Contact: Irish American Baseball Society
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Why Isn’t Ireland in the World Baseball Classic? The Answer May Surprise You.
Irish American Baseball Society Calls for End to Quotas on Ireland’s National Baseball Team
NEW YORK, NY (March 6, 2026) — The Irish American Baseball Society (IABS) is calling for the removal of a controversial quota policy that prevents Irish American dual citizens from playing on Ireland’s National Baseball Team — a policy the group says is costing Ireland a shot at the World Baseball Classic.
Ireland will not be participating in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, and America’s pastime has struggled to gain a foothold on the Emerald Isle despite several attempts to establish it over the past 150 years. The IABS argues that Baseball Ireland’s quota policies are making that uphill climb steeper by unnecessarily sidelining dozens of qualified players who want a chance to represent Ireland.
To qualify for the Irish national team, a player must hold Irish dual citizenship, which requires having a parent or grandparent born in Ireland. Despite a large pool of eligible Irish American players at the college and professional levels, Baseball Ireland has imposed limits on how many dual citizens can compete for the national team. Over the past 12 months, the IABS says more than 50 such players have been denied the opportunity to try out.
The stakes are significant: Should Ireland reach the World Baseball Classic, Major League Baseball is expected to invest approximately $300,000 in youth baseball development in the country — a commitment MLB has already made to other European nations, including Great Britain. Ireland’s path to the 2029 WBC begins this summer, when the team must win the European B-Pool Qualifying Tournament to advance to the A-Pool tournament in 2027. A top-half finish there would earn Ireland a spot in the 2028 WBC Qualifiers.
“In addition to the benefit of an investment by Major League Baseball, a successful Irish National Team would inspire kids across Ireland to play baseball,” said IABS VP of Cultural Affairs and Outreach Patrick Smith. “There is a real opportunity for youth baseball to grow organically throughout Ireland, and there are dozens of college and pro baseball players who want to help turn that opportunity into a reality.”
The Irish American Baseball Society has launched a petition calling on Baseball Ireland to adopt a fair, merit-based selection process. The petition is available to sign on Change.org. The text of the petition reads:
Discrimination of any kind is wrong and has no place in baseball. Irish Dual Citizen Baseball Players Should Be Treated Fairly and Equally.
Baseball Ireland, the governing federation of baseball in Ireland, has implemented a quota policy for Ireland’s National Baseball Team. The quotas prevent Irish dual citizens from receiving fair and equal consideration for selection to the national team. These quotas also limit the number of dual citizens permitted on the field and in the lineup at any given time.
Over the past 12 months, Baseball Ireland has prevented dozens of players at the college, minor league, and MLB levels from trying out for Ireland’s National Team. Baseball Ireland has also ceased providing guidance to qualified players on how they can obtain Irish citizenship, leaving eligible athletes without clear direction on pursuing their rightful pathway to become Irish citizens.
The talent and interest of dual citizen players is a rare and special opportunity that is being wasted — no other European country has access to this level of eligible talent. These players, and their families, have strong ties to Ireland and the Irish American community and they want to contribute to the long-term success of baseball in Ireland.
The quota policies have kept Ireland mired in the lowest level of European competition and are preventing Ireland from reaching the World Baseball Classic and the Olympics. If Ireland does not win this summer’s 2026 European B-Pool Qualifying tournament, they will be ineligible for the 2029 World Baseball Classic — making it critical that we make our voices heard while qualification is still within reach.
If Ireland were to reach the World Baseball Classic, it would unlock significant funding from Major League Baseball to support the growth of youth baseball programs in Ireland. By excluding its most talented eligible players through discriminatory quota policies, Baseball Ireland is directly depriving Irish children of much-needed funding for coaching, equipment, and fields.
Baseball Ireland’s quota policies are unfair, discriminatory, and detrimental to the growth of baseball in Ireland. We are asking the Government of Ireland, Sport Ireland, the Federation of Irish Sport, the Olympic Federation of Ireland, and Baseball Ireland to immediately abolish these quotas and to provide fair and equal consideration to all eligible baseball players.
About the Irish American Baseball Society
The Irish American Baseball Society celebrates the Irish impact on the game of baseball and supports the development of youth baseball programs in Ireland and America. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in baseball and Ireland, regardless of their ancestral heritage. For more information, visit IrishBaseball.org.
The Irish American Baseball Society is a non-profit subsidiary of Emerald Diamond International. Federal Tax ID: 20-4623222. For more information, visit EmeraldDiamond.org.
