World Baseball Classic Thread

[Unchainme]

http://www.worldbaseballclassic.com/2006/index.jsp

16 teams

400 Superstars.

Are You Pumped?

This Should Rule to say the least.

U-S-A! U-S-A!

[BITEYOASS]

Is this the world cup of baseball? If so then I hope they dust Cuba like they did last time.

[BITEYOASS]

This is a pretty damn good lineup they have!

[BITEYOASS]

I can't believe no one in the US ever go nuts over international competition. WTF

[POJO_Risin]

I think it's the timing of it all...

It SHOULD be bigger than it is...but it's at the beginning of the season...and the salaries are so fucking big...that owners don't want starters...or anyone...but starters in particular...to blow out their arms...or get hurt before the season starts.

Peter Gammons said it best...

You need to have this thing in the middle of the season during the All Star Break...10 day period...cut out 5 games in the season (of course, all the purists would bitch about records and shit...but these be the same purists that bitch about 162 instead of 154...so fuck them)...

Don't hold an All-Star game...which are worthless anyways...have 4 groups of teams...break it up into hemisphere's...North, South, East and West....

or just break them up based on rankings...whatever...

5 teams per hemisphere (have play-ins for non-major baseball countries)

round robin first round...4 games for each team...top 2 advance to round 2...tie breakers go to runs scored...that's 4 days...

day off...then you have a bracket with new rankings based on wins and runs. Round 2 games...win and move on...lose and out....we're up to 6 days.

Seventh Day...Semis...

day off

ninth day...finals...

or don't have the day off...and run a 3-game series...

whatever...

I THINK IT WOULD BE FANTASTIC...

but it would have to be done right...

[Ghost Dog]

This competition sound very interesting!!!
Unfortunately, I won't see any game, because baseball is confidential in every french media...

[vheddyrmv8]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
I think it's the timing of it all...

It SHOULD be bigger than it is...but it's at the beginning of the season...and the salaries are so fucking big...that owners don't want starters...or anyone...but starters in particular...to blow out their arms...or get hurt before the season starts.

Peter Gammons said it best...

You need to have this thing in the middle of the season during the All Star Break...10 day period...cut out 5 games in the season (of course, all the purists would bitch about records and shit...but these be the same purists that bitch about 162 instead of 154...so fuck them)...

Don't hold an All-Star game...which are worthless anyways...have 4 groups of teams...break it up into hemisphere's...North, South, East and West....

or just break them up based on rankings...whatever...

5 teams per hemisphere (have play-ins for non-major baseball countries)

round robin first round...4 games for each team...top 2 advance to round 2...tie breakers go to runs scored...that's 4 days...

day off...then you have a bracket with new rankings based on wins and runs. Round 2 games...win and move on...lose and out....we're up to 6 days.

Seventh Day...Semis...

day off

ninth day...finals...

or don't have the day off...and run a 3-game series...

whatever...

I THINK IT WOULD BE FANTASTIC...

but it would have to be done right...

I agree, it's the wrong time. This is the time when most players are getting back in the swing, and if your expecting an interesting game, I wouldn't, since they haven't had much spring training not many will be in top form yet.

Most players originally liked the idea but they were under the impression that it would be after the World Series, kind of like the Pro Bowl in football, which I think is a good idea. I think taking out the All Star game is a bad idea. It may not be the most interesting thing to some people, but there's more to it than that. The city that's hosting the game gets recognized a lot more and has more visitors and it doesen't hurt their businesses such as hotels and restruraunts.

[Romeo Delight]

http://www.tsn.ca/mlb/news_story/?ID=157719&hubname=mlb

:D


PHOENIX (CP) - They've been spitting out the cliche of "anything can happen on any given day" like sunflower seeds out in the desert but it couldn't have been any truer in Canada's first two games at the World Baseball Classic.

In the span of about 15 hours the national team went from the distress of needing a ninth-inning rally to beat a collection of amateurs from South Africa to the elation of knocking off the powerhouse United States by an 8-6 score Wednesday afternoon.

Centre-fielder Adam Stern had a monster game with three hits, including an inside-the-park homer, four RBIs and a couple of key defensive gems. Starter Adam Loewen, all of 21 and never having thrown a pitch above single-A, gave Canada 3 2-3 clutch shutout innings and the bullpen held on after nearly blowing an eight-run lead.

Suddenly, just when you thought things couldn't get any stranger, Canada is on the verge of winning Pool B a half-day after it looked like its tournament could be over before it even started.

"We're going for the No. 1 seed. We're not going for the consolation prize," said Stern, a Boston Red Sox prospect. "We'd like to tell everyone we can play baseball, too. We're not just a hockey country."

The victory was all the more shocking, coming after Canada scored four times in the ninth to beat lowly South Africa 11-8. Avoiding disaster in that game seemed to have sharpened them for the U.S.

"That was important to have to struggle a little bit just to remind everybody that anything can happen in international baseball," said second baseman Stubby Clapp. "It's cut-throat baseball, it's the way baseball should be played.

"And if you lose you go home, that's an important factor."

Despite its 2-0 record, Canada isn't in the second round just yet.

Thursday's first-round finale against Mexico remains crucial, as a loss could potentially leave Canada in a three-way tie with the Mexicans and Americans (1-1).

Under the convoluted tiebreaker system, the only way Canada could move on with a loss is if they gave up two runs or less. The United States, considered a favourite to win it all, would be knocked out under that scenario.

If Canada allows more than two runs, they have to win to move on.

"We know what we got to do," said Stern. "We're not worried about the runs, runs against."

Colorado Rockies sophomore Jeff Francis starts against Mexico's Esteban Loaiza as the Canadians try to make sure this effort doesn't go to waste.

"To put that confidence in me to start a game like that I think builds my confidence and makes me feel good going out," said Francis. "I'm ready to go the full 65 (pitches)."

The victory is Canada's biggest over the United States in international baseball and perhaps the national team's most significant win ever. Previous highlights included a 7-6, 11-inning win over the Americans at the 1999 Pan Am Games and an 8-7 triumph over the Yanks at the 1988 Olympics. But this one came against a collection of all-stars featuring at least four probable Hall of Famers.

"I'm still smiling, it was an amazing game," said first baseman Justin Morneau. "We kind of got a little bit of a scare there at the end, it was as excited as I've ever been on the field."

The Americans beat Mexico 2-0 in their opener Tuesday and can be eliminated before they take the field for their finale against South Africa on Friday. The defeat is likely to reverberate in the U.S. the way Canada's setback to Switzerland in Olympic hockey did at home.

That's why the crowd of 16,993 at Chase Field alternated between chanting "USA, USA" and booing their team.

"One thing we have learned very quickly in this tournament is anything can happen," said U.S. manager Buck Martinez. "You put your flag on your chest you go out there and play and people get fuelled by that and you see exceptional things done by competitive people."

For a while it looked like Canada might cakewalk their through this one as they built an 8-0 lead in the first 4½ innings. But the United States scored six in the fifth, capped by Jason Varitek's 448-foot grand slam to dead centre, and it was tense to the end after that.

It nearly got away from them in the eighth, when Chase Utley drilled a ball to deep centre with two runners on. But Stern made a leaping catch against the wall in centre to end the inning and keep Canada ahead.

Veteran Detroit Tigers farmhand Steve Green was then able to close things out in the ninth, getting U.S. slugger Mark Teixeira on a grounder to first to end it.

"I knew he smoked it and I knew it was going deep," Stern said of his catch in the eighth. "I just put my head down, ran to a spot and said, `Come on baby, don't hit that facing."'

Canada opened the scoring in the first when Clapp tripled and scored on Morneau's RBI groundout.

It looked like the lead would be short-lived when the U.S. loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the first but Loewen made a phenomenal pitch to Chipper Jones for an inning ending double play.

That seemed to inspire the Canadians, who picked up another run in the second on back-to-back triples by Aaron Guiel and Stern, three more in the third on Pete Laforest's RBI single and Stern's two-run single and another pair in the fourth on Matt Stairs' two-run single.

Stern added an inside-the-park-homer leading off the fifth to make it 8-0 before the Americans clawed back against the bullpen.

The U.S. was all over reliever Chris Begg to open the fifth, as Michael Young singled, Ken Griffey Jr., doubled him home and then scored on Derrek Lee's single.

Begg proceeded to load the bases before reliever Eric Cyr came on, and he fell behind Jason Varitek 3-1 before the Red Sox catcher crushed a ball making it 8-6.

Somehow the Canadians held on from there and stormed the field to celebrate after Morneau stepped on first to end things.

"Whenever you can beat a powerhouse like the U.S.A. it's a feather in Baseball Canada's history," said manager Ernie Whitt. "We can be happy right now, but we still have a task at hand and after an hour or two, we'll focus in on Mexico."

[BALLYJUNKIE]

team usa got the talent ,but no heart !!!!

[vheddyrmv8]

Originally posted by BALLYJUNKIE
team usa got the talent ,but no heart !!!!

True, to have a great team you need more than some superstars.

[EbDawson]

Canada beats the U.S. then gets drove by Mexico 9-1. Go figure. U.S. advances because Mexico wins by more than 2 runs, or something like that. Wierd system. U.S. plays S. Africa today with Roger Clemens getting the start.

[EbDawson]

U.S. beats S. Africa 17-0 in 5 innings. Next up, Japan on Sunday which will start the 2nd round. Canada goes home.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Good, Canada's out of it...

Now Bay can get ready for the REAL season....

Fucking joke...

South Africa had a bunch of high schoolers...

Great idea again, Bud....

[Romeo Delight]

How can you play only three games and have a team advance on goal differential?

Silly shit.

[POJO_Risin]

US is losing to Japan...

Ichiro Suzuki with a dinger...

some guy named Kawasaki with a 2-run scoring single...

I kid you not...we are losing because of motorcycles...lmfao...

[POJO_Risin]

US up...bottom of the sixth...

[POJO_Risin]

US tied it up...

walk by Chipper Jones...

home run by Derrek Lee...

3-3...top of the 7th...Todd Jones pitching for the US...

[POJO_Risin]

US wins in the 9th...

lots of controversy in this one...

with Sadahara Oh managing for the Japs...

Oh...the ALL-TIME Home Run Champion of any league with a gazillion...or some shit like that...

ARod with the gamewinner in the 9th... (http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/wbc/gamecenter/recap/WBSC_20060312_JPN@USA)

[EbDawson]

That was a good baseball game! Griffey was up in the bottom of the 9th, bases loaded, full count. A walk wins the game. He swings at a pitch that's about at cap-level, strikes out. Shit! Anyway, A-Rod comes up and wins it. Bases were loaded with 1 out and U.S. almost blows it. Who's next?

[Romeo Delight]

I want the US to win, but that call on the tag-up was fucking wrong.

[EbDawson]

Originally posted by DavidFlamma
I want the US to win, but that call on the tag-up was fucking wrong.

Yeah, weird call. Then again this is a weird series, I'm still trying to figure out how this thing works.

[EbDawson]

Another thing re: the 9th inning. Game tied, runners on 1st and 2nd for the U.S. no outs, Michael Young at the plate. Martinez has him try to bunt the runner over to 3rd. He shows bunt on the first pitch but takes a ball. With Japan now expecting it, Young bunts it back to the pitcher who throws out the runner at 3rd. With a hitter like Young at the plate, why swing away at that point? Maybe I'm thinking too much or maybe Buck Martinez was.

Anyway, S. Korea, who beat Mexico on Sunday 2-1, is up next today for the U.S. Another tough game.

[BALLYJUNKIE]

yeah ,japan got robbed ,a bad call is 1 thing ,but when you get a go ahead run in a tight game and they take it back on a bad call ... is discraceful!!!!

[POJO_Risin]

Remaining games in Pool 1:

Mon. 3/13 USA vs. Korea Angel Stadium 7 p.m. 10 p.m.
Tue. 3/14 Japan vs. Mexico Angel Stadium 4 p.m. 7 p.m.
Wed. 3/15 Korea vs. Japan Angel Stadium 7 p.m. 10 p.m.
Thu. 3/16 USA vs. Mexico Angel Stadium 4:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m.

Remaining games in Pool 2:

Mon. 3/13 Venezuela vs. Puerto Rico Hiram Bithorn 9 p.m. 8 p.m.
Tue. 3/14 Venezuela vs. Dominican Republic Hiram Bithorn 8 p.m. 7 p.m.
Wed. 3/15 Cuba vs. Puerto Rico Hiram Bithorn 8 p.m. 7 p.m.

Finals:

Sat. 3/18 Pool 2 runner-up vs. Pool 2 winner Petco Park 12 p.m. 3 p.m.
Sat. 3/18 Pool 1 runner-up vs. Pool 1 winner Petco Park 7 p.m. 10 p.m.
Mon. 3/20 SF1 winner vs. SF2 winner Petco Park 6 p.m. 9 p.m.


records:

2006 World Baseball Classic
Standings
Team W L T
Pool 1
Korea 1 0 0
USA 1 0 0
Mexico 0 1 0
Japan 0 1 0
Pool 2
Puerto Rico 1 0 0
Dominican Republic 1 1 0
Cuba 1 1 0
Venezuela 0 1 0

[Redballjets88]

if the usa doesnt win the whole thing i will be pissed...we should win at a sport that is our "national past-time"

[POJO_Risin]

In a series in which one game decides it in the final round...anything can happen...

and truth be told...there are other teams that want it a shitload of a lot more...

the US team IS the most talented top to bottom...but there are many starting lineups that are far better...at least in the 1-5 slots...so anything can happen.

The US should feast on most of the pitching it faces...so they SHOULD win...but I could see a team catch fire...and win this thing...

Japan SHOULD HAVE beat the US...but the umps fucked up...so...who knows...

[tjvhou812]

US is getting blown out by fucking korea

[jslav06]

I'll find it kinda funny if the country in which baseball was pretty much created and made popular, loses in the first international baseball competition. Come on US...

[POJO_Risin]

Just because it's created here doesn't mean it's the end all and be all...

The best players don't come from here anyways at this stage of the game...

most come from the caribbean or latin countries...

so who cares...

no way we should lose to Korea...but what the fuck can you do...it's like a national fucking holiday when these games are there...

how many people HERE actually give a fuck about this series?

[redblkwht]

went to USA vs Canada last week, they really dont care from
what i saw..
tell you what the diamondback stadium is like a wharehouse too, ive been spoiled in chi town indeed. not impressed.
the grand slam went over our heads, but we lost..lol :rolleyes:

[bastardog]

USA and PR where reduced to dust yesterday. Now both depends on next game to qualify for final round.
I can't beleive Venezuela beat us. :( not even that Korea beat USA.
Yesterday was a bad day anyway I see it....

[EbDawson]

Well the U.S. should be OK now. Dontrelle Willis has pitched his quota. He's 0-2, been driven and Canada and Korea. Why he even was allowed to start yesterday, I don't know. Hopefully Peavy will be on the mound next.

U.S. needs to get some runs once in a while though.

[EbDawson]

US and Mexico today in Anaheim, which means a Huge Mexican crowd. US has everything to lose and Mexico nothing. Unimpressed with U.S.' bats (unless they're playing S. Africa) They will need a great pitching performance to win.

[EbDawson]

Clemens pitching for the US today, which means we have a chance.

[BALLYJUNKIE]

have you seen the players and thier fans from korea ,japan ,domincan republic ,cuba ,puerto rico ... these fans have a passion ,the players have heart ..... the usa team has none of that .... unbelievable ......

[vheddyrmv8]

Originally posted by BALLYJUNKIE
have you seen the players and thier fans from korea ,japan ,domincan republic ,cuba ,puerto rico ... these fans have a passion ,the players have heart ..... the usa team has none of that .... unbelievable ......

I've noticed that as well, it's a great dissapointment and kind of shows that our country isn't in the greatest shape these days...

[bastardog]

what a shame......
Cuba won the game with PR....they eliminate us in our house
it was a great great game on every inning PR put players on base waiting for that hit that never came.

what a shame..... Fidel Castro must be laughing his ass off us
I feel like communism won over democracy

:upyours:FUCK YOU FIDEL and FUCK YOUR FUCKING TEAM:mad2:
:fu:
you got that game and you can shove it up your ass with all your Cohibas

at least we have still hopes in the un-hearted USA team that wake up at least for the game with Cuba........I want a knockout nothing less...if PR won over Cuba (on the first game) by knockout, USA can do it too....and that's what I want a knockout (with fireworks and all) over those assholes from Cuba
Curse them!

[bastardog]

Originally posted by BALLYJUNKIE
have you seen the players and thier fans from korea ,japan ,domincan republic ,cuba ,puerto rico ... these fans have a passion ,the players have heart ..... the usa team has none of that .... unbelievable ......

I think you took the wins as granted and that's why the fans and players don't put the heart on it.
We (the other nations) feel like David playing on Gholiat and needs to demonstrate that can play good baseball too.
We wanted the opportunity to play with USA....that game that prove something. USA is the team that everyone wants to play with. But USA don't see a superior team on other nation so is just another day playing baseball

[BALLYJUNKIE]

team usa couldnt beat mexico ...thier slowly finding out thiers alot of good players from around the world !!!

[EbDawson]

Originally posted by BALLYJUNKIE
team usa couldnt beat mexico

Yeah, US' bats took the day off as usual. Oh well. Biggest win for Mexico since the Alamo.

[DlocRoth]

Davy.......Davy Crocket...

King of the wild frontier....

[bastardog]

I just hope that Korea wins
and take the shit out of Dominican Republic or Cuba (specially Cuba)

[EbDawson]

Cuba vs. Japan for the "world" title. Well it could be worse. US could lose to fidel's boys on their home turf. At least they're already out of it. Game is in San Diego Monday 9PM EST. Game is on ESPN.

Give "em Hell Nippon!!!

[EbDawson]

Japan wins 10-6. Thank God. Wonder if any of the Cubans will defect now?

[Va Beach VH Fan]

[[ Shakes VA out of his coma ]]

Oh good, it's over...