baseball in the olympics

[metsmarathon]

is there a way to make it work?

is it worth trying?

does anybody else care that it's not in there? and that if it was in there we wouldn't see hte best players playing?

i have my own thoughts, but i'll open it up for discussion first.

i will however state my position:

i would love to see baseball in the olympics, and i would love to see major leaguers playing in it. i think it could be done, and all it would take is some imagination and maybe some willingness to take a risk to expand its worldwide appeal and marketability (to whatever extent such an expansion would benefit major league baseball of course).

your thoughts?

[Ceetar]

WNBA is taking a month off. I imagine if you want major leaguers that's how it would have to go. I'd suggest shortening the season slightly, but I don't know how well it'd work logistically. And what about all the players, pitchers, sitting around getting cold for 3 weeks?

There didn't seem to be much interest last time. Brandon Knight went for the Mets. No one cared. Personally I don't know if I'd get into it. I would because it's the only baseball, but like Basketball is the sport I least want to watch in the Olympics, because it's on all the time and I'd rather see the events we're only exposed to every 4 years. I'd rather see Archery and Swimming and Badminton.

I think it could be interesting, but you'll get all the stupid debates about pitcher injuries and teams not wanting to send their players. Although the whiny probably won't be as supported when they're balking at representing the country versus the All-Star Game or WBC (Which is why MLB will never go the Olympics route)

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

They dropped it because too few countries played it, and (I think) it was too expensive and time consuming given its limited interest, and the best players in the world were already being paid to play baseball elsewhere at the same time so it weakened its stature as a world-class event.

I could see them add it again but until then the World Baseball Classic needs to establish itself as a legit event, which it still isn't yet. Once that happens, we could talk Olympix.

What I wanna see added is ultimate frisbee!

[MFS62]

I read a few weeks ago (forget where, Yahoo Sports?) that there would have to be serious negotiations with the MLBPA to have them allow their players to participate. The earliest it can be added would be 2020, so there's plenty of time to get the talks going and reach an agreement.

Later

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Maybe they could do it the way men's soccer is done and have a team of younger players with a select few veterans. To be honest I'd rather see the WBC catch on to being a big event than see teams of Major Leaguers in the Olympics.

[Ceetar]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: They dropped it because too few countries played it, and (I think) it was too expensive and time consuming given its limited interest, and the best players in the world were already being paid to play baseball elsewhere at the same time so it weakened its stature as a world-class event. I could see them add it again but until then the World Baseball Classic needs to establish itself as a legit event, which it still isn't yet. Once that happens, we could talk Olympix. What I wanna see added is ultimate frisbee!

WBC is going to be bigger next year right? Next year's going to be fun. WBC, All-Star Game, Bonds and Piazza for the Hall, World Series in Flushing..

[Edgy MD]

I think as many nations can field a team as can field, say, a badminton team. I think the real issue is the European domination of the IOC.

[Ceetar]

Edgy DC wrote: I think as many nations can field a team as can field, say, a badminton team. I think the real issue is the European domination of the IOC.

28 teams in the WBC. So that's a decent amount of nations.

wonder if Ike Davis will play for Israel.

sorry, that's WBC stuff.

When they stopped the Olympics last time I figured they'd add it back in in 2020 because it's baseball. It certainly is more competitive than Basketball right? 156-73 last night for the US..

[bmfc1]

Ceetar: Ike is a possibility but first team Israel has to qualify and the preliminary round is in mid-September.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-0617-down-the-line-20120617,0,2275237.story
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_World_Baseball_Classic_%E2%80%93_Qualification#Qualifier_1

[Ceetar]

bmfc1 wrote: Ceetar: Ike is a possibility but first team Israel has to qualify and the preliminary round is in mid-September. http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-0617-down-the-line-20120617,0,2275237.story http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_World_Baseball_Classic_%E2%80%93_Qualification#Qualifier_1

oh, I didn't realize it was in September. that's silly. So the team they use to qualify may or may not be the team they use in next rounds? interesting. Shawn Green wants to play too.

[Edgy MD]

Ryan Braun played for the US in 2010.



I think FIFA has it right. If you want to oppose the nation of your birth to play for a nation to which you have a connection of heritage, go ahead, but don't go jumping flags mid-career.

[Guest Swan Swan H]

If they shut down MLB for the Olympics it would be preposterous. 100 players playing for various teams that their grandmother visited once during a plane layover, 650 idling around for two weeks, all of the roster manipulation that would be going on. Teams pull all sorts of bullshit just to get guys out of three days in Kansas City and one inning pitched. The chicanery that would be happening around a two-week tournament at the time in the season when players are starting to physically run down would be hilarious, really. Actually, this might be just the thing to get amphetamines reintroduced to clubhouses. Bah to the whole idea.

The WBC was no better. I doubt I watched 18 innings of it in total. Personally, I'd have no problem with all of the international competitions disappearing forever. It's a watered down version of baseball driven almost entirely by marketing.

I hate it when the NHL does it, and I'd likely hate it more if MLB did.

[batmagadanleadoff]

It's all total bullshit anyway. As if six or seven games of baseball can determine anything.

[Guest Swan Swan H]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: It's all total bullshit anyway. As if six or seven games of baseball can determine anything.

That's exactly what I was saying in October of 2000. Only five games.

[metirish]

I thought part of it being dropped was a big fuck you to America ..... rounders anyone?


agree with Swanie , I remember Sean Casey being touted to play for Ireland.....Piazza for Italy......bullshit really

[Vic Sage]

7 games determines the world series every year, for the last 100 years or so (except for the years it was 9 games)
But i agree with Swan. I have 0 tolerance for the mass-market regorgitation of skin-deep nationalism called "the olympics" and to see it taint baseball in the middle of the summer has 0 interest for me.

[bmfc1]

If NBC wanted baseball to be an Olympic sport, it would be. Perhaps if the NBC Sports Network gets a piece of the next national TV package, NBC will be interested.

Out on a limb idea: make Olympic baseball a winter sport. Of course it would have to played in a different locale than the winter Olympics, such as Florida or Arizona. The players don't have a conflict (just like the NBA and European players don't have a conflict right now). It sounds crazy to have an event in a different location (and would the players want to give up a month of their off-season to train?), but it's better than shutting down MLB and certainly better than Bud's WBC which forces MLB players into a competitive environment after only a week or two of practice.

[batmagadanleadoff]

And seven WS games doesn't determine anything either, other than providing fans with a spectacle of pageantry and closure to the season, as far as I'm concerned. Prior to the Wild Card era, though, the system was designed to maintain some reasonable integrity by virtually ensuring that the qualifying teams would usually be among the very best. That's nothing like a tournament between several dozen teams playing no more than ten or so games, if that many.

[Edgy MD]

I find it hard to believe that NBC has so much juice with the IOC that it could impose their choices of sports and kill others. If NBC had its way, I imagine they'd see to it that American Football, stock car racing, and UFC fighting were medal sports. Celebrity Texas hold 'em poker also. And they'd make sure that all the most watched medal sports took place at the time of day in whatever country they occurred in so as to make them prime-time action in the eastern US.

[Ceetar]

Edgy DC wrote: I find it hard to believe that NBC has so much juice with the IOC that it could impose their choices of sports and kill others. If NBC had its way, I imagine they'd see to it that American Football, stock car racing, and UFC fighting were medal sports. Celebrity Texas hold 'em poker also. And they'd make sure that all the most watched medal sports took place at the time of day in whatever country they occurred in so as to make them prime-time action in the eastern US.

I'd like to see poker in the olympics actually. (not Celebrity, screw them) Chess too.

[batmagadanleadoff]

They'd probably hold an Olympian Derek Jeter look-a-like contest, too. And then let Jeter himself compete. So he can win the Gold medal.

[bmfc1]

If NBC wanted farting to be an Olympic sport, the IOC would make it happen.

[metirish]

bmfc1 wrote: If NBC wanted farting to be an Olympic sport, the IOC would make it happen.

this....one reason beach volleyball is starting near 11pm London time is NBC dictated that.

[Ceetar]

metirish wrote: bmfc1 wrote: If NBC wanted farting to be an Olympic sport, the IOC would make it happen. this....one reason beach volleyball is starting near 11pm London time is NBC dictated that.

Why? it's not like they care if they show things live anyway.

[metirish]

Ceetar wrote: metirish wrote: bmfc1 wrote: If NBC wanted farting to be an Olympic sport, the IOC would make it happen. this....one reason beach volleyball is starting near 11pm London time is NBC dictated that. Why? it's not like they care if they show things live anyway.

I know, the irony of that right there.....

[MFS62]

A year or so ago, a friend who is a VP at NBC News told me this is the last year of the NBC contract. She said they will party hardy on closing night. I'm not sure if a new one has been signed yet.

Later

[metirish]

They must have because I read something about changes in how they televise things for Brazil....they basically admitted that they are not fooling anyone with this shoddy coverage.......yesterday they relented and took down the firewall for online coverage.....so now you can watch online and all you need is to choose your provider, enter your details and presto, live events as they happen.

[Edgy MD]

bmfc1 wrote: If NBC wanted farting to be an Olympic sport, the IOC would make it happen.

Then why isn't American football in there or other popular US sports which they know how to sell to a US audience.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

metirish wrote: I thought part of it being dropped was a big fuck you to America ..... rounders anyone?

That's what I remember, too. I think that decision was made the year New York had a strong Olympic bid and was punked out in the opening round or something.

[Ceetar]

metirish wrote: They must have because I read something about changes in how they televise things for Brazil....they basically admitted that they are not fooling anyone with this shoddy coverage.......yesterday they relented and took down the firewall for online coverage.....so now you can watch online and all you need is to choose your provider, enter your details and presto, live events as they happen.

yeah, I've been streaming a lot of the events during the day, at least I did on the weekend, think having the stream going on my phone at work might be frowned upon.