Today, baseball is a popular sport around the world with numerous countries practicing it at amateur and professional levels.
The International Baseball Federation (IBAF) is the former worldwide governing body of baseball. It has since been superseded by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), and continues to exist as the WBSC's baseball division. Between 1944 and 1975, it was known by its Spanish-language name, as the Federación Internacional de Béisbol Amateur, or FIBA.
Baseball had its second appearance as an official medal sport at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States, with games played at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium. Eight nations competed, with the preliminary phase consisting of each team playing every other team. Playoffs were then held, with the four highest ranked teams advancing. For the semifinals, the 1st place team played the 4th place team and the 2nd place team played against the 3rd place team. The winners of those semifinals competed against each other for the gold medal, with the loser getting the silver medal. The teams defeated in the semifinal played a match for the bronze medal.
The United States national baseball team, also known as Team USA represents the United States in international-level baseball competitions. The team is currently ranked 2nd in the world by the World Baseball Softball Confederation. The United States has won many international tournaments, many of which are now discontinued. Most notably the team won the Olympic baseball tournament in 2000, and the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in 2017.
The Puerto Rico national baseball team, also known as Team Rubio is the national baseball team of Puerto Rico. The men's senior team is currently ranked 13th in the world. Puerto Rico is the incumbent Pan American and Central American/Caribbean champion, as well as the 2017 World Baseball Classic runner-up. The team will compete against Israel, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Nicaragua in the 2023 World Baseball Classic in March 2023 in Miami, Florida.
Baseball was popularized in Cuba by Nemesio Guillot, who founded the first major baseball club in the country. It became the most played sport in the country in the 1870s, before the period of American intervention.
The Intercontinental Cup was a baseball tournament between the members of the then-International Baseball Federation (IBAF). It was first held in 1973 in Italy, and was held every other year following until 1999.
Conrado Eugenio Marrero Ramos, nicknamed "Connie", was a Cuban professional baseball pitcher. The right-handed Marrero pitched in Major League Baseball from 1950 to 1954 for the Washington Senators.
William Paul "Dutch" Fehring was an American football and baseball player, coach, and administrator. Fehring was president of the United States Baseball Federation, and briefly, the World Amateur Baseball Federation, better known as FEMBA, during its split from the International Baseball Federation.
The 1939 Amateur World Series was the second Amateur World Series (AWS), an international men's amateur baseball tournament. The tournament was sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation. Great Britain did not defend the AWS title it had won in the inaugural event the previous year. The tournament took place, for the first time, in Cuba. It was contested by the national teams of Cuba, Nicaragua and the United States, playing six games each from August 12 through August 26. Cuba won its first AWS title – the first of what would be a record 26 titles by the time the series ended in 2011, 22 more titles than the next closest nation.
The 1941 Amateur World Series was the fourth edition of the Amateur World Series (AWS), an international men's amateur baseball tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation. The tournament took place, for the third consecutive time, in Cuba. It was contested by nine national teams playing eight games each from September 27 through October 22 at the Estadio La Tropical in Havana.
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) is the world governing body for the sports of baseball, softball, and Baseball5. It was established in 2013 by the merger of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and International Softball Federation (ISF). Under the WBSC's organizational structure, the IBAF and ISF now serve as the confederation's baseball and softball divisions, respectively. Each division is governed by an executive committee, while the WBSC is governed by an executive board.
Juan Ealo de la Herrán was a Cuban baseball player.
The 1972 Amateur World Series was the 20th Amateur World Series (AWS), an international men's amateur baseball tournament. The tournament was sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation (FIBA) and took place, for the third time, in Nicaragua. It was won by Cuba.
The 1948 Amateur World Series was the 10th Amateur World Series. It was held in Managua, Nicaragua from November 20 through December 12, 1948. The usually-powerful Cubans did not field a squad; in the wake of the integration of Organized Baseball, many top Cuban amateurs had been signed by MLB teams that had previously refused to sign the darker-skinned Cubans.
The 1973 Amateur World Series in Nicaragua was an international baseball tournament held in Managua, Nicaragua from November 22 through December 5. It was organized by FEMBA, a splinter organization from the International Baseball Federation (FIBA), and ran parallel to FIBA's 1973 Amateur World Series in Cuba, during a period of international baseball conflict.
The 1974 Amateur World Series was the second baseball Amateur World Series staged by the short-lived World Amateur Baseball Federation (FEMBA) but was kept on the books after FEMBA once again joined with the FIBA. The Series was held in St. Petersburg, FL, Clearwater, FL and Bradenton, FL from November 13 through November 24, 1974. Very few records for the event have been located.
The 1952 Amateur World Series was the 13th Amateur World Series. It was held in Havana from September 6 through September 26. Starting this year and continuing until 2007, Cuba would win every Amateur World Series/Baseball World Cup it entered - a run of 20 titles.
Carlos "Chale" Pereira Ocampo was a Nicaraguan baseball executive who was the president of the International Baseball Federation (FIBA) from 1948 to 1950. Immediately after his election, he brought the 1948 edition of the Amateur World Series to his home country. He also organized the 1950 Amateur World Series in Nicaragua, managing to convince Cuba to return. However, Pereira was forced to resign from the FIBA presidency after it emerged that Puerto Rico had illegally included professional baseball players on their roster.
Manuel Ricardo González Guerra was a Cuban baseball executive and president of the International Baseball Federation from 1976 to 1980. He was the first president of the organization elected after the splinter group FEMBA rejoined in 1976.
Cuba (13th title)
Puerto Rico 
Venezuela 
Dominican Republic 
