Why do Americans refer to their national game of baseball as the world series.?

Answer 1

Could you do me a favor and from now on not post the same question as someone right in front of you....

------------------------------

The World Series isn't meant to be a competition amongst the world. That's what the Olympics used to be for and what the World Baseball Classic is now for. The World Series is merely to determine the yearly champion in Major League Baseball, with no teams from other parts of the world affilliated with MLB, it comes down to only two countries who could potentially have a team involved, although only two World Series (1992 & 1993) have ever involved a team from Canada.

As far as the actual "name" World Series goes there are many theories as to why the name was given, one baseball myth that just won't die is that the "World Series" was named for the New York World newspaper, which supposedly sponsored the earliest contests. It didn't, and it wasn't.

In fact, the postseason series between the AL and NL champs was originally known as the "Championship of the World" or "World's Championship Series." That was shortened through usage to "World's Series" and finally to "World Series."

This usage can be traced through the annual baseball guides. Spalding's Base Ball Guide for 1887 reported the results of the 1886 postseason series between Chicago, champions of the National League, and St. Louis, champions of the American Association, under the heading "The World's Championship." As the editor noted, the two leagues "both entitle their championship contests each season as those for the base ball championship of the United States," so a more grandiose name was required to describe the postseason showdown between the two "champions of the United States."

But the Spalding Guide -- which, after all, was published by one of the world's largest sporting goods companies, with a vested interest in bringing baseball to other lands -- had grander ambitions. By 1890, the Spalding Guide was explaining that "[t]he base ball championship of the United States necessarily includes that of the entire world, though the time will come when Australia will step in as a rival, and after that country will come Great Britain; but all that is for the future."

This didn't happen, but the name "World's Championship Series" stuck. Reporting on the first modern postseason series, the Red Sox-Pirates battle of 1903, the 1904 Reach Guide called it the "World's Championship Series." By 1912, Reach's headline spoke of the "World's Series," while editor Francis Richter's text still referred to the "World's Championship Series." The Reach Guide switched from "World's Series" to "World Series" in 1931, retaining the modern usage through its merger with the Spalding Guide and through its final issue in 1941. The separately-edited Spalding Guide used "World's Series" through 1916, switching to "World Series" in the 1917 edition.

The Spalding-Reach Guide was replaced as Major League Baseball's semi-official annual by the Sporting News Guide, first published in 1942. The Sporting News Guide used "World's Series" from 1942 through 1963, changing to "World Series" in the 1964 edition.

Moreover, the New York World never claimed any connection with postseason baseball. The World was a tabloid much given to flamboyant self-promotion. If it had been involved in any way with sponsoring a championship series, the fact would have been emblazoned across its sports pages for months. I reviewed every issue of the World for the months leading up to the 1903 and 1905 World's Championship Series -- there's not a word suggesting any link between the paper and the series.

I hope that answers your question.

Answer 2

It's refered to as such because it is the most talented baseball league in the world which pulls in th best players from numerous countries. The World Baseball Classic, or whatever it was called, amounted to a joke. Naturalized American citizens played for other countries based on anscestory and what not. Also the talent pool which is centered on the MLB was divided among several nations. The World Series champion would beat the Japanese champion easily. Japan amounts to AAA ball, there are some excellent players, enough for an all star team but not for a strong league.

Answer 3

For the same reason as England and Scotland play for the Calcutta Cup at rugby. The trophy was named by the donor, in this case the New York World newspaper, and the name got changed over time from the 'World's Series' to just the World Series. It's also worth pointing out that a Canadian team won it a few years ago!

Answer 4

European Soccer fans have asked the same question since it was played in one country at one time. Thats not a world Series
they would say, they're not. They're not competing with other
countries. Probably America feels and are right that the best players in the world are before them. It would be interesting to see America's best against Japan, Cuba and the south American
countries. They challenge the world series champ or All Stars against All Stars. People in the majors allowed to play for their.
No playing for the states or any other country unless you are a naturalized citizen. Maybe the states would clen up as theres not enough parity like Hockey with Canada, Russia and the Scandinavian countries.

Answer 5

There is fair amount of japanese and cubans involved. I would also challenge any baseball team from the rest of the world to beat any winning team of the world series.

Hence, it can safely be said that a winner of the world series of baseball, is likely to be the best team in the world, It's just that only americans (and cubans etc) are the only people who get into the sport in a big way.

Answer 6

Simple. In 1809, Several boys were tossing a ball and hitting it with a stick(to see how high it went). From this, they determined that while it was in the air, one must run to a "base"...you know the rules. Basically, this game was invented in America(Cursed...rrg!), and these cursed nationalists say that baseball and football are American sports, because we are too cheap to make up a better game. Strange, isn't it? We always modify child games and make them more "manly". What next? A more manly version of hopscotch!?! Well, another thing that I noticed, was that most sports(football, in particular) was made by boys. So far, they haven't made a manly dress up game, manly hoscotch, or makeup for men, so it really makes me think that America is really still a sexist nation...oh, and basketball too.(American spo...well, no. Nevermind. We say it is, but it was made by Africans).

Answer 7

Officially, its because they named the series after the newspaper, 'The World'.

Really, its because when Babe Ruth invented Baseball back in the 1800's, the first thing he did was throw the ball out of his window to see how far it would go. It hit a Mrs Gertrude Wurld on the head and he decided to name it after her. She, of course was very flattered by this and with her new-found fame went on to hug everyone she saw until she died forty years later. This story passed into legend and nowadays has come to mean everyone you can possibly imagine. Thats why when you hear the phrase 'The world and his wife', you know its all down to one very happy (and possibly concussed) woman.

Answer 8

Why do you ask a question that has been asked so many times? It is the world series becasue the best players from around the world play in it.

Answer 9

Because the winning team would whip any other team's *** in the world. If you let virtually any other country besides Japan, Cuba, etc. they would embarass themselves and their country, and Cuba nd Japan would get trounced because all their best players play in the u.s.

Answer 10

Because to them , they are the whole world.