The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) today announced that Seoul-based SBS has been awarded broadcast rights in South Korea for the 2015 WBSC Premier12™, the newest international baseball flagship tournament that is being launched in Japan and Taiwan this November by the world governing body.
SBS — one of South Korea’s top television networks positioned to reach out to the nation’s population of approximately 51 million — was selected by WBSC and awarded the exclusive broadcasting rights of the 2015 WBSC Premier12 across all media platforms, including online and television.
Baseball is the most popular spectator sport in South Korea, and stars from the nation’s top professional sport league, Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), will unite to defend world No. 8 South Korea in the inaugural WBSC Premier12 global baseball battle.
The new global platform will feature, for the first time ever, head-to-head action between the professional National Teams of the Top 12 countries in the WBSC Baseball World Rankings.The 2015 WBSC Premier12 will be the top international baseball event of the year, also offering the top purse and highest award of world ranking points.
WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari credit ibaf.org
“WBSC is thrilled to partner with one of South Korea’s premier national networks,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. “Through SBS’s leading multiplatform network, millions of passionate fans in this great baseball nation will be able to follow all the action of some of their heroes competing in their country’s name on the WBSC Premier12 global stage. The SBS-WBSC partnership on Premier12 is another major milestone that highlights the appeal of this new flagship event — and National Team competitions in our sport, in general – and further positions baseball’s growth and stronghold in this key market.”
Said SBS CEO Woong-mo Lee: “SBS is extremely delighted to be WBSC’s exclusive partner to bring this exciting new international baseball flagship product to audiences nationwide in South Korea. SBS prides itself on featuring premium content that is in demand, resonates with the widest range of our loyal viewers and sparks increased viewership, and adding the WBSC Premier12 and more baseball to SBS’s portfolio is a reflection on this successful strategy.”
Before heading to Taiwan for the official start of the group phase, rivals South Korea and top-ranked Japan will meet in a special opener of the WBSC Premier12 on 8 November at the 40,000-seat Sapporo Dome. It will be the first time in six years that the top professional National Teams of Samurai Japan and South Korea collide.
Japan and South Korea are in Group B, alongside No. 2 United States, No. 6 Dominican Republic, No. 10 Venezuela and No. 12 Mexico.
In Group A: No. 3 Cuba, No. 4 Chinese Taipei, No. 5 Netherlands, No. 7 Canada, No. 9 Puerto Rico and No. 11 Italy.
The top four nations from each group will advance to the quarter-final knockout stage in Taiwan, with the WBSC Premier12 moving to Japan’s Tokyo Dome for the semi-finals and finals.
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) today joined players and leadership from leagues around the world in welcoming the landmark decision by the hosts of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to propose adding baseball/softball among five new sports for the Games in 2020.
Tokyo 2020 said in a statement: “This package of events represents both traditional and emerging, youth-focused events, all of which are popular both in Japan and internationally. They will serve as a driving force to further promote the Olympic Movement and its values, with a focus on youth appeal, and will add value to the Games by engaging the Japanese population and new audiences worldwide, reflecting the Tokyo 2020 Games vision.”
The top sport in Japan, baseball/softball is the biggest sport not currently featured at the Olympic Games — particularly in terms of youth participation in actual organised competition, as the vast majority of baseball/softball’s estimated 65 million athletes in over 140 countries are between the ages of 5 to 21.
Tokyo 2020’s proposal for additional events must be reviewed, voted upon and formally approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil next August ahead of the 2016 Games.
“Tokyo 2020’s decision to propose our sport is a ‘home run’ and giant leap forward for baseball and softball,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. “On behalf of WBSC and our athletes, I would like to thank Tokyo 2020 as well as IOC President Thomas Bach, whose Olympic Agenda 2020 vision has paved the way for this extraordinary opportunity. The entire baseball and softball world is excited and ready to cross the Olympic home plate. But above all, I am happy for all our male and female athletes who today can see there is a real chance to fulfil their greatest dream of representing their country in the most important sporting spectacle there is — the Olympic Games.”
Japanese National Team 2008 Olympic softball gold medallist Yukiko Ueno stated, “Everybody in baseball and softball has their sights on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and wants to play for gold in front of some of the best crowds in the world.”
Cuba’s star baseball pitcher Yosvani Torres (world No. 3 Cuban National Team member and 2014 Most Valuable Player of the Cuban National Series with club Pinar del Río) expressed, “The National Baseball Team is a great source of pride for our entire country and it would be the highest honour/duty and thrilling to represent my country and our sport in the Olympics — the pinnace of sports.”
Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner Rob Manfred said: “Today’s announcement by Tokyo 2020 to include baseball/softball into its proposal for additional events at the 2020 Olympic Games is an exciting step forward to hopefully seeing our game return to this great platform. We look forward to the IOC’s decision in August 2016.”
Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Commissioner Katsuhiko Kumazaki, stated, “The recommendation today from Tokyo 2020 to restore Olympic baseball and softball has drawn attention here in Japan as well as globally. United with WBSC and our colleagues from around the world, baseball and softball want to shine bright for Tokyo 2020 and the Olympic Movement moving forward.”
WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari credit ibaf.org
WBSC President Fraccari added: “Baseball and softball’s global position, expansion and opportunities today are thanks to all of our partners’ contributions and a shared vision to return our sport to the highest stage in sports, the Olympic Games. And we will do everything possible so that baseball and softball, if included, are a great attraction/success for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and IOC’s Agenda 2020, as it remains WBSC’s top priority to demonstrate that our sport aligns with the Olympic Movement and has the qualities to earn a place on the Olympic programme in 2020 and in future Games.”
WBSC’s previous Olympic bid, which proposed baseball and softball for the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games, earned the second-highest amount of votes at the 2013 IOC Session in Buenos Aires, Argentina, finishing behind wrestling.
The Sunday night, 6 September, prime time finale of the XXVII WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup at historic Koshien Stadium in Osaka generated a nationwide sensation across Japan, outperforming the nation’s most popular television programmes during some of the most valuable prime-time hours, according to multiple media reports.
A snapshot into Japan’s biggest region, Kanto, which has a potential reach of 18.1 million households, showed the electric and close-fought youth baseball world championship finale between the U-18 National Teams of host nation Japan (world No. 1) and the United States (world No. 2) generated an average TV rating of 18.6 and spiked to an incredible 27.2 during the final moments of the game, which ran just under three hours from 18:30 to 21:24 JST.
The thrilling U-18 world championship finale, attended by over 15,000 in-stadium spectators, was featured live and free-to-air across Japan on TV Asahi, one of the most wide-reaching broadcasting networks in Japan. Deciding to feature the finale live and in prime time against other popular programmes in Japan, TV Asahi executives were praised by the broadcast industry for their shrewd decision to offer blanket coverage through their terrestrial channels nationwide.
Online viewers from 93 countries and territories worldwide tuned in to the finale of the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup via live-stream.
According to Twitter Japan, the 2015 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup finale was the second highest trending topic on Twitter in Japan on the night of 6 September, with celebrities, pop singers, authors, fans and Nippon Professional Baseball clubs sharing in the real-time thrilling moments.
A record 4.2 million impressions were generated through WBSC’s official Twitter account (@wbsc), the highest ever one-day reach for WBSC.
The highlight video of the United States’ 2-1 world championship victory over Japan at Koshien Stadium has become the most viewed video across WBSC’s official platforms, having been viewed over 1.2 million times to date.
“The credit for the excitement and impressive viewership ratings belong to the athletes and to the National Federations who’s difficult task it is to identify and select the next generation of young, elite athletes to represent their countries at the highest level,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari, “and also to our broadcast partners who are vital in promoting the exposure of our sport globally. The outstanding showing in Osaka highlights the power of our youth base, the bright future our sport has and the future generation of superstars who will help lead our sport to new heights.”
The strong ratings of the U-18 youth baseball flagship finale come at a time when the organisers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics are evaluating a shortlist of sports, baseball and softball included, to potentially add to the Olympic Programme, to enhance engagement levels and add youth appeal, among other criteria.
The XXVI WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2013 in Taichung, Taiwan had a potential broadcast reach of 144 million homes and potential online/mobile reach of 20 million users. A full report on the overall broadcast reach of the 2015 edition will be complied and released in the coming weeks, and it is anticipated that the 2013 numbers will be surpassed.
WBSC Summer: U-12 Baseball World Cup, U-18 Baseball World Cup and U-19 Junior Women’s Softball World Championship showcase youth appeal, women in sport in countdown to September Tokyo 2020 decision
Lausanne, Switzerland — The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) concluded a two-day interview from 7-8 August in the Japanese capital with Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games organisers to outline the viability and potential value added to the Tokyo 2020 Games with baseball and softball — Japan’s national sport — included.
WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari led a seven-person baseball/softball delegation in Tokyo that included home run king and sports legend Sadaharu Oh and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) chief Katsuhhiko Kumazaki. NPB, Japan’s most popular sports league and WBSC Member, attracted more than 23 million spectators in 2014, the second-highest recorded attendance of any sports league in the world in 2014.
Oh joined the WBSC delegation following his throwing out of the ceremonial first pitch on 6 August that commemorated the 100th anniversary of Japan’s annual “Koshien” National High School Baseball Championship — the legendary two-week youth tournament that fills the 48,000-seat Hanshin Stadium and is televised nationally.
Also part of the delegation from WBSC leadership was Secretary General Ms. Beng Choo Low, Softball Executive Vice President Dale McMann, Japan Softball Association (JSA) Vice President and three-time Japanese Olympic Softball Team coach Ms. Taeko Utsugi, Athlete Representative and 2008 softball Olympian, Ms. Maria Soto.
WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari credit ibaf.org
Baseball/softball is one of eight new sports being considered by Tokyo 2020 following Olympic Agenda 2020’s landmark ruling last December that allows Olympic hosts to propose adding sports that are not currently on the Olympic programme but could help engage audiences and young people in the host nation and around the world.
The top sport in Japan in terms of youth participation, infrastructure, media coverage and fan-following, baseball and softball are played by an estimated 65 million men and women athletes in over 140 countries worldwide.
“Given our sport’s footprint in Japan and worldwide, WBSC and our global partners hoped to have shown during the interview in Tokyo that staging Olympic baseball and softball in 2020 would be easily accommodated — fully in the spirit of Olympic Agenda 2020 — and the added value as well as the historic value would be a ‘home run’ for Tokyo 2020, the Olympic Movement and our sport,” said President Fraccari.
Following the presentation to Tokyo 2020, President Fraccari and legendary coach Utsugi attended the finals of 2015 JSA Japan Cup that brought the Women’s National Softball Teams of Australia, Chinese Taipei, Japan and the United States to Ogaki City.
Tokyo 2020 is expected to announce a proposal for additional event(s) by 30 September 2015.
Connecting to Youth, Women in Sport and Universality
Ahead of Tokyo 2020’s additional event announcement, the XXVII WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2015 will unite the sport’s future stars in Osaka from 28 August to 6 September, with the semi-finals and finals taking place at historic Hanshin “Koshien” Stadium, built in 1924.
The 12 qualified nations of the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup heading to Osaka mark a global footprint that represents Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania and spans across the entire western hemisphere from North-, South-, and Central America and the Caribbean.
The last WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup in 2013 had a potential broadcast reach of 144 million homes and potential online/mobile reach of 20 million.
The XI WBSC Junior Women’s Softball World Championship 2015 is currently taking place from 9-15 August at the premier softball facility in the United States, at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
Battling for the world championship in Oklahoma City are the Women’s U-19 National Teams of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Puerto Rico and the United States.
Snoopy Ambassador 2015 WBSC U12 Baseball World Cup
The III WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup 2015 — the only official youth world championship in all of sport in this age category — concluded days before the interview with Tokyo 2020.
The final of the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup produced a record sell-out crowd of more than 11,000 fans at Tainan Municipal Stadium on 2 August, and more than 150,000 online and mobile viewers tuned into the live global webcast of the final.
The 12 qualified nations in Tainan were world No. 1 Japan, defending world champions No. 2 United States No. 3 Cuba, Asian champions No. 4 Chinese Taipei, No. 8 South Korea, No. 10 Venezuela, No. 12 Mexico, No. 14 Australia, No. 15 Brazil, Americas champions No. 16 Nicaragua, No. 28 France, and European champions No. 32 Russia.
Snoopy and the Peanuts Gang were the Official Global Ambassadors of the WBSC 2015 U-12 Baseball World Cup.
In November, the WBSC is launching a new flagship international baseball competition, the Premier12, which is the Men’s National Team championship that unites the top 12 nations from the WBSC World Rankings. The semi-finals and finals of the inaugural 2015 WBSC Premier12 will be staged at the iconic Tokyo Dome. The 2019 Premier12 could potentially serve as an Olympic qualifier, helping to further promote Tokyo 2020 in the lead-up to the Games.
Overseeing the sport’s wave of global activity, WBSC’s organisational structure and reach consists of 212 National Federations and Associate Members, including professional leagues, across 141 countries and territories worldwide.
WBSC’s previous Olympic bid, which proposed men’s baseball and women’s softball for the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games, earned the second-highest amount of votes at the IOC Session in Buenos Aires in 2013, finishing behind wrestling.
The final decision on the composition of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic sports programme will be taken at the 129th IOC Session in Rio de Janeiro in August 2016.
TAIPEI CITY — The official competition schedule, tournament bracket and full list of venues for the WBSC Premier12™ global baseball battle were revealed by the international governing body at a press conference in Taiwan’s capital.
(Download the Official 2015 WBSC Premier12 Competition Schedule and Opening Round Schedules for each country here.)
In November, the Top 12 countries from the WBSC Baseball World Rankings will unite for the first time ever in the Premier12 battle for pride that will challenge each nation to prove and defend its world rankings, with a US$ multi-million purse and large-scale bonus of ranking points at stake.
Thirty-eight global games will be staged across Taiwan’s Taichung Intercontinental Stadium, Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium, Tien-Mou Stadium and Dou-Liou Stadium, and Japan’s Sapporo Dome and Tokyo Dome, in order to determine the ultimate baseball nation.
Rivals world No. 1 Japan (2-time World Baseball Classic champions, 2014 U-21 Baseball World Cup silver medallists and 2013 U-18 Baseball World Cup silver medallists) and world No. 8 S. Korea (2014 Asian Games champions) will meet on 8 November in the historic Game 1/Group B opener. It will be the first time in 6 years that the star-filled/professional National Teams of Samurai Japan and S. Korea will face off against each other in what is sure to electrify the Sapporo Dome and set the tone for Premier12.
World No. 2 United States (2013 and 2012 U-18 Baseball World Cup champions, and 2013 U-12 Baseball World Cup champions) and world No. 6 Dominican Republic (2013 World Baseball Classic champions) are also in Group B and will make their debut together in Taoyuan on 10 November.
World No. 3 Cuba (2014 Central American and Caribbean Games champions, and 2014 U-15 Baseball World Cup champions) and world No. 7 Canada (2012 U-18 Baseball World Cup silver medallists and 2011 Pan-Am Games champions) are in Group A and will square off in Taichung on 10 November.
World No. 4 Chinese Taipei (2014 U-21 Baseball World Cup champions and 2012 U-18 Baseball World Cup bronze medalists) and world No. 5 Netherlands (2014 European champions and 2013 World Baseball Classic semifinalists) will open Group A action on 9 November in Taichung for the day’s sole/featured.
World No. 9 Puerto Rico (2nd place — 2013 World Baseball Classic) and world No. 11 Italy (2nd place — 2014 European Championship and 2013 World Baseball Classic quarter-finalists) will meet for the first time since 2013 when they open against each other in Taichung on 10 November.
World No. 10 Venezuela (2014 U-15 Baseball World Cup bronze medallists and 2012 U-15 Baseball World Cup champions) and world No. 12 Mexico (5th place 2014 U-15 Baseball World Cup and 4th place 2011 Pan Am Games).
Four of the Premier12-nations will be sent home after the first round, group stage (Games 1-30) taking place from 8-15 November. The eight surviving nations will advance to the heated knockout stage where it’s Group A versus Group B on 16 November in the quarter-finals (Games 31-34).
After the quarterfinal-KOs, four more nations will be eliminated and ushered back to their respective countries, while the four nations to successfully navigate through the first week of the Premier12 global battle will be flown from Taiwan to Tokyo for the climax of the event at the crown jewel venue, the Tokyo Dome, where the semi-finals — Game 35 on 19 November and Game 36 on 20 November — will be staged. The two countries defeated in the semi-finals will pair up for the bronze medal finale (Game 37) on 21 November, just ahead of the ultimate global game.
Winners of Games 35 and 36 will earn a ticket to play on the highest stage, where a US$ million dollar cash purse, a large bonus of world ranking points and the decisive battle for their country’s national pride and honour will be on the line. The two finalists will go head-to-head in the grand championship/gold medal finale on 21 November (Game 38).
Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) — the second highest-attended sports league in the world in 2014 (surpassing 23 million in attendance) — and world-class organisers Chinese Taipei Baseball Association (CTBA) are co-hosting the inaugural WBSC Premier12.
The world governing body for baseball and softball, the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), has highlighted the importance of sport for young people in a double celebration of Olympic Day and its pitch for inclusion in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Sports competition schedule.
WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari said baseball and softball’s stakeholders around the world have helped establish grassroots pathways for young people to participate in sports in local communities, schools and sports centres.
“These programmes share the values and guidelines set forth by the global effort led by the Olympic Movement to increase participation levels of young people and women in sport,” Fraccari said.
The WBSC president said there could be no higher honour for baseball and softball athletes than to represent their nations and to see their sport on the greatest sporting stage in the world, the Olympic Games.
“Our bid for baseball and softball to be included as additional sporting events at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is on behalf of baseball and softball players now in over 140 countries — and on behalf of our sport’s younger generation who aspire to one day represent their nation and our sport in the Olympic Games,” he said.
The WBSC’s focus on youth development is aligned with the Olympic Movement’s renewed emphasis on youth in sport under IOC President Thomas Bach, and the key themes of this year’s Olympic Day — to learn, move and discover through sport.
“Olympic Day provides the opportunity for sporting bodies like WBSC to honour what sport has done for society, helping to highlight the values of sport and the important role sports play in our cities, countries, continents and societies,” said Fraccari.
President Fraccari said youth-focused baseball and softball programmes and competitions that introduce children as young as five-years-old are a feature of baseball and softball leagues globally, and provide important opportunities for young people to experience the excitement, team work, discipline and other important lessons and characteristics of life and sport.
The inclusion of baseball and softball at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will help inspire young people across Japan, Asia and in the newly emerging baseball and softball nations of Europe, Africa and Middle East, Fraccari said.
“Baseball and softball are among the most popular sporting activities for young people across Japan, and would help to engage and inspire more young people into sport and experience the benefits of sports,” he said.
The WBSC is one of eight international federations shortlisted by Tokyo 2020 organisers for possible inclusion at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) President Riccardo Fraccari today welcomed the news that men’s baseball and women’s softball have been included on the shortlist of additional sports (events) being evaluated by Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games organisers for potential inclusion at the 2020 Games.
The World Baseball Softball Confederation was among 26 international sport federations to have submitted bids to Tokyo 2020 organisers earlier this month.
“This is a great day for our sport,” said President Fraccari, “today baseball and softball — and the millions of athletes and fans who call it their sport — reached first base. And on behalf of WBSC and the entire baseball and softball world, I would like to thank Tokyo 2020 and its evaluation panel for this opportunity to move into phase II. Being considered for the Olympic Games is a tremendous honour for baseball and softball, and the possibility of our athletes playing for their countries on the Olympic stage is a shared point of hope and excitement within our sport.”
As Tokyo 2020’s evaluation continues, the WBSC will be hoping to underline that adding baseball and softball to the 2020 Games in Japan — where baseball and softball are embedded in the culture, have existing facilities and are popular across both genders — can provide Tokyo 2020 organisers with another tool to shine the spotlight on the 2020 Games and on the host nation itself, optimising fan-, youth- and overall engagement nationally and internationally.
In August, presentations to Tokyo 2020 organisers will be made by the shortlisted international federations. Tokyo 2020 will have until 30 September 2015 to propose any new events to the International Olympic Committee. The final decision on the composition of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic sports programme will be taken by the 129th IOC Session in Rio de Janeiro in August 2016.
WBSC’s previous Olympic bid, which proposed men’s baseball and women’s softball for the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games, earned the second-highest amount of votes at the IOC Session in Buenos Aires in 2013, finishing behind wrestling.
The president of the World Baseball Softball Confederation, Riccardo Fraccari, today announced that the world governing body has submitted an official proposal to the Tokyo Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (TOCOG) for the addition of men’s baseball and women’s softball at the 2020 Games.
“It is an honour for the World Baseball Softball Confederation to submit the application to Tokyo 2020 organisers,” said President Fraccari, “and on behalf of baseball and softball, I would like to fully thank and recognise IOC President Thomas Bach for his Olympic Agenda 2020 vision, which has created this exciting new process for new sports-events, like baseball and softball, to be considered for the world’s biggest sports stage, the Olympic Games.”
The Tokyo 2020 Additional Event Programme Panel will evaluate the proposals from IOC-recognised non-Olympic international sports federations, with Tokyo 2020 set to announce a shortlist on 22 June.The WBSC is hoping to highlight that adding baseball and softball to the 2020 Games in Japan — where the bat-and-ball sport is embedded in the society across both genders – will serve to optimise fan, youth and overall engagement, helping to captivate the entire Olympic host nation of Japan and audiences worldwide. Baseball and softball are played by an estimated 65 million athletes in over 140 countries and attract approximately 150 million fans annually to stadiums worldwide.
“Adding baseball and softball — a major global team sport and highly popular in Japan — can help further position the Olympic Games as the centre of the sporting and cultural universe — providing the athletes, organisers and viewers with an electrifying Games-time synergy and atmosphere,” President Fraccari said.
“Baseball and softball at the Tokyo 2020 Games can help spread Olympic values with the entire nation of Japan and those around the world — and give inspiration to be at the Olympic Games and to be an Olympian — providing another key pathway for TOCOG and the Olympic Movement to connect directly with millions of people worldwide, particularly younger generations, women and our sport’s loyal fans,” said President Fraccari.
With a number of existing world-class baseball and softball facilities in Tokyo and across Japan, and with Olympic Agenda 2020 as a guiding light, the 2020 Olympic baseball and softball business model would have a negligible impact on both construction costs and the environment, while helping to drive greater ticket sales, media interest and viewership — making for a low-risk, high-reward option for TOCOG and the Olympic Movement.
2015 WBSC U18 Baseball World Cup
“This synergy would be a cost-effective way — reflecting Olympic Agenda 2020 — to help shine a bigger spotlight on the athletes and the Tokyo 2020 Games, while potentially generating a bigger return for the Olympic brand and sponsors. This can lead to a wonderful and sustainable legacy for the future, inspired by Olympic Agenda 2020 and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.”
WBSC leadership considers the proposal a real milestone in the history of baseball and softball, which represents the many years of hard work and shared vision by baseball’s and softball’s global stakeholders to be part of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Opening round groups for the first-ever Premier12™ global baseball tournament, which unites the twelve highest-ranked countries from the WBSC Baseball World Rankings, were among a series of major announcements at a press conference Wednesday led by WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari in the South Korean capital.
In the day’s most anticipated news surrounding the new Premier12 — which will be staged in Japan and Taiwan from 8-21 November — the two groups for the event’s Opening Round were revealed:
Group A: Co-host/World No. 4 Chinese Taipei, No. 3 Cuba, No. 5 Netherlands, No. 7 Canada, No. 9 Puerto Rico and No. 11 Italy
Group B: Co-host/World No. 1 Japan, No. 2 United States, No. 6 Dominican Republic, No. 8 South Korea, No. 10 Venezuela and No. 12 Mexico
The top four nations from each group surviving the Opening Round clash will advance to the quarterfinal knockout stage before the Premier12 shifts from Taiwan to Japan’s iconic Tokyo Dome for the semi-finals and finals.
Continuing the announcements, the first two contests that will kick off action at the 2015 Premier12 were unveiled.
In Group A, it will be Chinese Taipei and Netherlands, the 2011 Baseball World Cup champions, at Taichung’s Intercontinental Stadium on 9 November.
Helping to showcase the sport’s popularity and existing world-class venues in Japan as baseball/softball vie for a spot at the 2020 Olympic Games, there was a special announcement to reveal that the 40,000-seat Sapporo Dome has been added to the line-up and would host the Group B opener, which will feature top-ranked Japan and South Korea on 8 November.
Samurai Japan National Team manager Hiroki Kokubo has underlined Japan’s intention to capture the initial Premier12 trophy and will look to assemble a Japanese “Dream Team” that will make the entire country proud.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League — South Korea’s top sports league — was present for announcements Wednesday and “welcomed the challenge” of the opening battle against rival Japan, declaring the league’s support of the South Korean National Team in the Premier12.
Phenom Shohei Ohtani (100+ mph fastball with NPB’s Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters) will likely be one of the Samurai selected to help Japan battle for the 2015 Premier 12 World Title.
WBSC President Fraccari commented:
“The Premier12 platform provides another key opportunity for players to represent, promote and honour their countries, and build on the wave of continued globalisation and excitement within our sport, particularly during this time when our sport is under Olympic observation for potential inclusion at the 2020 Games in Tokyo.”
Said In Sik Kim, KBO official and former manager of the South Korean National Team:
“KBO is proud and honoured to announce our involvement and support for this new elite international competition looking to 2020 and beyond. KBO leadership joins in sharing President Fraccari’s vision for the Premier12 to further establish and raise the attractiveness of National Team brands as part of a strategy to connect to new and global audiences, helping to drive awareness and growth in our sport around the world.”
The inaugural Premier12 is being co-hosted by Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) — the second highest-attended major sports league in the world in 2014 (approx. 23 million) — and the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association.
The World Baseball Softball Confederation announced the groups for the 2015 WBSC U18 Baseball World Cup, which will be staged from 28 August – 06 September in Osaka, Japan.
The twelve qualified nations (alongside their current world ranking) of the XXVII U18 Baseball World Cup have been placed into two groups by the WBSC International Baseball Tournaments Commission:
Group A Group B
No. 1 Japan No. 3 Cuba
No. 2 United States No. 4 Chinese Taipei
No. 12 Mexico No. 7 Canada
No. 14 Australia No. 8 South Korea
No. 15 Brazil No. 11 Italy
No. 20 Czech Republic No. 29 South Africa
A group round robin will open action of the 2015 U18 Baseball World Cup. The top three finishers from each group will meet in the Super Round Robin, with the two nations with the best total records qualifying for the U18 World Championship finale at Japan’s “Baseball Mecca”, historic Koshien Stadium, which was built in 1924.
Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), a WBSC Member, is adjusting the Hanshin Tigers’ home schedule at the legendary 47,000-seat Koshien Stadium to accommodate the 2015 U18 Baseball World Cup.
The 2015 U18 Baseball World Cup will feature six out of the Top 10 nations in the world, and eleven out of the Top 20, setting the stage for the most competitive U18 World Cup on record.
The 2015 U18 Baseball World Cup will represent a global footprint that spans across the entire western hemisphere from North-, South-, and Central America and the Caribbean — and Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania.
The last U18 Baseball World Cup in 2013 had a potential broadcast reach of 144 million homes and potential online/mobile reach of 20 million, based on reports furnished by leading media rights agency and WBSC partner MP & Silva.
WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari said:
WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari credit ibaf.org
“The baseball and softball world is hopeful that the young stars at the 2015 U18 Baseball World Cup in Japan, as well as other players around the world, will have the opportunity to represent their countries and our sport at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Baseball and softball have surpassed a number of historical benchmarks in recent years in terms of youth platforms, gender equality, globalisation, building National Team brands and expanding the broadcast reach of international competitions, which could potentially help serve the mission of the IOC and Olympic Movement.”
The World Baseball Softball family is anxiously awaiting the process to next year’s IOC session just prior to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, that will decide which new sporting events will be included at the Tokyo 2020 Games. Baseball and Softball — top sports in Japan — as well as other sports have been in discussions with Tokyo 2020 Games organisers and the IOC on the new process to include extra sporting events as part of the IOC’s Agenda 2020 reforms.
U18 Global Launching Pad for Stars of the Future
U-15 Baseball World Cup
The WBSC U18 Baseball World Cup, along with its continental qualifiers, have featured some of the biggest names in the sport, such as Canada’s Brett Lawrie, Japan’s Yu Darvish, South Korea’s Shin-soo Choo, Cuba’s Yasiel Puig and Aroldis Chapman, and USA’s Clayton Kershaw, Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Buster Posey, among countless others. The most recent generation of rising stars include Cuba’s Yoan Moncada, Jorge Soler, USA’s Francisco Lindor, Canada’s Dalton Pompey and Japan’s Shohei Ohtani and Shintaro Fujinami.
World No. 2 USA will be entering the U18 Baseball World Cup — the highest competition platform that features baseball’s most elite players in this age group — as the two-time defending U18 World Champions.
In addition to the U18 Baseball World Cup, the 2015 WBSC official international calendar includes the Men’s Softball World Championship and Pan American Games, both in Canada; the U12 Baseball World Cup in Tainan, Chinese Taipei; the U19 Women’s Softball World Championship in Oklahoma City, USA; the inaugural Premier 12™ Pro Championship, co-hosted by Japan and Chinese Taipei; and the historic Europe vs Japan Series that took place last month at the Tokyo Dome.
The world governing body of baseball and softball, the WBSC, has announced that the world-famous PEANUTS comic strip icon, Snoopy, will be the official Global Ambassador of the U12 Baseball World Cup 2015, being staged from 24 July – 2 August in Tainan, Chinese Taipei.
WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari said Snoopy’s role with the 2015 U12 Baseball World Cup, the pinnacle platform that is the highest level of competition for 12-year-olds, can help to raise awareness and interest in sport amongst more young people, especially the ‘digital generation’.
The announcement was made at Daan Forest Park in Taipei City, alongside Tainan Mayor Lai Ching-Te, Taiwan Ministry of Education Deputy Director of Sports Administration Peng Tai-Ling and Chinese Taipei Baseball Association (CTBA) Honorary President Tom Peng, and was followed by a U12 Baseball World Cup ‘live’ dance performance by the life-sized Snoopy and Charlie Brown.
WBSC President Fraccari speaks at 2015 WBSC U12 Baseball World Cup press conference in Taipei. credit WSBC
“Baseball and softball support the IOC’s Agenda 2020 under President Thomas Bach, and the focus on youth and sport in society,” Fraccari said. “Snoopy is embraced by many different cultures and societies globally, and Snoopy’s involvement and promotion of the U12 Baseball World Cup can help produce a synergy that we hope can connect more young people with sport and the lasting teachings of sport — on and off the sports field.”
As part of his role as Global Ambassador of the WBSC U12 Baseball World Cup, Snoopy will be incorporated into the official look and logo of baseball’s 2015 U12 world championship, which will showcase the elite 12-year-old baseball players in the world playing for their National Teams.
Venues in Tainan, where the U12 World Cup will be hosted by the CTBA and City of Tainan through 2019, will have designated areas with signage featuring Snoopy and the rest of the PEANUTS Gang in iconic poses, playing baseball, for fans to visit and engage with as part of the attractions and to share selfies via social media from the 2015 WBSC U12 Baseball World Cup III.
Snoopy Global Ambassador 2015 WBSC U12 Baseball World Cup
In addition, Snoopy, who was both a player and manager of the PEANUTS comic strip baseball team, will visit the venues during U12 World Cup competition to interact with fans and deliver an unforgettable in-stadium experience in Tainan.
“Global events that attract and put the focus on the next generation of athletes and fans to grow our sport around the world is a top priority for the WBSC and all our sport’s stakeholders, particularly as we strive to earn a place for baseball and softball in the Olympic Games,” WBSC President Fraccari said. “Snoopy joining our team as the Global Ambassador for the 2015 U12 Baseball World Cup is in perfect alignment with the mission, values and objectives of the WBSC and our sport.
The U12 Baseball World Cup, now in its third edition, is one of several junior baseball and softball world championships in the portfolio of events conducted by the WBSC, which is hoping for the possible inclusion of baseball and softball at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
WBSC Baseball Marketing Director Masaru Yokoo said: “The WBSC is thrilled to have such an instantly recognisable icon, like Snoopy, on board as the Official Global Ambassador to shine the spotlight on the 2015 U12 Baseball World Cup. Snoopy and the entire PEANUTS Gang have a timeless and universal connection to people of all ages and to the sport of baseball, and that’s why we are extremely confident that the PEANUTS’ presence will help create an exciting atmosphere in Tainan for the teams and fans, and will help elevate brand recognition and the global appeal of the WBSC U12 Baseball World going forward.”
U12 Baseball World Cup Groups and Schedule Revealed
Snoopy Ambassador 2015 WBSC U12 Baseball World Cup
The groups and competitions schedule for the WBSC U12 Baseball World Cup III were also revealed by the WBSC.
Group A Group B
No. 3 Cuba No. 1 Japan
No. 4 Chinese Taipei No. 2 USA
No. 8 South Korea No. 12 Mexico
No. 10 Venezuela No. 14 Australia
No. 15 Brazil No. 16 Nicaragua
No. 32 Russia No. 27 France
It is the first time in history that the top four nations in the world — Japan, USA, Cuba and Chinese Taipei — are featured together at the U12 World Cup. The elite world championship will also feature ten of the top 16 ranked nations in the world, setting the stage for a truly electrifying tournament.
Fifty contests will be scheduled to determine the 2015 U12 World Champions, starting with a group round robin. (See Official U12 World Cup Schedule)
Days 1 – 5 will see 30 games of round robin action, followed by a rest day. Nations will be battling to finish among the top three in their respective groups to advance into the “Super Round Robin”.
Days 7, 8 and 9 will feature the top three finishers from Group A colliding with the top three finishers from Group B in the elite nine-game Super Round Robin. The Super Round Robin is a continuation of the opening round-robin, as head-to-head matches and win/loss records against Super Group members carry over from the opening round robin.
On Day 10, the two Super Group nations with the best overall records will play in the gold medal finale on Sunday, 2 August, while the third- and fourth-place nations will play for bronze.
The nations not advancing to the Super Round Robin will be grouped together to battle for 7th – 12th place in the Consolation Round Robin.
The biannual U12 Baseball World Cup is the only international baseball tournament in this age group to feature National Teams, which are exclusive to WBSC and its Members.
The United States will be heading to Tainan as the defending U12 World Champions, having dethroned the 2011 U12 World Cup Champions Chinese Taipei in 2013.
As an official world championship event, the results of the U12 World Cup have impact on baseball’s official world rankings. The 2015 U12 Baseball World Cup will begin the 4-year world rankings cycle that will eventually determine the qualified nations for the 2019 Premier 12™, a flagship event that could potentially serve as an Olympic qualifier, if baseball and softball are put forward and added to the 2020 Tokyo Games.
The WBSC has a full list of official events on the calendar in 2015, including the Men’s Softball World Championship and Pan American Games in Canada, the U12 Baseball World Cup, the U19 Women’s Softball World Championship in Oklahoma City, USA, the U18 Men’s Baseball World Cup at historic Koshien Stadium in Japan, and the inaugural Premier 12™, co-hosted by Japan and Chinese Taipei.
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), the world governing body for the two sports, announced today that Eurosport 2 will be the exclusive broadcaster across Europe for the newly announced Europe versus Japan Series, where the first-ever “Europe” continental baseball team will make its historic debut in a two-game series, hosted by Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), on 10-11 March at the 55,000-seat Tokyo Dome.
Eurosport 2, which broadcasts to 73 million households in 18 languages across 51 countries, has obtained the rights to the WBSC Europe vs. Japan Series across all broadcast platforms, including internet and mobile devices in all languages.
“The WBSC is proud to partner with an industry leader like Eurosport and showcase this exciting new international baseball competition, the new Europe baseball brand, and its athletes to audiences across Europe,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. “This is a major milestone that helps to mark baseball’s evolution and appeal as a global sport.”
WBSC leadership also hailed the broadcast agreement, and the continued wave of developments and growth, as highlighting baseball and softball’s universality and steadily increasing popularity across key targets, such as Europe, particularly as WBSC and its key stakeholders remain committed to and hopeful of returning the bat-and-ball sports to the Olympic Games.
Following baseball and softball’s steady rise in popularity in Europe, WBSC unveiled plans in early February to establish the “Europe” branded baseball team; leading sports performance brand Asics has since become the official kit sponsor for Team Europe.
Team Europe, which will be guided by Netherlands and Italy team managers, and Samurai Japan revealed their rosters earlier this week and consider the upcoming match-up in March as a key opportunity in the preparations leading to the 2015 WBSC Premier 12™, with the same Tokyo Dome set to host the Premier 12 semifinals and finals.
Top ranked Japan, No. 5 Netherlands and No. 11 Italy have all qualified for the inaugural Premier 12 that will feature the Top 12 baseball nations in the world and will take place this November in Japan and Taiwan.
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