March 22nd, 2013 at 8:51 am 
by Ron Cervenka Although I have heard a lot of positive comments about the recently concluded World Baseball Classic, I have heard even more negative comments about it – most notably its poor timing in relationship to the MLB’s spring training, and for the potential for injury to MLB players, which has reared its ugly head for the Dodgers (Hanley Ramirez) and the Mets (David Wright). All of this has renewed the debate as to whether or not the WBC should be eliminated.
Under cold and gloomy conditions, the 2013 WBC Final at San Francisco’s AT&T Park drew a crowd of 35,703 . (AP photo)
Long before the first pitch (and punch) was thrown in the 2013 WBC, it was already knee deep in controversy in a dispute between the Japanese Professional Baseball Players Association (JPBPA) and Major League Baseball over revenue sharing. JPBPA was demanding a larger share of advertising and merchandise sponsorship revenue for the tournament, a large chunk of which came from Japanese companies. MLB resisted the move primarily because the WBC is a joint production between MLB and the MLB Player’s Association (MLBPA), who bore the bulk of the cost of the tournament.
In July of 2012 the JPBPA voted unanimously to boycott the 2013 WBC. The move was interpreted by many as an attempt by the JPBPA to put pressure on MLB to consider their demands; however, in September of 2012, Japanese players agreed to participate after reaching a compromise with tournament organizers on sharing sponsorship and licensing revenue.
Without question, the loudest argument against the 2013 WBC was its timing in relationship to MLB’s spring training, but in reality, there really is no good time to have a WBC tournament. The best time, of course, would be during MLB’s off-season, but this would put it at the end of a grueling 162-game season (not including the post-season) when players need time to recover and prepare for the next season, not to mention the likelihood of bad weather in the U.S. during the winter months. And while the WBC is extremely popular in Puerto Rico, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, the cost of having a tournament of the WBC’s magnitude is probably too much for these impoverished countries to bear.
The second loudest argument against the WBC is the risk of injury to its participants, especially with the tournament being held before and during spring training. But let’s be honest here – baseball and injuries go hand-in-hand with one another at every level of the game – from T-Ball to the Big leagues, and the injury issue only becomes a real concern when it is one of your team’s players who gets injured.
But are timing and the risk of injury good enough reasons to eliminate the WBC? That’s definitely debatable. But what if there was a better reason to eliminate the WBC, a reason such as putting baseball back on the real world stage – the Olympics, thus rendering the WBC unnecessary?
We all know that the WBC was created as a result of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voting to drop baseball (and women’s softball) from competition beginning with the 2012 Games in London, a decision that didn’t sit well with baseball fans around the world – especially for a guy named Tommy Lasorda; yet most people don’t even know how or why this decision came about. To better understand the reason, let’s take a look at the history of baseball in Olympic competition, and it’s a deep history – far deeper than most people realize.
Although very little was recorded about it, baseball made its debut in the Olympics during the 1904 Games held in St. Louis, Missouri. It appeared again eight years later during the 1912 Games in Stockholm. That year, a U.S. team played against a Swedish team, defeating them by a score of 13-3. Baseball next appeared in the 1924 Summer Games in Paris, with the U.S. team beating the French team 5-0 in a 4-inning exhibition game.
International interest in baseball really made it’s presence known at baseball’s next Olympic appearance during the 1936 Games in Berlin when two U.S teams played an exhibition game before a crowd estimated between 90,000 – 100,000 at the Reichsportsfeld (today’s Olympiapark Berlin). In the 1952 Games held in Helsinki, a variation of the game was played between two Finnish teams; and in 1956, a one-game exhibition was played between an Australian and a U.S. team in Melbourne that drew an all-time record baseball crowd of nearly 114,000 spectators at the Melbourne Cricket Ground – a record that stood until March 29, 2008 when an exhibition game between the Dodgers and Red Sox at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum drew a record-breaking 115,300 spectators.
The largest crowd to ever watch a baseball game were the 115,300 who saw the Dodgers take on the Red Sox in an exhibition game on March 29, 2008. (Photo credit – Jeff gross)
In the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles, Olympic baseball (now officially referred to as “an exhibition sport/event” by the IOC) returned and used an elimination-type tournament format for the first time, with Japan defeating the U.S. in the final game. For reasons known only to them, the IOC reclassified baseball as a “demonstration sport” for the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul where it was redemption time for Team USA as they defeated Team Japan for the Gold Medal under the leadership of manager Tommy Lasorda.
After nearly 100 years, the IOC finally realized that baseball truly was an international sport and voted baseball (and women’s softball) in as official sports for the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona with an eight-team tournament. The caveat was that all players had to be amateurs. The tournament used a round-robin format in which teams played each of the other teams, followed by semifinals and finals. Olympic baseball remained unchanged until the 2000 Games in Sydney, when the IOC allowed professional baseball players to participate, just as the WBC does today.
Just when it appeared that baseball had finally earned its rightful place in the Olympics, the bottom fell out.
At an IOC meeting on July 7, 2005, baseball and softball were voted out of the 2012 Summer Olympics to be held in London, thus making the two sports the first to be voted out of Olympic competition since polo was eliminated in 1936. The decision cut the very hearts out of 16 teams and more than 300 athletes who had hopes of participating in the London Games. In their place, the IOC voted to add golf and rugby sevens, both of which will debut at the 2016 Games in Rio.
Why did the IOC eliminate baseball, you ask? The answer may come as a surprise to some but probably not to most – performance enhancing drugs, or more so, the vast difference between the MLB testing procedures with those of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which apply to all Olympians. And while we may cry foul to this, the truth of the matter is that the MLB’s and even more so the MLBPA’s unwillingness to accept the WADA’s much stricter testing procedures and much longer list of banned substances has caused the IOC to basically blow off baseball as an Olympic sport – and don’t look for this to change anytime soon.
During the bronze medal game of the 2008 Games between the U.S. and Japan in Beijing, IOC President (Count) Jacques Rogge was interviewed by Mark Newman of MLB.com. Newman asked Rogge what it would take to get baseball back into the Olympics. Rogge’s answer clearly shows the impatience that the IOC had with the Players’ Union: “To be on the Olympic program is an issue where you need universality as much as possible. You need to have a sport with a following, you need to have the best players and you need to be in strict compliance with WADA. And these are the qualifications that have to be met. When you have all that, you have to win hearts. You can win the mind, but you still must win hearts.”
IOC President Count Jacques Rogge. (Photo courtesy of olympic.org)
When you run down Rogge’s list item by item, the obvious jumps right out at you:
- You need universality as much as possible – Check.
- You need to have a sport with a following – Check.
- You need to have the best players – Check.
- You have to win the hearts of the fans – Check.
- You need to be in strict compliance with the WADA – Uh oh.
Based on Dr. Rogge’s comments, it appears that baseball may never return to Olympic competition… or will it?
On April 1, 2011, the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and the International Softball Federation (ISF) announced they were preparing a joint proposal to revive play of both sports at the 2020 Summer Olympics. The IBAF and ISF said that they would not rush into an Olympic proposal, adding that they were working to form a temporary commission to analyze the prospect of a joint proposal. “In the past, baseball and softball were running alone, and the result was that baseball and softball stayed out,” IBAF president Riccardo Fraccari said in reference to their decades-long push for Olympic inclusion and recent decision to work together.
And more recently, in early January, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig announced that an agreement had been reached with the MLBPA to expand drug testing beginning with the 2013 season. The agreement will establish baseline testosterone levels for all players, thus making it easier to detect the use of synthetic testosterone, as well as the implementation of year-round testing. The announcement received an immediately endorsement from David Howman, director general of WADA.
“WADA welcomes the decision of Major League Baseball and its players union to expand their drug-testing program for the 2013 season,” Howman said. “By agreeing to in-season testing for human growth hormone and introducing longitudinal profiling for testosterone, MLB has significantly increased the effectiveness of its anti-doping program and enhanced its value in terms of deterrence.
“An anti-doping program can only be considered effective when it is allowed to monitor players the whole year round, and by making these changes the MLB has set a new standard for the other Pro Leagues to follow.”
Other encouraging steps are being taken to try to get the IOC to bring baseball and softball back into Olympic competition. On February 12, 2013, the IOC Executive Board (EB) removed wrestling from it’s core sports for the 2020 Games, whose venue won’t be known until September 7, 2013. The action added wrestling to what are called “the seven shortlisted sports” which include baseball/softball, karate, roller sports, sport climbing, squash, wakeboarding and wushu – all of which are currently in the application process for inclusion in the 2020 Olympic Games. With the joint IBAF/ISF group working together and with the increased testing in the MLB this season, baseball and softball are doing all that they can to return to Olympic competition.
On the other side of the WBC coin are those who thoroughly enjoyed the 2013 WBC and who want it to continue – especially those whose countries made it into the semifinal and final rounds and for those who attended the games in person. But when all was said and done, was anyone really surprised that Team Dominican Republic with its MLB star-studded roster won it all? And while attendance at the 2013 WBC was a very respectable 781,429 (a 20,037 per game average), I would be willing to bet that the TV ratings for the WBC fell far short of expectations because the games were carried exclusively on MLB Network instead of one of the major television networks or on ESPN. I know that I might have enjoyed watching some of the WBC games, but my cable service doesn’t include MLB Network. I was also quite disappointed that MLB Network did not air the games on any of their Sirius/XM radio channels (especially the semifinal and final rounds), which I definitely would have listened to.
I also do not know if the MLB itself actually made a profit from the 2013 WBC. They very well may have simply because of the huge amount of sponsorship money involved, but I’m again guessing that they might have done a lot better had the semifinal and final rounds been carried on network television (through television ad revenue) rather than on MLB Network television.
The bottom line is that whether or not you like the WBC, there will be another one in 2017 (and it will again be carried on MLB Network). And even if the IOC were to vote baseball back into Olympic competition, the soonest that we would see it happen would be in 2020.
So, what’s your take – should the WBC be eliminated or not?
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Great article Ron. Lots of info there I didn’t know.
I am conflicted on the WBC – for the reasons you mentioned. That is, interfering with ST and the possibility of injury. I agree with your take on injuries. Guys slip and fall on ice, fall in the bathtub, cut their hands, etc. Injuries happen and are part of the game just as they are outside of the lines.
I expect if I was given a vote I would not vote to abolish the WBC. It does showcase baseball around the world and people, especially in Latin America and in Japan take much pride in their WBC teams. If it helps to promote baseball,then it is worthwhile. My own thought on the alternative would be an international World Series. I have no idea how that could be done but then the World Series would truly be a World Series.
I agree this was a very well written article and I enjoyed reading it.
I watched some of the games on MLBN and I must admit that I found them rather exciting.
As we all know we can’t stop injuries from happening and someone is bound to get hurt from time to time.
I’d say if the experts can’t find a better time to play the WBC, I’m perfectly happy with the way it is.
The research and detail involved in writing this article was impeccable. Kudos…
I still despise the WBC and the fact Ramirez got hurt. Injuries happen, but as Sammy mentioned, I’d have been better off with the situation if Ramirez was hurt playing for the Dodgers in Spring Training rather than in some pointless exhibition tournament.
Your opinion that baseball won’t return to the international stage without higher drug-testing standards is spot on. If baseball wants a true international presence, then the Olympics is where they need to be focused on returning the game to competition.
As far as I’m concerned the WBC should be eliminated. My reasoning for this is the chance of injury (which burned us this year) and the disruption to spring training. I was never to keen on Olympic baseball either. Call me an isolationist but I’m only interested in what happens in the American and National Leagues. I know Selig has talked about a World Series between the American World Series winner and the Japanese counterpart, but when would they play that series, November, December? Then weather in the US would become a problem. MLB is only interested in the WBC not for the betterment on the game, but for the betterment of their profit margins.
I would much rather see baseball in the Olympics then as the WBC. I also feel the girls get left out with the WBC, where the Olympics would include Softball. I would also be OK it they were limited to minor leaguers, college players and amateurs.
Great article, Ron. Lots of interesting facts and history. I have to admit I’ve paid little attention to the WBC from its inception, and that I’m indifferent to its existence. The injuries could have happened in any setting and I don’t believe they justify elimination of the WBC. I do believe that the Latin American teams played with more passion than all of the others, and find that very disappointing, both in terms of the Latinos’ commitment to MLB and everyone else’s commitment to the WBC. I miss baseball and softball in the Olympics and would welcome their return with or without MLB’s cooperation.
As being on of the few on here that actually attended all the games in Phoenix, I really wasn’t all that enthused on going to these games (From all the negative hype and all). I really didn’t know what to expect from these “mean nothing games”. I must say after the first game between Mexico and Italy, I was sold hook line and sinker! Driving home after that game I simply couldn’t wait for the rest of the games to be played. I’m not quite sure how to say this, but I’ll give it a try. These games may mean nothing for you and me, and especially the teams in the MLB. But I really do believe for a vast majority of players who step up and actually want to play for thier country, they do it because they are proud to represent thier countries. In the games I attended it was very evident that these guys were proudly playing for the jersey they where wearing.
As far as my feelings on the whole issue….I have two takes on it. As a Dodgers fan it sucks. But as a baseball fan who attended the games, they were absolutely fabulous! I had a blast at these games and loved every minute of it.
So there you have it. I guess I fit the mold of exactly what 53 is writing about!
I attended the semifinal game in 2009 at Dodger Stadium between Team USA and Team Japan (the eventual winners). I agree that the players appeared to be proud to be representing their countries, but it appeared to me to be more like an All-Star Game where the players enjoyed BS’ing with one another during BP more than the actual concept of a world tournament – which is fine, as it doesn’t happen very often.
Once the game started, all of that changed and the competition was intense and the game quite enjoyable. Jonathan Broxton was the only Dodger on the team but never saw action, as Team USA was more than capable of losing without him – which they did.
I had tickets for the finals between Japan and Korean the following night but didn’t go. I completely lost interest after Team USA was eliminated. Now had it been the Olympics I would have gone to the final game because Team USA would have received a Bronze Medal after the game.
IMO, the meaning of playing for your country means a whole lot more in the Olympics then it does in the WBC. Plus the women would get their fair share as Olympians, where the WBC does nothing for them.
There is a big disconnect here that should be addressed here with the WBC. The other countries took this tournament as if it was the “World Cup” of baseball. They looked forward to facing the US team as a point of pride. Teams like the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Japan, even Brazil put in such an effort to play and their fans to support their teams. The US team forwarded a mediocre selection of players. It was not the best team that could be put on the field. Moreover, the players that were there appeared to be going through the motions and the fans responded in kind. I went to Miami to watch the tournament and it was a bizarre spectacle to see easily 80 percent of the fans energetically support the Dominican team on US soil with an atmosphere that felt like game 7 of the World Series. The DR players gave their all and the fans responded. It was fun. The way things are with baseball as an international sport, the US can’t put a mediocre team on the field and expect to win anymore. The US has to participate and take this seriously, get their players in shape earlier, and stop whining about whether or not this is worthwhile. Otherwise we will keep losing this tournament and more importantly lose out on the opportunity of “internationalizacion” of the sport. This type of event is necessary to keep the sport growing on a world stage. This was a great event (even though I can’t imagine why anyone would choose rainy and cold San Francisco in March to play the finals).
That is a great assessment, bbb – perhaps the best one yet. You are the first person who was actually at the U.S./DR game in Miami to post on here about that game.
As I noted in my reply to Cranbrook Mike’s comment, I attended the semifinal game between the U.S. and Japan in 2009 at Dodger Stadium and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but it was overwhelming evident that Team Japan took the whole thing a lot more serious than did the Americans.
It will be interesting to see if the IOC votes baseball back into the Olympics and, if they do, what effect it will have on the WBC; but as noted, there will definitely be at least one more WBC in 2017.
BTW – Thanks for dropping in on us. Don’t be a stranger – you are definitely among friends here.
Thanks, Ron. I appreciate your site and the analysis that you present on a regular basis. I have been reading the site for a while but I was inspired to comment this time around.
I have a particularly odd vantage point. I am an American but I now have about 16 years living in Mexico. Over the past 3 years we have been developing a little league system in the state of Morelos, a state which does not have a lot of baseball history. Looking for inspiration, the kids don’t really connect to the MLB in general other than individual players (Go Cochito Cruz!) but they do love to see Mexico play whether in the Little League World Series or in the WBC. If this is developed as a “World Cup of Baseball” I think it will continue to have legs and will help baseball increase its fan base but only if the US decides to really participate. The player’s union will have a lot more to say on this than anyone else but I don’t see it returning as an olympic sport.
We saw the games in Mexico City in 2009 and this time around I saw the event as much more organized, better players, more sponsors and better attendance.
Wow! What a great bio, bigbluebird! While researching the Mike Brito article, I was really impressed with to popularity of baseball in Mexico – it is HUGE!
I am unfamiliar with the state of Morelos, but in looking at it on Google Maps, I realize that I flew directly over it on my last trip to and from Costa Rica, as we had a stopover in Mexico City – how cool is that! (Is the volcano in Morelos?).
If you are so inclined, I encourage you to join our ThinkBlueLA forum at http://www.thinkbluela.com/forum/ – we have Dodger fans from all across the U.S. and several from Canada. If you were to join our friendly ranks, we would have members from three countries in our growing family. Simply click on the “Register” tab and follow the simple instruction and I will approve your User Account as soon as I see it pop up. I know all of us would love to hear your baseball stories, especially about the development of the Little League in Morelos.
Thanks again for dropping in.
“Should the WBC be eliminated”? The answer is no. Why? Because removing it is gonna stir up a lot of controversy from many different fans from different nations. So by saying WBC needing to be eliminated, removing one sport is like removing all of the different sports. If you guys want WBC to be eliminated, why not remove FIFA as well? Hell, why not FIBA as well? Then we’ll see how many fans will react for many national sports to be sanctioned, only to be on thin ice because you’re having a bunch of fans protesting from having WBC be eliminated from the sport.
IOC tried to remove Wrestling from the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, but realized by doing so is gonna stir up controversy and face serious lawsuits as they explained of earning more money than viewers, so Wrestling remained there, considering as how Wrestling had a long history in the Olympics. So with that said, WBC should remain there, no matter what people would think, be it positive or negative depending on their perspective reviews.
If WBC is taken off, then they’re gonna face serious lawsuits, and as I mentioned before, you take out one sport, you take out many other sports in the end. You can disagree with me as you wish, but WBC is a part of sport played from around the world, just like FIBA and FIFA, so WBC should be part of it as well.