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By RONALD BLUM, AP Sports Writer
May 10, 2005
NEW YORK (AP) -- Major league baseball and its union are ready to give a go-ahead to starting their international tournament next year and will name it the World Baseball Classic.
Management and the players' association planned to announce the 16-nation event after Wednesday's owners' meeting in New York, a high-ranking baseball official said Tuesday on condition of anonymity. Owners gave their preliminary approval Aug. 19, and baseball hopes to have agreements in place that will allow a formal launch of the tournament to take place during the All-Star break in July.
Planning for the tournament, which has been generally referred to as the Baseball World Cup, has been in the works for several years, but the process has moved slowly. Major league baseball originally hoped to launch the tournament in 2005, then pushed it up to 2006.
Wednesday's announcement was first reported by Baseball America on its Web site Tuesday.
Major league baseball and the union already have reached an agreement with the International Baseball Federation to have international drug testing standards for players during the event, which will be played in March, during spring training.
Participation in the tournament will be voluntary.
Japan has not yet formally decided whether it will participate, a Japanese baseball official said, also on condition anonymity, although Japan is likely to send a team to the tournament.
One of the four first-round groups will be played in Asia, the other three in the United States.
May 10, 2005
NEW YORK (AP) -- Major league baseball and its union are ready to give a go-ahead to starting their international tournament next year and will name it the World Baseball Classic.
Management and the players' association planned to announce the 16-nation event after Wednesday's owners' meeting in New York, a high-ranking baseball official said Tuesday on condition of anonymity. Owners gave their preliminary approval Aug. 19, and baseball hopes to have agreements in place that will allow a formal launch of the tournament to take place during the All-Star break in July.
Planning for the tournament, which has been generally referred to as the Baseball World Cup, has been in the works for several years, but the process has moved slowly. Major league baseball originally hoped to launch the tournament in 2005, then pushed it up to 2006.
Wednesday's announcement was first reported by Baseball America on its Web site Tuesday.
Major league baseball and the union already have reached an agreement with the International Baseball Federation to have international drug testing standards for players during the event, which will be played in March, during spring training.
Participation in the tournament will be voluntary.
Japan has not yet formally decided whether it will participate, a Japanese baseball official said, also on condition anonymity, although Japan is likely to send a team to the tournament.
One of the four first-round groups will be played in Asia, the other three in the United States.
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