Why in baseball is it called the World Series if it is only played in the U.S.A & Canada?
493666
We are the world, we are the children...
1122954
As I understand it the World Series - the game between the winners of the National League and the American League - is named after the original sponsers of the series in 1903 The New York World ( an American Newspaper ).
869315
The title of this championship is confusing to some international readers, because the World Series is confined to the champions of two baseball leagues that currently operate only in the United States and Canada.\n\nThe explanation is that when the term "World's Championship Series" was first used in the 1880s, baseball was almost exclusively confined to North America, especially at a highly skilled (and paid) level. Thus it was understood that the winner of the major league championship was the best baseball team in the world. The title of this event was soon shortened to "World's Series" and later to "World Series".\n\nThe United States continued to be the zenith of professional baseball some decades into the 20th Century. The first Japanese professional baseball efforts began in 1920. The current Japanese leagues date from the late 1940s. Various Latin American leagues also formed around that time.\n\nBy the 1990s, baseball was played at a highly skilled level in many countries, resulting in a strong international flavor to the Series, as many of the best players from the Pacific Rim, Latin America, the Caribbean, and elsewhere now play on Major League rosters. The notable exception is Cuban nationals, due to the political situation between the USA and Cuba (despite that barrier, over the years a number of Cuba's finest ballplayers have defected to the United States to play in the American professional leagues). Players from the Japanese Leagues also have a more difficult time coming to the Major Leagues because they must first play 10 years in Japan before becoming free agents.\n\nEarly in 2006, Major League Baseball conducted the inaugural World Baseball Classic, to establish a "true" world's championship in the way the term is normally used for other international sports. Teams of professional players from 16 nations participated, and Japan won the first World Baseball Classic championship. Olympic baseball was instituted as a medal sport in 1992, but in 2005 the International Olympic Committee voted to eliminate baseball, and it will be off the Olympic program in 2012.
889227
International impact, and explanation of the term "World" Series\n\nThe title of this championship is confusing to some international readers, because the World Series is confined to the champions of two baseball leagues that currently operate only in the United States and Canada.\n\nThe explanation is that when the term "World's Championship Series" was first used in the 1880s, baseball was almost exclusively confined to North America, especially at a highly skilled (and paid) level. Thus it was understood that the winner of the major league championship was the best baseball team in the world. The title of this event was soon shortened to "World's Series" and later to "World Series".\n\nThe United States continued to be the zenith of professional baseball some decades into the 20th Century. The first Japanese professional baseball efforts began in 1920. The current Japanese leagues date from the late 1940s. Various Latin American leagues also formed around that time.\n\nBy the 1990s, baseball was played at a highly skilled level in many countries, resulting in a strong international flavor to the Series, as many of the best players from the Pacific Rim, Latin America, the Caribbean, and elsewhere now play on Major League rosters. The notable exception is Cuban nationals, due to the political situation between the USA and Cuba (despite that barrier, over the years a number of Cuba's finest ballplayers have defected to the United States to play in the American professional leagues). Players from the Japanese Leagues also have a more difficult time coming to the Major Leagues because they must first play 10 years in Japan before becoming free agents.\n\nEarly in 2006, Major League Baseball conducted the inaugural World Baseball Classic, to establish a "true" world's championship in the way the term is normally used for other international sports. Teams of professional players from 16 nations participated, and Japan won the first World Baseball Classic championship. Olympic baseball was instituted as a medal sport in 1992, but in 2005 the International Olympic Committee voted to eliminate baseball, and it will be off the Olympic program in 2012.\n\nThe World Series itself retains a US-oriented atmosphere. The title of the event is often presented on television as merely a "brand name" in the same sense as the "Super Bowl", and thus the term "World Series Championship" is sometimes used. However, the origin of the term lives on, as with these words of Frank Thomas in the Chicago White Sox victory celebration in 2005: "We're world's champions, baby!" At the close of the 2006 Series, Commissioner Bud Selig pronounced the St. Louis Cardinals "champions of the world". Likewise, the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine for November 6, 2006, features Series MVP David Eckstein and is subtitled "World Champions".\n\nA recent myth has arisen that the "World" in "World Series" came about because the New York World newspaper sponsored it. There is no evidence at all supporting that hypothesis.
322127
They didn't. They played in the League Championship Series. After the Red Sox beat the Yankees in the LCS, they played (and beat) the Cardinals in the World Series. But the media downplayed the World Series because the LCS was so dramatic, in their eyes.
223970
First of all it is NOT a tournament.\n\nSecond, The Championship of Baseball has ALWAYS been called The World Series since it's inception in 1903.\n\nThat is the way it has ALWAYS been, and will ALWAYS be.
455256
because it isn't a sport americans play as kids. at least not traditionally.\nbeing british i grew up with soccer and cricket. i hate baseball and basketball. the opposite is true for americans. no one is right or wrong, its just what you know.\n\nTo oran who posted a few below, america is ranked 5th in the world but you have to take into account that ranking is calculated by the teams they play (especially world cup qualifing). european teams play each other so teams like italy, spain, portugal, france, england all potential world cup winning teams have a difficult time ranking because there is no one great team. they are all fairly even. North American teams play each other, so the US plays teams like Canada, St Lucia, Kitts, Dominica etc. most of these teams are small islands whose main sport is cricket. Several of these countries only have part time players. It is widely regarded that the US is not the 5th best team and that the FIFA ranking system is  inherently wrong.
1007039
I have no idea why we call it the World Series, but we do!!\n\nJust like we call the winner of the Super Bowl, World Champs, it's not right...who knows why we call things the things we do!\n\nAnd, whoa, what's with all the anti-American statements, what did we ever do to any of you guys?  Nothing!  And I KNOW THERE IS A WORLD BEYOND THE USA.............you people with your anti-American statements are idiots!!
1055506
Canada is represented.\n\nCollege baseball is divided into many different conferences.  The teams typically play just within their conference.  You don't see many teams from Miami playing teams from Oregon.  But when the college world series comes around, you get the best teams playing, no matter which conference.  \n\nThere are other college teams in other countries that may or may not be better than the teams that play in the series, but they're not part of the same baseball league.  \n\nHope this helps.
1075
Because the MLB didn't want to suspend its season to let the professional players go to the olympics, in a manner similar to what the NHL does for the winter olympics.\n\nThis plus other problems like a poorly designed qualifying scheme meant that piss-poor teams from Europe and Africa went to Athens, but several very good teams from N & S America were left out led to almost no ticket sales. It was all about the Money.
308752
Good question. It probably should be called the MLB Championships, but that will never happen!
488852
Dominican Republic\n\nBaseball is most popular in the Americas and East Asia (although in South America only in the extreme northern portion). In Japan, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Panama, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Canada, South Korea, and Taiwan, it is one of the most popular sports. The United States is the birthplace of baseball, and there it has long been regarded as more than just a "major sport" - it has been considered, for decades, the national pastime and Major League Baseball has been given a unique monopoly status by the United States Congress. Although four most popular sports in North America are ball games — baseball, basketball, soccer and football.
577718
The World Series came from the New York World newspaper during the 19th century when Major League Baseball was started, because they owned the rights to it, it was call the New York World Series, then later shorten to the World Series.\n\nTry using another way to put down Americans, 'cause this one seems a little invalid now doesn't it---okay now I'm getting a little arrogant, he he.
359072
The New York Yankees won the World Series in 2000. The series was called the Subway Series and was between the New York Yankees and the New York Mets. Here is a website that will tell you all about the World Series in 2000.\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_World_Series
380214
Baseball is being played and loved for years in the US. It certainly would be a extremely remote possibility if Cricket could ever come remotely close to Baseball in the US in terms of popularity.\n\nHowever, you would find cricket being played in most parts of the country with immigrants from England, West Indies, South Asisn region and others.\n\nWith shorter versions of cricket like the 20-20, it might certainly gain some visibility in the US very soon.
51322
Cricket is a much better game than not only Baseball but also than any other games.\nCricket is played and is supported by the people all over the world,but Baseball is mainly played in USA.
588285
Every country have their sports that they love.  I'm a New Zealander and I love rugby and cricket.  Baseball is America's favourite past time so why deny any country that privilege.