World Baseball Classic has KU, Lawrence ties

Every four years, the baseball world comes together for one of the sport’s most
electric international events: the World Baseball Classic. Since its debut in 2006, the
tournament has brought elite players from around the globe onto one stage to represent
their home countries and compete at the highest level.

The idea for the tournament began with Jim Small, a graduate of the University of
Kansas. Small pitched the concept in 1999 as baseball’s role in the Olympic Games
continued to fluctuate. His goal was to build a world tournament that would showcase
the best players from the best leagues without disrupting the professional baseball
calendar.

“We thought there was an opportunity here to take the best players in the world
and put them in an environment like the FIFA World Cup or the Olympics, where they
would be able to compete not just for a city, but for their country,” Small said in a 2023
interview. “We didn’t have that in baseball.”

The result became one of the most unique and emotional competitions in sports.
Players embrace their heritage, fans celebrate national pride, and the atmosphere
blends high-stakes drama with cultural energy rarely seen in baseball.

That global reach is visible here in the Midwest. The Kansas City Royals are
sending 17 players from their organization to participate, tied for the second-most of any
Major League Baseball team.

Even closer to home, Lawrence will be represented on the world stage. A
former Lawrence High School pitcher, Garrett Cleavinger, is set to wear the red, white,
and blue for Team USA Baseball in this spring’s tournament.

“This is a huge thrill,” said Brad Stoll, Cleavinger’s former LHS coach.

As the World Baseball Classic continues to grow, so does its ability to connect
communities across the world, from baseball’s biggest stadiums to hometowns like
Lawrence.

Watch the segment here: