Bad day for the IBAF

From a press release just issued by the International Baseball Federation following the sports’ failure to make the 2016 Olympic Games:

The IBAF would like to congratulate golf and rugby on their selection today. Both will be welcome additions to the Olympic programme and should add great excitement to which ever city is selected to host the Olympic Games in 2016. We also want to wish nothing but the best to karate, roller sports, softball and squash, who were also not selected today.

I don’t think anyone outside of the IBAF was truly screaming for baseball to get back into the Olympics. Everything that’s cool about the sport runs counter to a five-day tournament between nation-states anyway.

I’m sure a few trainers and pitching coaches are happy about this too.


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Jack Marshall
14 years ago

I’m sure Dice-K is disappointed, though….

Frank Woods
14 years ago

Does this mean we’ll never get to see Tommy Lasorda in uniform again?

Aaron Moreno
14 years ago

Can’t blame the Olympics for not wanting a sport that’s only played on 3 continents.

Field hockey, on the other hand…

Randy
14 years ago

Does Roller sports include Rollerball?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073631/

I would rather karate have made it than golf. I just can’t picture an individual sport like golf as a true test of the Olympian spirit. (Like curling.)

Rugby could be cool, though. Once I figure out the rules.

kendynamo
14 years ago

im fine with no baseball in the olympics.  i’m glad the olympics are around for sports like wrestling and track and field, which get very little coverage otherwise and are fun to watch.  but mostly they are a joke and nbc’s reverence for the enter event is awful.  i much prefer bode miller’s take on the whole thing.

and why add golf?  no one will care about the tournament.  theres an elite international tournament like 20+ times a year already, isnt there?  oh but NOW people get a chance to represent their country!  i cant wait to root for someone ive never heard off before just because he was born in the same country as me!  yeah nationalism!

Ron
14 years ago

It’s only 7 to a side rugby. That’s like 6-man football. It’s not the true game, just a watered-down, quicker version.

By the way, the United States is the 2-time defending Gold Medal champs in Olympic Rugby, in case no one knew that.

TimberLee
14 years ago

So now let’s all get behind the WBC which will take on even more significance for those who care about international sports.

Dan Novick
14 years ago

Having baseball in the Olympics and in the WBC is just redundant, in my opinion.

kardo
14 years ago

I don’t mind baseball disappearing from the olympics. I feel it should be about individual excellence with a focus on track and field, swimming, track cycling and the like.

Field Hockey is played on 4 continents btw, just like baseball.