Any international Baseball fans out there?

[Snoochie_Boochies]

As an American, i've always been curious about the popularity of our sports, particularly baseball, overseas. I consider baseball the superior sport to American football (better stadium atmosphere, cheaper ticket prices, better food at games, season lasts longer, longer, more storied history) and wanted to see if anyone on this forum from outside the US actually follows our national pastime. If so, give us a sentence or so about how you got into baseball, what clubs you follow, and anything else you'd like to add about the game.

 

And please, don't make this into a cricket vs baseball debate. They're both fine sports that have their own great histories, players, and moments, but this is a thread about baseball.

 

As for me, i'm a lifelong Cincinnati Reds fan, and I try to go to at least 3 games a year ( i live about 2 hours away, otherwise it would be more)

[gtamann123]

I would assume that Japan would be the only big market for baseball out there. Its moderately popular in Australia too. And of course the Caribbean and Latin America as well. But not much interest in Europe. They claim its boring but in my opinion baseball isnt really anymore boring than soccer but to each their own. Oh and Canada I guess if you consider that "overseas"

Edited March 30, 2014 by gtamann123

[Snoochie_Boochies]

I would assume that Japan would be the only big market for baseball out there. Its moderately popular in Australia too. And of course the Caribbean and Latin America as well. But not much interest in Europe. They claim its boring but in my opinion baseball isnt really anymore boring than soccer but to each their own. Oh and Canada I guess if you consider that "overseas"

yeah Japan has always given the sport the love it deserves, and in the caribbean as well. I've seen anecdotal evidence that baseball also has a decent following in Germany, even some amateur leagues. can any German forum members out there care to back that up?

Edited March 30, 2014 by Snoochie_Boochies

[Hodgey.]

I'm English and watch it occasionally and probably know more about it than the majority of English people. I cant say that I am a huge fan though as I tend to dip in and out throughout the season (I lose interest in it at times), I much prefer NFL and NHL before MLB.

 

As for the team I support/follow? I dont really support/follow any, I just have teams I dont like rather than teams that I do. If I had to choose though I would say the Cubs as I always check to see there score first. I got into the sport as when I went on holiday to Florida in 2007 it was during that time that Barry Bonds was close to breaking the home run record, so when I got back to England I followed baseball to see when he did it as he didn't do it when I was on holiday.

Edited March 31, 2014 by Hodgey.

[Der_Don]

 

I would assume that Japan would be the only big market for baseball out there. Its moderately popular in Australia too. And of course the Caribbean and Latin America as well. But not much interest in Europe. They claim its boring but in my opinion baseball isnt really anymore boring than soccer but to each their own. Oh and Canada I guess if you consider that "overseas"

yeah Japan has always given the sport the love it deserves, and in the caribbean as well. I've seen anecdotal evidence that baseball also has a decent following in Germany, even some amateur leagues. can any German forum members out there care to back that up?

 

I'm German and Baseball is simply not existent over here. There are amateur leagues, but probably only in the big cities like Berlin or Hamburg. Don't know if there is a professional league, I've never heard of it. Basketball, Hockey and American football have a decent following though.

[gtamann123]

 

 

I would assume that Japan would be the only big market for baseball out there. Its moderately popular in Australia too. And of course the Caribbean and Latin America as well. But not much interest in Europe. They claim its boring but in my opinion baseball isnt really anymore boring than soccer but to each their own. Oh and Canada I guess if you consider that "overseas"

yeah Japan has always given the sport the love it deserves, and in the caribbean as well. I've seen anecdotal evidence that baseball also has a decent following in Germany, even some amateur leagues. can any German forum members out there care to back that up?

 

I'm German and Baseball is simply not existent over here. There are amateur leagues, but probably only in the big cities like Berlin or Hamburg. Don't know if there is a professional league, I've never heard of it. Basketball, Hockey and American football have a decent following though.

 

I had heard of football being popular in Deutschland. There was even an NFL sub league over there for a while but they haven't been around for a while. And I think when the OP says he heard there is a baseball following in Germany he may be thinking of the many US military bases over there where baseball is popular among the youth.

[Snoochie_Boochies]

 

 

 

I would assume that Japan would be the only big market for baseball out there. Its moderately popular in Australia too. And of course the Caribbean and Latin America as well. But not much interest in Europe. They claim its boring but in my opinion baseball isnt really anymore boring than soccer but to each their own. Oh and Canada I guess if you consider that "overseas"

yeah Japan has always given the sport the love it deserves, and in the caribbean as well. I've seen anecdotal evidence that baseball also has a decent following in Germany, even some amateur leagues. can any German forum members out there care to back that up?

 

I'm German and Baseball is simply not existent over here. There are amateur leagues, but probably only in the big cities like Berlin or Hamburg. Don't know if there is a professional league, I've never heard of it. Basketball, Hockey and American football have a decent following though.

 

I had heard of football being popular in Deutschland. There was even an NFL sub league over there for a while but they haven't been around for a while. And I think when the OP says he heard there is a baseball following in Germany he may be thinking of the many US military bases over there where baseball is popular among the youth.

 

Actually is was in a book I read written by a British national living in Germany who also followed baseball. I can't remember the name of the book or the author, but according to him he played on an amateur league while living in berlin. Der_Don is probably right, though; it was probably a city league or something. Still, it is nice to know at least some Germans enjoy the game. I also had no idea American football or hockey had a following over there, that is interesting.