International baseball season to end in Tokyo with Premier12 tournament

Baseball is coming off a spectacular year thanks to the brilliant achievements of Shohei Ohtani for World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ohtani is being talked about as one of baseball’s greatest ever players, so Japan would love to have him on their roster when baseball ends its season in Tokyo with the Premier12 tournament.

Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen, as Ohtani suffered a shoulder injury during the World Series.

Riccardo Fraccari, the president of the World Baseball Softball Confederation, would love to see him there.

“Shohei Ohtani is a brilliant baseball player and a fantastic ambassador for our sport,” he said in an interview with Japan Today.

“All sports need superstars and players who transcend the game, and Shohei certainly does that. He drives fans to games, sells jerseys and helps expand the reach of baseball all year round. His performances at the Premier12 in 2015 and the World Baseball Classic last year have helped elevate international baseball to a new level and we look forward to seeing him playing for the Samurai again in the future.”

Exceptional baseball tournaments

The Premier12 features the 12 best baseball teams in the world, while the World Baseball Classic – regarded by some as the de facto world championship – has a broader entry of teams.

“We are aiming to have a major international tournament every two years and with the World Baseball Classic – which we host in collaboration with Major League Baseball – and Premier12, we have two exceptional tournaments,” Fraccari says.

“The first two editions of the Premier12 were a great success, and the five-year wait for the third edition due to Covid has only increased our excitement.”

This year, the Premier12 will be played alongside the ePremier12 final, with both climaxing at the Tokyo Dome. “The WBSC is at the forefront of bringing esports into the Olympic movement with ‘WBSC: Power Pros’ part of the inaugural Olympic Esports Series in 2023. We hope to be part of the Olympic Esports Games next year.”

Fraccari is pleased to see the sports under his organization – baseball, ebaseball, softball, Baseball5 – developing well. “The international growth of baseball in recent years has been exceptional. Events such as the Premier12 and the World Baseball Classic along with new World Cup formats and youth competitions have played a key role in boosting the international presence of baseball.”

“International baseball is attracting more global media attention with record viewing figures and huge attendances and, through the launch of Baseball5, we have been able to reach countries and regions where baseball infrastructure may not exist or is limited. This has opened doors to new markets where the sport can flourish.”

New baseball formats

Baseball5 is a new five-on-five, five-inning street version of baseball/softball that can be played almost anywhere and the WBSC believes it will help drive baseball and softball to new places where the sports have had limited exposure or where the infrastructure for playing doesn’t exist.

“Baseball5 is the WBSC’s accessible, gender-balanced and more urban sport, designed to break down the barriers people globally face to participate in sport,” Fraccari explains. “Played in teams of five, the beauty of Baseball5 is that you do not require a lot of equipment to play it, nor do you need a specialized venue.”

“We have seen it develop notably in countries where baseball and softball do not already have a footprint, especially in Africa. It has been a crucial part of the WBSC’s ambition to build our community.”

Baseball5 will feature at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games and the WBSC is hoping it will eventually make it into the full Olympic Games alongside baseball and softball.

Japan reached the final of the first two editions of the Baseball5 World Cup in Mexico in 2022 and last month in Hong Kong. Cuba won both titles.

"Baseball and softball were disappointed to be excluded from the Paris Olympics this year but will return to Los Angeles in four years’ time." —Riccardo Fraccari

Softball up to bat

Softball is also a huge part of Fraccari’s remit with the WBSC.

“Softball is always at the heart of our decisions,” Fraccari says. “Like baseball, softball has grown internationally in recent years. Japan has a fantastic softball heritage. The women’s gold medal victory at Tokyo 2020 was a special moment and they are currently No. 1 in the world rankings. We believe that softball’s return to the Olympic Games will be a huge catalyst for further growth as well, especially with softball being the biggest women’s sport in the U.S.”

Baseball and softball were disappointed to be excluded from the Paris Olympics this year but will return to Los Angeles in four years’ time. Fraccari believes they should be a permanent part of the Games.

“Baseball and softball have proven themselves as excellent additions to the Olympic Games previously and will continue to do so in the future. The WBSC has always maintained its ambition for baseball/ softball to become a permanent sport on the Olympic program, and we are confident we will achieve this. Four continents were represented in the softball tournament and three in the baseball, showing the ever-growing reach of the sport. There is no doubting that that baseball and softball would be excellent additions to the Brisbane 2032 sport program and elevate the Games to the next level. They both have a strong base in Australia in terms of participation and fans, with excellent venue options.”

Fraccari points out that baseball participation in the U.S. is at a record high level and softball is also experiencing unprecedented growth, with more teams participating in the WBSC’s Softball World Cups and more than 1.6 million women playing softball in the U.S. alone, making it one of the most popular sports in the country.

Star power

However, there is the problem of getting baseball’s biggest stars to appear in the Games and what has been seen as a reluctance by Major League Baseball to cooperate.

“The WBSC enjoys a strong relationship with all of the professional leagues and they are very supportive of international baseball,” Fraccari says diplomatically. “We have seen the players fully invested in international baseball, while many have commented on their excitement at the prospect of representing their country at the Olympic Games. There are strong lines of communication open between us and there is a desire among all stakeholders in the baseball and softball community to work together to increase the reach of our sport.”

“There has been no greater illustration of the strength of our relationship than the Baseball Pro Leagues Summit, which we held in May, with representatives from all the leagues joining us in Lausanne. We have confirmed the creation of a Baseball Pro Leagues Commission to support our work. The WBSC Premier12 and World Baseball Classic are also excellent examples of the working relationship we have with the pro leagues, with the WBSC working very closely with them to stage these crucial tournaments for international baseball.”

WBSC Premier12 Nov. 9-24, 2024

Preliminary Rounds

Nov. 10-15: Estadio Panamericano Guadalajara & Coloso del Pacifico Tepic (Mexico)

Nov. 13-18: Taipei Dome & Tianmu Stadium (Taiwan); Vantelin Dome Nagoya (Japan)

Finals

Nov. 21-24: Tokyo Dome (Japan)

© Japan Today