Paul Beeston, former president of Major League Baseball, believes a 2005 Baseball World Cup could mirror the success of the Soccer World Cup. According to Toronto Sun reporter George Gross, Beeston told him that while Major League Baseball will never participate in the Olympic Games (because of the summer schedule of the season), owners and players are thinking about a Baseball World Cup.
“The time has come to give a Baseball World Cup consideration,” Beeston said. “The players want it and the owners want it. There is high-level baseball played not only in the United States and Canada, but also in South America, Korea, Japan, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.”
Beeston suggested that an eight-team tournament be held for starters, which could gradually be increased to 12 teams now that the sport is being played in Europe.
Beeston forecast that the US would win such a tournament for the first three years and said the key to the Cup is negotiating a good television contract.
“It would be really interesting to see the clashes between Americans, Canadians, Dominicans, Cubans and Puerto Ricans. And because baseball is being played every day, the teams would have to have several good pitchers, not only one.”
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