бейзбол

That's Bulgarian for baseball. They actually have a league, but the website is no longer functioning. It's strange, but a bunch of teams from that country - like Junak, whose logo is to the left - have websites that haven't been updated in five or six years. Kind of makes you wonder what happened.

Here's a possibility - it used to be that national teams were given government money so they could compete in the Olympics. Sadly, since the International Olympic Committee decided to take baseball away from the Olympics (those bastards!), teams are not getting that money anymore, and some of them are struggling to stay in existence. Many of them are trying to lobby Major League Baseball to step in, and well, it should. Baseball is becoming more popular all over the world (except in the U.S., where it is becoming less popular. Go figure.), and MLB should capitalize on that.

We know about the popularity in Central America and Asia, but did you know that baseball is also gaining in popularity in Europe? I am watching the Croatia-Germany game right now in the European Baseball Championship. The tournament is the Olympic qualifier - the last Olympics for baseball unless we can convince the IOC to reinstate the game. It seems strange to me that baseball is becoming more popular, yet the IOC takes baseball away?

Thanks to a great European baseball site, Mister Baseball, I have downloaded the Stadeo.TV media player to watch the games, which are broadcast in English. Out of the 12 teams in the tournament, I am rooting for Croatia, who just a few years ago was in the B-Pool tournament (the bad teams) but is playing with the big guys now in Pool A. Those of who watched the World Baseball Classic (I did - every game!) remember that the Netherlands and Italy had teams in the tournament. The Eurochamps could very well play in the next WBC.

The format for the 2009 WBC has not yet been announced, but I expect the 2008 European Baseball Championship to be the qualifying tournament for the WBC.

Germany is leading Croatia 6-2 in the 7th inning. No wait, Croatia has scored twice in the 8th! No wait, Croatia has scored again! 6-5. The Croatian version of Javy Valentin is up with runners on first and third, a typical Javy situation, isn't it? 6-6 - pitcher has the runner at first picked off, he gets into a run down, runner on third scores on a high throw from the first baseman...and Croatian Love Machine bounces a ball to the shortstop, who boots the ball and Croatia takes the lead 7-6. And guess what, the Croatian Love Machine is pinch run for...boo, Germany comes back and wins it 8-7.