Majors: International Affairs

New Ball Made Big Difference In Japan
Dec. 19, 2011
One significant yet seemingly underreported story has been the introduction of a uniform baseball in Japan's professional baseball league, the Nippon Professional Baseball League (NPB) before the 2011 season. As detailed in a recent Brad Lefton New York Times article, the NPB agreed to contract with Mizuno as the exclusive supplier in a rule change that was part of a "conscious effort to make the baseball much more similar [to the American one] than before." [...] Continue Reading »

Bye-Bye, World Cup
Oct. 27, 2011
The baseball World Cup is no more, as Major League Baseball expands the World Baseball Classic to 28 teams and the International Baseball Federation shifts its focus to the new Premier 12 tournament as well as its bid to get baseball back on the Olympic programme. [...] Continue Reading »

Honkbal Heyday, Canadian Gold Show Game's Globalization
Oct. 26, 2011
Canada won the Pan Am Games and the Netherlands won the World Cup as baseball becomes more global than ever. Ten nations have won tournaments of some import in the 13 years of the current era of professionals in international play: Australia (1999 Intercontinental Cup), Canada, Cuba, Dominican Republic (2010 Pan Am/World Cup qualifier), Italy (European championships, most recently in 2010); Japan (two World Baseball Classics), the Netherlands, South Korea (2008 Olympics), Taiwan (Asia Games, most recently in 2009); and the United States. How many sports can match that track record? [...] Continue Reading »

Update: USA Baseball, Canada, Australia Release World Cup Rosters
Sep. 15, 2011
USA Baseball, Baseball Canada and the Australian Baseball Federation are among the nations that have minor leaguers headed to Panama to play in the 2011 World Cup. [...] Continue Reading »

The Strange Story Of Onelkis Garcia Speck
Jun. 9, 2011
This much is certain: Cuban lefthander Onelkis Garcia Speck is a prospect with two potential plus pitches. The rest of his story is less straightforward. [...] Continue Reading »

Two Japanese Stars Get Posted
Nov. 24, 2010
Rakuten Eagles righthander Hisashi Iwakuma and Chiba Lotte Marines shortstop Tsuyoshi Nishioka are looking to test their skills in North America in 2011. The Athletics won the posting battle for Iwakuma and have until Dec. 7 to sign him. Nishioka is still waiting to find out who wins his posting battle. [...] Continue Reading »

Murton Makes His Mark In Japan
Oct. 6, 2010
Matt Murton, who has played 488 major league games but never established himself as a regular, has found huge success in Japan, breaking Nippon Professional Baseball's single-season hits record in his first season. [...] Continue Reading »

MLB Tabs Alderson To Reform Dominican
Mar. 17, 2010
Major League Baseball tabs Sandy Alderson to begin reforming its practices in the Dominican Republic. [...] Continue Reading »

IBAF Elects Italian As New President
Dec. 6, 2009
Riccardo Fraccari will replace Dr. Harvey Schiller, whose term expired, as president of the International Baseball Federation. [...] Continue Reading »

U.S., Cuba May Get One More Rematch
Sep. 25, 2009
There's a World Cup going on? Really? It's hard to tell in the United States these days, but the world's largest international baseball tournament is winding down in Europe, and the U.S. is the leader in the clubhouse. The 2009 World Cup has spanned seven nations—they played first-round games in baseball hotbeds such as Croatia, the Czech Republic and Sweden—and nearly three weeks. It's not quite the soccer World Cup, and it's not even the World Baseball Classic, but it is a 22-nation event that has involved 100 players from major league organizations, not to mention Cuba's top-level national team. [...] Continue Reading »

Baseball Strikes Out In Olympic Bid
Aug. 13, 2009
Baseball's chances of getting back on the Olympic schedule were dealt a major blow Thursday morning when the International Olympic Committee recommended golf and seven-man rugby to be added to the Games for 2016, while baseball was voted down. [...] Continue Reading »

IBAF Makes Second Push For Olympics
Jun. 15, 2009
The International Baseball Federation (IBAF) made a second push to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Lausanne, Switzerland, with the hopes of getting baseball reinstated for the 2016 Olympic Games. [...] Continue Reading »

WBC Top 10 Prospects
Apr. 7, 2009
For one weekend in March, scouts could sit in one place and watch prospects come to them. When South Korea, Japan and Cuba gathered to play the second round of the World Baseball Classic in San Diego, it was a virtual all-you-can-scout buffet of top talents. [...] Continue Reading »

World Baseball Classic Schedule/Results
Mar. 20, 2009
The complete schedule for the 2009 World Baseball Classic. [...] Continue Reading »

China Shocks Taiwan Again
Mar. 7, 2009
Pittsburgh Pirates farm hand Ray Chang had a single, double and a home run, and starting pitcher Lu Jiangang threw five shutout innings as underdog China shocked rival Taiwan with a 4-1 victory in Game 3 of the World Baseball Classic Pool A, Asia Round, at the Tokyo Dome on Saturday. [...] Continue Reading »

Leaning Left
Mar. 4, 2009
Canadian big leaguers, in general, simply don't bat righthanded. Sure, there are exceptions like Bay and Martin, who could end up going down as the two best righthanded-hitting Canadians of all time, but that's a list that's just slightly longer than the list of people who have landed on the moon. [...] Continue Reading »

Here We Go Again
Mar. 3, 2009
The second World Baseball Classic, the global showcase that ultimately received plaudits from inaugural cynics in 2006, will begin in March with Japan trying to repeat as champion and the U.S. seeking redemption for its early elimination. If redemption seems an overstatement considering U.S. players are still in the early to mid-phase of spring training with the goal of winning the World Series as opposed to the World Classic, manager Davey Johnson says the "sour taste" of '06 should provide motivation amid favorable changes in the format. [...] Continue Reading »

WBC Should Shift To Summer
Mar. 2, 2009
As the WBC gets ready to fire up, some people are talking, but more would be if the event wrapped up in the summer, rather than during March Madness. [...] Continue Reading »

World Baseball Classic Rosters
Feb. 24, 2009
Final rosters for the World Baseball Classic [...] Continue Reading »

WBC Rosters Firming Up
Dec. 29, 2008
The rosters for the second World Baseball Classic are starting to shape up. [...] Continue Reading »

Astros To Close Venezuelan Academy
Dec. 19, 2008
Twenty years after industry pioneer Andres Reiner led the Astros in becoming the first major league team with an academy in Venezuela, the Astros are planning to shut down the academy by the end of March. [...] Continue Reading »

International: Claxton Shield Preview
Dec. 2, 2008
Australia's Claxton Shield tournament celebrates its 75th season. [...] Continue Reading »

IBAF Makes Olympic Pitch
Nov. 20, 2008
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London will feature synchronized swimming, badminton and race walking . . . but not baseball. The International Baseball Federation hopes that will change by the time the 2016 Games roll around. [...] Continue Reading »

Seibu Takes Japan Series
Nov. 11, 2008
The Pacific League's Seibu Lions defeated the Central League's Yomiuri Giants in an exciting seven-game Japan Series to claim the title of champions in Japanese pro baseball for 2008. [...] Continue Reading »

International Signing Period Chat with Ben Badler
Oct. 17, 2008
Ben Badler discusses the international signing period [...] Continue Reading »

Olympics Day Nine Wrapup
Aug. 23, 2008
South Korea pulled off the greatest upset in Olympics history as it beat Cuba 3-2 behind an outstanding outing from Ryu Hyun-Jin.

Cuba had won three of the first four Olympic gold medals, while South Korea had won a solitary bronze in 2000. But it's hard to argue that South Korea was the class of this field, as it went a perfect 9-0 during the tournament, beating Cuba and Japan twice and bronze medalist Team USA once. [...] Continue Reading »

U.S. Beats Japan To Win Bronze
Aug. 23, 2008
It's not what the medal they came for, but Team USA isn't heading home empty handed. Fresh off a disheartening defeat at the hands of Cuba in the semifinal game, the U.S. bounced back to beat Japan 8-4 in the bronze medal game. It was a game of comebacks for the U.S. Norichika Abe put Japan ahead 4-1 in the third when he hit a three-run home run off of Team USA starter Brett Anderson. But Matt Brown answered with a three-run homer of his own in the bottom of the inning to knot the score at 4-4. [...] Continue Reading »

Olympics Day Eight Wrapup
Aug. 22, 2008
Cuba and South Korea won Friday's semifinal games to earn spots in Saturday morning's gold medal game, while Japan and the U.S. will play for the bronze medal. [...] Continue Reading »

Cuba Pounds U.S. For Spot In Gold Medal Game
Aug. 22, 2008
They may be older than they've been in the past, and they don't have a wave of young pitching to replace their veteran stars. But on Friday, Cuba showed once again that when it comes to Olympic baseball, they're still the team to beat. Never was that more clear than Friday morning. With a spot in the gold medal game on the line, Cuba routed Team USA 10-2 in a game that was just as lopsided as the score indicates. Cuba has played in the gold medal game of every official Olympics tournament, and will be playing for its fourth gold in five tries. [...] Continue Reading »

Strasburg Ready For Start Against Cuba
Aug. 21, 2008
Stephen Strasburg attributes his success to great mental and physical success since he enrolled at San Diego State. Now Strasburg, the only college player on Team USA, is getting ready to start against Cuba to try to give the U.S. the opportunity to advance to the gold medal game. [...] Continue Reading »