Canada’s Baseball is found to be closely linked with that of the United States since, the early days of baseball history in North America. It is observed that a premier baseball league in 1877 named the International Association, included teams from both the nations. Even though, baseball was widely played in Canada and considering the fact that many minor teams that formed leagues were based in the country. It was only in the year 1969, that a Canadian club named Montreal Expos joined the American baseball organization, the National League. Another Canadian team named the Toronto Blue Jays also joined the American League. The Toronto team was the only club based outside the United States, to have won the 1992 and 1993 World Series.
Evolution of Baseball Leagues outside US:
Baseball leagues away from United States and Canada was found in Cuba, in the year 1878. Since international baseball playing began in 1930, Cuba has maintained the world’s strongest national team, thanks to its rich baseball tradition. Outside the American continent, baseball Leagues were mostly formed in other countries in between the World War affairs. After World War I, professional leagues were formed in Netherlands in 1922, in Australia in the year 1934 and in Japan during the year 1936. After the end of the Second World War, Italy and other Latin American nations began forming their own Professional baseball Leagues. Baseball Leagues in Asia are limited to Korea, Taiwan and China.
Miscellaneous:
At a meeting of the International Olympic Committee in Singapore, it was decided to eliminate baseball and softball tournaments out of the summer Olympic Games, scheduled to be held in the year 2012. However, these games would be played during the Summer Olympic Games to be held in Beijing in the year 2008, and for each successive Summer Olympic Games, a vote would be held. Although, Baseball has a wide fan following in the US, it lacks substantial appeal in the rest of the world. Due to the seasonal nature of baseball and the high priority that fans place on the statistics, it becomes all the more difficult for Major League Baseball, to accommodate such breaks for the players.
