Japanese officials puzzled over format change in Olympic baseball

Sunday 27th July, 07:17 AM JST

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Sarge at 09:44 PM JST - 27th July

Princess - I have watched several baseball games, including one professional game, and participated in several, and I can tell you there are far more exciting sports. However, it seems baseball, for some mysterious reason, is highly popular! Personally, I'd rather see wife-carrying in the Olympics.
cleo at 09:51 PM JST - 27th July

The large majority of Brits don't have the garage space to keep a windsurfing board or have close access to the Solent. Not many Glaswegians, Mancunians, Cockneys or Snowdonians spend their weekends sailing.

Actually I was being whimsical about us being sailors. But how many of those Glaswegians, Mancunians (hey, that's me!), Cockneys or Snowdonians do you think spend their weekends playing baseball?

Baseball games last around 3 hours.

Yes, it just seems a lot longer.

The Olympics are good because they give us all a chance to watch the sports that normally stay in the shadows - archery, equestrian events, discus throwing, weightlifting, little girls on parallel bars, etc - and gives the proponents of those sports the chance to show off and pit themselves against others in the same field.

Letting in the professionals was really a very bad move. We can see all the baseball and football we want any time; there's no need for them to come muscling their way into the Olympics at all. The Olympics should be reserved for the amateurs again.
ExPrinceska at 10:19 PM JST - 27th July

Sarge - personally I find the fitness revolution of the hooping presented in the feature section more interesting than baseball but everybody has their personal preferences. I apologize for saying that baseball is boring. However, if Europe finds it boring, maybe it will be removed from the program.
Bovinus at 11:03 PM JST - 27th July

I think the fact that my country (Australia), which most certainly does not play baseball, was able to win the silver medal at the Athens Olympics speaks volumes about how global baseball is (that's an awesome sentence).

Cricket is the national sport of Australia, South Africa, the West Indies (Carribean), Zimbabwe (bless their cotton socks), New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It's also played in other countries such as Bermuda, Ireland, Scotland, UAE etc (although not well).

But that's still not enough countries for it to be an Olympic sport. In terms of the number of countries that play it, it is less popular than windsurfing so I don't have a problem with it not being an Olympic sport.

However, cricket is played by more countries and by more of the world's population than baseball so if cricket is not an Olympic sport, neither should baseball be. QED.
northlondon at 11:23 PM JST - 27th July

Bov,

A limited overs one-dayer, as you well know, takes around 7 hours (unless you are playing England and it will be a lot quicker, as you Aussies beat us so often). A game of baseball takes around 3 hours. That is why Baseball suits the Olympic schedule and Cricket doesn't. By the way, your non-Baseball playing nation has produced a pretty decent closing pitcher for Hanshin Tigers. Baseball is the national sport for the US, Japan, Taiwan, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and is played at a Pro level by Korea. Cricket is not the national sport of your home country (Aussie Rules is), New Zealand and I imagine South Africa too, which leaves only ex-British Empire nations with Cricket as their national sport.

Moderator: Readers, please stay on topic. Cricket is not relevant to this discussion.
westurn at 11:44 PM JST - 27th July

Bovinus wrote:

"I think the fact that my country (Australia), which most certainly does not play baseball, was able to win the silver medal at the Athens Olympics speaks volumes about how global baseball is (that's an awesome sentence)."

Wrong Bovinus... your country "does" play baseball... and it's off shoot "softball" as well ! The fact Australia won the silver at Athens is proof that baseball is alive and well in Australia. Youth programs are strong and active and there are opportunities for payers to advance, to the US if need be, to improve their skills. Maybe you should look into what's realy happening with baseball in Australia !
Blue_Tiger at 05:41 AM JST - 28th July

At the start of the article, I thought it was just another round of Japanese Officials whining about a rule change that they didn't like, but the second half does a good job of explaining the "tie-breaker" rule. It looks pretty stupid!!!! Why not just play extra innings until a score? Why put two men on with no outs? Lame rule. LET THE TEAMS PLAY IT OUT!!!!
hikikomori08 at 05:46 AM JST - 28th July

Everyone is in the same boat Hoshino you loser. Why don't you get all hot and bothered about it and lose focus and just lose then. Or at least blame the new system when you lose.

Some people like baseball but then some people enjoy watching paint dry. This rule change is a big 'hey this game is a bit boring isn't it' so we're not letting snail-paced static monotony drag on, sponsors don't want to buy that air time.

Baseball is not popular at all in Western Australia anyway. Yeah the Olympic team did well four years back but most couldn't care less. Try finding any kind of baseball news in the media. It doesn't exist.
Zen_Builder at 05:53 AM JST - 28th July

I would assume that the rule been implemented to fit the games into a certain time-schedule.

As for Baseball and many other sports they seem big and major where they are enjoyed but that is not a representation of world interest/opinion.
spudman at 09:02 AM JST - 28th July

LET THE TEAMS PLAY IT OUT!!!!

Have you watched the pros in Japan do that? No they go home after a draw so Hoshino clean up your own businesses act first. Eight teams is all they can get? pull the plug.
Blue_Tiger at 09:22 PM JST - 28th July

Zen_Builder, baseball is enjoyed in half of the world. One would think that'd be enough to keep it as an Olympic Sport...
Altria at 12:03 PM JST - 29th July

This is pretty rich coming from a country who declares the game a draw after 12 innings.
helloklitty at 08:42 PM JST - 29th July

Exprinceska: I have never seen a game of baseball in my life and I am sure I have missed nothing :)

You've probably saved a lot of time, but you missed seeing me making out with total strangers (female) after the Twins won the 1987 World Series and 1991 World Series.
Nessie at 12:13 PM JST - 30th July

What worries me is the use of stimulants in baseball -- by fans who can't tolerate the utter boredom of the sport.
Good_Jorb at 02:35 AM JST - 31st July

Baseball is a boring game for most people, let us face it. I think it is correct to be excluced from the Olympic program as it is played only in several countries and is not so popular outside the USA and Japan.

If the Olympics were based sports that are considered to be boring or not boring or a represention of the world likes/dislikes, what would be left for olympic events? What percentage of the the world population find water polo or the javelin to be exciting?