By Riccardo Schiroli
I start from here: I do not think a European League will ever happen in baseball. I do not even think it makes much sense, in baseball or any other sport.
This comes from the guts.
I was born in Italy in 1963, my education comes partly from England, I went to Summer School in Germany and I have been travelling through Europe since I was 18. I feel European, but I would never give up the rivalry with the French or the Germans, the misunderstandings with the Spaniards when I am convinced I can speak their language and they are convinced they can speak mine even if we never studied them, the way the Englishmen put on weight when they come to eat real food in southern Europe. And I am positive many Europeans feel like I do.
Let’s now get to what comes from the brain.
I read the press release of the European Association of Professional Baseball. I have a few questions:
1) Isn’t that “professional” quite a bold adjective? I have no clue of the existence of professional baseball anywhere in Europe
2) Did you guys think of involving at all International or National Federations? Because for instance in Italy, there’s no chance of playing professional baseball games if not organized by a Federation that has professional sports included into the Statutes. This is simply an example.
3) What kind of format do you have in mind? Because for San Marino to go play in Rotterdam makes it a 1,390 KMs trip and for Barcelona to go play in Rouen makes it a 1,155 KMs trip. And Barcelona to San Marino is not at all that close (1,265 KMs). It is simply another example.
4) Which TV Channels are involved? Because the European competitions that thrive (like UEFA’s Champions League) do so basically on TV rights.
On a final note, this comes from the baseball fan.
We have a tournament in European baseball that is potentially a great event. I mean the European Championship for Clubs. Incredible as it may seem, everybody is trying to destroy it. The top clubs because it costs money, the clubs from the less developed baseball countries because they never get to face the top clubs, the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB), because they are trying to agree with everybody and this way they make everybody unhappy.
There’s one thing I need to admit, though. We are putting together a terrific effort: the one that aims to kill baseball in Europe. And unfortunately, we may succeed.
Photo by Walter Keller, www.catchthefever.de