Former Dodger owner, int’l baseball visionary Peter O’Malley commends WBSC’s growth
One of baseball’s earliest proponents of globalising the sport of baseball, former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Peter O’Malley commended the organisation and growth of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), under President Riccardo Fraccari.
LAUSANNE, Switzerland — One of baseball’s earliest proponents of globalising the sport of baseball, former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Peter O’Malley commended the organisation and growth of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), under President Riccardo Fraccari.
O’Malley was welcomed at the WBSC headquarters at the Maison du Sport International in Olympic capital Lausanne.
O’Malley has played a key role in globalising the sport of baseball, helping to make it an Olympic sport in 1992, following a successful demonstration at Dodger Stadium at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984. Following the introduction at the Olympics, baseball went from being played in approximately 50 countries and territories to over 120 by the early 2000s.
“Peter O’Malley helped to shape and lay the foundation for baseball to develop into a global sport,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari.
In recognition of O’Malley’s pioneering efforts, the world governing body of baseball appointed him as one of the original members of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF)/WBSC Founder’s Club.
