The International Baseball Federation (IBAF) plans to upgrade the sport in Europe."
Our tentative plans include the launch of a professional baseball league in Europe in 2010 and beyond,'' Federation President Harvey Schiller said on June 25 as he finished a visit to Cuba.
Baseball's World Cup in September 2009 is being shifted from Cuba to seven European nations in an effort to bolster the sport's bid to get back into the Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee eliminated baseball and softball from the 2012 London Olympics during a vote in 2005. Baseball hopes to rejoin the Olympics for 2016.
Schiller also mentioned a rule change being considered in an effort to save time on games that go into extra innings.
"When the game enters the 10th inning, the next players on the roster are placed on first and second base and each team starts with one out,'' he said. "We feel that this proposal will help bring the game to an end in a timely manner.''
