baseball could go down to 150 games or so to accomodate schedules, but we've already heard the outcry in the World Series aftermath. No, we're much more worried about ourselves to do the right thing in the name of world peace, or whatever. Instead of taking a couple weeks off to get involved in an international competition, we'll stay right here and remind ourselves the rest of the world doesn't matter.
However much I want baseball in the Olympics because I think it's more international than curling or cross-country skiing, it's only baseball. It's only one sport. Is it really going to affect the Olympics if baseball isn't there? Will it affect baseball if it's not in the Olympics? Bud Selig and the MLB are trying to figure that out. Right now, they want the cake and to eat it, too. They want the IOC to let baseball back in (of course to get international attention) without including their best players (insert because they don't want the world to find out how many players actually take steroids).
3 comments:
Sorry, but I have to call bullshit here.The IOC doesn't have a right to expect anything. Considering they were selling the games to the highest bidder and still haven't fixed their corruption problem, they don't have the right to complain about anyone else's lack of enforcing arbitrary rules.
And don't forget, the Olypmpics were started as a competion of amatuer athletics and professionals were banned. The only reason the IOC wants pros to play now is becasue they are high profile and sell tickets.
In other words, its all about the money. (with apologies to Jason).
It was the European countries who got together and got baseball banned, because its still looked upon as an American sport. It comes down to an anti-American attitude, and the desire to keep soccer as the supposed no. 1 sport in the world.
If they want to go by the number of spectators, then team handball should be banned. Its played a lot over here, but it doesn't get that many spectators.
There might not be a lot of leagues, but you can go to a majority of countries in the world and find someone playing baseball. They are hypocrits.
They are also pissed off because of the WBC. They want the Olypmics to be the international stage for all world-wide sports, except for - can we say it all togtether - soccer.
Another reason to hate it.
Do you think baseball is the sport threatening soccer? I would have thought basketball would be much higher on the list.
Are they really mad about the WBC? Other sports have international competitions between Olympics.
As for the professionals, everyone else has changed to include professionals, but baseball hasn't. I don't think they refused to change out of some "let's keep the Olympics traditional" nostalgia.
Anyway, I agree with you that they can't ban baseball based on attendance, but it didn't help that no one showed up for it at the last Olympics. You also have a point that they can't expect baseball to clean up its act without the Olympics doing it to itself.
It's not so much baseball is that its percieved as an American sport. And because people who are in the decision-making change have never played it (they all grew up on soccer) they don't understand anything about it. To them, its a buch of Americans, Asians, and Hispanic's playing it.
Basketball's big, but its a club sport really. Like football, it is fairly popular, but they are both looked at as skill sports. You need a great deal of talent to play. Baseball is looked at as a backyard thing that anyone could be succesful at if they tried it.
This is just my opinion, but I seriously thinks its jealousy. They did let basketball get entrenched here, and American football will be popular but never a strong following.
So they want to keep baseball donw and out in Europe to help bolster soccer. The UK wouldn't spend $25,000 to send the British baseball team to the Olympic qulaifiers. I don't what the budget for the soccer team is, but I'll bet its a lot more than that.
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