Which 24 countries should be in 2013 WBC?

[Rally Monkey]

According the press accounts, the World Baseball Classic Steering Committee endorsed the idea of expanding the field from 16 to 24 national teams for the 2013 tournament. The Committee also endorsed the idea of having initial qualifying rounds before the main competition.

Obviously, I have no clue what the format would look like. There would probably invitations extended to eight of the top finishers of next year's Classic. And the remaining 16 teams could be selected by regional qualifiers, just like the Olympics and baseball world cup (and the soccer and rugby union world cups too, of course). I dunno. And I have no idea how the WBC organizers would set up pools for 24 teams. Four pools of six teams each? Four pools of five teams each with an initial "play-in" round to select four team from the bottom 12 teams? Who knows?

But one thing we can predict (if the WBC goes along with recommendation) is that eight new countries could be added to the 2013 WBC schedule. And that's exciting news. I'll tell you who I'd like to see (in no particular order):

Netherlands Antilles
Colombia
Nicaragua
Philippines
Israel
Germany
Ghana
Thailand

These aren't predictions. Just who I'd like to see play in the tournament. (Although I'd expect most of these teams to make it in.)

[Paula59]

I hope there still will be BB in Germany by then!
We have the problem if we don´t get back to Olympia for the next period the goverment won´t give us money to keep on going with our programm. We are totaly addicted to that public resource you can´t imagine.

In my opinion every nation where BB has the chance to grow and showed allready that they are able to compete in wich way ever needs to get this chance.

If you put the Antilles in there will be not enough players for Netherlands (sorry Yankeebiskuit!)
some of th south america connection for sure
Israel - no way! they play B pool here in Europe and are not even close to move up to A Pool
Germany - for sure (if not for th 2k9 already) ;-)
Another African country will be interesting (and to find)
maybe another european country (Sweden etc.) I don´t know anything about if there are any talents in the Big Leagues
France

Grow place for me is europe

[cutchemist42]

I'd like to France play against Canada because we have alot of connections with the country.

I would say England but it sounds like there's no more funding for the program.

[Rally Monkey]

If there's a market to grow, I'm sure MLB can find the money to support the teams. Remember: A significant percentage of the profits from the WBC are earmarked to go to each country for internal development of the game. So countries would be very smart to field a team.

Sweden? What about Spain?

As for Israel: Forget about the current quality of play. The country has a professional league, Jewish major leaguers could fill out the team, and there's no other country from the Middle East that would even have any interest. If baseball's gonna be truly global, I'd want teams representing every continent and region.

[Paula59]

If there's a market to grow, I'm sure MLB can find the money to support the teams. Remember: A significant percentage of the profits from the WBC are earmarked to go to each country for internal development of the game. So countries would be very smart to field a team.

I hope Germany will be on board it will help tremendous you can´t imagine!

Sweden? What about Spain?

Sorry forgot Spain. For Sure they need to be in but the best players with spanish connection will play for domenican, cuba whoever over there. But Yes they belong in there too.

As for Israel: Forget about the current quality of play. The country has a professional league, Jewish major leaguers could fill out the team, and there's no other country from the Middle East that would even have any interest.

They stamped this league out of the isreal earth, recruited some Jewish players, had an attendance of maybe 100. Have no really competition and are far away to have a good structure. You are right the only middle east team allover but they belong to the european organisation (don´t ask me why!!)

I'd want teams representing every continent and region.

So do I!! If this will be coming we can talk about the WBC being the WC!
But first step to be a global sport should be keeping BB and SB in the Olympic Games and sending the Big Leaguers to the games. Nothing more nothing less!

[Pere]

If you put the Antilles in there will be not enough players for Netherlands

Do people in the Netherlands Antilles really think of themselves as a separate nation unto themselves, the way Puerto Ricans typically view their homeland despite its U.S.-territory status? In a way, that seems like the most relevant question.

Israel - no way! they play B pool here in Europe and are not even close to move up to A Pool

That's without the participation of "Israelis" by virtue of ancestry, right?

Unlike some folks, I don't have a problem with citizens-by-descent choosing to play for the national teams of countries they don't actually reside in, as with the Italian-Americans playing for Italy. (I do think there should be an absolute rule that a given player can only ever play with one nation; once the choice is made, he's locked into that team in all tournaments.)

So I'm okay with an Israel team that includes Jewish MLB players who want to identify (permanently, for WBC purposes) as Israeli.

By the same token, then, other European countries could also choose to allow American (or other) citizens with appropriate emigrant heritage to play for them. Maybe by 2013 the fledgling Irish league will have developed enough to allow Ireland to field a team that also included Irish-Americans! From an event-marketing perspective, that seems at least as money as an Israeli/Jewish team.

[Richard]

What about Brazil?

[cutchemist42]

I have a few thoughts now about this after thinking about it tonight.

-When is this going to be held and would MLBers be down with playing both the WBC and qualfiers?

-Would you have the top 8 teams qualify automatically but then have everyone else qualify?

-I say when these qualifiers are played, play them in places that aren't getting WBC games. Like no offense to anyone from Italy/Netherlands but I don't think MLB would trust your countries yet with a WBC round. I would hope though MLB would give you guys qualfiers. I say hold the qualifiers in Europe/Australia/China/Brazil.

-So if all together if 24 teams will be in 2013, how many teams will be altogether participating in the qualifier? Also, would they be regional qualifiers? Like will South Africa have to win the Automatic African berth?

[Yankeebiscuitfan]

I also think that Israel is not an option here. They have no baseball tradition whatsoever. Bad choice.

Let's talk about them in about 250 years.

[Pere]

I also think that Israel is not an option here. They have no baseball tradition whatsoever. Bad choice.

Let's talk about them in about 250 years.

Well, if we're going to be hard-nosed about only accepting countries with real baseball tradition, I think that limits the total worldwide field to something in the range of eight to twelve, and leaves out some places that have produced current major league players.

[SouthwestAmAZins]

Just to fill in blanks:

2013 WBC field might be comprised like this

Top 8 from previous WBC

• Japan
• Cuba
• South Korea
• Dominican Republic
• Puerto Rico
• Mexico
• USA
• Venezuela

Top 4 from WBC Americas Qualifier (Pan-Am & C.America/Caribbean Games)

• Colombia
• Nicaragua
• Panama
• Canada

Top 4 from WBC Asian Qualifier (Asia & Southeast Asia Games)

• Taiwan
• China
• Philippines
• Thailand

Top 4 from WBC European Qualifier (CEB European Qualifier)

• Netherlands
• Italy
• Spain
• Germany

Top 4 from WBC African/Oceanic Qualifier (All Africa & South Pacific Games)

• Australia
• South Africa
• New Zealand
• Nigeria

[Paula59]

2013 WBC field might be comprised like this

....
Top 4 from WBC European Qualifier (CEB European Qualifier)

• Netherlands
• Italy
• Spain
• Germany

No!!Sorry Ranking is a little bit different:
Netherland
Spain
Germany
.
.
.
.
.
Italy


If we just keep it on the "normal" results without MLB fillup Players Italy went down to B Pool last EC. They finished 7th of 12. Ok they will be A Pool next EC cause of the rule if one of the Top 6 Nations is the host they will be allowed to play.
No Doubt about they have a strong league. No doubt about they were strong the last years but I think their time is over.
I was suprised Spain did not get the spot at the upcomming WBC

[Pere]

No!!Sorry Ranking is a little bit different:
Netherland
Spain
Germany
.
.
.
.
.
Italy


If we just keep it on the "normal" results without MLB fillup Players Italy went down to B Pool last EC. They finished 7th of 12.

If I'm looking at the same results you are, it appears that Italy went 4-2 overall in one very short tournament. Much as I enjoy international tournaments, such a small sample of games is hardly definitive in baseball.

I notice you're not arguing for the inclusion or ranking of Britain on the basis of this one event. That wouldn't make sense, and neither does arguing against Italy on this basis.

If we look at cumulative international results from the last several years of both national teams and international club competition, Italy is well ahead of all other European countries besides the Netherlands.

[ShawnC]

2013 WBC field might be comprised like this

Top 8 from previous WBC

• Japan
• Cuba
• South Korea
• Dominican Republic
• Puerto Rico
• Mexico
• USA
• Venezuela

Top 4 from WBC Americas Qualifier (Pan-Am & C.America/Caribbean Games)

• Colombia
• Nicaragua
• Panama
• Canada

Top 4 from WBC Asian Qualifier (Asia & Southeast Asia Games)

• Taiwan
• China
• Philippines
• Thailand

Top 4 from WBC European Qualifier (CEB European Qualifier)

• Netherlands
• Italy
• Spain
• Germany

Top 4 from WBC African/Oceanic Qualifier (All Africa & South Pacific Games)

• Australia
• South Africa
• New Zealand
• Nigeria

Those seem like good guesses, but why New Zealand and Nigeria? I doubt that there will be equal spots for the regional qualifiers, just as how in FIFA's World Cup qualification spots are partly based on regional strength.

Africa and Oceania might just have 2 spots in total (effectively 1 each with South Africa and Australia). In place of New Zealand and Nigeria, I would guess that 2 more spots would either go to Europe or be split between Europe and the Americas in play-off qualifying games (so Great Britain, Ireland, Honduras and Brazil might have a shot over New Zealand and Nigeria).

[Rally Monkey]

Good list at #11. I'd weigh the qualifiers a little different:

Top 5 from Americas: Canada, Colombia, Nicaragua, Panama, Antilles

4 from Asia: China, Taiwan, Philippines, Thailand

4 from Europe: Italy, Netherlands, Germany, Israel

1 from Oceania: Australia

2 from Africa: South Africa, Ghana

Rank them on their record in the qualifiers, and then spread them out, along with the top 8 from 2009, into four pools of six teams each.

I'd pay to watch that!