The Olympics have moved on. It’s not you, it’s us, the IOC told the sports of baseball and softball on Thursday from Berlin. Instead, rugby sevens and golf have been pushed forward for a full member vote in October that would see both added to the docket for the 2016 Olympic Games.
Governing bodies for both baseball and softball had hoped their sports would be back in the mix in 2016. They were each jettisoned after last summer’s Olympics in Beijing. But it’s tough to get votes from countries where you are an afterthought. Baseball is popular in North America, Asia and the Caribbean. There are major-leaguers from Italy and the Netherlands and Australia. But its cultural impact is still minimal outside of its home regions and getting MLB to halt its season so the best players could participate in the Olympics would have been like pulling teeth. Which is too bad. Because the best way to get the rest of the world on board with “America’s Pastime” would be to guarantee an Olympic tournament featuring the best players. Until that happens, it’s unlikely the IOC will take baseball back.
