World Baseball Classic Inc. announced today that Disney's Wide World of Sports in Lake Buena Vista, Florida has been awarded first round games of the inaugural World Baseball Classic
Cracker Jack Stadium will be the site for six
of the 39 World Baseball Classic tournament games next March
The World Baseball Classic, a 16-team tournament sanctioned by
the International Baseball Federation (IBAF), will feature many
of the best players in the world competing for their home countries
and territories for the first time ever
The 16 teams invited to participate in the event have been divided
into four pools of four teams for the first round of play
Disney's Wide World of Sports will host one of four Round 1 pools
(six games)
The following teams
are scheduled to participate at Disney's Wide World of Sports
----------The Dominican Republic
----------Venezuela
----------Australia and
----------Italy
"The Orlando area is one of the nation's
top international tourist destinations, and we are very pleased
that the World Baseball Classic will be a part of that landscape"
said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig
"Baseball historically has been a major attraction in Florida
each spring, and we are confident that Disney's Wide World of
Sports will serve as an excellent host for the World Baseball
Classic"
"Our agreement with Disney to host the opening East Coast
round of the World Baseball Classic is another important step
towards making these inaugural games the success we envision"
said MLBPA Executive Director Donald Fehr
"It's a great venue, which has played host to a number of
world class events, and I know the fans, as well as the teams
playing in the Disney round, will have a great experience"
One of the world's premier sports destinations, Disney's Wide
World of Sports Complex hosts more than 170 events each year,
including Atlanta Braves Spring Training since 1998
Cracker Jack Stadium, a two-tiered retro baseball ballpark, is
the centerpiece of Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex
In addition to spring training, the venue hosts
Atlanta Braves' Gulf Coast and Fall Instructional Leagues, numerous
amateur tournaments, concerts, corporate hospitality functions
and event opening ceremonies
The stadium has 7,500 permanent upper and lower deck seats (80
percent are located between first and third base), plus a grass
berm in left field that offers seating for an additional 2,000+
guests
Since opening on March 28, 1997, Disney's Wide World of Sports
Complex has hosted more than one million athletes, both professional
and amateur
"We are honored to host round one of the World Baseball Classic
at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex" said Reggie Williams,
vice president of Disney Sports Attractions
"The sports complex is home to many world-class athletic
events each year, so we are excited to be a part of these historical
games"