Basubaru

[libertango]

OK... It's almost at the point we mention this seriously. Just, let's, I dunno, keep it at a whisper:

{Red Sox/Cubs?}

The coolest thing about that, if it happens, is that one or the other of the two teams would finally be out of their decades-long "rebuilding program".

The worst thing is that the world would end, in the seventh game, bottom of the ninth, tie score, to prevent the above paragraph from happening. :)

Comments

My provincialism can eat your provincialism for lunch

[hal-obrien.livejournal.com]

Well, let's see... Back in the most recent Olympics -- played a bit closer to you than me, I think -- these were the results of the Baseball round robin:

                     W     L
---------------------------------
Cuba                 6     1
United States        6     1
Korea                4     3
Japan                4     3
Netherlands          3     4
Australia            2     5
Italy                2     5
South Africa         1     6

I would think Taiwan and the Caribbean basin countries like the Dominican Republic and Venezuela usually show some interest in baseball as well.

I would have no problem opening up the Series to a national team scheme.

Re: My provincialism can eat your provincialism for lunch

[hal-obrien.livejournal.com]

"Still, that which is called the World Series involves only USian and Canadian clubs I prefer to call it by the more accurate title, the Part Of North America Series. Whatever happens in the Olympics is a different kettle of fish. I'm not thinking baseball as a whole but one particular competition you see."

If so, you did a remarkably poor job of expressing that idea.

Here's what you originally said:

"No, only part of North America would cease to exist, that part which follows the Part Of North America Series. None of the soccer playing nations would blink an eyelid and here in Australia we plan to be too shagged out to care."

My point is that baseball is not solely a North American sport. If you don't think the Japanese follow the Seattle Mariners because of Ichiro, or the Dominicans follow the Chicago Cubs because of Sammy Sosa, or the Koreans the Texas Rangers because of Chan Ho Park, or the Panamanians the NY Yankees because of Mariano Rivera... Well, you don't get out in the world very much. In fact, about 1/4 of Major League Baseball players are born outside the US and Canada.

That the biggest, most profitable leagues are in North America is not substantially different than the biggest, most profitable football leagues being in Europe. Perhaps baseball would have a more "global" image if North America was carved up into a dozen nations a la Europe -- instead we'll have to deal with the reality of having almost as many people and considerably more land.

As to "none of the soccer nations" -- 4 of the 2002 Round of 16 FIFA World Cup countries have pro players in North American baseball, and two of the 8 quarterfinalists. That may be a minority, but it's not "none".