OT: No Olympic baseball?!

by streetfan on Jul 7, 2005 11:23 PM PDT Comment 30 comments

I found this while I was checking the A's standings at yahoo.com
Can it be that there will be no baseball in the country that "invented" it (cricket) for the 2012 Olympics?! That's just too bad. Instead we might get an event of golf or squash (?)
I know the Brits are already having a bad week (my condolences, I love London!), but no Olympic baseball? Any thoughts here?

(I only posted the beginning of the article)

IOC drops baseball, softball from 2012 program
By STEPHEN WILSON, AP Sports Writer
July 8, 2005

SINGAPORE (AP) -- Baseball and softball were dropped Friday from the Olympic program for the 2012 Summer Games in London.

Each of the 28 existing sports was put to a secret vote by the International Olympic Committee, and baseball and softball failed to receive a majority required to stay on the program. The other 26 sports were retained.

The IOC will consider replacing them with two sports from a waiting list of five: golf, rugby, squash, karate and roller sports. That decision will be made Saturday.

Baseball and softball are the first sports cut from the Olympics since water polo in 1936. Baseball has been vulnerable because it doesn't bring top Major League players to the Olympics. Softball has been in danger because of a perceived lack of global appeal and participation.

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I can sort of understand softball

but Baseball HAS to be there! I mean come on!

But yeah, Major League players SHOULD be in the olympics. I mean, NBA players go right?

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by Zonis on Jul 7, 2005 11:40 PM PDT reply actions

I love Olympic softball...

I think both are ridiculous...but hey, we have like 80 rowing events at least.

Bring back Hammer.

by OaktownPower on Jul 7, 2005 11:50 PM PDT up reply actions

NBA players go

because it doesn't conflict with their schedule. Their seasons are over when the summer Olympics occur. For MLB players to go, they'd have to sacrifice a month of their season, not to mention they'd probably have to get the permission of their respective teams to even be allowed to attend, right? No one wants to leave in the heart of a playoff race, so the Olympics don't exactly draw top-tier MLB players, if I assume correctly.

I guess this is a big loss for the sport, but overall it's probably a bigger loss to the rest of the world. Most of us living in North America can be like, "Well that's just too bad, but at least we still got MLB..." But for other countries, they only really have this once chance to show off their most talented baseball players to and now they're going to be deprived of the opportunity.

by Melody on Jul 8, 2005 12:05 AM PDT up reply actions

And another factor...

is that for team sports, the US usually sends a potpourri of players, while most other countries send their best overall team, not just a collection of `All-Stars' whom aren't exactly All-Stars. I'm sure that if we sent our winning Summer Classic team to the Olympics then we'd kick some serious butt, but that would create major headaches for MLB, with all the roster/playing time/qualification rules. Then you just get a whole new can of worms :(

by Melody on Jul 8, 2005 12:16 AM PDT up reply actions

Phew

I just thank the maker they kept rhythmic gymnastics.

I'm the guy with the Carney/Jared Lansford jersey

by gojohn10 on Jul 7, 2005 11:42 PM PDT reply actions

Ah, but...

We might get roller sports... whatever that is!

by streetfan on Jul 8, 2005 12:10 AM PDT up reply actions

What would you rather have...

...if you were a baseball player.

A World Series ring or an Olympic Gold Medal?

The Olympics are supposed to be a competition of the world's greatest. As long as major leaguers stay away from the Olympics in droves then hoe can Olympic Baseball be a competion of the best players on Earth?

I'm disappointed but not surprised.

As long as major leaguers stay away from the olympics, baseball isn't going to be an olympic sport.

Make baseball a winter olympic sport?

"We're not dunderheads here..." -Billy Beane

by secret ASian man on Jul 8, 2005 12:17 AM PDT reply actions

Winter

That is very possible.

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by Zonis on Jul 8, 2005 12:26 AM PDT up reply actions

It is?

No it's not! Come on ...

The next time I slap a guy's ass, can we all just assume it's because I wish I was a baseball player?

by devo on Jul 8, 2005 9:49 AM PDT up reply actions

Baseball in the snow?

At the very least, it would be baseball in the cold. Or indoors. Yuck. Baseball just isn't a winter sport but making it into one for the Olympics does sound pretty logical. It would certainly help bring out our best players, especially since they'd only have to play every four years and it would become more of a real honor to represent than a real inconvenience to their team.

by Melody on Jul 8, 2005 12:31 AM PDT up reply actions

Not not in a snow but...

[gulp] in a dome.

"We're not dunderheads here..." -Billy Beane

by secret ASian man on Jul 8, 2005 12:36 AM PDT up reply actions

Didn't read you post carefully...

I'm sorry.

"We're not dunderheads here..." -Billy Beane

by secret ASian man on Jul 8, 2005 12:42 AM PDT up reply actions

I'm trying to respond to your e-mail

But I have to respond to Nico's first. Have I mentioned I hate e-mails? It's taken me 15 minutes already to write two paragraphs.

by Melody on Jul 8, 2005 12:46 AM PDT up reply actions

As horrific of an idea as that is

it's also unrealistic. I'm sure they'd need about 2-4 stadiums in order to get all of the early round games in and there aren't a whole lot of regions that have that many domed stadiums in them.

The next time I slap a guy's ass, can we all just assume it's because I wish I was a baseball player?

by devo on Jul 8, 2005 9:51 AM PDT up reply actions

Disaster

This is an absolute disaster for British baseball. I'm totally gutted.

Baseball Softball UK have been working towards this for years. After winning the bid we were all so happy - there were millions of pounds going into facilities and training programmes. All the kids on my baseball teams were so excited about this. I can't believe it. Its hit me worse than those bombs yesterday.

Neil

by Star35 on Jul 8, 2005 2:13 AM PDT reply actions

Who is this?

I used to work the MLB Roadshow, my best friend is Alex Malihoudis. He was so pumped the other day when London got the Olympics, he texted me at 5:30 AM San Francisco time to say, "I'm going to the Olympics!!!" Then, the next day, the IOC pulls the rug out. I can't believe how much that sucks! I thought they'd have built a good venue in London, which British baseball needs so freaking badly. Maybe they would have upgraded the field in Brighton...oh well. I guess it's not to be.

Keep playing, my man. It'll come around. The folks at MLB/BSUK do a good job, they'll keep developing the game as long as people like you keep playing.

by Dog Days on Jul 8, 2005 9:55 AM PDT up reply actions

By the way

My name is Kevin August. I used to play for the Brighton Bucs - we won the title my second year there. I loved playing ball in England.

by Dog Days on Jul 8, 2005 9:56 AM PDT up reply actions

Hello

Neil Warne, Head Coach of the London Mets youth baseball club in Finsbury Park (and assistant coach of Great Britain under-16s). I'm particularly miserable because the kids in my youth teams were so excited about getting the games AND the new facilities in London, and now I've got to explain to them how its all gone away again. It would have been better if we'd lost the bid. My eldest son (13) had set his heart on playing in the GB team at the olympics and is inconsolable.

Neil

by Star35 on Jul 8, 2005 10:38 AM PDT up reply actions

Do you know Liam Carroll?

I think Liam helps out coaching with the under-16s - he's a good friend of mine. I've spent a lot of time in the London office on Charlotte Street with Jenny Fromer, John Boyd, Clive Russell, et al. Good to know there are some GB baseball people on athleticsnation.

Are the Mets affiliated with the London Warriors?

by Dog Days on Jul 8, 2005 11:06 AM PDT up reply actions

Small world... er, Nation!

Yes, I'm working on the field with Liam 2-3 times a week while he's over in London! He's a great guy and a very good youth coach.

And yes, we share one of our diamonds with the Warriors and we are all part of the same club. The theory is that our best young players end up with the Warriors as adults.

Neil

by Star35 on Jul 8, 2005 2:44 PM PDT up reply actions

The A's are uniters!

They bring the whole world together, thanks to Blez and athleticsnation.

You'll have to tell Liam that Kevin August says hello. Poor kid is a Mets fan, but I don't hold it against him. He's a crackup. Sounds like one of us Yanks these days, though!

by Dog Days on Jul 8, 2005 3:39 PM PDT up reply actions

I will say hi

I will definately say hello from you.

We are gradually changing his accent back - and especially on the rare occasions he's not talking about baseball he almost sounds like a Londoner again!

Neil

by Star35 on Jul 11, 2005 3:53 AM PDT up reply actions

Well the baseball world cup solves our problem

A hot dog at the ball park is better than steak at the Ritz. --Humphrey Bogart

by West Bay A s Fan on Jul 8, 2005 2:50 AM PDT reply actions

So, so disappointing

Quite frankly the baseball was the only reason I was even remotely interested in having the Olympics here in London. The plans in place to build baseball venues looked so good and I was very excited for all it could have done for baseball in this country. To have it taken away just caps this off as a perfectly crappy week for baseball fans in London.

by textonly on Jul 8, 2005 8:24 AM PDT reply actions

Get down to Brighton

and check out the BUCS! I know it's not great baseball, but it's still fun to be around the game.

I agree with you, this is a huge disappointment for British baseball. I'm stunned. I was already planning my trip to be there for the Olympics, seven years in advance!

by Dog Days on Jul 8, 2005 9:58 AM PDT up reply actions

Sigh...oh well...

Maybe time will pass, more countries get involved, and baseball will be back for the 2016 Olympics in Branson, Missouri. ;)

I do have to say that if they're dropping baseball because of a lack of worldwide support, they better put in golf or rugby -- a sport with real international appeal and visibility. If they put in roller sports -- whatever the heck that is -- THAT would be a real shame.

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by FormerHuntsvilleStar on Jul 8, 2005 9:06 AM PDT reply actions

Bottom line:

It's a real cost element to have to build two-four baseball facilities in an Olympic City for a sprt that typically draws poorly in the Games, and is of little use to the host country (more often than not) after the event.

I saw most of the Olympic baseball in the Sydney Olympics and was grabbing tickets for as little as $9 a piece on the day. It was great fun, because it was as if they were playing solely for my enjoyment.

Biggest crowd... maybe 1200.

I hate to see both ball sports tossed, because in my opinion there are a dozen other sports more worthy of dismissal, but from a pure cost perspective, baseball is a tough sell to a country like France or England or South Africa.

by Ozzz on Jul 8, 2005 10:23 AM PDT reply actions

Sydney baseball

I went to several baseball games there too and had fun explaining a bit about how to play to some Aussies sitting nearby (not that I'm an expert!).
There was an interest in baseball but not super. I realize it's a bigger sport in parts of Asia, Cent. & So. America, but too bad it won't get more exposure now :(

by streetfan on Jul 8, 2005 11:03 AM PDT up reply actions

Softball is the biggest mixed-sex sport in the UK

Softball is actually the biggest mixed-sex sport in the UK.

They've dropped baseball and softball and brought in.... nothing. The IOC chairman has been gunning for baseball for several years, but the IOC committee has managed to hold him off. When he managed to force this surprise vote through the IOC committee punished him by refusing to allow any other sport to take their place, so they've simply cut the total by 2.

I am so pissed off about this.

Neil

by Star35 on Jul 8, 2005 10:31 AM PDT reply actions

Lousy that baseball & softball are out

The Olympics is a great venue to promote the sport. Unfortunately, I just can't see how MLB can suspend the season for a month just as the season is coming to a climax. Even so, baseball is a major sport in many regions in the world. How many people really care about rhythmic gymnastics or synchronized-swimming? Hopefully, this is not the last word. Keep the faith, UK baseballers. 2012 is a long way off. Who knows what may happen between now and then?

Green and Gold since '73

by kent1 on Jul 8, 2005 11:45 AM PDT reply actions