Baseball is a widespread sport that brings people together. It was during the Civil War period, from 1861 to 1865, that its popularity soared in the U.S. It is undeniably an extremely popular sport in the U.S., which is its home. However, it also has die-hard fans in several other countries.
The United States
The United States is home to Major League Baseball (MBL) and a number of other baseball leagues. Over 26 million Americans play baseball regularly. It probably has the most fans of any country but this is also because it has the most people. Many of the colleges in the U.S. have baseball teams. The University of Michigan’s Wolverines represents it in NCAA Division 1 college baseball. You can bet in Michigan and many other states on baseball games now that sports betting is legal.
Cuba
Cuba has a rich history of baseball. It was the first baseball league to be formed outside of the U.S. Nemesio Guillot was responsible for bringing the first bat and ball to Cuba. He also held the first Cuban baseball championship. It took a while before the game went international. The use of technology for polling shows that Cuba is evidently the nation that googles baseball the most. It is ahead of Japan, the Dominican Republic, and the United States.
Mexico
Baseball is immensely popular in Mexico and has produced some of the game’s greatest players. The Mexican Baseball League began in 1925 with six teams. Today, the league has 16 teams which shows the growing popularity of the game. Mexican fans score the highest in polls when it comes to interest in baseball.
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is on an island in the Greater Antilles. It was Cuban settlers who first introduced the game to the island, and the official Dominican Professional Baseball League was established in 1951, consisting of six teams. Today, the Republic’s baseball team participates in international tournaments such as the Baseball World Cup. It also regularly takes part in the Caribbean League, composed of teams from this region in Latin America.
Japan
Today, baseball is considered the most popular sport in Japan, with soccer following in second place. It was introduced to Japan in 1872. However, it was in 1950, with the formation of the Japanese professional league, that the popularity of baseball grew. The Nippon Professional Baseball Organization now has 12 teams. It has two different conferences with Central and Pacific leagues.
South Korea
It was American missionaries who introduced South Koreans to the game of baseball in the 19th century. It only became really popular after the Korean War. In 1982, the government established the Korean Baseball Organization. It initially had six teams but today it has 10 teams. The Korean fans are very passionate about the game.
Canada
Baseball is as popular in Canada as it is in the U.S. A steady increase in viewership of baseball has taken place over the past few decades. Basketball is one of the most-watched sports in the world. It comes in ninth place with soccer, cricket, field hockey, tennis, and volleyball taking the top five spots. Soccer has 3.5 billion fans worldwide and baseball has an estimated 500 million fans.