Question for Our International Boardmates

[VanSlawAndCottoCheese]

What sort of fan base is there for Major League Baseball in your countries? Which team would you say is the most popular?

[veryzer]

<!--quoteo(post=98266:date=May 25 2010, 03:08 PM:name=VanSlawAndCottoCheese)-->QUOTE (VanSlawAndCottoCheese @ May 25 2010, 03:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->What sort of fan base is there for Major League Baseball in your countries? Which team would you say is the most popular?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->


In the country of Waukegan, soccer rules.

[Auz]

In the great southern land, baseball has a relatively small to medium base of fans and players. In the 90's, it was huge but died in the ass big time. It's hard to contend against cricket here which is the most popular sport. MLB is investing millions in the past couple of years here though. They recently have set up a MLB academy on the Gold Coast and now they have set up a national major league competition which is due to start in November called the ABL. With MLB and Fox behind it, I really hope its successful. Also in the last two or three years, there has been an influx of MLB scouts including one from the Cubs. I think Australians find the transition to baseball easy as most people come from a cricket background.

In terms of supporter base, its a mix bag really. Amongst my mates and the blokes on my baseball team, we have Dodgers, Mets, Cardinals, Reds, Mariners and Red Sox fans. There is really no true team that Australians will passionately follow.

Merchandise wise, you can only get Yankee, Red Sox and Dodger gear here which is fucking annoying.

[jstraw]

So, do you think that following baseball in Australia is less weird than following cricket would be amongst Americans?

[Kid]

<!--quoteo(post=98308:date=May 25 2010, 08:55 PM:name=jstraw)-->QUOTE (jstraw @ May 25 2010, 08:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->So, do you think that following baseball in Australia is less weird than following cricket would be amongst Americans?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
If there's any following for baseball in Australia, that's more of a following than cricket has here.

[Lance]

<!--quoteo(post=98315:date=May 25 2010, 09:14 PM:name=Kid)-->QUOTE (Kid @ May 25 2010, 09:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=98308:date=May 25 2010, 08:55 PM:name=jstraw)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (jstraw @ May 25 2010, 08:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->So, do you think that following baseball in Australia is less weird than following cricket would be amongst Americans?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
If there's any following for baseball in Australia, that's more of a following than cricket has here.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/funny.gif[/img]

[jstraw]

<!--quoteo(post=98321:date=May 25 2010, 08:26 PM:name=Lance)-->QUOTE (Lance @ May 25 2010, 08:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=98315:date=May 25 2010, 09:14 PM:name=Kid)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kid @ May 25 2010, 09:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=98308:date=May 25 2010, 08:55 PM:name=jstraw)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (jstraw @ May 25 2010, 08:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->So, do you think that following baseball in Australia is less weird than following cricket would be amongst Americans?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
If there's any following for baseball in Australia, that's more of a following than cricket has here.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/funny.gif[/img]
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Sure, everything's funny now.

[Lance]

<!--quoteo(post=98326:date=May 25 2010, 09:31 PM:name=jstraw)-->QUOTE (jstraw @ May 25 2010, 09:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=98321:date=May 25 2010, 08:26 PM:name=Lance)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lance @ May 25 2010, 08:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=98315:date=May 25 2010, 09:14 PM:name=Kid)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kid @ May 25 2010, 09:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=98308:date=May 25 2010, 08:55 PM:name=jstraw)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (jstraw @ May 25 2010, 08:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->So, do you think that following baseball in Australia is less weird than following cricket would be amongst Americans?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
If there's any following for baseball in Australia, that's more of a following than cricket has here.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/funny.gif[/img]
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Sure, everything's funny now.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


Perhaps. But I'm also really, really hungry.

[jstraw]

<!--quoteo(post=98327:date=May 25 2010, 08:36 PM:name=Lance)-->QUOTE (Lance @ May 25 2010, 08:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=98326:date=May 25 2010, 09:31 PM:name=jstraw)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (jstraw @ May 25 2010, 09:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=98321:date=May 25 2010, 08:26 PM:name=Lance)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lance @ May 25 2010, 08:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=98315:date=May 25 2010, 09:14 PM:name=Kid)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kid @ May 25 2010, 09:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=98308:date=May 25 2010, 08:55 PM:name=jstraw)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (jstraw @ May 25 2010, 08:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->So, do you think that following baseball in Australia is less weird than following cricket would be amongst Americans?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
If there's any following for baseball in Australia, that's more of a following than cricket has here.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/funny.gif[/img]
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Sure, everything's funny now.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


Perhaps. But I'm also really, really hungry.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I'd go with the devil's food cookies.

[satchel]

after soccer a very distant , very distant 2nd is maybe basketball with baseball coming next... There is a small fan base, but passionate I would say, by passionate I mean they follow baseball... Most are yankees fans with dodgers coming second....

I have never met another cubs fan...

I am from a central american country (obviously not nicaragua or panama, which do have a sizable baseball following)

[VanSlawAndCottoCheese]

<!--quoteo(post=98348:date=May 26 2010, 12:36 AM:name=satchel)-->QUOTE (satchel @ May 26 2010, 12:36 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->after soccer a very distant , very distant 2nd is maybe basketball with baseball coming next... There is a small fan base, but passionate I would say, by passionate I mean they follow baseball... Most are yankees fans with dodgers coming second....

I have never met another cubs fan...

I am from a central american country (obviously not nicaragua or panama, which do have a sizable baseball following)<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Sorry to leave you out of the thread subtitle, satchel. I figured that the Yankee influence would reign supreme. I am genuinely amazed that the Dodger legend is still sizable.

[veryzer]

<!--quoteo(post=98328:date=May 25 2010, 08:41 PM:name=jstraw)-->QUOTE (jstraw @ May 25 2010, 08:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=98327:date=May 25 2010, 08:36 PM:name=Lance)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lance @ May 25 2010, 08:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=98326:date=May 25 2010, 09:31 PM:name=jstraw)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (jstraw @ May 25 2010, 09:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=98321:date=May 25 2010, 08:26 PM:name=Lance)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lance @ May 25 2010, 08:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=98315:date=May 25 2010, 09:14 PM:name=Kid)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kid @ May 25 2010, 09:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=98308:date=May 25 2010, 08:55 PM:name=jstraw)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (jstraw @ May 25 2010, 08:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->So, do you think that following baseball in Australia is less weird than following cricket would be amongst Americans?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
If there's any following for baseball in Australia, that's more of a following than cricket has here.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/funny.gif[/img]
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Sure, everything's funny now.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


Perhaps. But I'm also really, really hungry.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I'd go with the devil's food cookies.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


Honestly, you can get to a point where even a ketchup sammitch tastes great. Trust me.

[dac757]

I come from and live in London (studied for a year at U of I), and I think it's fair to say that over here in England baseball is pretty much a non-entity.

Football (soccer), Rugby and Cricket rule, although to be perfectly honest it's basically all Football (soccer). If I'm honest, when I first started studying in the US (I think Dusty Baker was still manager) I had absolutely no interest in baseball. Way too much like cricket (actually an interesting link here about the similarities: http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/surrey/hi/peop...000/8694268.stm, not sure if it's watchable outside the UK though...), and cricket was enough for me.

However I then got taken to a couple of Cubs' games, and it wasn't long before all the little things started to make sense and the brilliance of the sport became clear.

I guess with the NFL and NBA having games in London (both very very well received) it's not out of the question that the MLB will follow suit, and with ESPN America becomming available on TV here I'd say interest is on the up, but still very very small compared to "British" sports, and the NFL and NBA.

[rok]

This is pretty neat stuff. I hope all you all stick around. You have a home here.

[AlexV]

I dont know if I ever brought this up before but I'm actually in Mexico, so I guess I can be considered an "international boardmate". There's a very big fan base for MLB here and the favorite team is definitely the Yankees.