There will be no baseball in the 2016 Olympics.

[Barack_America]

Or softball.

It had already been decided.

A Chicago Olympics with no baseball?

What a bummer that would have been.


Here's hoping that baseball can someday make an Olympic comeback at a US Olympics.

[Richardo]

1. I need to know how to blame Barack Obama for this.

Signed,

"Crying on Fox"

[FSogol]

2. LOL. n/t

[Barack_America]

5. He's a White Sox fan.

That's blame and punishment enough.

:P

[dsc]

3. actually if Chicago had gotten it as host country we could have put baseball or softball back in

[Barack_America]

4. ??

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/2016-Olympics-shun-baseball-and-softball-will-W?urn=mlb,182788

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. As a demonstration sport, I think

Not as an official medal-winning one.

Golf and rugby sevens are the 2 sports that there's a vote on, by the IOC, next week for inclusion in 2016: http://www.irb.com/rugbyandtheolympics/news/newsid=2033801.html

[Barack_America]

7. Bit of an insult, no?

For the "national pastime" of the host country and a former, longtime official sport to be demoted to a "demonstration sport"?

It's a shame for Rio and South America too, as baseball is really taking off down there. So many of our best players (the Tigers certainly included) are from Venezuela. Baseball and Latin America are becoming somewhat synonymous. Not as much as soccer, of course, but it's huge down there.

[muriel_volestrangler]

13. As that article said, the 'main' sports don't depend on the host country

Baseball/softball is a possible sport for the Olympics, I agree (more suitable than golf, IMO, though I think rugby sevens is a good fit for the Olympics).

[dsc]

8. yeah I meant as a demonstration sport

[jakefrep]

9. Olympic baseball and softball sucked.

I'm not going to miss them.

Both tournaments suffered from having to give automatic places to regions of the world where neither sport is strong or well-developed.

The World Baseball Classic, featuring top professional players, is more compelling than an Olympic baseball tournament could ever hope to be.

[Barack_America]

10. I liked it.

But then again I'm still of the mind the Olympics should be amateurs-only.

Softball particularly is a loss, imo.

[Taverner]

15. Now with the WBC its kind of redundant

But I like watching the international styles - although all this does is close ranks

[BlooInBloo]

11. Good. Baseball isn't a sport.

[Barack_America]

12. And neither is Football.

By Olympic standards.

Baseball is at least recognized as a sport by the Olympics, even if it's no longer included.

[Yunomi]

14. Bummer.

Golf isn't a real sport. I've been saying for years that kendo should be included in the Olympics, even though I doubt any country other than Japan or Korea could send a team. Except maybe USA, but we'd lose.