OT: No Olympic baseball?!
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 yeah, Major League players SHOULD be in the olympics. I mean, NBA players go right?
I love Olympic softball...
by OaktownPower on Jul 7, 2005 11:50 PM PDT up reply actions
NBA players go
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.
And another factor...
Phew
What would you rather have...
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?
by secret ASian man on Jul 8, 2005 12:17 AM PDT reply actions
Baseball in the snow?
Not not in a snow but...
by secret ASian man on Jul 8, 2005 12:36 AM PDT up reply actions
Didn't read you post carefully...
by secret ASian man on Jul 8, 2005 12:42 AM PDT up reply actions
I'm trying to respond to your e-mail
As horrific of an idea as that is
Disaster
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.
by Star35 on Jul 8, 2005 2:13 AM PDT reply actions
Who is this?
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 the way
Hello
by Star35 on Jul 8, 2005 10:38 AM PDT up reply actions
Do you know Liam Carroll?
Are the Mets affiliated with the London Warriors?
Small world... er, Nation!
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.
by Star35 on Jul 8, 2005 2:44 PM PDT up reply actions
The A's are uniters!
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!
I will say hi
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!
by Star35 on Jul 11, 2005 3:53 AM PDT up reply actions
Well the baseball world cup solves our problem
by West Bay A s Fan on Jul 8, 2005 2:50 AM PDT reply actions
So, so disappointing
Get down to Brighton
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!
Sigh...oh well...
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.
by FormerHuntsvilleStar on Jul 8, 2005 9:06 AM PDT reply actions
Bottom line:
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.
Sydney baseball
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 :(
Softball is 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.
by Star35 on Jul 8, 2005 10:31 AM PDT reply actions
Lousy that baseball & softball are out
by kent1 on Jul 8, 2005 11:45 AM PDT reply actions
























