2023 World Baseball Classic

LogansDad

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It is an incredibly difficult language to learn. Especially for Japanese people. I bet he is able to communicate with his teammates, but expressing more complicated thoughts is probably still too difficult.
It seems like he understands it pretty well based off of his reaction last night when he couldn't hear his interpreter because of the crowd, just isn't comfortable enough to speak it in an interview yet.

Also, it really doesn't matter, does it?
 

hunter05

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May 29, 2006
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It seems like he understands it pretty well based off of his reaction last night when he couldn't hear his interpreter because of the crowd, just isn't comfortable enough to speak it in an interview yet.

Also, it really doesn't matter, does it?
It doesn't. Not even a little bit.
 

Ed Hillel

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Dec 12, 2007
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That’s up there with Dlowe for the nastiest big pitch I’ve ever seen.
There was some NLCS Game 7, 3-2 count, bases loaded in the 9th of a one run game and the closer threw the nastiest curve ever to ice the series. Maybe 10 years ago?
 

CaptainLaddie

dj paul pfieffer
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Sep 6, 2004
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where the darn libs live
What a fuckin game what a fuckin tournament. That was awesome. The whole tournament was awesome. This was the best WBC and I mean that as no slight to the prior ones. This was so fun to watch and I can't wait for 2026. Baseball is awesome and this tournament deserves to get its flowers.
 

Ale Xander

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Oct 31, 2013
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MLB is, WBC is not. Honestly, I don’t get the take after that game.
I dont know what that means. That wasn't even one of the best half-dozen games of the competition.

I don't like format I don't like the scheduling.

Just bring the best 8 teams and play a best of three each series, and best of 5 final. In November/early December.
 

BigSoxFan

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May 31, 2007
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It is an incredibly difficult language to learn. Especially for Japanese people. I bet he is able to communicate with his teammates, but expressing more complicated thoughts is probably still too difficult.
This. My wife is Japanese and her mother understands a decent amount but she doesn’t feel comfortable speaking it with native speakers.
 

Ed Hillel

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Buccholz’s curve to seal the no hitter against Baltimore was pure, unfiltered filth as well.
 

Ale Xander

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Oct 31, 2013
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Agreed. Even if it were logistically possible, the WBC doesn’t work as a series tournament, you don’t get the same level of intensity to amplify representing your country. It’s like Olympic ice hockey and basketball
More intensity this way for sure. Less meaning though (at least to me).
 

strek1

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Jun 13, 2006
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Honest to God guys I just figured being so popular here and spending so much time here he'd have learned. What in the flying hell is everybody so freaking accusatory for? Man this is about the first time I post anything on the WBC threads because it's only the third or so game I've gotten to watch a game. It was just an observation. I really do think I could learn some of the language if I worked there. My niece did and she was there a couple years. She's not going to do any public speaking but enough to converse and communicate in day to day activities. I just enjoyed the game and saw the interview. Not trying to piss anybody off.
 

Mr. Stinky Esq.

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Dec 7, 2006
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I dont know what that means. That wasn't even one of the best half-dozen games of the competition.
Agree to disagree. Championship game, 1 run game in the bottom of the 9th, 2 outs, former AL MVP strikes out his MLB teammate who happens to be another former AL MVP to win it for his country.

edit to add: In the most-watched baseball game ever?
 

jon abbey

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Jul 15, 2005
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That's partly because they actually bring their best players, no?
@Tokyo Sox knows a thousand times better than me, but I think not only do they have incredible pitchers (and way more currently than ever before) but they are farther along in their preparation for the season, I think. They certainly all looked like MLB guys do in June, very impressive pitching depth and that was without Senga.
 

Tokyo Sox

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Feb 16, 2006
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Well earned 水。(water I think). Congrats Japan.
Haha brilliant. MIZU!
Damn.

I was rooting hard for USA, but this was an awesome edition and I'm happy for Japan's players and fans. Congrats @Tokyo Sox . Can't wait for 2026.
domo! Just an incredible tournament, and pretty awesome to see Yoshida play so well ahead of his Sox career.
His teammates are always sabotaging him.
Well played.

He hasn't learned english yet?
Is this about Shohei? He spoke decent English in an interview with Pitching Ninja I thought? That was the "Sink? No I don't have sink" conversation before he randomly started throwing a 100mph two seamer mid-season.

Incredible game and an incredible final pitch. Kudos to the Japanese pitching staff for keeping that lineup in check. I'd have love to have seen a US win, but this tournament has been incredible for baseball.
So so so good for the game. What a tournament, what a final.
 

Max Power

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Jul 20, 2005
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I dont know what that means. That wasn't even one of the best half-dozen games of the competition.

I don't like format I don't like the scheduling.

Just bring the best 8 teams and play a best of three each series, and best of 5 final. In November/early December.
That sounds boring. Might as well replace March Madness with March Reasonableness.
 

InstaFace

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Sep 27, 2016
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I dont know what that means. That wasn't even one of the best half-dozen games of the competition.
Reasonable people can quibble over the format... but not even one of the best half-dozen games of the competition?!

1. Japan 6 Mexico 5 (semifinal)
2. USA 9 Venezuela 7 (quarterfinal)
3. Great Britain 7 Colombia 5 (GS gm 3)
4. Mexico 5 Puerto Rico 4 (quarterfinal)
5. Australia-South Korea (GS gm 1)

...I dunno, I feel like it's probably below the top 2 but I have a hard time not putting it in the next couple. It was a nail-biting one-run game with lots of action and clutch plays on all sides.
 

jon abbey

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Just bring the best 8 teams and play a best of three each series, and best of 5 final. In November/early December.
Totally agree with the timing, and that would probably help the US get better pitchers there, some guys always could use more innings at the end of a season.

I will add that if they don't want to keep tilting this towards a hopeful US/Japan final every time, they should host the whole thing in the Caribbean next time. Now that would be wild.
 

cannonball 1729

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Sep 8, 2005
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I don’t think it was Wainright, but I could be wrong. I feel like it was either the Giants or Phillies.
Can't imagine who else it would be if it's the NLCS. I'm pretty sure there are only two NLCS Game 7s that have ended on strikeouts this century - the Waino curveball to strike out Beltran in 2006 and a Clayton Kershaw fastball to strike out Moustakas in 2018.
 

InstaFace

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Sep 27, 2016
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I will add that if they don't want to keep tilting this towards a hopeful US/Japan final every time, they should host the whole thing in the Caribbean next time. Now that would be wild.
Netherlands / Italy / Czechia!

Except the stadium capacity there is... *checks quickly* yeah so maybe not for a little while.

WBC Centroamerica it is.
 

CaptainLaddie

dj paul pfieffer
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Sep 6, 2004
36,687
where the darn libs live
I dont know what that means. That wasn't even one of the best half-dozen games of the competition.

I don't like format I don't like the scheduling.

Just bring the best 8 teams and play a best of three each series, and best of 5 final. In November/early December.
You're asking for a bunch of teams to send guys with dead arms to a tournament?

Man, the team *favored* to win the tournament (DR) was knocked out before the round of 8. This post just ain't it.
 

patinorange

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Aug 27, 2006
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Totally agree with the timing, and that would probably help the US get better pitchers there, some guys always could use more innings at the end of a season.

I will add that if they don't want to keep tilting this towards a hopeful US/Japan final every time, they should host the whole thing in the Caribbean next time. Now that would be wild.
CUBA!
(a dream, I know.)
 

BigSoxFan

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May 31, 2007
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Honest to God guys I just figured being so popular here and spending so much time here he'd have learned. What in the flying hell is everybody so freaking accusatory for? Man this is about the first time I post anything on the WBC threads because it's only the third or so game I've gotten to watch a game. It was just an observation. I really do think I could learn some of the language if I worked there. My niece did and she was there a couple years. She's not going to do any public speaking but enough to converse and communicate in day to day activities. I just enjoyed the game and saw the interview. Not trying to piss anybody off.
I’m not pissed off or anything. Just trying to provide some context based on my experience. Learning English as fluently as possible would do wonders for his marketability here now that he is a global icon. But I think a lot of this is cultural. Took Ichiro a while to get comfortable too. Don’t ever recall him saying too much in English beyond, “who the fuck is Tom Brady”.
 

jon abbey

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You're asking for a bunch of teams to send guys with dead arms to a tournament?
This is the thing, most MLB pitchers already can't last a full 162+postseason going full guns. So guys can't go in March because they know they are cutting into what they have in the upcoming season for their team, but if it is after the season, there are always very good pitchers who miss a few months and are back and great at the end of the year, but only get to 100 or 120 innings and then their teams are done.

If you want at least some of the best MLB SPs involved and you aren't going to cut the MLB schedule (heh), then Nov/Dec is the best time IMO. You would probably not get guys from the final four or even eight MLB teams but I think that would still be better than this year's rotation. Of course if Kershaw could have gotten insurance, he would have easily been their best SP.
 

AlNipper49

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That was a super fun game that was super fun to watch. The final at bat was something that could have been written as the ending of a baseball movie. It was great. Why do people need to be such poops?