Why Isn’t Baseball In The Olympics?

The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo will not feature baseball as a medal sport. Learn more about the politics and reasons behind the decision.

Reasons for baseball’s exclusion from the Olympics

Baseball has been a part of the Summer Olympics since 1992, but there are a number of reasons why the sport is not in the Winter Olympics. The most cited reason is that baseball is not popular in enough countries to warrant inclusion in the Winter Olympics. Baseball is also a very long and slow-paced sport, which doesn’t fit well with the Winter Olympics’ emphasis on fast-paced and exciting events.

Lack of global popularity

One of the main reasons baseball isn’t played in the Olympics is because the sport doesn’t have enough of a global following.

While baseball is popular in North America, countries like Japan and South Korea are the only other places where the sport has a significant presence. The sport has never really taken off in Europe or other parts of the world, which is one of the primary criteria for inclusion in the Olympics.

In order to be considered for inclusion in the Olympics, a sport must have a global governing body and be played in at least five continents. Baseball does have a governing body—the International Baseball Federation—but it isn’t played enough in Africa, Asia, or South America to meet that criteria.

Professionalism

One of the primary reasons that baseball isn’t played in the Olympics is due to the fact that major league baseball players are considered professionals, and therefore not eligible to compete.

While other professional athletes are allowed to compete in the Olympics (such as basketball players), baseball is the only sport where all of the players are considered professionals. This dates back to a 1992 ruling by the International Olympic Committee, which stated that any sport where more than 10% of athletes were professional could not be included in the Olympic games.

With all of Major League Baseball’s athletes considered professionals, there’s no way for the sport to meet this criteria. As a result, baseball has been excluded from the Olympics since 1992.

There have been some efforts to work around this rule and allow professional baseball players to compete in future Olympic games. In 2005, Major League Baseball and the International Baseball Federation came to an agreement that would have allowed amateur players to compete in 2008 Beijing Olympics. However, this agreement fell through and baseball was ultimately excluded from those games as well.

More recently, there has been talk of creating a “dream team” of MLB All-Stars who would compete in future Olympic games. However, nothing concrete has come from these discussions and it remains unclear if professional baseball players will ever be able to compete in the Olympics.

The case for baseball’s inclusion in the Olympics

Baseball is a widely popular sport with a rich history, and many people are surprised to learn that it is not currently included in the Olympic games. There are a few reasons why this is the case, but the most common argument against baseball’s inclusion is that it is not an international sport. However, there are a number of reasons why baseball should be included in the Olympics, and this article will explore some of them.

Increased global popularity

One of the primary arguments in favor of baseball’s inclusion in the Olympics is that it would lead to increased global popularity for the sport. Currently, baseball is only truly popular in a handful of countries, and most of the top athletes in the sport come from the United States, Japan, and South Korea. If baseball were to be included in the Olympics, it would give athletes from other countries a chance to compete on a global stage and help grow the sport’s popularity. In turn, this could lead to more people watching and playing baseball around the world, which would be a huge boost for the sport.

Amateurism

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has long held that the Olympics are for amateur athletes only. This was not always the case – professionals were allowed to compete in the early years of the modern Games – but it has been the rule since the beginning of the 20th century. Baseball, as a professional sport, has therefore never been included in the Olympic program.

There have been numerous efforts to change this rule and allow professionals to compete in the Olympics, but so far none have been successful. The most recent attempt was made for the 2020 Tokyo Games, but baseball was ultimately dropped from the program. The IOC has indicated that it is open to reconsidering its position on professional athletes in the future, so there is still a possibility that baseball could be included in future Olympic Games.

Conclusion

Given the popularity of baseball around the world, it may come as a surprise that the sport is not currently included in the Olympic games. There are a number of reasons why baseball has not yet been added to the Olympics, including the difficulties in scheduling and conflicts with professional leagues. However, baseball remains a popular sport and there is hope that it may one day be added to the Olympic lineup.