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View Full Version : Sports economist Roger Noll thinks some international league could become"major" soon



cutchemist42
05-03-2007, 04:37 PM
http://www.bizofbaseball.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1079&Itemid=41

So Bizofbaseball.com did a big economic roundtable talk about baseball's current state and a few interesting things are there if your interested in reading. Here's a quote I found interesting though.

Noll: Baseball has not yet found an effective way to exploit business opportunities internationally. The same can be said of other American pro sports, but baseball probably has the largest unrealized potential for international play. In the immediate future, the greatest opportunity is for a genuine baseball World Cup among national teams, featuring mainly players from Major League Baseball. But in a decade or so, rising incomes in Latin America and Asia could make “major leagues” (with some teams equivalent in quality to MLB) feasible there, in which case an international club championship, like the Champions League in European soccer, also would become attractive. Does MLB have the entrepreneurial capability to take the lead on these issues? Based on its feeble attempt at a baseball world championship in the spring of 2006, baseball seems in danger of missing these opportunities.


I would be interested to know though why he thought the WBC was feeble. It produced a profit and it was only in it's first attempt! I would say the NPB has a few teams at that level, but what other leagues have "major" league potential if any?

Agente Libre
05-03-2007, 04:43 PM
I think this guy was smoking something before the discussion started. There isn't a Latin country even remotely capable of establishing a pro league to rival MLB. Per-capita income in Mexico is around US$10,000, and that's the highest such figure in Latin America.

cutchemist42
05-03-2007, 05:13 PM
That's what I was thinking, Mexico is probably the best country in that part economic wise but I still wouldn't imagine them supporting such high caliber baseball. If Mexico cant, then no others have a chance I'd say so don't know why he said the Latin America thing.

NewEnglandAmazins
05-03-2007, 06:44 PM
Yes I agree with all of you....his brain is mush.

Honus Wagner Rules
05-04-2007, 12:19 PM
Only the NPB is remotely close to major league quality baseball.

Agente Libre
05-04-2007, 05:59 PM
Well, let's not forget about Cuba, but that league will obviously be decimated if/when the embargo is lifted.

quinnystar27
05-06-2007, 02:50 AM
Hey guys I just have to say who knows, I mean if you can expand baseball then let it happen. I am venezuelan and I know Venezuela's league cant compete with MLB in any level. But the caribbean series draws higher television ratings in latin america then the MLB world series. Japan's highest televised sports tournament is the national high school championship. You dont need big names for ratings just passion. Of course no league can match MLB salaries, but who knows maybe more money will inflow to Japan and its league can rival MLB. Maybe Israel will boom. I live in london now and there are severl major amauter baseball clubs just in london, richmond club (4teams) Mets(2 teams) Croydon (3 teams)with the best clubs in the UK being able to rival some US college baseball programs. I say help it grow, maybe some US players, I know some latin american players who werent added to MLB rosters went to Japan and the latin ones are very well followed in venezuela even if they are in Japanese leagues.