 | |
| Abbreviation | WBCI |
|---|---|
| Legal status | World Baseball Classic |
| Headquarters | New York City, United States |
Region served | Worldwide |
Official language | English, Spanish, Japanese |
President | Paul Archey |
Main organ | Congress |
Parent organization | |
| Website | mlb.com/world-baseball-classic |
World Baseball Classic Inc. (WBCI) is an organizing committee that organizes the World Baseball Classic and consists of representatives from Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA).[1]
World Baseball Classic
It previously coexisted with Olympic baseball (until 2008) and the Baseball World Cup (until 2011) as International Baseball Federation (IBAF) sanctioned tournaments.[2] The final men's Baseball World Cup was held in 2011. It was discontinued in 2013, after an MLB suggestion to reorganize the international baseball calendar. WBSC accepted the suggestion after an executive meeting, giving the "World Champion" title to the WBC winner on the condition that the Classic should have direct qualifications and follow international anti-doping rules.[3]
The tournament is the first of its kind to have the national teams of IBAF's member federations feature professional players from the major leagues around the world, including Major League Baseball. In addition to providing a format for the best baseball players in the world to compete against one another while representing their home countries, the World Baseball Classic was created in order to further promote the game around the globe.
After a three-year gap between the first two installments of the tournament, plans were made for the World Baseball Classic to be repeated every four years following the 2009 event. The third installment of the Classic was held in 2013, and the fourth was held in 2017.
The fifth and most recent Classic was scheduled for 2021, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After the pandemic-induced delay, the 2023 World Baseball Classic was held between March 8–21, with Japan defeating the United States 3–2 in the championship game.[4][5]
The sixth and next Classic is scheduled for 2026, with the scheduling frequency of future Classic editions being subject to the terms and conditions agreed at the next collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between MLB, MLBPA.[6]
Image gallery
Baseball spoken here. March 17, 2006
WBC Media Routes. March 18, 2006
Chris Rose and Kevin Millar film a segment of Intentional Talk at the 2013 World Baseball Classic semifinal game 1 at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California, USA.
References
- ↑ "Ticket terms". mlb.com. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
- ↑ "IBAF World Ranking Notes" (PDF). International Baseball Federation. 13 January 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2009.
- ↑ "Premier12 2019 Official Program - Page 6" (PDF). WBSC. WBSC. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 November 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
- ↑ "World Baseball Classic". MLB.com. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
- ↑ "World Baseball Classic returning in 2023". The Athletic. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
- ↑ "World Baseball Classic to be held again in 2026, MLB commissioner announces". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 22 March 2023.