World Baseball Classic

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Round One starts tomorrow night. I figured I'd give a little insight on the tournament. For the first three days, March 3-5, the tournament will see exclusively games from Pool A, consisting of the Asian entrants. Korea, Japan, Taiwan and China.

 

http://www.worldbaseballclassic.com/2006/s...dex.jsp?sid=wbc

 

The opening round consists of four separate round robin tournaments, with each team playing the others once each. The two top performers in each pool advance to the next round. The winners of pool A advance to play the winners of pool B in a second round robin, and the same goes for Pools C and D. The top two in those pools play in the semifinals, and then the final. Each semifinal and final is one game.

 

Korea and Taiwan meet tomorrow night, and that game will essentially decide the round. Japan is clearly the strongest team, and China is the weakest team. China dropped an exhibition to a Japanese club 17-0 on Tuesday, and that sums up their relative chances. Korea is more highly regarded than Taiwan, but Taiwan could pull an upset.

 

So why should you watch? The round will feature several MLB players and prospects. Korea's team will feature Chan Ho Park, Byung-Hyun Kim, Sunny Kim, Dae-Sung Koo, Jae Seo and Hee Seop Choi. Taiwan's team will see Dodgers' prospects Hong-Chih Kuo and Chin-lung Hu, and Mariners' prospect Yung-Chi Chen. Keep an eye out in particular for Hu's excellent glove work at shortstop. Japan will feature Ichiro plus its top stars. As for China, the fascination is to see how badly they lose. The China-Japan game may be a real test of character.

 

The rest of the field kicks off on Tuesday.

[Guest Evolution]

This is a really awesome idea. I plan on watching as much as I can of this, even though looking at the schedule it appears that 7 games are exclusive to ESPN Deportes.

[Guest Princess Leena]

Poor China. I still hate how this competition is being run, but I'll watch a few games. Especially the Japanese ones, since they'll probably be all batshit for it.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Poor China. I still hate how this competition is being run, but I'll watch a few games. Especially the Japanese ones, since they'll probably be all batshit for it.

I have a Taiwanese friend so we'll take some perverse pleasure in watching Taiwan smack China around. The real victims are South Africa though. I fear to see how badly their experience against the US team is.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I would add that I am really looking forward to seeing the non-MLB players in this tournament.

[Guest Princess Leena]

Why didn't they add some ringers to the South Africa team? Cripes, their RF is their projected 3rd starter. It would have been just as easy as fixing the Italian team... take some random black guys.

[Art Sandusky 0]

Or Brendan Fraser, something.

 

I'm going to try and follow this, since it's a World Cup I can get into more.

[the max 0]

For the teams with poor lineage, they should have done a Rock N'Jock type thing. Roger McDowell pitching, Coolio being available and some real athletes out there trying way too hard.

 

Either that or assign retired players to these countries. Will Clark, Bobby Bonilla and John Kruk are probably available.

[Matt Young 0]

I've been craving baseball ever since the season ended. I'm just happy that I can watch some baseball again, and this year I'll be back in Illinois to once again see most of my beloved White Sox' games.

[Precious Roy 0]

So, now Billy Wagner and Pedro Martinez are out too

 

This is getting ridiculous

 

EDIT* Vlad, Manny and CC Sabathia as well...

Edited March 2, 2006 by Precious Roy

[Guest Princess Leena]

It's not surprising. If I'm an established player, especially a pitcher, making many millions of dollars, I stay far away from this thing.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Given all the precautions with the pitch count and time between games. I don't see how this is a real risk to any pitcher.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Al, you can't call it Taiwan, you have to call it Chinese Taipei so as not to insinuate that they just might be independent from a socialist hellhole

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Pedro's not surprising. He's such a poor Spring pitcher that he probably wouldn't benefit the D.R. even if he did pitch. And Vlad Guerrero has a legitimate reason.

[the max 0]

Manny probably forgot that he signed up to play.

[Bored 0]

Guess who Billy Wagner's replacement on the U.S. team is? Al Leiter. Really having to scrape the bottom of the barrel of finding anyone still wanting to participate.

[Vern Gagne 0]

You really think they couldn't of found another left-handed relief pitcher out of the pen?

[Der Kommissar 0]

Any other night owls watching South Korea vs. Chinese Taipei right now on ESPN2? Not a bad game so far.

[2GOLD 0]

Guess who Billy Wagner's replacement on the U.S. team is? Al Leiter. Really having to scrape the bottom of the barrel of finding anyone still wanting to participate.

 

Wait till the Americans need a right fielder, they'll call Garth Brooks.

I watched the game earlier and it was pretty decent. Shocked the outfield seats were basically empty. Looked like the fanfare at a Tampa Bay Devil Rays game.

 

Where was everyone?

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

China hung close for five innings, but the wheels are starting to come off here. 8-2 Japan in the 6th.

[Guest Princess Leena]

Ended 18-2. Lolz.

 

And Korea beats Chinese Taipei in the only meaningful game of this pool.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

China hung close for five innings, but the wheels are starting to come off here. 8-2 Japan in the 6th.

 

I didn't get the name, but didn't the Chinese starter only give up one run through 3?

 

18-2 was the final. Poor guys.

 

I know it's ridiculous, but I still haven't forgiven Chan Ho Park for not contribuing in my All Star Baseball '05 season.

[Guest StylesMark]

I watched a little last night. And I agree, seeing the non pro's will probably be the best thing about this.

 

If I'm a pro, making millions, there's no way I'm giving this my all. Sorry.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

NYC viewers can catch tonight's Korea/China game live on WWOR 9.

[Jericholic82 0]

NYC viewers can catch tonight's Korea/China game live on WWOR 9.

yea, and is premepted smackdown (better get used to it, 9 carries yanks games during the season)

 

 

wednesday is usa/canada (this should be very interesting)

 

 

couldn't they have had this in november? maybe more guys would have participated

[Bored 0]

Great I flip on the China/Korea game to catch it at the very second Jeff Brantley gets a hard on for the Korean captain laying down a bunt. LEAD BY EXAMPLE~! Ugh.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Anyone "Theisman" their leg like Steinbrenner predicted?

[The Man in Blak 0]

I believe there was speculation that the players weren't interested in doing it during November because it would cut into their vacation time. To me, that just means that MLB needs to sweeten the paycheck for the players that participate; if the players decline to participate, they immediately become accountable to their "country", rather than MLB for scheduling the tournament during Spring Training.

[Guest Princess Leena]

I think the best option, as a few players mentioned, take a week off around the All-Star break. Hold this thing then. Also a nice break from the monotony of the neverending regular season.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

The problem is that there's really no "good" time to hold the event. MLB's maxed out the regular season, and the sanctity of records has gotten to the point where people will protest a shortened season. It would be extremely difficult to get a pitcher to play in a November tournament.