MLB: Solution or Part of the Problem?

The Times of London is exactly right in its view of Olympic baseball:

If Major League Baseball (MLB) let its multinational stars compete, baseball would immediately gain Olympic cachet — and the Dominican Republic would have a chance for its first gold medal. But MLB doesn't want to lose top players in mid-season, and instead favors a baseball World Cup to be played in March, starting in 2006.

Major League Baseball's attitude is a big part of international baseball's problems. The big U.S. league needs to take a hard look at its domestic rivals, the U.S. basketball and ice hockey leagues (NBA and NHL), and follow these organisations' approaches to integrating with the international organisation of their respective games.

The Times got its baseball facts wrong, though. The Netherlands are European Champs and Italy is number three. Greece were actually the silver medalists at last summer's European Chapionships.