In this section of our web guide, we will discuss baseball outside of the United States and Canada.
While baseball, in its modern form, began in the United States, quickly spreading to Canada, the game is not restricted to these two North American countries. Today, baseball is a popular sport around the world. It is played at the amateur and professional levels in several countries.
The spread of baseball beyond North America is murky, but it might be traced back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries when American sailors, merchants, and missionaries introduced the game to different parts of the world.
For example, Horace Wilson, an American professor, brought the game to Japan in the 1870s. The game quickly gained popularity, and by the early 20th century, baseball had earned a significant place in Japanese culture.
Similarly, in the Caribbean and Latin American countries, baseball was introduced by American soldiers and sailors. Cuba was one of the first countries to embrace the sport, with the first documented game played in 1864. Baseball became integral to Cuban culture, soon spreading to other countries, including the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Mexico.
Major League Baseball has seen several skilled players from Japan and Cuba over the years.
Today, baseball is one of the most popular sports in Japan. Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), the top professional league in Japan, attracts millions of fans each season. Japanese teams have won the Little League World Series eleven times.
Baseball is the national sport in Cuba, with a long history in the country. The Cuban National Series is the top league in the country. Cuban players have significantly impacted international competitions, and MLB.
Baseball has also become a popular sport in South Korea. The Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) has produced several talented players, including some who have gone on to achieve success in Major League Baseball in the United States.
For many people in the Dominican Republic, baseball is a way of life. The country has produced several MLB stars, and the Dominican Winter League is vital to the baseball calendar. In addition, the Dominican Summer League serves as an integral part of Minor League Baseball's Rookie class.
Baseball is widely popular in Taiwan, with the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) serving as the top professional league.
The Mexican Baseball League is a professional baseball league in Mexico and the oldest running professional sports league in the country.
Baseball's global reach is illustrated in various international competitions where teams from different countries, including the United States and Canada, compete.
The World Baseball Classic is the premier international baseball tournament, featuring teams from around the world, including the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and several Latin American countries. Held every four years, the tournament provides a platform for the best players to represent their countries while competing for global supremacy.
Baseball has been included in several Olympic Games, with teams from several countries competing. The sport was reintroduced in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after being absent since 2008.
The Pan American Games features baseball as one of its core sports, with teams from North, Central, and South America competing.
The Caribbean Series is an annual tournament that brings together the champions of the professional winter leagues from the Caribbean and Latin American countries.
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) is the world governing body for the sports of baseball, softball, Baseball5, and Blind Baseball. It was established in 2013 through the merger of the International Baseball Federation and International Softball Federation. The WBSC has federation members in 141 countries and territories across Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania. Professional baseball organizations, as well as youth organizations, are included.
Baseball organizations, federations, associations, leagues, and other entities representing baseball outside of the United States and Canada, as well as those involving international play, are appropriate for this category.
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ABL is a professional baseball league in Australia. It is governed by the Australian Baseball Federation and has the same name as a now-defunct competition held in the 1990s. While it shares history with the original league, it is considered a separate competition. The ABL was originally jointly owned by Major League Baseball (75%) and the Australian Baseball Federation (25%), but the ABF became the sole owner prior to the 2016 season. Schedules and ticket information are provided.
https://theabl.com.au/
Founded in 1997, the Irish Baseball League (IBL) is the men's baseball league in Ireland. Its season runs from March to October, and games are played on the weekends. The O'Malley Fields at Corkagh Park in Clondalkin, West Dublin, are the primary home of Irish Baseball and the current home of the Dublin City Hurricanes and the Dublin Spartans. There are sixteen teams in the league. League documentation is available, along with its clubs, national teams, youth programs, and competition listings.
https://baseballireland.ie/
BSB is affiliated with WBSC Europe, a chapter of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). BSB is the official site for Belgian baseball and softball. It includes information about its baseball, softball, BeeBall, Baseball5, Parasports, and eSports activities in Belgium. Its institutional partners are defined, along with member leagues, clubs, and Team Belgium, along with hosted baseball or softball events, competition management, development, and access to various documents and forms.
https://www.wbsceurope.org/en
Baseball Softball UK is the national development and performance agency for baseball and softball in the United Kingdom. Their mission is to get more people playing baseball and softball in more places across the United Kingdom. They own and operate the country's first purpose-built baseball and softball complex at Farnham Park in Buckinghamshire, a venue that hosts domestic and tournament competitions, local development programs, and international events. Event schedules are posted.
https://www.baseballsoftballuk.com/
Chinese Professional Baseball League
CPBL is the top-tier professional baseball league in Taiwan. Established in 1989, the CPBL played its first season in 1990 and eventually absorbed the competing Taiwan Major League in 2003. As of the 2024 season, the CPBL consisted of six organizations, all with teams in the main league and farm league. The CPBL consists of Major and (since 2006) Minor leagues, with the Minor league rosters consisting of developmental and injury-recovering players. Schedules, scores, and standings are featured.
https://en.cpbl.com.tw
Hellas Baseball Softball Federation
The Hellas National Softball Team represents Greece in international softball competitions while the National Baseball Team does the same in baseball competitions. They participate in various tournaments and matches, showcasing their skills and promoting the sport within the country. National teams, coaches, unions, tournaments, and news are posted on its site for baseball, softball, and Baseball5, along with information about its work in developing the sports at all levels.
https://greeksoftball.gr/en
Israel Association of Baseball
The IAB is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and developing baseball in Israel. The organization offers programs for all ages, runs national teams, and organizes various baseball activities and competitions throughout the country. The IAB was founded in 1986 to promote and develop baseball in Israel. It is active in all areas of Israel and all sections of the population. Its venues, rules, coaching manual, instructional videos, baseball news, and contacts are included.
https://baseball.org.il/
Dedicated to Japanese baseball, the website offers news, travel experiences, and other features related to Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Included is detailed information on NPD teams, schedules, scores, and standings, as well as organizing baseball tours in Japan for fans to experience games and cultural attractions. The NPD includes a Central League and a Pacific League, with several teams in each. Contacts for its offices in Japan and the United States are posted.
https://japanball.com/
NPB is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan, where it is often called Puro Yakyū (professional baseball), although outside of Japan, it is often referred to as Japanese baseball. NPB comprises twelve teams divided equally into two leagues, the Central League and the Pacific League. The regular season's calendar, schedules, scores, standings, and statistics are presented, along with its farm leagues, teams, and players. Abbreviations are defined.
https://npb.jp/eng/
Also called the Classic, the World Baseball Classic (WBC) is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation, the sports governing body, and organized in partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA). The winner is awarded the WBC Championship Trophy. The tournament format, schedules, registration, videos, and tickets are featured on the site. The history of the event is included.
https://www.mlb.com/world-baseball-classic
World Baseball Softball Confederation
The WBSC is the world governing body for baseball, softball, Baseball5, and Blind Baseball. Established in 2013 through the merger of the International Baseball Federation and the International Software Federation, the WBSC oversees all international competitions in these sports, including the Olympic Games. An introduction to the organization is provided, along with a schedule of events, members, world rankings, and contacts, as well as access to various documents and forms.
https://www.wbsc.org/en/
