The WBSC Americas, formerly known as Pan American Baseball Confederation (COPABE, Spanish: Confederación Panamericana de Béisbol, Portuguese: Confederação Pan-Americana de Beisebol), is the governing body of baseball and softball within the Americas.

WBSC Americas
TypeSport organization
Region served
Americas
Membership
57 member associations
Parent organization
World Baseball Softball Confederation
Websitewww.wbscamericas.org

History

edit

Talks of the need of a baseball confederation in the Americas sparked with the founding of the Confederation of European Baseball back in the 1950s, although it was not until 1984, during the World Cup played in Cuba, that 12 countries of the Americas finally voted in favor of a formation of a confederation.

The first ever Confederación Panamericana de Béisbol (COPABE) executive meeting was held in March 1985, and 11 countries participated in its first ever Congress on March 15. The Congress saw the election of Oswaldo Matias Flores (Cuba) as the first president of the organization.

On October 5, 1987, the first Pan American Championship was played (Cuba won the tournament). The day after the final game of the tournament was held, the Congress elected Edwin Zerpa Pizzorno (Venezuela) as the next president of the organization.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s COPABE concentrated on developing tournaments at the youth level all over the Americas.

Members

edit

Baseball

edit
Code Association National teams Founded Membership IOC
member
Note
ARG   Argentina (M, W) 1960 Full Yes
ARU   Aruba (M, W) 1950 Full Yes
BAH   Bahamas (M, W) 1954 Full Yes
BOL   Bolivia (M, W) Full Yes
BRA   Brazil (M, W) Full Yes
IVB   British Virgin Islands (M, W) Full Yes
CAN   Canada (M, W) 1964 Full Yes
CHI   Chile (M, W) 1954 Full Yes
COL   Colombia (M, W) 1938 Full Yes
CRC   Costa Rica (M, W) 1975 Full Yes
CUB   Cuba (M, W) 1938 Full Yes
CUW   Curaçao (M, W) 1934 Provisional No [Note 1]
DOM   Dominican Republic (M, W) 1966 Full Yes
ECU   Ecuador (M, W) 1945 Full Yes
ESA   El Salvador (M, W) Full Yes
GUA   Guatemala (M, W) Full Yes
GUY   Guyana (M, W) 2012 Full Yes
HAI   Haiti (M, W) 2013 Full Yes
HON   Honduras (M, W) Full Yes
JAM   Jamaica (M, W) Full Yes
MEX   Mexico (M, W) 1987 Full Yes
NCA   Nicaragua (M, W) 1950 Full Yes
PAN   Panama (M, W) 1944 Full Yes
PER   Peru (M, W) 1926 Full Yes
PUR   Puerto Rico (M, W) 1970 Full Yes
SXM   Sint Maarten (M, W) Provisional No [Note 1]
TTO   Trinidad and Tobago (M, W) Full Yes
USA   United States (M, W) 1978 Full Yes
ISV   United States Virgin Islands (M, W) Full Yes
VEN   Venezuela (M, W) 1952 Full Yes

Softball

edit
Code Association National teams Founded Membership IOC
member
Note
ARG   Argentina (M, W) 1960 Full Yes
ARU   Aruba (M, W) Full Yes
BAH   Bahamas (M, W) 1972 Full Yes
BIZ   Belize (M, W) Full Yes
BOL   Bolivia (M, W) Full Yes
BRA   Brazil (M, W) Full Yes
IVB   British Virgin Islands (M, W) 1952 Full Yes
CAN   Canada (M, W) 1965 Full Yes
CAY   Cayman Islands (M, W) Full Yes
CHI   Chile (M, W) 1954 Full Yes
COL   Colombia (M, W) 1968 Full Yes
CRC   Costa Rica (M, W) 2011 Full Yes
CUB   Cuba (M, W) 1980 Full Yes
CUW   Curaçao (M, W) 1952 Provisional No [Note 1]
DOM   Dominican Republic (M, W) 1966 Full Yes
ECU   Ecuador (M, W) 2014 Full Yes
ESA   El Salvador (M, W) 1980 Full Yes
GUA   Guatemala (M, W) 1990 Full Yes
HAI   Haiti (M, W) 2013 Full Yes
HON   Honduras (M, W) Full Yes
JAM   Jamaica (M, W) 2016 Full Yes
MEX   Mexico (M, W) 1985 Full Yes
NCA   Nicaragua (M, W) 2006 Full Yes
PAN   Panama (M, W) 1965 Full Yes
PER   Peru (M, W) 1981 Full Yes
PUR   Puerto Rico (M, W) Full Yes
TCA   Turks and Caicos Islands (M, W) Provisional No [Note 2]
USA   United States (M, W) 1933 Full Yes
ISV   United States Virgin Islands (M, W) Full Yes
URU   Uruguay (M, W) Full Yes
VEN   Venezuela (M, W) Full Yes

WBSC World Rankings

edit

Baseball

edit

Softball

edit

Baseball5

edit
WBSC Baseball5 Rankings (as of 9 August 2024)[5]
Americas* WBSC +/- National Team Points
1 2   1   Cuba 2947
2 7   1   Mexico 1896
3 13   2   Venezuela 1127
4 45     Puerto Rico 48
5 46   1   Bolivia 17
6 47   1   Jamaica 9
7 49   2   Peru 3
*Local rankings based on WBSC ranking points

Historical leaders

edit

Highest Ranked Americas member in the WBSC Rankings

See also

edit

Notes

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "The WBSC World Ranking". WBSC. 18 December 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  2. ^ "The WBSC Women's Baseball World Ranking". WBSC. 22 September 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  3. ^ "The WBSC Men's Softball World Ranking". WBSC. 26 April 2023. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  4. ^ "The WBSC Women's World Ranking". WBSC. 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  5. ^ "The WBSC Baseball5 World Ranking". WBSC. 9 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
edit