Press Release World Baseball Classic Inc.
The Deutsche Baseball & Softball Verband e.V. has been selected to host a Qualifier for the 2013 World Baseball Classic. The Regensburg Qualifier will include Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany and Great Britain. The winner of the Qualifier will advance to compete in the opening round of the 2013 World Baseball Classic. The Qualifier will take place in Regensburg, Germany at Armin-Wolf-Baseball-Arena from September 20-24th.
Initial opening round match-ups and a tentative schedule is below. More details including ticket information will be announced at a later date by the host venue.
The Qualifier will feature a six-game modified double-elimination format. The composition of the pools were determined after venues were selected and are based on geographical location, competitive balance and regional rivalries. “I am very excited about the World Baseball Classic Qualifier taking place in Regensburg and I would like to thank World Baseball Classic Inc. for awarding this event to a German site,” said Michael Hartmann, President of the German Baseball and Softball Federation and Member of the German Parliament. “The ‘Buchbinder Legionaere’ club in Regensburg has demonstrated their professionalism and ability to organize a top level event by hosting the Baseball World Cup in 2009. I wish the German National Team the best of luck and hope that they will be able to use the home-field advantage and reach the 2013 World Baseball Classic. Armin Zimmermann, CEO Legionare Baseball AG, said: “We are very proud to be a part of the premier baseball tournament in the world. The World Baseball Classic will enable us to create enthusiasm for the sport of baseball in Europe. We will do everything it takes to create the best possible conditions for the World Baseball Classic in Europe, to host a tournament unlike everything else before.
The Qualifiers will expand the competitive field from 16 to 28 countries. The teams invited to participate in the Qualifying Pools will include the four World Baseball Classic teams from 2009 that did not win a game. The 2013 World Baseball Classic will mark the third edition of the tournament. The inaugural event was held in 2006, and the second World Baseball Classic was held in 2009.
ABOUT THE WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC
The World Baseball Classic is the premier international baseball tournament, sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation, and features the best players in the world competing for their home countries and territories. More than 1.5 million fans from all over the world have attended the tournament games, held in March 2006 and 2009. Team Japan is the reigning World Baseball Classic Champion, taking home both the inaugural and 2009 titles. The upcoming World Baseball Classic will be played in March 2013 and will again feature the greatest baseball-playing nations in the world. The tournament will be held every four years thereafter.
ABOUT WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC, INC.
World Baseball Classic, Inc. (WBCI) is a company created at the direction of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) to operate the World Baseball Classic tournament. The tournament, which is sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF), is supported by MLB, the MLBPA, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), their respective players associations and other leagues and players from around the world.
ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL FEDERATION
The International Baseball Federation (IBAF) is the world governing body for baseball, comprising 122 national member federations. Together with its member federations, the IBAF is dedicated to the promotion, development, and organization of baseball around the world. The IBAF is the sole entity recognized by the International Olympic Committee for overseeing and sanctioning all national team competition. The IBAF headquarters are located in Lausanne, Switzerland.
