So, Bud Selig's pet project on international relations is set to launch in Japan todayish, having survived big names pulling out, controversy on which players go where, and Cuba being held out because of the archaic embargo. Here are the pools and the teams:
Pool A
China
Chinese Taipei (aka Taiwan)
Japan
Korea
Pool B
Canada
Mexico
South Africa
United States
Pool C
Cuba
Netherlands
Panama
Puerto Rico
Pool D
Australia
Dominican Republic
Italy
Venezuela
I'm not too familiar with the rosters of the individual teams, but I'm predicting that the US will pull a Canadian Olympic hockey team once they move on to the elimination rounds. Most of the US's successful talent is either playing for the other teams or they're staying at home to prepare for the real baseball season.
GO SLOVAKIA!
Well I have been looking forward to it. I hate to say it because I hate Butt Selig so much. But this should be interesting. The US should not have any problem getting out of its initial pool. But after that, they'll most likely be facing Japan and Cuba and DR. I agree Rat Boy, the US player see this as a show mostly. Nevertheless, I want to see what kind of team South Africa fields. I didn't know they played much baseball there.
I was reading an article, or listening on the radio, or something like that, about the South African team. They're basically a single-A level team, but they're VERY excited to be there playing against pro's. They work hard on the fundamentals, and thats pretty much it, no focus on extraordinary speed or power, no showmanship. They just don't want to be embarassed by playing the game wrong.
I think the WBC is a great concept, but it's basically a spoof of itself due to poor timing (granted there is no good timing for a global scale event with everyone's seasons being at different times) and wacky rules (If you're born in the U.S., have lived your entire life in the U.S., and hold no citizenship other than to the U.S., how the hell are you allowed to play for another team because thats where your parents were from?).
That being said, I'm more than excited for competitive baseball! Hopefully nobody gets needless bad injuries (except guys from the teams I don't like)
wacky rules (If you're born in the U.S., have lived your entire life in the U.S., and hold no citizenship other than to the U.S., how the hell are you allowed to play for another team because thats where your parents were from?).
I actually agree with this rule. It allows for more parity among the teams.
Here are the rosters for anyone who is interested.
Chinese Taipei.. sigh..
During the China V. Taiwan game, both countries could not have their flags in the stadium.
China really got their butts handed to them. How do you say "Mercy" in Chinese?
I'd love to see a US/Japan or US/Cuba matchup
I'd love to see a US/Japan or US/Cuba matchup
The U.S. will play Japan, I think. I hope they have the US play Japan and not Korea. No offenese to Korea but the match up is Japan.
I think I'd rather see the US match up agaisnt Dominican Republic at some point.
Pretty Potent lineup:
A Soriano 2b
M Tejada ss
A Pujols 1b
D Ortiz dh
M Alou lf
A Beltre 3b
J Encarnacion rf
A Castillo c
W Taveras cf
and that is without Manny and Vlad, there wouldn't be a player you could pitch around if you added those two to that lineup.
Are these games playing live for any of you? So far, they only show here after freaking midnight on ESPN2. Looking ahead in my TV schedule, I see that they'll be shown during waking hours this weekend, but I have to assume they are broadcasted for someone during the day this week.
US vs. mexico was at 3 p.m. yesterday on ESPN2. I DVRed it and watched it last night.
*sticks fingers in ears*
LALALALALAL. Not LISTENING. DVRing it to watch tonight. LALALALALALA.
God! First ESPN stays on Cuba vs. Panama on my DVR recording so by the time I get to watch the US game, Canada is up 7-0. Then, top of the 9th, Time Warner's pre-established time periods for baseball has kicked in so I don;t get to see the end of the game either.
I don't think this is cause for alarm. The U.S. will make it to round two. What I don;t like though, is that Sutcliff on ESPN said there are some grumblings that Barry Bonds now WANTS to play for the US team if they get to the second round. Oh joy.
They have to beat South Africa, and judging by how poorly the US has played overall (even against Mexico)
This one is not getting past the fifth inning, it doesn't look like.
I'm so ready for the U.S. V Japan game on Sunday.
My GF lost interest when Taiwan spanked PRC and didn't get out of the first round. It sucked that in the Asian bracket the two best teams didn't paly each other.
Controversial win for the U.S. I think if you watch the tagup is regular motion, the arm movement of the Japan runner made it appear that he left the bag early. Slow motion, though, he was clearly still on the bag and the run should have counted.
Bud Selig's Note to self: "In 2009, use PROFESSIONAL UMPIRES."
Am I the only one who was REALLY impressed by the Japanese pitcher going with a fastball up and in with a full count and the bases loaded to Griffey? I thought it was the right call to make, but I didn't think he'd do it. It was a gutsy move, I know if I'm staring down Griffey I'm thinking to myself, "you've GOT to throw a strike, he won't swing at a ball... if you're gonna lose, at least let it be because a great hitter hit the ball, and not because you walked in the winning run."
I hope the US and Japan move on to the next round, so we get to see a rematch.
Next up for the US is Korea tomorrow at 10pm EST.
I'll admit, that was pretty ballsy. A lot of the US hitters were swing at the high heat. But I would not wanted to be him and having to go back to Japan and face the fact that you walked in the winning run.
The best time the US team began hitting was when they got aggressive on the first pitch while Uehara was in the game. He was throwing A LOT of first balls strikes that the US batters were taking. I know it's hard when you don't know the pitcher's tendencies, but if the US team could have been mroe aggressive on the first pitch, they would have beat Japan more handedly instead of controversialy. It seems they would wait until they had two outs before they started bearing down. If he is goign to consistenly give you a strike on the first pitch, put it in the seats.
And maybe the third base call was a make-up call for all the outside balls the Ump called as strikes. Some of those called strikes as far out of the strike zone as they could be.
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