Why is it called the 'WORLD SERIES' when only American teams play? ie there is no WORLD participation?

Question

Is it out of stupidity or plain ignorance?

so people from other countries play in the teams, the same is in UEFA but they are all European teams. 'WORLD' implies many countries participate as in a WORLD CUP of football/cricket/rugby were numerous COUNTRIES' national teams participate not players in the different teams from a particular country that everyone is talking about. And to the person who implied that it was out of ignorance or stupidity that people ask the same questions: if you have answered a similar question don't answer the other ones.

the question is asked a lot probably because the name 'WORLD SERIES' for baseball is not logical considering it is a American tournament. How many countries even have baseball as a national sport and are represented by a NATIONAL team at the 'WORLD SERIES'?

Answer 1

The World Series is the only true world-sporting event, where the best team plays in the best league with the best players. Unlike the European Football leagues, they have a league for each country, and elite teams in it so since they don’t all play against each other you may never actually know who the best team is. In baseball, the cream raises to the top so to speak and the best team wins. Because MLB will and does find the best players from around the world and have them play in the league, below is a list of some countries that have had players play in the World Series.


Aruba, Austria, Australia, Bahamas, Colombia, Cuba, Curacao, Czechoslovakia, Dominican Republic, England, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Panama, Poland, Russia, Scotland, South Korea, South Vietnam, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, Virgin Island, Venezuela, and Wales just to name a few

Answer 2

When the World Series started, there were no teams outside the US. So, it was a reasonable, though grandiose, statement that the best baseball teams in the world were playing for the yearly championship. Things have changed in the world of baseball, but the name remains the same out of tradition.

BTW, what is the source of the list of foreign born players? The list I found does not list some that are listed above.

Answer 3

It's tradition. It was named the World Series in the early 20th century, many years before baseball was introduced to the rest of the world. They called it the World Series because it was truly the best players in the world playing. Obviously now baseball is a much more international sport, but there is just too much tradition behind it.

Answer 4

That depends, is it out of stupidity or plain ignorance that people continue to ask the same questions over and over on here? Originally called "World's Championship Series" and later shortened to World Series, the idea was that eventually it would become a world wide event, particularly with Great Britain and Australia at the time. If you think about it though, it's accurate. The world's best, from all over, seem to find their way to the MLB. And with them come the fans from all over the world. So yes, World Series is indeed accurate.

Answer 5

Just like many of the other idiosyncracies of baseball, this one is explained by tradition. Although it is called the "World Series" and sometimes the "World Championship Series" it was originally called the "World's Series".

The World being referenced is the Chicago World, the newspaper that sponsored the first few years of the series, and though the paper is now long defunct the name has stuck and has been used for over a hundred years.

Answer 6

To correct again a longstanding myth that keeps showing up on here - the World Series is NOT named after a newspaper. Unfortunately, too many people here have not read about its origins, and just keep perpetuating this myth.

http://roadsidephotos.sabr.org/baseball/name.htm

Answer 7

The best players in the world play in it. It does not matter what country you live in, if you are good enough you play in the MLB.

This question is asked alot.......is it out of stupidity of plain ignorance?

Answer 8

Well there are the Toronto Blue Jays.I'm sure you know Toronto is in Canada.The reason it's called the world series is because back when they started playing it in 1903,nobondy in Japan played it.No one in Africa or Latin America.Just Americans and maybe some Canadians.So in reality it was the world playing in it back then and I guess they never bothered to change the name.

Answer 9

Canadian teams play also, and just because the rest of the world cannot play baseball. To much soccer i guess

Answer 10

It includes many players from all over the WORLD. Secondly, the world series champions would be better than any other team on the planet, hence we call them the WORLD CHAMPS.

Finally, if it ain't broke......you don't fix it.