Thats un-American!

Each team’s at-bat in the 11th inning and beyond will begin with runners on first and second bases. Teams may start the 11th at any point in their batting order under format changes announced Friday by the International Baseball Federation and adopted in time for next month’s Beijing Games.

“We must demonstrate to the International Olympic Committee (that) not only does our game belong alongside the other great sports of the world, but our sport is manageable from a television and operational standpoint.”

This bad idea better not spread. Don't they have something remotely similar in that hated s sport? A shootout? What's that all about?

Here's another goofball thought, start each batter with 1 ball and 1 strike, like in softball. Fewer pitches. Pitchers go deeper in the game.

We used to play some youth tourneys with what they called "international tie-breaker rules", which were similar to this. The last batter from the preceding inning would start aboard 2nd base. But otherwise you would play it the same.

(I could never figure out how that should affect a pitcher's ERA, if a runner he hadn't allowed to reach base scored on him ....)

The problem with these rules is that they are the same for both teams. It screws up the game but doesn't actually even achieve its goal of ending the game sooner (for TV reasons). Sure, it makes it easier to score, but it makes it easier for BOTH teams to score. We found that instead of having 0-0 innings, you would often have 1-1 innings. The game would play on anyway until someone busted it open, or someone's pitcher got some K's.

So, they mess it all up, and not even for a good reason!

You've got to love the IOC folks, though. Hey, we've been playing this game for about 140 (?) years now, but I'm sure YOU guys have figured out a better way to do it, just sitting around a conference table last week!

Maybe this is their way of saying, "You Americans really want baseball to be an Olympic sport? Maybe by the time we're done messing with your game, you won't mind so much if we drop it after all. Because if it stays in the Olympics, this is the kind of stuff we're going to do."

There are some petitions around, but baseball is out of the Olympics; this is it's last year.

Had to make room for BMX racing, I suppose .

"Had to make room for BMX racing, I suppose"
Indeed Orlando. But wait, there's more!
This from the BBC.

Five up for Games inclusion

Golf, rugby union and squash have been included in a shortlist of five sports being considered for the 2012 Olympics.
Karate and roller sports complete the list, while softball, baseball and modern pentathlon could be excluded.

"We have sent a questionnaire to the 28 Summer federations represented in the Olympic Games," an IOC spokesman said.

"It is all part of an ongoing review of the programme. As part of this process the IOC has decided to include five sports not currently in the Games."

IOC president Jacques Rogge has said that no sport can be included without another dropping out.

"We'll decide (about new entries) in 2005. Golf, rugby, squash and roller skating are knocking on the door," Rogge told the Corriere della Sera newspaper.

"But for every novelty, we will need to give up a discipline. Nothing can be added. The golden numbers are 300 events, 28 sports, 10,400 athletes at most."

Golf and rugby union have been part of the Games before, while squash, karate and roller sports are still awaiting their debut.

World Squash Federeration president Susie Simcock said: "We have fought for 20 years to achieve our dream of being on the Olympic programme.

"Every top squash player would rank an Olympic medal as the greatest prize in the sport. This review by the IOC is wonderful news for squash."

Argentina scrum-half Augustin Pichot is among those campaigning on behalf of rugby union, which was an Olympic sport in 1900, 1908, 1920 and 1924.

"For me playing in the Olympic Games would be the highest achievement as a rugby player," he says.
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If they combine Rugby and Roller Sports would we get a new version of Roller Derby?

BaseballAmerica's Jim Callis:

This asinine rule is going to restore baseball's status as an Olympic sport? I had little interest in watching Olympic baseball, and I have even less now.

I agree!

International rules are not familiar to USA fans. The IOC seems to want to end the baseball portion of the games in short order before excluding baseball in the future games.

The IOC had expectations that our Olympic National Team would be the best members of the MLB. The rules concerning amateur status were changed to allow the pro's to participate in all sports.

The USOC and the MLB refused or otherwise did not assemble a team that would meet the expectations of the IOC as was done in basketball. It was not until this announcement that the USOC and MLB decided to take things somewhat seriously in the World Games. Even then, restictions were placed on players in various aspects of participation.

After years of crying and complaining that our amateurs were pitted against established national teams, the IOC allowed the change to non-amateur participants.

Since the expectation of the rule change was not met, the IOC has retaliated.

Further, as evidenced by the World Games, many of the best performers in the MLB are foreign ball players who chose to represent their home nations.

The USOC, USA Baseball and the MLB has brought this change about so we shouldn't really have any complaints.

This just in from the IOC baseball rules committee.

...If upon completion of the 11th inning tie-breaker the score remains tied, any runners left on base from the previous inning shall be placed near the outside edge of the infield on the first base side, and, wearing oversized food-related costumes, shall race around the infield perimeter to finish on the the third base line.

quote:

Originally posted by spizzlepop:
This just in from the IOC baseball rules committee.

...If upon completion of the 11th inning tie-breaker the score remains tied, any runners left on base from the previous inning shall be placed near the outside edge of the infield on the first base side, and, wearing oversized food-related costumes, shall race around the infield perimeter to finish on the the third base line.

So in true Olympic form this would be a race between an Italian beef, a Polish sausage, an American pie, Canadian bacon, German potato salad, Hungarian goulash, Swiss chocolate and a Greek salad?

Unfortunately this type of thing by the IOC isn't much of a surprise. I lost interest in the olympics years ago because of what, IMHO, are a lot of junk sports, biased judging, and way to much politics.

Personally I believe the IOC would be just as happy if the USA didn't participate in any sport IF they could continue to get the television revenue.