Book excerpt:  With the success of The Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic, baseball in Europe has begun to receive more attention. But few realize just how far back the sport's history stretches on the continent. Baseball has been played in Europe since the 1870s, and in several countries the players and devoted followers have included royalty, Hall of Famers from the U.S. major leagues, and captains of industry. Featuring approximately 80 new interviews and 70 new photos and images, this second edition builds extensively on the previous edition's country-by-country histories of more than 40 European nations. Also included are two new appendices on European players signed by MLB organizations and European countries' performance in worldwide rankings.