IBAF BASEBALL WORLD CUP
The IBAF Baseball World Cup (BWC) is an international event that is sanctioned by the IBAF. In 1938, the United States and Great Britain were the only teams involved in the inaugural event, with Great Britain defeating the USA in four of the five games to win the gold medal. With an increasing fan base, the BWC continued to grow, and from 1950 on, the event became a fixture within the international baseball community.
As the BWC grew, so did the level by which Cuba dominated. The international power has medaled in 29 of the 37 tournaments and leads all countries in gold medal finishes with 25. The United States and Venezuela are tied for second in gold medals with three.
The United States won the 2007 IBAF Baseball World Cup title for only the third time ever, beating Cuba 6-3 in the final. This was the first time that the United States won the Baseball World Cup when Cuba was also competing in the event. Cuba, going for its 10th straight Baseball World Cup championship, came in second while Japan shutout the Netherlands in the bronze medal match, 5-0. The United States’ lone loss of the tournament came in a 6-2 upset loss to Italy. The next IBAF Baseball World Cup will be held in Italy and throughout Europe in 2009, and will be an environmentally friendly “green” event.
