November 19, 2007
How in the World Cup
Although few people may realize it there is a Baseball World Cup tournament which has been held roughly every two years since 1938. The World Cup is an international tournament made up of teams representing different countries. In 1938 the tournament featured 2 teams but has expanded to feature 16 teams. [Blog trivia, can you name the 2 teams in the inaugural World Cup in 1938 and who won the championship? The answer will be given at the end of this article.] The 2007 World Cup had representation by teams from the United States, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Mexico, Panama, Italy, Spain, and South Africa which made up Pool A and Cuba, Australia, Netherlands, Korea, Canada, Venezuela, Germany, and Thailand which made up Pool B. The tournament was held November 6 – November 18 in Taiwan. The rosters from these teams are made up mostly of amateurs and/or minor league baseball players. The World Cup should not be confused with the World Baseball Classic which began in 2006 and whose teams were made up of professional players playing for their native countries.
