Baseball is one of the oldest sports played over two centuries. And is believed to be originated in the United States. It was traced to various bat and ball games like cricket, played mainly in parts of England and Europe. In the late 18th century, various bat and ball games, known as townball or baseball, were played in North America.
History of Baseball
The sport Baseball originated in the late 18th century. Alexander Cartwright was the first person to formalize the game’s rules in 1845. After that, the first professional baseball team was formed in the year 1869, named the Cincinnati Red Stockings. The first professional league, the National Association of Professional Baseball Players, was formed in late 1871. The world’s first series of baseball was played between the champions of the National and American Leagues in the year 1903. In the mid-20th century, baseball started to take a great turn. Jackie Robinson became the first African American player to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) by breaking the colour barriers of society. Between the 1950s and 1960s, baseball started to expand its market with new teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In the late 20th century, the MLB started to expand again in the market by adding four new teams. Between the 1970s and 1980s, a new free agency was introduced.
Baseball is believed to have originated in the United States, but its essence can be traced to various bat and ball games back then, which were mainly played in parts of England and Europe.
What is the history of Baseball in the Olympics?
Baseball made its official debut at the Barcelona Summer Olympics in 1992. And was included as a demonstrative sport in the year 1912. But later, it descended from the Beijing Olympics of 2008 due to many reasons, such as logistical challenges, the priorities of the IOC (International Olympics Committee), and many other reasons. However, baseball made its brief comeback at the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2020 because of its expanding popularity, mostly in Japan. This brief comeback resulted in the exclusion of other sports. The IOC has to include a limited number of sports in the Olympic Games.
The IOC’s (International Olympic Committee) decision to exclude baseball from the Paris Summer Olympics 2024 may be because of the expense of the games. The IOC ( International Olympic Committee) mainly focuses on sports of universal appeal. Sports that have a fresh appeal and global interest and audiences are more prioritised in Olympic programs.
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What are the reasons for the exclusion of Baseball from the Paris Summer Olympics 2024?
There are many reasons why baseball is excluded from the Summer Olympics of 2024, including the nature of the game in terms of global interests.
- Limited Global Popularity: Despite its colossal popularity in many countries like Japan, South Korea, the United States, etc., it still doesn’t meet the immense popularity of other sports like soccer and archery. The IOC (International Olympic Committee) mainly prioritizes sports with more global reach and interest. In Paris, the host city of the 2024 Summer Olympics, the fan following and audience interest in the sport of baseball are much lower than in any other country.
- It’s Market Consideration: Market consideration of a sport is one of the key features of its indulgence in the Olympic Games. As the Olympics mainly depend on heavy watching ratings and sponsorships, the sponsorships help fund the sport and the event. Baseball with a limited fanbase does not fulfil the IOC’s sponsorship criteria and global rating appeal.
- The Logistic Challenges: Baseball requires a full-size baseball court or stadium for the sport to play. Its specific infrastructure and costly maintenance make it unsuitable for the Olympic Games. The construction of baseballs for only certain events can be useless later and will require a lot of funding.
- Youth’s Engagement in Sports: As sports usually attract a younger audience, the IOC mainly focuses on the demands of the younger generation. Sports that have growing popularity among the youth globally, like skateboarding, archery, surfing, and many other sports, are the main focus of the IOC to include in the Olympic Games.
- Duration of the Sport: Baseball takes almost 3–4 hours to finish, which is longer than any other sport included in the Olympic Games. As the Olympics are one of the most anticipated events, they are very wisely scheduled as per the different sports and events. The longer duration of baseball can affect the other scheduled events.
As the Olympic Games are watched globally, the event takes a long time to be well-planned. The logistical challenges, limited global reach, and many other factors are responsible for the sport’s exclusion of the sport from the Paris Summer Olympics in 2024.
