“What is the final goal long after I’m gone? The thought of having a real world Series and the interest in the world I can’t even imagine,” Selig said. “Yes it has economic potential that is huge, but from a sociological standpoint that is greater.”
To further explain, Selig elaborated. “Someday you get the United States vs. Japan as an example.”
Selig went on to say that, if done right, “you won’t recognize the sport in a decade.”
Major League Baseball has moved glacially slow on most of its own issues, such as dealing with performance-enhancing drug use and implementing instant replay, but has worked swiftly in addressing specific issues like adding a one-game Wild Card playoff and evening out the American and National Leagues team-wise. So it remains to be seen if this is an achievable goal for Selig and his successors, as it is highly dependent on the time, money, and man power devoted to the project. A truly international game would be quite interesting, though.
