World Cup ballplayers could miss spring training

NEW YORK — Players on teams that advance to the final stages of the first baseball World Cup would not be with their major league teams for most of spring training next year.

Under the proposal being formulated by the commissioner’s office, the 16-nation tournament would start on March 4 in Asia and begin in the United States and Puerto Rico on March 9, several baseball officials told the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

There would be four groups of four nations in the first round, and the top two teams in each group would advance, according to documents distributed to team officials last week.

In the second round, there would be two groups of four teams, with the top two in each moving on to the semifinals. The semifinals and the final would be one-game knockouts, with the championship game played on approximately March 21 in the western part of the United States.

The plan probably will be put to owners for a vote within a month. Deals for the tournament still need to be finalized with the International Baseball Federation and the Major League Baseball Players Association.