2:00pm: The WBC will be pushed back to March 2023, pending the approval of the tournament board, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
12:44pm: The fifth World Baseball Classic, which had been set to take place in March 2021, has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will not be played, Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes reports. There’s no official word on the tournament’s cancellation or when it will next take place, although Hector Gomez of Z101 Deportes in the Dominican Republic tweets that it could perhaps take place in 2023.
The 2021 WBC was slated to expand from 16 teams to 20 teams and would have taken place across three countries: the United States (Marlins Park and Chase Field), Japan (Tokyo Dome) and Taiwan (Taichung Intercontinental Stadium). Japan won the first two WBC tournaments, with the Dominican Republic taking the crown in 2013 and the United States capturing the first-place trophy in 2017.
All 16 of the entrants in 2017 were granted automatic bids this time around, while a series of qualifier tournaments comprised of teams from Panama, Nicaragua, Brazil, the Philippines, Germany, Great Britain, France, the Czech Republic, Pakistan and South Africa were slated to vie for the four newly created seeds.
Given that the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo were already pushed back a year and still remain in jeopardy even on that delayed timeline, it’s not particularly surprising to learn that the WBC won’t take place as scheduled. Still, it’s a disappointing blow for fans of the tournament. While it never reached the same levels of popularity in the United States, the WBC is wildly popular among fans in Latin American and Asian countries that participate. As Daniel Kim of MBC in South Korea tweets, the Korean team’s deep run in 2006 and 2009 helped to spur a baseball renaissance in South Korea that has led to steady growth in the KBO and increased popularity since that time.
In the United States, with a title to defend and an aggressive recruiting pitch from reigning tournament MVP Marcus Stroman that had elicited interest from the likes of Walker Buehler, Pete Alonso, Mike Clevinger and others, it’s possible we might’ve seen the strongest iteration of Team USA yet in 2021. Sadly, that no longer seems to be realistic, and WBC fans will have an indefinite wait for the next event as the organizing committee charts out a new course.
That’s freakin stupid! That’s a whole year away!
The start of the WBC is less than a year away. And even less than that since other countries have to play a series of tournaments for the 4 new seeds before the WBC even begins.
Still though, it’s not like the WBC is happening next month. At the very least, they could have waited a bit longer before making a decision like that.
True!
Just like everyone else I think it stinks but there’s just too much going on to factor in to get the WBC started, especially with all the different countries involved. Plus, I think MLB has so much going on just to get all the changes done that will be necessary to get the 2020 season going.
Not when you consider the logistics of moving or canceling an international tournament. The Olympics should have been postponed when the outbreak happened in Japan, not when other countries refused to participate.
honestly
Yes, and models are predicting the pandemic to last 18 to 24 months assuming proper guidelines are followed.. March 2021 is way less than 18 to 24 months away.
I’ve also seen models saying millions would die in the US when this first started. The point is no one not even the “experts” have any idea how long this will last because no one has ever seen it. Great you have an educated guess from years of experience. It’s still just that…a guess.
Anyone who writes the word experts using quotes loses all credibility. The models showing millions of deaths in the US were without stay-at-home orders. That we haven’t seen them come true is because what we’re doing is working.
Even so, baseball leagues in other countries have already started playing again and the MLB is slated to start up in about a month and a half. So I don’t see why a tournament that is a year away needs to be canceled.
A non event
This person has never planned a major event if they are saying it’s only a year
I understand, this is literally bringing all of the countries together, which we don’t need right now, but come on…. This virus is starting to make me mad.
Unfortunately the WBC has been a gigantic disappointment in terms of moving the meter, anyway. So I frankly can’t imagine anyone missing it or caring all that much.
What meter was it supposed to move?
US viewership.
U.S. viewership of what, and why?
It’s sad because it brings some great moments with it, but people just don’t care. They also don’t do a good job of marketing it, plus it’s on during March Madness.
Maybe Americans don’t care much for the WBC, but I believe it is a pretty big deal in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the Dominican Republic, Curacao and Puerto Rico.
I was at a WBC finals game between Japan and South Korea a few years ago. It was a big crowd in attendance and one of the wildest scenes ever at Dodger Stadium.
I went to two of the first round games held during the first WBC; the games were in Orlando at a stadium that holds about 14,000. From the looks of the crowds outside, they could have sold three times that many tickets. I enjoyed the games and have watched every game of every classic I could. It’s probably obvious that I enjoy the classic and hope it can restart someday.
I remember being at a 1st round game in Toronto, Canada vs. USA. 42,000 in attendance and it felt like a playoff game.
The WBC is actually a pretty good event. I’ve enjoyed it I remember seeing Kenley Jansen catch for the Netherlands.
It was literally created because baseball was taken out of the Olympics.
It’s barely been able to move the meter … in the USA. It’s been much more well received by other countries, especially in eastern asia and latin america as the article states. Here in the Netherlands, the excitement among the small amount of baseball fans was huge, especially after reaching 2 semi finals in a row.
I remember reading how into the tournament Puerto Rico was when they reached the finals last year. It’s definitely much bigger in other countries like you say
@Rbase You are definitely right, here’s a salute from a fellow countryman from Kingdom of The Netherlands, happy to see another one on here. Groeten! (Greetings)
I think there’s quite a few on here actually. However, unlike with most youtube videos, it’s not filled with commenters saying they are dutch 😛 (and that’s good, because it’s irrelevant 99% of the time)
WBC is a big deal for other countries outside of USA, it is moving the needle for them which is also very important.
There is a world outside the USA that the WBC very seriously.
That’s fine. I have no problem with what the rest of the world likes. My problem is when the American major league baseball teams have to give up 10-25% of their team in the middle of Spring Training in order for these players to compete and risk injury in a basically meaningless event.
The WBC can work just fine without using MLB players, perhaps even better because then players that are virtually unknown can put themselves on the map instead of taking a backseat to a player that is already making millions.
Meaningless to you**
Meaningless to me, too. MLB players who play in this event can never provide any positives on MLB but carry a potential risk for negatives through unnecessary injuries, disruption of preparation, and so on. Such players should be willing to take unpaid leave for this opportunity which lasts until they return to their jobs, including any time loss due to injury.
How many games are these guys really missing? It’s spring training. If they miss 3 weeks where they would’ve played 6 total games who cares? Not to mention the come back (especially hitters) further ahead than their teammates who didn’t play in the tournament so it actually can benefit their MLB clubs.
have you ever heard of a baseball fan
So true,
Why would anyone miss the greatest baseball players on Earth competing passionately for their country in an event that has produced so many great memories?
I will always remember the El Caballo (Carlos Lee) Panama run and how much fun they infused into the game- If MLB could ever tap a lick into that atmosphere they wouldnt be falling so far behind NFL/NBA these days, they might still be leading the pack
Also Joey Votto bursting onto the scene and basically looking like the best player in the World and unstoppable for the tourney 2009
March of 21 and they are canceling? Its almost a year away!
They still have to overcome the murder hornet pandemic, so that probably caused the cancellation.
Those murder hornets scare the crap out of me.
I had forgotten all about the WBC ! I’ve enjoyed it in the past, but given the uncertainties around everything right now, postponing makes sense. I’m trying to stay optimistic that MLB will play this season, and it seems likely the playoffs would run deep into November (Thanksgiving World Series? Yes, Please!). So given that the WBC complicates spring training, postponing is a no-brainer.
Now, just work past the fear and let’s play some ball!
That’s a very good point, it’s probably not the best idea to ramp up competition early considering the season is more than likely going to end late.
If MLB plays and completes a season this year, I can see next year’s Opening Day moved back a couple of weeks. Skip the ASG and shorten the sked to 154 games – boom – there is your 2021 with a Mid-April start.
Yes, a Thanksgiving world series makes perfect sense. I mean, there’s the NFL tradition of games in the way, but what the hell?
I really enjoyed it and am seriously disappointed. After the last one I had been considering using it as an excuse to visit another country for a vacation and watch a couple of games.
Dumbest thing I’ve read all day. More than a year away and cancelling. Totally ridiculous.
Been to all the WBCs – great event. Hopefully the WBC is just postponed a year.
Oh darn.
If I owned a team I would fight hard to keep my players from being involved in it. Complete waste of time should be killed
that’s lame
I really think that’s premature for them to cancle it now. Who knows what the situation will be by next year. For all we know, we could be just fine in 3 months.
Baseball survived a long time before the WBC came to fruition. They will be just fine without it.
I’m sure it will, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun for fans.
well at least its still happening
There is serious injury risk involved when it forces pitchers to abandon their pre-season schedule to pitch in the WBC. A lot of them pitch before they are ready.
It would be better if they held this event after the regular season and involved only the non-playoff players.
Last one was the best sporting event I can ever rememeber watching. Another premature cancellation for sure.
Hopefully the world hasn’t crumbled by then
Does anyone even watch it anymore. The first year was awesome. Now it’s become our 2nd best guys vs everyone else
I actually enjoyed the 2 games I saw in San Diego with Venezuela and PR. PR game was definitely the better attended and I think it was on a Friday.
Why not 2022
Sigh. I was hoping it’d be canceled completely. And maybe even permanently. Pity.
Why? If you don’t enjoy it, don’t pay attention. Why wish something away that others DO enoy?
bleep that!!!!!
why, that’s 3 years. it’ll be far over by next year why would you do that
What about Jason Giambi?
Disappointing. I was looking forward to watching Mexico win it all next year.
World Baseball Classic is trash and a waste of time. No one cares about it and it should be scrapped. Only thing it does is cause problems for players and possibly lead to injuries for meaningless games and a meaningless title.
Everyone is losing their minds to this and falling into the trap. Come on do a crotch check…. yep you have them use them. Play!!!