Baseball, softball agree to merge in Olympic bid

LONDON (AP) — Baseball and softball have agreed to unite as a single international federation in a joint bid to return to the Olympics.

The two sports were dropped from the Olympics after the 2008 Beijing Games. Each has failed in separate attempts to win reinstatement.

The two governing bodies say they plan to merge into the International Baseball and Softball Federation in hopes of increasing their chances of returning for the 2020 Games.

Still standing in the way, however, is the challenge of securing the participation of major league baseball players.

Baseball federation president Riccardo Fraccari and softball chief Don Porter tell The Associated Press they submitted their plans to the International Olympic Committee.

They propose playing men’s baseball and women’s softball at a single venue over seven to 10 days.