Sports like cricket and football are watched all over the world, being the two most popular sports on the planet. Basketball is also cherished, as well as tennis and various motorsports like Formula 1. These sports are hugely popular, we’ve all heard of them and most of us know how the rules go, and for some, we can even use 22bet Bonus to place some online bets on our favorite teams. Then, there are the relatively niche sports like ice hockey and baseball, which are popular only in the United States and Canada, right? Well, most people assume so, but baseball, in particular, is not a US-only sport, even though it might seem like it. Baseball is popular in other countries of the world, yet the US still has the largest audience and following. Here is more on the popularity of baseball in the world.
Baseball in the US – Baseball from the US
There are arguments and some evidence that baseball evolved from other games, which is true, and that it found its form and shape in the US, particularly in the 1800s, early to mid. After that, baseball started booming and in the early 20th century, it was pretty much a national sport, or at least, the press called it that. It certainly had enough fans that some of the first sports superstars came to be, like Babe Ruth. Fortunately enough, the game spread to other continents.
Baseball in Japan – A Love for a Sport Transcends Continents
Japan has a serious love relationship with baseball. Its current professional league, the Nippon Professional Baseball was formed in 1950, but the game was played much earlier and had a league prior to that. The game was played throughout most of the Second World War, up to the very end of the war. Through war and peace, baseball lives on, at least in Japan.
Baseball in Europe – A European Classic
Some people might not think of baseball as a European sport, but it is definitely played, in some countries more than in others. England, Ireland, Scotland, Italy and the Netherlands are pretty familiar with baseball. The Netherlands, specifically, as well as Italy, are particularly serious about baseball. They have professional leagues and teams which could rival those of the US Major League Baseball.
Baseball in The Rest of The World
Unlike these countries, baseball is relatively popular in some countries of the world, like Afghanistan, Finland, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico and even China. While not as popular as sports like football or basketball, it has its place even in some remote places of the world.
Baseball, while initially getting its fame and form in the United States, grew and spread, so that now it is played in all parts of the world. From Japan, to Finland, the UK and Italy, to the Caribbean countries, baseball is a sport with its own fanbase, as passionate as any other, if not as numerous.