This guy is able to conceive of baseball being played in the Andromeda Galaxy but not Baltimore winning a pennant.

Sigh.

The Andromeda Galaxy is 55 times farther from us than the Canis Major dwarf galaxy. No way Andromeda gets an expansion team before Canis Major. Hell, it would take them 2.5 million years just to get the message that they were awarded the franchise!

No way Andromeda gets an expansion team before Canis Major.

Canis Major, meh. M31 is a big market, maybe even bigger than New York.

M31 is a big market, maybe even bigger than New York.

Yeah, but Selig awarded that territory to the Yankees. No way they let a competitor in there.

I bet we're going to see some astronomical park factors.

Thank you very much. I'll be here all week.

I remember doing something like this once. I think it was something like:

In 2026, a 40-year-old Matt Wieters has a key pinch-hit walkoff HR to lead the Orioles (managed by Brian Roberts) over the Orix Buffaloes in the "All-World Series", but only after Ryan Ripken is issued a walk on a borderline pitch with two men out in the 9th inning to load the bases, a call which led Orix Manager Ichiro to be ejected when he told the umpire that "Your mother has only the most extreme unfaithfulness of humanity in her motherly soul."

Nice tags.

I remember in 1986, Mike Lupica did one where the Mets' superstar Shawn Abner led the team to a World Series victory over the Yankees.

This article was better than that one, I'm sure; I enjoyed it.

If Tim Tebow gets elected President, I'm moving to the Andromeda Galaxy myself.

Back in the early '70s, one of the preseason annuals ran a piece along these lines. I found it really amusing as a kid; wish I still had it. The only team name I can recall, offhand, is the Seoul Brothers.

I also think ESPN did something like this once, only it was specifically on how bad the Cubs would have it for years. Like I think they predicted that one year they would be lock to win the series, but a major solar storm causes all the robotic umpires to break down so the series has to be cancelled. Then another year they lose to a Red Sox team that's made up of the child of Nomar Garciaparra and Mia Hamm, and several clones of Ted Williams built from harvested DNA from his frozen body.

Of course, the greatest future baseball prediction: Cubs sweep Miami. 2015.

(Seriously, why doesn't Selig move the Marlins to the AL as part of this realignment thing? We really should bring this to his attention.)

Seriously, why doesn't Selig move the Marlins to the AL as part of this realignment thing?

And change their mascot to the Gators.

Seriously, why doesn't Selig move the Marlins to the AL as part of this realignment thing?


And change their mascot to the Gators.

Well, we can't have everything, I guess.

What other Sci-Fi predictions of baseball are there? I know Star Trek did a whole thing about it (something like that professional baseball died out as humanity entered the quasi-communist future of the ST universe)... and I think I recall a Twilight Zone episode where a guy stuck on an asteroid is told that some city or another has gotten a team...

Well, there's Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #37.

mad magazine once did one on the future of major american sports. And basketball turns out that players salaries got so large that teams could only afford one player. Illustration of 10 foot high Kareem/Chamberlain playing one on one full court basketball. Article concludes that "one on one basketball soon died out."

Funny how that doesnt seem too far off. Forget what it said about baseball.

Too bad Joe Buck will still be calling the World Series on Fox 25 years from now. Maybe Tim McCarver will have retired.

What other Sci-Fi predictions of baseball are there? I know Star Trek did a whole thing about it

During a Sherlock Holmes-type thing on the Holo-Deck on The Next Generation, Data mentioned to Capt. Picard that DiMaggio's hit streak is broken by a call on a London team in year 20-[something-or-other].

Not reading TFA, but I assume Andromeda is where the Rays wind up?

Also (to make use of a DP) wouldn't it be harder for a reincarnated Ted Williams to hit with a different body type? In seems like so much of his skill would be based on hand-eye-brain coordination, and messing with the body would cause some problems.

During a Sherlock Holmes-type thing on the Holo-Deck on The Next Generation, Data mentioned to Capt. Picard that DiMaggio's hit streak is broken by a call on a London team in year 20-[something-or-other].

Buck Bokai, born in 1998, his rookie year is 2015, playing for the London Kings (guess Selig is considering expansion).

In 2019, he joins the Planetary Baseball League playing for the Crenshaw Monarchs. He plays for several teams after that, including the Gotham City Bats. He breaks DiMaggio's streak in 2026.

Bokai continues playing until 2042, when he appears in the final World Series. Only 300 spectators are present. He dies sometime after 2100.

Edit: And here is his baseball card.

Oh, and I found somewhere that apparently in the Seaquest TV series somebody wore a t-shirt saying "Florida Marlins 2010 World Champions".

Whoops.


And, of course, there is always Blernsball...

And, of course, there is always Blernsball...

If they ever get around to jazzing up baseball.

What other Sci-Fi predictions of baseball are there? I know Star Trek did a whole thing about it

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Nascar ended up becoming the sport of choice.(or maybe it's Indy racing)

I'm sure Firefly must have more than a basketball reference in the show(or maybe not)

My favorite part of these type of articles is when they try to predict a real "World" series will happen. I don't think it will be in my lifetime(which is why I'm such a fan of the WBC, it's the closest we'll ever get)

My favorite part of these type of articles is when they try to predict a real "World" series will happen. I don't think it will be in my lifetime(which is why I'm such a fan of the WBC, it's the closest we'll ever get)

What do you mean the WBC is the closest we will get? The World Series is a real "World" series, if you define that as a competition between the best players in the world. MLB is clearly the highest level of play in the world. The NPB is basically AAAA. There is a reason many of the best players in the NPB are either posted or come over here as FA's. They make more money here and face tougher competition. Maybe if at some point in the future, some other league actually starts making so much money that they start drawing top quality talent, but until then, there is no reason for it.

What do you mean the WBC is the closest we will get? The World Series is a real "World" series, if you define that as a competition between the best players in the world. MLB is clearly the highest level of play in the world. The NPB is basically AAAA. There is a reason many of the best players in the NPB are either posted or come over here as FA's. They make more money here and face tougher competition. Maybe if at some point in the future, some other league actually starts making so much money that they start drawing top quality talent, but until then, there is no reason for it.

I define a real world series as a legitimate attempt to win between the MLB champion and the champion of Japan. To me it would be compelling baseball, and just like the World Series, it wouldn't be proof of the best team winning, but it would be a nice exhibition, provided both teams took it 100% seriously.

The next 200 World Series after that will be won by the robots.

The next 200 World Series after that will be won by the robots.

I don't really think humanoid robots will ever be as common as they are in the movies. Outside of sex bots and maybe as standins, there is no real purpose for them, specialized robots will continue to be the vast majority of robots made, in perpetuity.

I define a real world series as a legitimate attempt to win between the MLB champion and the champion of Japan. To me it would be compelling baseball, and just like the World Series, it wouldn't be proof of the best team winning, but it would be a nice exhibition, provided both teams took it 100% seriously.

This suggests that NPB is an equal level of play to MLB or close to it. It isn't, and until it is, there is no reason for this. Also, people would absolutely claim that the winner is the best team in the world.

I don't really think humanoid robots will ever be as common as they are in the movies. Outside of sex bots and maybe as standins, there is no real purpose for them, specialized robots will continue to be the vast majority of robots made, in perpetuity.

Well, the first 30 of those championships will be won by robots, but not openly. They'll really be cyborgs posing as humans, but after the 2066 World Series, robot Nick Punto will accidentally rip the flesh off of one of his teammates after a walkoff home run, both revealing the secret identity and raising the question of why anyone would make a robot Nick Punto.

This suggests that NPB is an equal level of play to MLB or close to it. It isn't, and until it is, there is no reason for this. Also, people would absolutely claim that the winner is the best team in the world.

It would show those Japanese that they are not equal to the white man. That the team would be composed largely of dark-skinned Hispanic players and Asians would not be relevant to this point.

Really, a Japanese team couldn't beat a team from the U.S., you mean the two time defending WBC champions?

Wait, are suggesting that I am trying to denigrate the NPB by saying that MLB is the clearly superior league as some sort of racist thing?

And to respond to Tripon as well, no that is absolutely not what I am saying. The WBC is meaningless in this discussion for a few reasons, so I am not going to even consider it. MLB teams are not made up of only players from the US or even a majority of players from the US. They are made up of the best players in the world, period. There are a few players in Japan that could certainly make MLB rosters and probably some in Cuba and maybe a few other places(only considering people who actually play baseball, not say some soccer player in Spain who could be a baseball player if he had grown up playing the game). Take a look at players coming to MLB from NPB and vice versa, look at their numbers. It's pretty clear that NPB is somewhere between AAA and MLB.

However, in a short series, #### happens and the NPB would win some against the MLB winner and idiots around the world would then claim they are the best team in the world. Unless things change drastically in terms of economics, there is no reason for MLB to do this. Just wait until it becomes feasible to expand to other continents and then expand MLB.

Really, a Japanese team couldn't beat a team from the U.S., you mean the two time defending WBC champions?

This suggests that NPB is an equal level of play to MLB or close to it. It isn't, and until it is, there is no reason for this. Also, people would absolutely claim that the winner is the best team in the world.

I don't really think the Al was on equal footing with the NL when they started the world series either. They might have been closer in ability than NPB is to MLB, but there was a gap. Again the world series isn't about showing the best team, it's a tournament among the best teams in the world.

And again, all I'm saying is that it's something I would love to see someday but don't think it will happen.

Really, a Japanese team couldn't beat a team from the U.S., you mean the two time defending WBC champions?

I was unaware that the WBC pits MLB teams against NPB teams. That is good to know...

Again the world series isn't about showing the best team, it's a tournament among the best teams in the world.

The WS already is this. If at some point, leagues in other places start to compete for players with MLB, to the point where they are on somewhat equal footing, then sure maybe consider a Champions League type tournament. Until then, you already have what you are asking for.

Really, a Japanese team couldn't beat a team from the U.S., you mean the two time defending WBC champions?

yes. A real Japanese team, one that competed for its league's championship, not one made up of All stars. If you want to go the latter route, a Japanese All Star team against a US All Star team, like the one below, one that cares and the players are all available, would lose 4 of every 5 games played:

C - McCann
1B - Fielder
2B - Pedroia
SS - Tulo
3B - Longoria
LF - Braun
CF - Ellsbury
RF - Kemp

SP - Halladay
SP - Lee
SP - Sabathia
SP - Verlander
SP - Lincecum

Bench:

C - Napoli
IF - Kinsler
IF - Zobrist
IF - Rollins
OF - McCutchen
OF - Granderson
OF - Upton

Pen:

Kershaw
Venters
Kimbrel
Clippard
Wilson
Bell

I don't really think the Al was on equal footing with the NL when they started the world series either. They might have been closer in ability than NPB is to MLB, but there was a gap. Again the world series isn't about showing the best team, it's a tournament among the best teams in the world.

Agreed. The conferences in the football Club World Cup also clearly aren't on equal footing with one another. They still hold the damn thing though, and don't pretend the UEFA Champions League winner is automatically the world champion...

This has many A's and Nationals championships. I am pleased.


I vaugely recall Star Trek: Enterprise implying that Water Polo became the world's dominant sport.

I vaugely recall Star Trek: Enterprise implying that Water Polo became the world's dominant sport.

According to Memory Alpha, it was more that Captain Archer was a big fan and former player of it (much as Sisko was with baseball).


As to whether a NPB team could beat a MLB team: You never know. From what I understand of NPB, the best teams would probably be Wild Card contenders in MLB, and the worst would be about .500 in AAA (NPB has parity issues that would cause Bud Selig to foam at the mouth). But, hey, it's baseball, you never know.

yes. A real Japanese team, one that competed for its league's championship, not one made up of All stars. If you want to go the latter route, a Japanese All Star team against a US All Star team, like the one below, one that cares and the players are all available, would lose 4 of every 5 games played:

Still missing the point. A Japanese team couldn't beat an MLB team. The MLB are the best in the world, pretending the league is just American because the teams are all in N America is silly. Japan and Cuba have hi levels of competition that doesn't come over as often as it should, but until their drawing the best from 20+ countries it's hard to see them beating one of the top 5 MLB teams 6 out of 10 times.

Kim Stanley Robinson - Arthur Sternbach Brings the Curve to Mars. Also, plenty of Turtledove's WorldWar series has some aliens adopting the game.

I think the appeal of a "Real" world series isn't the players (aside from the top players who haven't yet been posted from Japan all the top players play in MLB already anyway) it's the fans. How cool would it be if the championship was fought between Kansas City and Soeul? Obviously there are travel issues and building the necessary fanbase outside of the US, but those are the "what ifs" this hypothetical is assuming.