2021 in Review - Top Stories of the Year

2021 in Review - Top Stories of the Year
31/12/2021
Never miss a moment! The top stories in 2021, a year in which baseball and softball returned to the Olympic Games and the international events calendar restarted following the impact of Covid-19 around the world.

January

WBSC launches new baseball-softball history section

January 2 - 200 days to softball’s historic Olympic return at Tokyo 2020

January 8 - Bianca Smith becomes first Black woman to serve as professional baseball coach

January 8 - Olympic gold medal manager Tom Lasorda dies at 93

January 25 - WBSC Softball Hall of Famer Ty Stofflet, one of the greatest of all time, passes away at 79

January 29 - WBSC launches new baseball-softball history section

February

February 2 - WBSC Integrity Unit launches #SafeCall safeguarding campaign

February 26 - WBSC reveals 2021-2029 calendar for Youth, Women’s Baseball World Cups and format change

Februay 26 - WBSC launches new Softball World Cup format, 2021-2029 global schedule

February 26 - WBSC announces Baseball5 World Cup Calendar 2021-2029

March

WBSC welcomes re-election of IOC President Thomas Bach

March 2 - Korean pro baseball league KBO makes changes in line with WBSC International/Olympic rules

March 8 - International Women's Day - Female trailblazers in men's baseball

March 8 - International Women's Day - Plenty of trailblazers on and off the softball diamond

March 10 - WBSC Integrity Unit publishes updated Anti-Doping Educational Plan 2021-2024

March 10 - WBSC welcomes re-election of IOC President Thomas Bach

March 22 - Change to foul tip regulation headlines rules update for WBSC baseball events

March 23 - New bidding guidelines revealed for WBSC Baseball, Softball, Baseball5 World Cups

March 29 - Field renovation project backed by WBSC completed in Tanzania's capital

April

WBSC launches new podcast series - The Global Game

April 7 - MLB rosters, broadcast partners showcase globalization of baseball

April 12 - WBSC launches new podcast series - The Global Game

April 13 - WBSC Baseball Americas Qualifier to be staged in The Palm Beaches & St. Lucie County, Florida

April 26 - WBSC, KONAMI partner to deliver baseball event at first-ever Olympic Virtual Series

April 29 - Softball venue announced for The World Games Birmingham 2022

April 30 - Fans allowed at WBSC Baseball Americas Qualifier stadiums

April 30 - WBSC publishes 2019-2020 Yearbook

May

Olympic Virtual Series Baseball

May 12 - New dates announced for WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup 2022

May 18 - COVID-19 vaccine available for all teams, officials of WBSC Baseball Americas Qualifier

May 20 - WBSC Baseball Final Qualifier for Tokyo 2020 moved from Taiwan to Mexico

May 24 - Olympic Virtual Series Baseball event opens on 24 May

May 27 - WBSC Baseball Americas Qualifier broadcast in 70+ countries and territories

June

Julio Rodriguez playing for country and for shot at Olympics the 'most special baseball I’ve ever played in my life'

June 7 - Americas Olympic Baseball Qualifier generates fan and media buzz as USA claims ticket in final game

June 7 - Todd Frazier: Playing for your country ‘one of the best things in my life’

June 7 - Julio Rodriguez playing for country and for shot at Olympics the 'most special baseball I’ve ever played in my life'

June 13 - World Softball Day celebrated globally with sport's Olympic return less than 40 days away

June 16 - Finals of Olympic Virtual Series baseball event broadcast worldwide

June 23 - Olympic Virtual Series baseball event hits home run

June 23 - Olympic Day: Baseball and softball have never been as close to the Olympic Movement as today, says WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari

June 28 - Dominican Republic completes field of teams for Tokyo 2020 baseball event

June 28 - New WBSC Baseball World Rankings released, one month go to baseball at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

June 28 - New softball rankings announced by WBSC

June 28 - WBSC, Tokyo 2020 reveal Olympic Baseball groups and schedule

June 30 - New WBSC Women’s Baseball World Rankings released for first time since 2020

June 30 - WBSC aims to keep baseball, softball in the Olympic Games at LA 28 and beyond

July

Japan repeats as Olympic softball champions behind Yukiko Ueno masterpiece

July 1 - Baseball, softball now being played in 141 countries and territories with Saudi Arabia and Bhutan set to join WBSC

July 21 - Baseball player Eddy Alvarez selected Team USA flag bearer for Tokyo 2020 Olympics

July 27 - Canada wins country’s first-ever Olympic softball medal with bronze at Tokyo 2020

July 27 - Japan repeats as Olympic softball champions behind Yukiko Ueno masterpiece

July 27 - Japan celebrates softball gold medal. Ueno: "Playing on home soil means a lot of pressure"

July 27 - Japan's Yamato Fujita named Tokyo 2020 softball MVP as All-Olympic team revealed

July 28 - Olympic softball gold medal game delivers home run for the sport, buzzes on social media

July 29 - Olympic medal games a ‘fantastic day’ for softball - Jessica Mendoza

July 29 - WBSC President welcomes heads of IOC and Tokyo 2020 for celebrity pitch to mark opening of Olympic baseball

August

Japan tops USA, wins country’s first Olympic baseball gold medal

August 3 - Yukiko Ueno’s Tokyo 2020 gold medal adds to her legendary career

August 3 - WBSC makes “special” donation to Olympic Museum

August 7 - Dominican Republic wins its first-ever Olympic medal in baseball, team sport

August 7 - Dominican Republic: 'We made history'. Managers, players discuss DOM-KOR Olympic Baseball bronze medal game

August 7 - Japan tops USA, wins country’s first Olympic baseball gold medal

August 7 - Inaba: 'We showed the world our strength'. JPN, USA managers, players react to Olympic Baseball final

August 7 - WBSC names MVP and Tokyo 2020 All-Olympic Baseball Team

August 8 - Social media in a frenzy as amazing Olympic Baseball Tournament comes to a close

August 8 - President Fraccari: Exciting future for baseball and softball after amazing Olympic Games tournaments

August 9 - Final tournament stats, leaders of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic baseball event

August 9 - Players, managers believe baseball and softball belong in the Olympics

August 9 - Tokyo 2020 Olympic baseball and softball generated global coverage, headlines

August 11 - Dear Tokyo 2020 Volunteers: Thank you for helping deliver unforgettable Olympic Baseball and Softball events

August 11 - New WBSC Baseball World Rankings released following Tokyo Olympic Games

August 13 - Japan overtakes USA as No. 1 in WBSC Women's Softball World Rankings following Tokyo Olympics

August 27 - Next WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup scheduled for 9-18 September 2022 in Florida

September

September 9 - Baseball5 showcase at Tokyo 2020 FAN PARK a great success

September 13 - Softball dates announced for World Games Birmingham 2022

September 25 - Seven-inning games at WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup: A new era in international baseball and boost to competitive balance

September 29 - Three-time Olympic softball medalist Cat Osterman retires from the game

Three-time Olympic softball medalist Cat Osterman retires from the game

September 30 - Global Development: WBSC presents Baseball5 to African Olympic Committees

September 30 - Atsunori Inaba retires from the Samurai Japan managing position

October

Venezuela wins WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup

October 3 - Colombia beats Cuba, earns historic U-23 Baseball World Cup bronze medal

October 3 - Venezuela wins WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup

October 3 - Colombia's Gustavo Campero is the U-23 Baseball World Cup MVP as U-23 All-World Team revealed

October 6 - U-23 World Champions Venezuela receive highest honor back home

October 7 - Australian baseball, softball governing bodies backing 2028, 2032 Olympic push

October 8 - Hosting WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup yields economic boost to Ciudad Obregon

October 14 - New US professional softball league: Women’s Professional Fastpitch (WPF)

October 20 - Baseball declared national cultural heritage in Cuba

October 25 - WBSC partners with ANOCA, Olympafrica to promote baseball, softball, Baseball5 on the African continent

November

Shohei Ohtani unanimous choice as MLB American League MVP

November 3 - Atlanta Braves win MLB World Series, 2010 U-18 Baseball World Cup star Jorge Soler named MVP

November 4 - Nicaragua’s professional baseball league launches XVII edition along with WBSC partnership

November 8 - Yukiko Ueno’s Bee Queen three-peats as Japan Softball League champions

November 18 - KT Wiz sweep Doosan Bears, earn their first KBO Korean Series title

November 19 - Shohei Ohtani unanimous choice as MLB American League MVP

November 21 - New WBSC Europe Constitution approved in Rome, paving the way for the future of European Baseball and Softball

November 25 - U-23 Baseball World Cup Chinese Taipei ace Zhuang-Chen signs with MLB's Oakland A's

November 26 - Olympic gold medalist Miu Goto named MVP of Japan Softball League

November 27 - Tokyo Yakult Swallows win NPB Japan Series 2021

November 29 - WBSC First Vice President Beatrice Allen is the new president of the Gambia Olympic Committee

December

USA tops Chinese Taipei 1-0 in final of WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup in Lima, Peru

December 2 - Africa: Senegal launches '50,000 Baseball5 Members' campaign to grow the sport ahead of hosting 2026 Youth Olympic Games

December 12 - Puerto Rico beats Mexico, claims WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup bronze medal

December 12 - USA tops Chinese Taipei 1-0 in final of WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup in Lima, Peru

December 12 - Valerie Cagle named U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup MVP as U-18 All-World Team revealed

December 16 - Japan baseball, softball federations launch historic new joint body for Baseball5, youth promotion

Dcember 20 - WBSC Extraordinary Congress: New statutes approved - Hybrid Congress, Term Limits, Baseball5 and eSport amongst key amendments

Dcember 20 - IV WBSC Congress dates announced: 12-13 April, 2022

December 20 - End-of-the-year message from WBSC President to global baseball-softball community

December 24 - Secretary General Beng Choo Low: Athletes at the heart of WBSC's continued innovation

December 30 - The WBSC: A Year of Amazing Achievement