Baseball World Cup

Last updated
Baseball World Cup
Most recent season or competition:
2011 Baseball World Cup
John Moores Trophy.jpg
The John Moores Trophy awarded in 1938
Sport Baseball
Founded 1938
Ceased 2011
No. of teams16 (in 2011)
ContinentInternational
Last
champion(s)
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Most titlesFlag of Cuba.svg  Cuba (25 titles)

The Baseball World Cup (BWC) was an international baseball tournament for national teams around the world, sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF). First held in 1938 as the Amateur World Series (AWS), it was, for most of its history, the highest level of international baseball competition in the world. Even after it was supplanted in this regard in 2006 by the modern World Baseball Classic (WBC), the Baseball World Cup was still considered by the IBAF to be a major world championship, along with the WBC and the Summer Olympic Games. [1] [2]

Contents

After the 2011 tournament, the Baseball World Cup was discontinued in favor of an expanded World Baseball Classic; the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) – successor to the IBAF – now organizes the WBC and awards its winner the title of "World Champion." [3] Additionally, the WBSC sanctions two new tournaments: the biennial 23U Baseball World Cup (begun as the 21U Baseball World Cup in 2014) and its quadrennial, flagship tournament, the WBSC Premier12 (starting in 2015), which involves the twelve best-ranked national teams in the world. [4]

History

The Baseball World Cup was held 38 times; the final one was in 2011 in Panama. The first tournament, held in 1938, featured only two teams, but the last tournament included 22 participants; the previous two featured 16 and 18 teams (in 2007 and 2005, respectively). The World Cup was originally called the Amateur World Series, until the tournament in 1988.

The 1938 Amateur World Series was organized by IBF president Leslie Mann, between the teams of the United States and Great Britain. Mann, along with Cuban sports administrator Jaime Mariné, helped turn the competition into an annual event in 1939. [5]

Lourdes Gurriel at the 1986 AWS Wereldkampioenschappen honkbal in Haarlem tussen Cuba en Puerto Rico Lourdes G, Bestanddeelnr 933-7144.jpg
Lourdes Gurriel at the 1986 AWS

For much of its early existence, the competition was limited to the nations of Central America and the Caribbean; the United States withdrew early from the 1942 series, and would not return until 1969. The next edition, in 1970, saw two European national teams (Italy and the Netherlands) participate for the first time; in 1972, Japan became the first Asian country to participate in the global baseball tournament.

Until 1998 the competition was limited to strictly amateur players. After 1998, professional minor league players competed, but Major League Baseball did not allow its players to participate. In the months leading up to the high-profile first World Baseball Classic in 2006, many commentators heralded it as a "Baseball World Cup", perhaps not realizing that a tournament of that description already existed and had for almost seventy years.

However, the 2006 World Baseball Classic was the first international baseball tournament to include active players from the top-level major leagues around the world — namely Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball — making it a closer equivalent to the world cups of other sports, which commonly include players from the most prestigious professional leagues, than to the mostly-amateur Baseball World Cup.

Trophy

The champions of the first several Amateur World Series tournaments were presented the John Moores Trophy, named in honor of John Moores, a sponsor of the British Baseball Federation and future Everton F.C. executive. [6] Like the Stanley Cup, it was a single trophy passed from winner to winner, with the names of the world champions engraved; however, only the winners of the 1938, 1939, and 1940 editions are engraved (England and Cuba); the United States withdrew from the AWS in 1942, and the trophy was apparently not awarded after that. [7] [8] [lower-alpha 1]

When Jaime Mariné succeeded Leslie Mann as president of the IBF during the 1940 Amateur World Series, he renamed the trophy the Copa Presidente Batista, after Fulgencio Batista, the president of Cuba. [9] Mariné had participated in the Cuban Revolution of 1933 that brought Batista to power and had organized the dictator's Military Intelligence Service in 1935. [10]

Tournament results

YearFinal HostFinal fourNumber of teams
ChampionsRunners-up3rd place4th place
1938
Details
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
Great Britain
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
Great Britain
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg
United States
2
1939
Details
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Nicaragua (1908-1971).svg
Nicaragua
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg
United States
3
1940
Details
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Nicaragua (1908-1971).svg
Nicaragua
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg
United States
Flag of Venezuela (1930-1954).svg
Venezuela
7
1941
Details
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Venezuela (1930-1954).svg
Venezuela
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Mexico (1934-1968).svg
Mexico
Flag of Panama.svg
Panama
9
1942
Details
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg
Dominican Republic
Flag of Venezuela (1930-1954).svg
Venezuela
Flag of Mexico (1934-1968).svg
Mexico
5
1943
Details
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Mexico (1934-1968).svg
Mexico
Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg
Dominican Republic
Flag of Panama.svg
Panama
4
1944
Details
Flag of Venezuela (1930-1954).svg
Venezuela
Flag of Venezuela (1930-1954).svg
Venezuela
Flag of Mexico (1934-1968).svg
Mexico
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Panama.svg
Panama
8
1945
Details
Flag of Venezuela.svg
Venezuela
Flag of Venezuela (1930-1954).svg
Venezuela
Flag of Colombia.svg
Colombia
Flag of Panama.svg
Panama
Flag of Nicaragua (1908-1971).svg
Nicaragua
6
1947
Details
Flag of Colombia.svg
Colombia
Flag of Colombia.svg
Colombia
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg
Puerto Rico
Flag of Nicaragua (1908-1971).svg
Nicaragua
Flag of Mexico (1934-1968).svg
Mexico
9
1948
Details
Flag of Nicaragua (1908-1971).svg
Nicaragua
Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg
Dominican Republic
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg
Puerto Rico
Flag of Colombia.svg
Colombia
Flag of Mexico (1934-1968).svg
Mexico
8
1950
Details
Flag of Nicaragua (1908-1971).svg
Nicaragua
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg
Dominican Republic
Flag of Venezuela (1930-1954).svg
Venezuela
Flag of Panama.svg
Panama
12
1951
Details
Flag of Mexico (1934-1968).svg
Mexico
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg
Puerto Rico
Flag of Venezuela (1930-1954).svg
Venezuela
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg
Dominican Republic
11
1952
Details
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg
Dominican Republic
Flag of Puerto Rico (1952-1995).svg
Puerto Rico
Flag of Panama.svg
Panama
13
1953
Details
Flag of Venezuela (1930-1954).svg
Venezuela
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Venezuela (1930-1954).svg
Venezuela
Flag of Nicaragua (1908-1971).svg
Nicaragua
Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg
Dominican Republic
11
1961
Details
Flag of Costa Rica.svg
Costa Rica
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Mexico (1934-1968).svg
Mexico
Flag of Venezuela (1954-2006).svg
Venezuela
Flag of Panama.svg
Panama
10
1965
Details
Flag of Colombia.svg
Colombia
Flag of Colombia.svg
Colombia
Flag of Mexico (1934-1968).svg
Mexico
Flag of Puerto Rico (1952-1995).svg
Puerto Rico
Flag of Panama.svg
Panama
9
1969
Details
Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg
Dominican Republic
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of the United States.svg
United States
Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg
Dominican Republic
Flag of Venezuela (1954-2006).svg
Venezuela
11
1970
Details
Flag of Colombia.svg
Colombia
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of the United States.svg
United States
Flag of Puerto Rico (1952-1995).svg
Puerto Rico
Flag of Colombia.svg
Colombia
12
1971
Details
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Colombia.svg
Colombia
Flag of Nicaragua.svg
Nicaragua
Flag of Puerto Rico (1952-1995).svg
Puerto Rico
10
1972
Details
Flag of Nicaragua.svg
Nicaragua
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of the United States.svg
United States
Flag of Nicaragua.svg
Nicaragua
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg
Japan
16
1973
Details
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Puerto Rico (1952-1995).svg
Puerto Rico
Flag of Venezuela (1954-2006).svg
Venezuela
Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg
Dominican Republic
8
1973
Details
Flag of Nicaragua.svg
Nicaragua
Flag of the United States.svg
United States
Flag of Nicaragua.svg
Nicaragua
Flag of Puerto Rico (1952-1995).svg
Puerto Rico
Flag of Colombia.svg
Colombia
11
1974
Details
Flag of the United States.svg
United States
Flag of the United States.svg
United States
Flag of Nicaragua.svg
Nicaragua
Flag of Colombia.svg
Colombia
Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg
Dominican Republic
9
1976
Details
Flag of Colombia.svg
Colombia
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Puerto Rico (1952-1995).svg
Puerto Rico
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg
Japan
Flag of Nicaragua.svg
Nicaragua
11
1978
Details
Flag of Italy.svg
Italy
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of the United States.svg
United States
Flag of South Korea (1949-1984).svg
South Korea
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg
Japan
11
1980
Details
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg
Japan
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of South Korea (1949-1984).svg
South Korea
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg
Japan
Flag of the United States.svg
United States
12
1982
Details
Flag of South Korea (1949-1984).svg
South Korea
Flag of South Korea (1949-1984).svg
South Korea
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg
Japan
Flag of the United States.svg
United States
Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg
Chinese Taipei
10
1984
Details
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg
Chinese Taipei
Flag of the United States.svg
United States
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg
Japan
13
1986
Details
Flag of the Netherlands.svg
Netherlands
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of South Korea (1984-1997).svg
South Korea
Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg
Chinese Taipei
Flag of the United States.svg
United States
12
1988
Details
Flag of Italy.svg
Italy
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of the United States.svg
United States
Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg
Chinese Taipei
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg
Japan
12
1990
Details
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg
Canada
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Nicaragua.svg
Nicaragua
Flag of South Korea (1984-1997).svg
South Korea
Flag of Puerto Rico (1952-1995).svg
Puerto Rico
12
1994
Details
Flag of Nicaragua.svg
Nicaragua
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of South Korea (1984-1997).svg
South Korea
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg
Japan
Flag of Nicaragua.svg
Nicaragua
16
1998
Details
Flag of Italy.svg
Italy
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of South Korea (1997-2011).svg
South Korea
Flag of Nicaragua.svg
Nicaragua
Flag of Italy.svg
Italy
16
2001
Details
Flag of the Republic of China.svg
Taiwan
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of the United States.svg
United States
Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg
Chinese Taipei
Flag of Japan.svg
Japan
16
2003
Details
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Panama.svg
Panama
Flag of Japan.svg
Japan
Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg
Chinese Taipei
16
2005
Details
Flag of the Netherlands.svg
Netherlands
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of South Korea (1997-2011).svg
South Korea
Flag of Panama.svg
Panama
Flag of the Netherlands.svg
Netherlands
18
2007
Details
Flag of the Republic of China.svg
Taiwan
Flag of the United States.svg
United States
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Japan.svg
Japan
Flag of the Netherlands.svg
Netherlands
16
2009
Details
Flag of Italy.svg
Italy
Flag of the United States.svg
United States
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg
Canada
Flag of Puerto Rico.svg
Puerto Rico
22
2011
Details
Flag of Panama.svg
Panama
Flag of the Netherlands.svg
Netherlands
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg
Canada
Flag of the United States.svg
United States
16

Medal table

RankCountryGold Gold medal world centered-2.svg Silver Silver medal world centered-2.svg Bronze Bronze medal world centered-2.svg Total Medals world.svg
1Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba 254231
2Flag of the United States.svg  United States 48315
3Flag of Venezuela.svg  Venezuela 3249
4Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia 2226
5Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea 1528
6Flag of Puerto Rico.svg  Puerto Rico 1449
7Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg  Dominican Republic 1326
8Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 1001
8Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 1001
10Flag of Nicaragua.svg  Nicaragua 05510
11Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico 0415
12Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 0156
13Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg  Chinese Taipei 0134
14Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 0123
15Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 0022
Total394037116

See also

Notes

  1. The John Moores Trophy does reflect two tournaments in 1950 and 1956, won by the United States and Hawaii, respectively, but these were not Amateur World Series. [8]

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References

  1. "IBAF World Ranking Notes" (PDF). International Baseball Federation. 13 January 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2009.
  2. "Singapore 2005: 2012 Olympic Sport Vote". International Olympic Committee. 11 July 2005. Retrieved 23 July 2009.
  3. "Premier12 2019 Official Program - Page 6" (PDF). WBSC. WBSC. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 November 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  4. The Congress approved a new format of International tournaments
  5. "WBSC Headquarters: After decades of relocations, Switzerland is now the permanent home of international baseball". WBSC.org. World Baseball Softball Confederation.
  6. "Amateur World Series". WBSC.org. World Baseball Softball Confederation.
  7. Leslie Mann (1940). Baseball Around the World. International Amateur Baseball Federation.
  8. 1 2 "Lot #52: THE JOHN MOORES TROPHY (1938)". SCP Auctions. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  9. "THE HISTORY OF IBAF". Sporting Scribe. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  10. Riccardo Schiroli (2019). The Game We Love. World Baseball Softball Confederation. p. 30.