POSTED: June 26th 2009
NewsUpdate
XM All-Star Futures Game features players from 12 countries
LAURA WALDEN & KEIR RADNEDGE / Sports Features Communications
TAMPA: Baseball strengthens its universality with players from 12 nations slated to play in the upcoming 2009 XM Satellite Radio All-Star Futures Game. It takes place on July 12 in St. Louis, Missouri, as part of Major League Baseball All-Star festivities and will be televised in more than 200 countries.
The XM All-Star Futures Game features many of the top minor league prospects with up-and-coming players representing North, South and Central America, Asia and Europe. International interest for the game is high with global fans voting the All-Star Game players coming from five different countries in leading positions.
The 12 countries represented will be United States, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba, Italy, Chinese Taipei, Korea, Japan, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Netherlands Antilles. Players from more than 30 countries are on the rosters of the professional baseball leagues in North America, demonstrating the world wide growth of baseball.
IBAF president Dr Harvey Schiller said: “Every week there is another example of the rapid international growth that baseball is witnessing, whether it is a large increase in Little League participation in Europe, new school programmes in Africa or Asia, or new sponsors in Latin America.
“The diversity in nations that will be represented during the Major League Baseball All-Star festivities is further proof that the game at the highest level is also growing quickly, with many of these younger stars already exposed to international play through the Olympics, the World Baseball Classic and other events. This will help baseball gain even more exposure in emerging nations and shows that the future of the sport on a global basis is very bright.”
Major League Baseball, working with its scouting bureau, MLB.com, Baseball America and the 30 major clubs selected the 25-man rosters for each club, Team USA, and the World Team.
Keywords · XM Satellite Radio All-Star Futures Game · Harvey Schiller · Major League Baseball All-Star Game
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