British Baseball Federation

World Baseball Classic, Inc (WBCI) today announced that the Great Britain Baseball Team has been invited to participate in a new Qualifying Round for the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

The World Baseball Classic, held for the first time in 2006, is baseball's equivalent of the football World Cup. Major League players combine with Minor League and amateur players to compete for their countries in a tournament held every four years in locations around the world.

Now Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association are expanding the field for the World Baseball Classic from 16 to 28 teams by inviting 12 new countries -- including Great Britain -- to compete in a Qualifying Round in 2012 along with four countries that participated in the 2009 World Baseball Classic but did not win a game.

The Qualifying Round, which will take place in the latter part of 2012, will divide those 16 teams into four pools of four teams each, playing a six-game format. The four group winners from the Qualifying Round will join the 12 teams with automatic places for the 2013 World Baseball Classic: Australia, China, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, Puerto Rico, the United States and Venezuela.

The composition of the four qualifying pools will be determined once the Qualifying Round venues are selected and will be based on geographical location, competitive balance and regional rivalries.

“We are pleased to extend an invitation to Great Britain to participate in the Qualifying Round of the World Baseball Classic," said Major League Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. “The skill level and passion for the game in Britain is growing and we know their participation will be a wonderful addition to the tournament.”

“It is an honour to recognize Great Britain's standing among baseball-playing nations with this invitation to compete on a global stage,” said Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Michael Weiner. “We’re confident that Britain's participation in the World Baseball Classic Qualifying Round will help increase national and worldwide interest in this great sport." 

For Great Britain, the invitation to compete in the World Baseball Classic Qualifying Round is a massive boost for a national team programme that has achieved significant results in recent years despite receiving no external funding from the British government. The GB Baseball Team won the Silver Medal in the 2007 European Championships, its highest-ever finish in European competition, and is currently ranked 21st in the World after competing with distinction in the 2009 International Baseball Federation World Cup.

Baseball has been growing rapidly in Britain over the past few years, and there are currently 50 adult teams competing in nine divisions in British Baseball Federation leagues.

Federation President Mark Salter said: “This is, perhaps, the best thing ever to happen in British baseball, both in terms of our national teams and the overall Federation. No doubt the World Baseball Classic will enhance the profile of baseball in Great Britain.”

“The prestige of the World Baseball Classic and the publicity this should engender will be terrific for our sport,” said Jason Greenberg, General Manager of Team GB. “We are proud to be a part of the competition, and grateful to Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association for this opportunity. Of course, the difficult work begins now, as we have just over a year to prepare our roster for the toughest competition ever faced by a British baseball team. We intend to show the world that baseball is very much a UK sport, too.” 

WBCI determined the 12 new teams for the Qualifying Round on criteria established to make the World Baseball Classic the most competitive international baseball event in the world. Some of the key factors involved in team evaluation and selection included strength of native player base, number of professional players, International Baseball Federation rankings, viability of domestic baseball programmes, the impact on baseball development in the countries selected and diverse global representation.

The winners from each qualifying pool will advance to the 2013 World Baseball Classic tournament, scheduled for March 2013.