The IOC can kiss my baseball loving butt!

[Jedieb]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SPORT/07/08/olympics.baseball.reut/index.html

Way to penalize over 120 countries that have baseball federations and millions of GLOBAL baseball fans for some good ol' fashioned America bashing. The IOC can spit out whatever lame explanations they want, it's pretty obvious what's happening here. Oooooh, a steroid scandal in MLB. The horror! We know that NEVER happens in track and field. Oh no, the best MLB players wont play, why bother? Yeah, because there aren't any decent college or minor league players that would love to play on the Olympic team. And think of all the Latin American and Asian countries that adore baseball. Way to stick it to millions of worldwide baseball fans you hypocritical-money-grubbing-corrupt-jerks.

And the most tragic of all, right now some Cuban kid isn't going to get a chance to defect in 2012 because they'll be no baseball. You bastards!!!!!!! :shootin

[Jedi Master Carr]

I think it is the steroid scandal too I think they are trying to send a message not the right one but that is what is behind it.

[JMK]

Personally, while I no longer see ANY reason to pay attention to the 2012 olympics now that they canned baseball, I don't care that they decided to drop baseball and softball. There is not ONE major leaguer, past, present or future nor one minor leaguer who regards the olympic gold in higher esteem than a World Series ring. There just isn't. If a gold medal isn't the pinnacle of your sport, then I don't really care if you're in the Olympics or not. They could even take pros out of ice hockey and I wouldn't really care.

Besides, there will be a world cup of baseball next year. If that goes exceedingly well then the IOC could very well reverse their decision. There's also the 2008 Olympics, if they do well there also, they could change their mind.

[jjwr]

The problem with Baseball is like JMK said the pinnacle of baseball is already the MLB and the World Series. The Olympics like to be the top event in sports and with baseball they don't have it.

The Olympic Baseball system needed to be reworked anyways, the US missing out due to the heavy representation in Latin America/North America. That could be another problem, not enough countries have an olympic level program yet.

[Jedieb]

Those Latin American countries are getting the shaft. Fidel can go screw himself, but for millions of Cubans the only reason to watch the Olympics is to see baseball. You could probably say the same for the Dominican Republic. Between South America and Asia there are plenty of countries that have Olympic level programs. You could make that argument for softball, but not baseball. And did anyone see what sports they had in mind to replace baseball and softball when this first came in Mexico City a couple of years ago? Archery and 4 others that are so lame I can't even remember them. Hell, I think ROLLER SKATING was one of them. Screw the IOC.

[ReaperFett]

Never saw baseball as an Olympic sport anyway. Course, this must make me anti-American now :rolleyes

[Baralai Lotus]

Baseball is an olympic sport?! WTF?! That just sounds stupid, I mean I'm American and I've never heard of that. Besides that, all sports have about the same concept.

1. Catch/hit ball in some direction.

2. Run in circles/back and forth to get points/runs/goals/etc.

I hate most sports because they seem rather pointless. But honestly, baseball as an Olympic sport sounds dumb. If that's an olympic sport. . .then go ahead and rack up badmitton in there, God that prolly already is an Olympic sport. Just like those damn ribbon dancers. . .*shudders* IT'S NOT A SPORT!

[Morgan Evanar]

I don't even know where to start with the post above. Have you been under a rock? Baseball has been an Olympic sport for a long time, and the Latin American countries have always fielded excellent teams.

eb is right, and I do feel bad for our neighbors south of the border.

[Daiquiri]

Originally posted by Morgan Evanar
I don't even know where to start with the post above. Have you been under a rock? Baseball has been an Olympic sport for a long time, and the Latin American countries have always fielded excellent teams.

eb is right, and I do feel bad for our neighbors south of the border.



I dont care about any of the other countries not being able to play baseball *shrug* What I do care about is softball being removed. We worked our home schedules around the softball games; going to bed earlier so that we could be up in the wee hours of the morning to watch and cheer on our girls. On a more personal note, I feel bad for my daughter Gabby...being on the U.S. Olympic softball team was one of her goals in life :(

Out of curiosity, Baralai, what do you consider a sport?

[Baralai Lotus]

Hmmm, I've never really thought about it because I don't really watch a sport. Something that requires lots of physical effort, skill and talent. Sports can be paralleled to the arts in some concepts, they both require some amount of natural skill. I mean, the only thing I don't consider as a sport is the ribbon dancing thing. I can enjoy most sports for what they are, entertainment. But as far as becoming obsessed with them and keeping with statistics and what not, no. I can't do that because I'm not honestly interested in them. I mean, I grew up in a family who is obsessed with football and I've watched 2 Super Bowls in my entire 18 years of existance. I did play baseball, but I wasn't any good at it, it's just never interested me. I understand that a lot of people enjoy sports, but I just don't get the point to them other than entertainment. They all seem repetitive and dull to me. Sports just seem blah to me, I rarely watch the Olympics, actually, I don't think I've ever watched the Olympic games. I hear about them enough to know what's going on, but not in great detail.

Also, to stir a few more people up, I don't eat turkey on Thanksgiving. I hate turkey. . .with a passion. I'm un-American maybe. . .but yea. . .I celebrate the 4th of July really well!

[CMJ]

Badmitton is an Olympic sport...as well it should be.

[JMK]

Badminton is extremely strenous and difficult. It is and fully deserves to be an Olympic sport, as CMJ said.

[Morgan Evanar]

Originally posted by Daiquiri
I dont care about any of the other countries not being able to play baseball *shrug* What I do care about is softball being removed. We worked our home schedules around the softball games; going to bed earlier so that we could be up in the wee hours of the morning to watch and cheer on our girls. On a more personal note, I feel bad for my daughter Gabby...being on the U.S. Olympic softball team was one of her goals in life :(That sucks :(


Originally posted by JMK
Badminton is extremely strenous and difficult. It is and fully deserves to be an Olympic sport, as CMJ said. For truth.

[ReaperFett]

Originally posted by Jedieb
And did anyone see what sports they had in mind to replace baseball and softball when this first came in Mexico City a couple of years ago? Archery and 4 others that are so lame I can't even remember them. Hell, I think ROLLER SKATING was one of them. Screw the IOC.
Roller sports didn't make it to the final cut. The two that would have replaced these two were Squash and Karate, and neither made it.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Well softball didn't have the competion for it outside the U.S and Canada it deserved to be taken out. I disagree about Baseball too, of course they could put it back in 2016.

[Ryan Pode]

I'm surprised they took out baseball. Sure the American's won't send their best players, nor will some of the Latin American countries, but wouldn't the rest of the world love to watch America get its butt handed to it just like what happened to our "Dream" team?

[Cat Terrist]

Originally posted by Jedi Master Carr
Well softball didn't have the competion for it outside the U.S and Canada

I'd like to point out who won silver at Athens IIRC and that the softball leagues not only here but in Asia are growing stronger. It's not inconcievable the USA doesnt win gold at Beijing.


but wouldn't the rest of the world love to watch America get its butt handed to it just like what happened to our "Dream" team?

No actually, we dont care about a game that's somehow managed to be more boring than cricket and we really in the end didnt care about the DreamTeam or whatever either. And that's the reason why baseball was cut, apart from the USA and a handful of countires, no one cares less. Cricket is played by far more people globally but it wont get in for exactly the same reason - there's only 5 countries with a cricket team worth spit. India, Pakistan, Australia, Rngland and sometimes New Zealand.

The only really big global sport not in the Olympics doesnt want to be and it has it's own 4 year cup tto play for that in staus is bigger than an Olympic medal. That sport's reigning gold medal winner is the USA, so you sports freaks should be able to work out what it is

[Jedieb]

No actually, we dont care about a game that's somehow managed to be more boring than cricket and we really in the end didnt care about the DreamTeam or whatever either. And that's the reason why baseball was cut, apart from the USA and a handful of countires, no one cares less. Cricket is played by far more people globally but it wont get in for exactly the same reason - there's only 5 countries with a cricket team worth spit. India, Pakistan, Australia, Rngland and sometimes New Zealand.

Gotta disagree. I've talked about how baseball is a global sport; North America, Asia, Latin America, over 120 baseball federations, how is that exactly a "handful"? Must be some pretty friggin' big hands. As for being more boring that cricket, I could say the same thing about soccer. I'd rather watch paint dry. But if the IOC illiminated it I'd think they were nuts because I recognize just how popular it is outside my country. What Daiquiri said about softball I could say about baseball. I feel bad for my father because that would be about the only thing that would make him watch the Olympics.

I do honestly think it's USA bashing. Look, I love baseball, but it isn't even my favorite sport. I love watching football, primarily NFL, more than any other sport. But I don't think American football belongs in the OLympics. It's not nearly popular enough, even with leagues in Canada and Europe. If someone suggested it, I'd tell them they're nuts even though I love the game. Baseball however does have a large global audience and I believe it's been dropped because of anit-American sentiment. Thanks to our recent foreign policy, which everybody knows for the most part I've abhorred, anti-US sentiment is as high as ever. Hell, we've been coming in behind China in recent polls. That's not a good enough reason to kick off a sport millions of people love. I wouldn't have been surprised if the U.S failed to win the gold or even medal. But I would have loved to see Cuba make a run for its 4th gold in 5 tries.. I'd have tuned in to watcb the Japanese, the Dominicans, and Puerto Ricans, teams as well.

It's one of my favorite sports and I'm ticked off. Again, the IOC can go hump themselves. I don't even want them to babble about steroids. There have been drug problems in major Olympic sports for DECADES. Spare me. Putzes.

[Ryan Pode]

Originally posted by Jedieb

I do honestly think it's USA bashing. Look, I love baseball, but it isn't even my favorite sport. I love watching football, primarily NFL, more than any other sport. But I don't think American football belongs in the OLympics. It's not nearly popular enough, even with leagues in Canada and Europe. If someone suggested it, I'd tell them they're nuts even though I love the game. Baseball however does have a large global audience and I believe it's been dropped because of anit-American sentiment.

What he said.

[JMK]

Whatever their reasons are, the steroid excuse is the thinnest and worst imaginable. Maybe they need to get rid of everything track & field too. While they're at it, why not can the weightlifters? I'm sure we could do without some swimmers and cyclists too.

[Daiquiri]

Im surprised at the venues chosen to be deleted but not surprised by the sentiment. I see it like this...with our presence in the east, I was and still am expecting a small handful of countries to boycott the games
.
I think this was a trade off of sorts. Get rid of a couple of the American's strongest fields and just maybe it will appease those balking at coming to the games.

[Darth McBain]

I have to say that I never thought of baseball as an olympic sport. Not saying that it shouldn't be, but it isn't what springs to mind when I think of the olympics. While I think there might definitely be some truth that this is due to the steroid use, I can't say I'm having major heartburn over it...

[JMK]

Maybe they're just trying to save on the cost of the medals. 25 players per team, times 3 medal winning teams = 75 medals, times 2 genders = 150 medals. That's a lot of money that the IOC simply doesn't have.

Not buying it are ya?

Me neither.

[Darth McBain]

Originally posted by JMK
Maybe they're just trying to save on the cost of the medals. 25 players per team, times 3 medal winning teams = 75 medals, times 2 genders = 150 medals. That's a lot of money that the IOC simply doesn't have.

Not buying it are ya?

Me neither.

:lol - I'm sure that's it...

[Jedieb]

But in the end, baseball doesn't really need the olympics. Things are going fine without it.

El Clásico Mundial se convierte en realidad

Associated Press

DETROIT

República Dominicana y Venezuela quedaron en el Grupo D junto con Australia e Italia, con miras al primer Clásico Mundial, a celebrarse en la primavera del 2006.

Cuba, Holanda, Panamá y Puerto Rico formarán el Grupo C.

Canadá, México, Sudáfrica y Estados Unidos el B.

Taiwan, China, Japón y Corea constituirán el A.

El Grupo A jugará sus partidos en Tokio o Taiwan, los Grupos B y D en Estados Unidos, y el Grupo C en Latinoamérica, posiblemente Puerto Rico.

''El Clásico Mundial es un evento internacional histórico y sin precedentes'', expresó el comisionado de las Grandes Ligas, Bud Selig. ``Por primera vez, los mejores jugadores de béisbol competirán por sus países''.

Selig destacó que el torneo ''aumentará la exposición global de nuestro gran juego'', y producirá ``nuevos aficionados y más peloteros''.

Ochos jugadores internacionales fueron presentados ayer como posibles integrantes de sus respectivos países: Justin Huber (Australia), Jason Bay (Canadá), Miguel Tejada (República Dominicana), Hee Seop Choi (Corea del Sur), Andruw Jones (Holanda), Carlos Lee (Panamá), Carlos Beltrán (Puerto Rico) y Dontrelle Willis (Estados Unidos).

''Este es el mejor regalo que se puede llevar nuestro país, ver a Sammy [Sosa], Manny [Ramírez], David [Ortiz] y a uno jugando juntos'', expresó Tejada, de los Orioles.

La organización del evento aun tiene interrogantes, principalmente la participación de Cuba y Japón.

Los japoneses aceptaron la invitación pero todavía están en discusiones con su asociación de jugadores, mientras que Cuba no ha dado su visto bueno al evento.

Los organizadores dijeron que tienen un plan de emergencia en caso de que alguno de los países invitados decline participar a última hora.

El torneo se disputará durante 13 días, y la final será el 20 de marzo.



I really don't believe anti-American sentiment is the only reason softball and baseball got dropped, but it probably swayed just enough votes. But if some of those members are waiting for Selig and the players union to stop the season in September for 2 weeks for the Olympics they're on crack. It'll never happen. Extending the season to late Nov., risking injuries in the heat of pennant races, and players playing without compensation are just some of the reasons why it'll NEVER happen. This doesn't hurt the U.S. or the MLB, just many Latin American countries that were looking forward to baseball in the Olympics. Comemeirdas..............

[JMK]

It helps when you know the subject matter, but Spanish isn't really that hard to read and understand, even if the only Spanish word you know is 'cerveza'. :D

[Daiquiri]

A translation would be nice, tho :)

[Ryan Pode]

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) -- The United States will be grouped with Mexico, Canada and South Africa next year in the first round of baseball's first World Cup-style tournament.

The 16-nation, 18-day event, called the World Baseball Classic, opens March 3 in Tokyo or Taiwan, where Group A will include Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China.

The United States will be in Group B, which starts play March 8 along with the other groups and will be based in the United States.

ADVERTISEMENT
Cuba, Puerto Rico, Panama and the Netherlands are in Group C, which will be in Latin America, and the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Australia and Italy are in Group D, which will be based in Florida.

Major League Baseball has spent more than a decade discussing the tournament and hopes the event will gain in prestige, such as soccer's World Cup. The International Olympic Committee voted Friday to kick baseball out of the Olympics following the 2008 Beijing Games. IOC president Jacques Rogge cited baseball's refusal to allow players on 40-man major league rosters to participate and the sport's drug-testing rules, which do not meet the World Anti-Doping Agency's standards.

``I don't know if frankly I consider it a blow,'' baseball commissioner Bud Selig said. ``I'm sorry they made the decision, but we're moving on in a very dramatic way to internationalize this sport.''

While Nippon Professional Baseball has agreed to participate, the Japanese players' association has not yet given its approval and has objected to having the tournament during spring training. It also is unclear whether Cuba, which might fear defections, will accept its invitation.

Gene Orza, the chief operating officer of the players' association, said the obstacles could be overcome.

``Cubans compete and play against Americans all the time,'' he said.

Several players who agreed to participate attended a news conference on the day prior to the All-Star game: Miguel Tejada (Dominican Republic), Carlos Beltran (Puerto Rico) Andruw Jones (Netherlands), Dontrelle Willis (United States), Jason Bay (Canada), Carlos Lee (Panama), Hee-Seop Choi (South Korea) and Justin Huber (Australia).

``I just hope I make the team,'' Willis said.

Tejada said fans back home would look forward to the event, which baseball hopes will be played a second time in 2009.

``They're going to be really excited to see all the players on one team,'' he said.

Lee was happy just to get a chance.

``Panama getting invited to this kind of tournament, that's a big accomplishment for us,'' he said.

Each team plays three first-round games, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the second round, where each team plays three more games starting March 13.

Four teams advance to the single-elimination semifinals on March 18, and the semifinal winners go on to a one-game championship on March 20. The second round will be split between the United States and Latin America, and the semifinals and final will be played in the United States. No specific sites were announced, but the list of possibilities include Houston, Seattle and sites in Florida, Arizona and California.

Each team will have 27 players, including at least 12 pitchers, and there will be pitch-count limits. Players must be citizens of the nation they play for.

``We're aware of the issue of country jumping,'' said Tim Brosnan, an executive vice president in the commissioner's office, ``but we haven't adopted a hard-and-fast rule.''

Teams agreed not to block players from participating, but Orza acknowledged some clubs would try to sway players against playing.

``You can't stop people from talking,'' he said.

Forty-seven percent of the net proceeds of the 39-game tournament will go to prize money, with the remaining 53 percent split among Major League Baseball, the players' association, the International Baseball Federation and the organizations of the participating teams.

While soccer's World Cup is run by FIFA, the sport's international governing body, this event is pretty much controlled by MLB and the players' association, which has drawn complaints from Japanese baseball officials.

``Some already have accused us of being too dominant in the conduct of this event and we're sensitive to that,'' Orza said.

Insurance will be the largest single item in terms of cost, said Paul Archey, a baseball senior vice president.


Just about the same article, only in English.

[JMK]

When you look at the prospective rosters for each nation's team, you tremble with excitement at the possibility of seeing some of those guys on the same field together. Look at the Dominican Republic. That team is stacked from top to bottom. Their pitching isn't the best outside of Pedro and Bartolo Colon, but their position players are all sick!

Even Puerto Rico has a strong team. But it's all a pipe dream. MLB teams will never allow their franchise players to participate in this tournament. The risk is just too high. Maybe a few will be released to participate but I wouldn't hope for the full blown spectacle it could and should be.

[JediMaster Orin Di'Freeze]

I agree. due in part to publicized steroid usage.

At least 4 players openly caught or tested using them.

Disgusting.

The world has a right to remove us from the tournament period.

My official thoughts? I think sports in this country as a whole are about money, naked women, and fame.

Nowhere do I see anything about the sport. the SPORT.

I was a bastketball fan, I played in highschool, I didnt make it because 6'5" guards were what colleges wanted. So I didnt get the attention I deserved despite earning defensiveman of the year.

I loved the game.

today, I see all the new players, and the only thing on their minds is: how much is my contract for....

I think we need to see money dropped to a 1million a year. and then see what Professional players really want to play for.

As for the Olympics, I love watching the games, the universal respect one athlete "should" give to another. Fairness, and just play.

In 2004, I didnt bother with games, and maybe watched a few. It just lacks so much of the real reason for the games, atheletes, not endorsements, not fame, but REPRESENTING your country in something other than WAR and GREED.

final thoughts?

F -it. Leave baseball out.

Maybe it will send a strong enough message- but then, in all likelyhood, those who perpetuate the corruption of sports will use another medium to accomplish their goals, and the viscious cycle will continue.

Good day people.

[Jedieb]

Originally posted by JMK
It helps when you know the subject matter, but Spanish isn't really that hard to read and understand, even if the only Spanish word you know is 'cerveza'. :D

:lol
I talked with my Dad about it over the weekend. He doesn't like the decision either. But it'll still be there for the next Olympics so he'll have something to watch that summer. During Sportscenter you saw how excited the Latin American players were during the HR Derby. Waving flags, cheering Abreyu, etc. You can see the same things in winter ball across Mexico and other Latin American countries. Those places are going to miss baseball in the Olympics more than the U.S. Some I.O.C. people may have thought they were sticking it to the U.S., but they're going to end up hitting the wrong target.

[JMK]

All I know is that just because of that enthusiasm and flag waving that we saw from the latin countries last night at the HR derby, they're going to kick everyone's rear end. This is a tournament for those that love the game, and clearly last night we saw players who love what they do.

[JMK]

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=2106480

Here are more reasons why I'm not heartbroken about excluding baseball from the Olympics.

- The World Classic will be bigger than the IOC thinks

- MLB will not halt their season to release their best players in the middle of pennant races, which I have to agree with

In my opinion, if the best players aren't going to be there, then I don't care to see it. The World Classic will work just fine for me provided the best players show up...which they may not, so it's all moot for now.

[JMK]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2106934

As if the Dominican Republic wasn't going to be strong enough, A-Rod has declared that he will play for them if he's allowed to.

So their lineup includes these chumps:

David Ortiz DH/1B
Manny Ramirez LF
Miguel Tejada SS
Vladimir Guerrero RF
Albert Pujols 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B/SS
Adrian Beltre 3B
Sammy Sosa RF

The last 2 have been having off years, and Sosa is not likely to regain his skills, but that is one sick lineup. Defensively they may have some problems though. I keep getting excited about this, but I don't think we'll see half of these players take the field.

[Ryan Pode]

America neesd to quickly naturalize some of these guys or it's gonna be a short tournament. :\

[Jedieb]

But we know Shef won't be there because if there's no dough, there's no Shef! Hate him or love him, he's always good for a quote.

[JMK]

In a way I don't blame him. What if he gets hurt during the tournament and can't play for the Yankees? He signed a contract to play for the Yankees, and on top of not wanting to have it nullified a la Aaron Boone, he'd like to get paid and honor the terms of that contract. I can respect that. We always crack guys who bail on their contracts, so Shef wanting to earn his money and make sure he honors the contract is something I can understand.

But you're right Eb, he's always good for a quote.

[Doc Milo]

That tournament should be played after the season in warmer southern climates. Playing it before the season is the wrong time for that. The players, as it is, take a month and a half to get into shape. Do we really expect pitchers to be on their game before spring training? At least after the season the injury question isn't as pressing, since there is the off-season to heal and get ready for the next season. And, I believe, playing these things before spring training is just asking for an injury from players not yet in "playing shape."

[JMK]

That's true as well. To us it seems like a no-brainer. I wonder if they don't do that because it would interfere with too many latin american's participation in their winter leagues in their respective countries?

[Jedieb]

A-Rod will probably be playing for the Dominican Republic. Holy crap, that squad is going to be stacked; A-Rod, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Miguel Tejada, and Vladimir Guerrero. Wow, anybody want to pitch to these guys?

[JMK]

Don't forget Albert Pujols and Adrian Beltre!

[Jedieb]

I didn't see your lineup earlier JMK, wow, they are friggin' stacked. That's going to be a great line up to watch. Even if they get just 2/3 of that lineup on the field it'll be a blast to watch. A-Rod was born in NY, we might have to call him home just ot make the damn thing competitive.

[JMK]

It's all well and good to have the lineups on paper, but I don't think we'll see 1/3 of the players we hope to see in the end. I really don't think teams will jeopardize losing guys for an entire year.