MLB wants baseball back in Olympics

Saturday 23rd August, 02:14 PM JST

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9 Comments

pathat at 03:42 PM JST - 23rd August

"The IOC will vote in October 2009 in Denmark about whether to add two sports for 2016. The other sports are softball, squash, karate, roller sports, seven-a-side rugby and golf."

Baseball and softball have had their chances. It is time for some other sports like karate and rugby to show the world something different. My guess is that Japan is preparing some major under-the-table money to get baseball and softball back in for 2016.
smithinjapan at 04:10 PM JST - 23rd August

Good riddance. I love baseball, to be quite honest, but I don't think it belongs in the Olympics. In fact, I think a great number of team sports should be cut, particularly when they have their own championships. Rugby would be cool to see, but then you'd just be substituting one team sport for another.

Tokyo will never get the 2016 Olympics, and while Chicago has a better chance, I don't think they'll get past third place. In all likelihood it's going to be in Rio, and as far as I know Brazil is not huge on baseball. Japan can pay all the under the table money they want (and I'm sure you're right, pathat), but after their lousy performance in the men's group, they're begging and pleading isn't going to mean much. In fact, I'm willing to bet Japan is HAPPY that there are no 2012 Olympics -- which is to say, happy from today -- because it gives them an eight year chance to try to bury what happened this past week.
Blue_Tiger at 04:20 PM JST - 23rd August

I hope Baseball and Softball come back in 2016.
LIBERTAS at 04:44 PM JST - 23rd August

Yawn! Tom Selleck: "We're ball players! Not athletes!" 'Nuff said.
DeepAir65 at 05:22 PM JST - 23rd August

It is a shame that Olympic sports are no longer amateur - they should get rid of football and tennis as well. Problem is so many sports are professional these days or played by such a small number.

Personally no issue seeing the exit of rounders. Not sure what would be brought in to substitute it though that a bigger cross section of the globe - as a Brit I would have to say something like 7's or 20-20 but trying to think outside the box a bit how about bowling? Even the yanks can't complain too much about that one!
Taka313 at 07:26 PM JST - 23rd August

Even if baseball is brought back to the Olympics, I doubt we'll see any MLB stars playing. The Summer Olympics happen right during the thick of the pennant race. I can't imagine a team allowing it's big stars to leave in order to play in the Olympics. The reason NBA players show is because their season is over.

Taka
flammenwerfer at 08:06 PM JST - 23rd August

sayonara baseball and softball. Rugby sevens is a truly international sport and deserves a chance, plus China would never win it (gotta stop them somehow)!
kornholio at 12:19 AM JST - 24th August

I'm with you Taka. Although, I wonder if a team were way out of the pennant race, would they allow their star player(s) to leave for the Olympics.
Blue_Tiger at 04:25 AM JST - 29th August

Rugby is played in even less countries than baseball. The IOC would be foolish to adopt rugby as a sport or event for the Olympics. I agree with the first half of DeepAir65's post -- Its a true shame that pros are taking over the Olympics.