WBSC Newsletter - 3 December 2016

News Stories

WBSC Newsletter - 3 December 2016

December 3, 2016

Lausanne, Switzerland -Â WBSC Newsletter - 3 December 2016

Eight softball legends enshrined into USA National Softball Hall of Fame at 36th Annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

WBSC Men's Softball World ChampionshipÂ

Whitehorse, Canada - 7 to 16 Jul Â #2016MWC

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WBSC U-19 Junior Women's Softball World ChampionshipÂ

Clearwater, FL, USA -Â 24 to 30 Jul Â #2016JWWC

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NEWSLETTER - 3 DECEMBER 2016

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IOC, WBSC presidents meet to discuss baseball/softball global development, Olympic GamesÂ

World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) president Riccardo Fraccari met with International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach this week in the Olympic capital.

President Fraccari briefed President Bach -- an Olympic gold medallist in fencing at the 1976 Montreal Games -- on the ongoing global development of baseball and softball, which are now being played in over 140 countries by an estimated 65 million male and female athletes.Â President Fraccari also shared baseball and softball's steady progress and development projects in Africa, Europe, Oceania and the Middle East.

The WBSC leader updated President Bach on baseball's and softball's unique youth world championships, which start from youth and advance to the highest levels (U-12 to pro).

Discussions also centered around President Bach's Olympic Agenda 2020 vision....Read more

WBSC rated as a leader in Social Media per global sports report

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WBSC YouTube Channel rated #3 in annual growth as 100+ sports bodies reviewed
Report rates WBSC PREMIER12 Global Baseball Championship #5 in average attendance of more than 80 multi-sport and world championships in 2015

The official Facebook page of the World Baseball Softball Confederation was the top sports page on Facebook in terms of year-to-year (%) follower growth from 2015 to 2016, per the Global Sports Impact (GSI) Report 2016 which analysed over 100 major world sporting events, international sports federations, sports leagues and multi-sport games across a series of indicators.

The GSI report also evaluated over 80 multi-sport games and world championships that were staged in 2015, and the PREMIER12 2015 ranked 5th in average attendance per match (6.2k per game) and 16th in total attendance (236k). Read more...

Updated Baseball World Rankings from No. 1 to 70

WBSC has unveiled the updated 2016 standings in the Official WBSC Baseball World Rankings, which weigh a country's entire National Team programme (from U-12 to Professional) in international competition over a four-year period (2013-2016).

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The updated rankings follow the recent results of the U-23 Baseball World CupÂ® 2016, which awarded baseball's biggest payout of ranking points this year, the U-18 Baseball World Cup 2017 Americas and Asia qualifiers (COPABE U-18 Pan-Am Baseball Championship and BFA U-18 Asia Baseball Championship), the CEB European Baseball Championship and the CONSUBE South American Baseball Championship, and various international head-to-heads, including the WBSC Global Series 2016.

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Five continents, Asia, Europe, North and South America, and Oceania, are represented within the Top 12 - the critical cutoff (in 2018) for qualifying for the flagship PREMIER12Â® 2019, which will be a main qualifier for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Read more...

Bahamas wins 2016 WBSC Co-Ed Slow Pitch World Cup

Bahamas repeated as the WBSC Co-Ed Slow Pitch World Cup champions defeating Great Britain, 22-11. Bahamas and Great Britain finished atop of the double round robin with 8-2 records. In the playoffs, Bahamas won both of their games to advance directly to the Finale. Great Britain then faced Curacao in the bronze medal game, with the victor advancing. Curacao could not handle the

highest ranked European slow pitch national team and had to settle for bronze. Read more...Â

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FINAL STANDINGS

Bahamas
Great Britain
Curacao
Germany
Bulgaria
Turks and Caicos Islands

Brazil beats Argentina to capture South American Baseball Championship 2016

The Men's National Baseball Team of Brazil defeated host Argentina, 10-4, in the final of the XV South American Baseball Championship at EstÃ¡dio Nacional de Beisbol de Ezeiza.Â Brazil has now captured the South American title a leading seven times.

Brazil went undefeated (7-0) in the six-nation battle for the South American crown, including a victory over Colombia and two victories over Argentina.

Colombia defeated Peru, 10-0, in the battle for third-best on the continent.

In the semi-finals, Argentina surprised defending champion Colombia with a 12-9 win, while Brazil shut down Peru, 12-0. Read more...

FINAL STANDINGS

Brazil
Argentina
Colombia
Peru
Chile
Bolivia

Mexico defeats Panama to win U-14 Pan-Am Baseball Championship; Brazil bronze

In front of more than 5,000 fans at Estadio Adolfo Lopez Mateos, Mexico's youth National Team defeated their counterparts representing the nation of Panama, 9-2, in the final of the XX U-14 Pan-American Baseball Championship 2016.

The continental crown for Mexico improves upon the nation's 2nd Place finish inÂ 2014, when Venezuela claimed the top prize.

In the bronze medal match, Brazil defeated Nicaragua, 3-0. Read more...

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FINAL STANDINGS

Mexico
Panama
Brazil
Nicaragua
Colombia
Peru
Argentina
Honduras

Toyota Motor wins 2016 Japan Professional Softball League Championship

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TOKYO -- The 49thÂ Japan Women's Professional Softball League concluded their 2016 season with Toyota Motor's Red Terriers defeating Tiayo Yuden 2-0. This marks Toyota Motor's second championship in the past eight years.

Tokyo's Meiji Jingu Stadium, one of oldest baseball stadium in Japan and the home to NPB's Yakult Swallows, hosted the Championship tournament.

Monica Abbott, 2008 Beijing Olympic Softball silver medalist, received the MVP award as the winning pitcher of the Gold Medal Game (2 hits allowed / 13 strikeouts at Grand Final). The total attendance of two-day championship weekend was over 15,000, with over 81,000 viewers watching via web-streaming. Read more...Â

Australian Baseball League 2016/17 season in full swing

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The seventh Australian Baseball League (ABL) season is underway and consists of 10 four-game series that will be contested from mid-November to the end of January.

Each of the league's six pro clubs -- Adelaide Bite, Brisbane Bandits, Canberra Calvary, Perth Heat, Melbourne Aces and Sydney Blue Sox -- will play a 40-game regular season, with the Bandits entering as the defending ABL champions.

The Aussie top-tier baseball league features the nation's best talent, including National Team (both Men's and U-23) stars.Â Both Aussie and international prospects from Major League Baseball affiliates will be looking to bring their team the Claxton Shield (ABL Championship trophy). Read more...

Asia Winter Baseball League 2016 season starts

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The pro Asia Winter Baseball League inaugurated its 4th season last week at Taichung Baseball Stadium, as team CPBL defeated Chinese Taipei National Teams reserves, 7-4, in the opening game of the month-long championship.

In addition to last year's representatives from the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), Chinese Taipei reserves, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and Europe United by WBSC, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the first time is sending two teams to compete in the Asia Winter Baseball League, which has boosted the young winter league to a record six teams.

Select AWB games can be viewed online at www.cpbltv.com. Â Read more...Â

Venezuela stages Mini-Baseball National Championship for 3 to 4-Year-Olds!

The III Venezuelan Mini-Baseball (3- to 4-years-old) Championship 2016 in Barquismeto brought together 135 young boys and girls, who represented nine states.

The "pre-baseball" youth competition, played with batting tees, is the absolute first point of entry into organised baseball in Venezuela -- and likely one of the only formal sports competitions in the world in this age category.

The nation has quickly embraced the new baseball competition. The Venezuelan Baseball Federation first established the U-4 competition in 2014, with seven states officially forming/sending teams, with the State of Lara wining the inaugural championship. Read more...

Belgium launches Wheelchair Softball Competition

BRASSCHAAT, Belgium -- The Belgian Vlaamse Baseball and Softball League (VBSL) has established the nation's first-ever Wheelchair Softball teams.

The first official competition -- the "G-Slow Pitch Wheelchair Softball Tournament" -- will be launched on 18 February 2017 in the city of Brasschaat.

"G-Sports" in Flanders are part of an inclusive platform for all kids and adults with various disabilities to partake in sports competition and to be a part of the sports culture -- and to have fun and enjoy the benefits of sport.

Wheelchair softball teams recently held their first-ever practice sessions at the Peerdsbos indoors sport centre in Brasschaat.

Tournament organisers note the Wheelchair Softball discipline welcomes participants with or without disabilities, in order "to show that our Baseball and Softball Community is ready to combine forces with the G-sports movement."

Eight softball legends enshrined into USA National Softball Hall of Fame at 36th Annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

SHREVEPORT, La (USA) -- Eight individuals received USA Softball's highest honor as USA Softball inducted eight members to the National Softball Hall of Fame at the 36th Annual celebration at the Shreveport Convention Center in Shreveport, La.

A night to remember, the 2016 class consisted of:

Ken Eriksen - Meritorious Service;
Jennie Finch - Fast Pitch Player;
Harry Haroian - Fast Pitch Player;
Peter Meredith - Fast Pitch Player;
John Nelson - Umpire
Tom Penders - Fast Pitch Player;
Terry Petersen - Sponsor; and
Mick Renneisen - Meritorious Service.