{
  "id": 5531014,
  "title": "The long game: Inside MLB's big bet on India's baseball future",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/the-long-game-inside-mlbs-big-bet-on-indias-baseball-future",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-04T08:09:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Times of India",
    "slug": "times-of-india",
    "url": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/the-long-game-inside-mlbs-big-bet-on-indias-baseball-future/articleshow/133756034.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Major League Baseball (MLB) is taking the long road in India, betting on grassroots participation, cricket's massive ecosystem and a new generation of young players rather than rushing towards a professional league. Since 2019, it has introduced the First Pitch programme in schools across Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, launched the MLB Cup youth tournament and produced India-focused documentaries…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "‘Call it classist’: Cricket can be dangerous in Asian Games, says former India batter",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/call-it-classist-cricket-can-be-dangerous-in-asian-games-says-former",
        "published": "2026-09-04T05:30:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "65m boundaries, hybrid pitch: Inside the new venue for India’s Asian Games campaign",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/65m-boundaries-hybrid-pitch-inside-the-new-venue-for-indias-asian",
        "published": "2026-09-04T08:16:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}