The World Baseball Challenge was founded in Grand Forks, British Columbia, Canada, in 2002, by Larry Seminoff, who is also the founder of the Grand Forks International Baseball Tournament.
The 2002 World Baseball Challenge included 12 teams. The Cuban National Team, led by starting pitcher Jose Contreras and shortstop Eduardo Paret, beat the Seattle Studs in the final. Other entries included USA, Taiwan, Italy, Russia, Canada, Houston Astros, Chicago Prairie Gravel, Prince George Axemen, and Samoa.
The event, which will take place every two years, starting in 2009, in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada, is sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation, Baseball Canada and Baseball B.C. All games in the 2009 tournament were played at Prince George Citizen Field.
Famous quotes containing the words world, baseball and/or challenge:
“If God lets me live, I shall attain more than Mummy ever has done, I shall not remain insignificant, I shall work in the world and for mankind!”
—Anne Frank (1929–1945)
“One of the baseball-team owners approached me and said: “If you become baseball commissioner, you’re going to have to deal with 28 big egos,” and I said, “For me, that’s a 72% reduction.””
—George Mitchell (b. 1933)
“Seas of bright juice suffuse heaven.
The earth by the sky staid with, the daily close of their junction,
The heav’d challenge from the east that moment over my head,
The mocking taunt, See then whether you shall be master!”
—Walt Whitman (1819–1892)