Baseball fans are counting down to the start of World Baseball Classic which gets underway on Monday [starts Monday 6th march].
The international competition, held every four years, features a host of formidable Asian countries including Japan, South Korea and China, where baseball is a growing sport.
And organizers believe this year's tournament will give China even more of an introduction into this American national pastime.
Nick Harper reports from New York.
IN: "16...."
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16 countries competing over two weeks with over 400 million people watching in 171 countries.
Since 2006 the World Baseball Classic has been growing in popularity.
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TAKE VO
At the iconic New York Yankees Stadium they're doing the groundwork for the upcoming season.
Major League Baseball knows the WBC is a perfect opening pitch to build excitement in the US for 2017.
But in some countries like China, where baseball is still relatively new, the competition could help the sport there become a hit.
Chris Park, Major League Baseball - "It's a really exciting experiment for us as we learn how we can be a trusted and valued cultural and sports partner for the schools and the cooperate community as well as for our government partners there. And so far so good."
TAKE VO
Former Yankees and Mets pitcher Al Leiter played for the US team in 2006. He'd like to see more American players visit China to spark interest in the younger generation.
Al Leiter, Former US baseball player - "That young boy or girl goes home to their parents and says 'that was fun, how do we do more of that'. And I think that's the seed that is necessary to grow the game in places where the game is not popular."
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Wayne McDonnell, Tisch Sports Institute - Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association realize that this was a great opportunity to really promote the sport on an international scale, and also to look at the Olympics and say 'look at what you're missing, our game is beautiful and spectacular, it should be in the Olympics but we'll do our own thing and prove everyone right'."
TAKE VO
And it seems to have worked - baseball will be back in the Olympics in three years time - a home run for the World Baseball Classic.
While organizers acknowledge that this is still a "young tournament" they point to the positive that it is already global. And they hope that this, the fourth iteration of the competition, will help to consolidate its position on the international sporting stage.
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ENDS
The international competition, held every four years, features a host of formidable Asian countries including Japan, South Korea and China, where baseball is a growing sport.
And organizers believe this year's tournament will give China even more of an introduction into this American national pastime.
Nick Harper reports from New York.
IN: "16...."
OUT: SOC
DUR: 2:30
AIR: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0304wbc-nh-air.mp3
ARN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0304wbc-nh-arn.mp3
938 LIVE: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0304wbc-nh-938.mp3
FM4: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0304wbc-nh-fm4.mp3
ICRT: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0304wbc-nh-icrt.mp3
NIGERIA: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0304wbc-nh-von.mp3
RNZ: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0304wbc-nh-rnz.mp3
VATICAN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0304wbc-nh-vat.mp3
ZIZ: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0304wbc-nh-ziz.mp3
GENERIC: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0304wbc-nh-gen.mp3
natsound
TAKE VO
16 countries competing over two weeks with over 400 million people watching in 171 countries.
Since 2006 the World Baseball Classic has been growing in popularity.
natsound
TAKE VO
At the iconic New York Yankees Stadium they're doing the groundwork for the upcoming season.
Major League Baseball knows the WBC is a perfect opening pitch to build excitement in the US for 2017.
But in some countries like China, where baseball is still relatively new, the competition could help the sport there become a hit.
Chris Park, Major League Baseball - "It's a really exciting experiment for us as we learn how we can be a trusted and valued cultural and sports partner for the schools and the cooperate community as well as for our government partners there. And so far so good."
TAKE VO
Former Yankees and Mets pitcher Al Leiter played for the US team in 2006. He'd like to see more American players visit China to spark interest in the younger generation.
Al Leiter, Former US baseball player - "That young boy or girl goes home to their parents and says 'that was fun, how do we do more of that'. And I think that's the seed that is necessary to grow the game in places where the game is not popular."
TAKE VO
But globally, baseball still lags far behind the world's most popular sport, soccer. And the decision to drop baseball from the Olympics in 2005 hasn't helped.
TAKE VO
Sports analysts like Wayne McDonnell from Tisch Sports Institute in New York say the WBC was clearly created in response to that decision.
TAKE VO
Sports analysts like Wayne McDonnell from Tisch Sports Institute in New York say the WBC was clearly created in response to that decision.
Wayne McDonnell, Tisch Sports Institute - Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association realize that this was a great opportunity to really promote the sport on an international scale, and also to look at the Olympics and say 'look at what you're missing, our game is beautiful and spectacular, it should be in the Olympics but we'll do our own thing and prove everyone right'."
TAKE VO
And it seems to have worked - baseball will be back in the Olympics in three years time - a home run for the World Baseball Classic.
While organizers acknowledge that this is still a "young tournament" they point to the positive that it is already global. And they hope that this, the fourth iteration of the competition, will help to consolidate its position on the international sporting stage.
SOC
ENDS