In Baseball why....?

Question

Why in baseball, is the world series called the world series if it only involves the united states and no other country?

Answer 1

The World Series was originally sponsored by the NY World newspaper (now defunct),This is how the name World Series came about..Canadian teams have played in the World Series, and took the Pennant home to Toronto a few years ago.

Answer 2

First off, it does involve another country, and that country is Canada. Second off, it is called the world series, because when it was created, baseball was only played in the USA. Why should it be changed now after over a hundred years of being called the world series?

Answer 3

Because Americans think the world of it and have huge egos. ;-) Really, though, the "World" appellation has stuck despite the fact that only teams in the two major leagues, which happen to cover only the United States and Canada, actually participate. At the time the term was first used, baseball at the major league level was only played in the United States. While some would contend that there is no reason to believe that the World Series winner is a significantly better team than any club team outside Major League Baseball, no challenges have been made by other leagues. Moreover, virtually all of the best international players — from the Pacific Rim, Latin America, the Caribbean, and elsewhere — play on Major League rosters, with the notable exception of Cuban nationals.

The World Series winners have occasionally played winter exhibition series against the best players of other leagues around the world, such as Japan. Sometimes the Japanese have gained the upper hand in those series; but since they are only exhibitions, their results cannot be regarded as conclusive. Attempts to pit the North American champions against champions in the Japanese or Latin American leagues in a truly meaningful way have, so far, not succeeded.

A persistent myth is that the "World" in "World Series" came about because the New York World newspaper sponsored it. Baseball researcher Doug Pappas refutes that claim, demonstrating a linear progression from the phrase "World's Championship Series" (used to describe the 1903 series as well as some of the 19th-century postseason series) to "World's Series" (a term first used in the 1880s and which persisted for decades) to "World Series". Furthermore, investigation of the New York World for the relevant years revealed no evidence of the supposed sponsorship. (For details, see Mr. Pappas' web page on the subject.)

In deference to any controversy, more and more the term "World Series Championship" is being used, the subtlety being that it is merely a title and not a political statement.

Baseball tournaments between international teams do occur, notably at the world championships and at the Olympic Games. The United States sends a team of minor league players to the Summer Olympics, as it takes place during the regular Major League season. At the 2004 Summer Olympics the United States was not represented at all, since its team of minor league players did not survive the qualifying rounds. The International Baseball Federation (IBAF) has lobbied MLB to suspend play during the Summer Olympics, so that MLB players could compete for their respective national teams, and has agreed to shorten the Olympic tournament if MLB agrees to freeing its players. According to the IBAF chairman, such a move would do more for popularizing baseball around the world than any amount of money spent by the MLB for its current worldwide marketing.

Recently, Major League Baseball conducted the inaugural World Baseball Classic. In light of the International Olympic Committee recently voting baseball out of the Summer Games as a medal sport, the results of this competition hope to prove to the IOC that baseball is truly an international game. 16 countries competed in the classic, including baseball hotbeds Japan, United States, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Korea, along with China, Chinese Taipei, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Italy, Mexico, South Africa and Panama. In the Final, Japan defeated Cuba, 10-6. The United States, favored by most to at least make the last stages of the tournament, were eliminated in the second round. The WBC is planned to be held again in 2009, and every four years after.

The term World Series has since been appropriated by other championships, such as the College World Series, the Little League World Series, the World Series of Golf, the World Series of Poker, the World Series of Birding and the World Series of Martial Arts. World Series Cricket was a short-lived but influential cricket competition.

Answer 4

Tradition! It was called that because the US invented baseball, and were the only country with baseball for years. The sad thing is, when you look at the Olympics, World Baseball Classic, and the team rosters, the US is not the best baseball country any more. But we still kick *** at Football (Real football -- not that round ball sport).

Answer 5

BlueManticore covers what was reported by my former Co-Chair of the Business of Baseball committee of SABR (Doug, unfortunately passed away a few years ago) reported, but the origins have no one central location. As mentioned, the Spalding Guide initially coined the phrase.

Maury Brown
Co-Chair - SABR Business of Baseball committee

Answer 6

Good question. I can see where you are coming from with this question, but you are wrong. The are professional teams in the MLB that are in other countries. For example, the Toronto Blue Jays, they are from Canada. Besides the majority of the players in the MLB these days are from Hispanic countries.

Respectfully,
DHOWARD

Answer 7

We are the world of baseball.

Answer 8

It is called the WORLD Series because it has been that way.

It started in 1903 and

WAS NOT NAMED AFTER SOME STUPID NEWSPAPER!

Answer 9

because while other countries have baseball teams, they don't compare as far as talent, skill and strength to ours. also, while they are "american" teams, several teams have players from other countries like, Sammy Sosa, from the Dominican republic

Answer 10

Canada has a team. Toronto Blue Jays. But your question is a valid one, I wonder myself sometimes.