World Baseball Classic 2017

Merkle's Boner

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 24, 2011
3,756
It doesn't appear there is a thread about this event. I understand people's apprehensions about the WBC as it relates to the Sox. But I love these international competitions, and the big teams look stacked.

Here's a look at the USA squad


Sox of note playing for other teams include Xander for Netherlands, Hanley for DR, and EdRod for Venezuela.
 

Merkle's Boner

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 24, 2011
3,756
Dominican Republic is defending champ. Damn good team again but I think USA can give them a run for their money.

 

DaubachmanTurnerOD

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
671
Does anyone know if the games will be streamed online? And if so, will they be available via an mlb.tv subscription? I looked around mlb.com the other day and could not find the answer.

EDIT: Apologies - mlb.tv is now showing that premium subscribers can watch the WBC games live.
 

Rasputin

Will outlive SeanBerry
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Oct 4, 2001
29,419
Not here
Does anyone know if the games will be streamed online? And if so, will they be available via an mlb.tv subscription? I looked around mlb.com the other day and could not find the answer.

EDIT: Apologies - mlb.tv is now showing that premium subscribers can watch the WBC games live.
And MLB Network will be showing as many as they can.



I unreservedly love the WBC. The US always looks like it's got a good team, but there's always someone else who seems to want it more. The DR got embarrassed by the Nethlands (TWICE!) and came back the next time and would not be denied. I don't think they've forgotten and were I to bet, I'd bet on them.

Of course, that's at least in part because I haven't a clue who's who on the Japan roster and they're always good.
 

Tokyo Sox

Baka Gaijin
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Feb 16, 2006
6,132
There
Only real Team Japan news so far is that Ohtani will not be on the roster, as he's recovering from an ankle injury.

I've got tickets for all of the Round 1 games at the Tokyo Dome, and a couple Round 2's. Will try to post a few pictures and recaps etc.
 

jungleboy

New Member
Mar 1, 2016
153
I unreservedly love the WBC.
This.

Top-level international sport(s) is so wonderful, and the WBC is a great example of it. Previous WBCs have been amazing.

As a non-American, I've never really understood why Americans are typically very patriotic yet don't seem to care that much, generally speaking, about international sport(s), which for millions of people around the world is one of the best ways to display patriotism and even establish their own identity and bring their country together.

To take one example, Australian tennis players value the Davis Cup as much as Grand Slam tournaments. Think about that. American players hardly seem to care about it at all (Sampras, especially, comes to mind).

Look, I get that people don't want players on their club team to get injured or to have an interrupted preparation for the MLB season. And I understand that millions of dollars are at stake for the player and his club. But for many athletes around the world, representing their country is the single greatest honor they will ever have, and winning a major international event is the greatest achievement of their lives.

With that in mind, I can't wait for the WBC. Forget about everything else and just enjoy it.
 
Last edited:

Merkle's Boner

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 24, 2011
3,756
So what's the best lineup for the Red, White and Blue?

1B Goldschmidt
2B Daniel Murphy
SS Crawford
3B Arenado
LF McCutchen
CF Jones
RF Stanton
C Posey

That's gonna be tough to top.
 

Papelbon's Poutine

Homeland Security
SoSH Member
Dec 4, 2005
19,615
Portsmouth, NH
Are those players that are actually committed or just theoretical? Because there's some guys named Trout and Betts that would like to have a word if it's the latter.
 

Oppo

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 5, 2009
1,576
So what's the best lineup for the Red, White and Blue?

1B Goldschmidt
2B Daniel Murphy
SS Crawford
3B Arenado
LF McCutchen
CF Jones
RF Stanton
C Posey

That's gonna be tough to top.
Ya, that's definitely the best player they have at each spot with Yelich subbing in for Stanton defensively late in games.

I'll take a stab at the DR:

1B Hanley
2B Cano
SS Machado
3B Beltre
LF Bautista
CF Marte
RF Cruz
C Castillo
DH Santana

Villar to PR as needed late in games.
 

Rasputin

Will outlive SeanBerry
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Oct 4, 2001
29,419
Not here
This.

Top-level international sport(s) is so wonderful, and the WBC is a great example of it. Previous WBCs have been amazing.

As a non-American, I've never really understood why Americans are typically very patriotic yet don't seem to care that much, generally speaking, about international sport(s), which for millions of people around the world is one of the best ways to display patriotism and even establish their own identity and bring their country together.
A lot of American patriotism is fake.
 

edoug

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
6,007
A lot of American patriotism is fake.
The 1980 US hockey team beating the USSR was amazing, for a lot of reasons but I don't care for the WBC. I rather it was for amateurs. I surely don't want Sox players competing especially pitchers. Even more so in the case of ERod.
 

SydneySox

A dash of cool to add the heat
SoSH Member
Sep 19, 2005
15,605
The Eastern Suburbs
This.

Top-level international sport(s) is so wonderful, and the WBC is a great example of it. Previous WBCs have been amazing.

As a non-American, I've never really understood why Americans are typically very patriotic yet don't seem to care that much, generally speaking, about international sport(s), which for millions of people around the world is one of the best ways to display patriotism and even establish their own identity and bring their country together.

To take one example, Australian tennis players value the Davis Cup as much as Grand Slam tournaments. Think about that. American players hardly seem to care about it at all (Sampras, especially, comes to mind).

Look, I get that people don't want players on their club team to get injured or to have an interrupted preparation for the MLB season. And I understand that millions of dollars are at stake for the player and his club. But for many athletes around the world, representing their country is the single greatest honor they will ever have, and winning a major international event is the greatest achievement of their lives.

The bolded is absolutely not true. And even if it was this is a terrible comparison. Tennis and baseball are in no way similar. One isn't even a team sport.

With that in mind, I can't wait for the WBC. Forget about everything else and just enjoy it.
If you 'forget about everything else' then why did you write the previous post? It's either patriotism or it's 'forget everything else'.

There are a shitload of reasons why the WBC is problematic. The injury risks are very real, for one. Players who haven't done anything close to game action for months get hurt doing the sorts of dynamic injuries they're not conditioned for again.

From an Australian point of view, the WBC is also a poisoned chalice. You can 'forget everything and enjoy it' and revel in ignorance if you want, but because I choose not to forget everything, I have a hard time watching the Australian WBC team and not thinking about all the guys who could be on it but aren't because of its unfortunate timing. I use Australia as an example, but it's the same for many smaller countries.

There are two types of players who play in the WBC; the first are established veterans at no risk of losing an MLB roster spot and the guys who have no chance of ever getting one. In the glory days of Australian baseball, we'll have a couple MLB calibre players who might come over, guys like Peter Moylan when he was a lock for Atlanta. There is currently one player who's an MLB level player playing for Team Australia, and it's Liam Hendricks. And I hope he sticks with the A's.

Then you have, basically, the entire current WBC roster, of guys playing in the ABL. I like the ABL fine and I'm a BlueSox season ticket holder but the league is made up of many young to not-so-young Australians who had a shot at MLB and won't get one again like Trent Oeltjen, Travis Blackley, Ryan Rowland-Smith, etc. And Peter Moylan, of course, who's now firmly in the second camp, still playing for team Australia, with no shot of playing MLB again.

The real issue is that every WBC our best team would include, like Grant Balfour a couple years ago, guys who don't play because they're on the cusp or they're fighting for a roster spot. The worst thing a young guy who's doing everything he can to get through Spring Training can do is sign up for the WBC. This isn't an Australia problem - it's an issue for any of the smaller countries whose best young players are trying hard to get a job past the WBC.

I'm glad you can enjoy the WBC and when watching the games I will cheer for Australia too - but there are big issues with the whole thing that aren't the WBC's fault (how could they possibly change the date?).
 

Max Power

thai good. you like shirt?
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
7,877
Boston, MA
A lot of American patriotism is fake.
I don't think it's just that. Americans are pretty psyched by gymnasts and figure skaters every four years. The issue for Americans with international competition with professional baseball players is that the best players are already here, and we're fans of players from all over the world. If you're a Red Sox fan over the last 20 years, you're probably pulling for the DR team over team USA.

That's not necessarily a problem. I'm into watching the competition and don't really care with the result as long as there are some interesting games and fun international styles of play.
 

Rasputin

Will outlive SeanBerry
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Oct 4, 2001
29,419
Not here
When I said much of American patriotism is fake, I was referring to American patriotism, not American patriotism as it regards to sports.

The people who get enthralled by gymnastics and figure skating aren't sports fans, they're event fans. I know that's at least partially the point, but in the Olympics, you have five billion things going on every day. In the WBC, World Cup, and whatever, the American team doesn't play every day, too many Americans don't give a shit about other countries playing, and they don't give a damn about the sport in question.
 

ToeKneeArmAss

Paul Byrd's pitching coach
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Here's another point of view. Maybe it has something to do with Americans having a difficult time imagining themselves not being winners. They've never won a WBC, so it's sort of like the men's soccer World Cup - interesting but not worth getting excited about.

As for the 1980 Olympic hockey gold being an example of patriotism, that's only because they won. It was admittedly a great upset victory, but if they had lost it would have been no great whoop because no one was heavily invested going into it. And unless you're talking Uruguay winning the World Cup there aren't many countries that would still be making a big deal about something that happened 37 years ago.

At the national sports level, Americans are front-runners, plain and simple. The chances of winning the WBC are less than certain, so they don't care to risk rooting on their team because of the risk they won't win. In fact it's even worse because there's no reason that they shouldn't dominate this tourney yet they don't.

Just one Canadian's opinion fwiw.
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,668
International teams that go on a series of upsets to win the gold medal/world championship are always beloved; you couldn't be more wrong that the US or a tiny country like Uruguay are the only ones who would do that. Let me know how many Maradona murals you see in Buenos Aires for what he did 30 years ago.

My take is that other countries don't necessarily have the year-round fulcrum of domestic leagues that keep them engaged. The US and Canada have undisputedly the best basketball, football, baseball and hockey leagues in the world and combined they go on throughout the whole year. No other country can make that claim so it's natural for them to embrace international competition in a way that is different from Americans.
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
70,713
For me, it's just that March baseball is impossible to take seriously.
 

jungleboy

New Member
Mar 1, 2016
153
The bolded is absolutely not true.
I think it's pretty true, or close to it. For example, in 2003 Lleyton Hewitt started the year No1 in the world and his biggest goal for the year was to win the Davis Cup.

But Hewitt had staked his season on winning the Davis Cup, an unusual goal for a modern professional.

"I probably haven't had the greatest year," Hewitt said Sunday. "I guess I sacrificed a lot of things to play Davis Cup and to play well in Davis Cup ties. There's no better feeling than holding the trophy up."

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2003/12/01/sports/tennis/hewitt-achieves-his-goal.html?referer=
The point I was trying to make was that the Davis Cup is far more important to Australian players than to American players. Do you disagree?

And even if it was this is a terrible comparison. Tennis and baseball are in no way similar. One isn't even a team sport.
The point was not to compare baseball and tennis. The point was to say that competing internationally is more important to Australians (and athletes from other countries) than Americans, which I find curious. Do you disagree?

If you 'forget about everything else' then why did you write the previous post? It's either patriotism or it's 'forget everything else'.
Maybe I didn't word that well. I meant: enjoy the great baseball and stop freaking out about the possibility of injuries. The point I was trying to make was this: whenever there is international competition in sports with strong club competitions, there is obviously the possibility that a player will get injured and then be unavailable for their club later on. But in other contexts this seems to be less of a problem to the clubs and fans than for the WBC. Fans don't watch the FIFA World Cup thinking, "I wish X player on my favorite club team wasn't playing in this exhibition tournament. He might get injured and miss next season."

My take is that other countries don't necessarily have the year-round fulcrum of domestic leagues that keep them engaged. The US and Canada have undisputedly the best basketball, football, baseball and hockey leagues in the world and combined they go on throughout the whole year. No other country can make that claim so it's natural for them to embrace international competition in a way that is different from Americans.
I'm not sure that's it, personally. Sure, other countries don't have the top leagues in the sports you mentioned, but they have top leagues in other sports. To keep going with Australia because I was Australian once upon a time, it has the top rugby league competition in the world, the top provincial rugby union competition in the world (shared with NZL and RSA), the top Australian rules football competition (obviously), the top domestic cricket competition, etc. But despite this, representing Australia is still the pinnacle for so many athletes in sports where that is possible.

Another theory could be that the U.S. uses its position as the world's only superpower (and the wars, politics etc that go along with it) as a way to display patriotism and doesn't 'need' the sporting field to do it as other countries do.

For me, it's just that March baseball is impossible to take seriously.
To me, that doesn't seem like a very valid reason not to enjoy the WBC. Personally, I think suddenly having top class baseball outside the normal season is a huge bonus.

But getting back on track, I just think it is a shame if U.S. fans don't get behind this tournament the way fans from (especially) the Caribbean countries do. It's a great tournament, many of the world's best players play in it, there's a huge amount of national pride, and it's so cool to see the way the different countries play the game when they come together. Plus, more baseball.
 

Fred not Lynn

Dick Button Jr.
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2005
5,253
Alberta
I have mentioned it before, but will again now that it is upon us; What about Cuba? Some of the game's very best stars are Cuban ex-pats, and as it stands now they have no place in a tournament that purports to be a showcase for the world's best.
 

Average Reds

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 24, 2007
35,330
Southwestern CT
jungleboy, your enthusiasm is great, so I don't want to squelch that.

If you love the WBC, my advice is to enjoy and celebrate it without probing for why others don't share your love, or (even worse) casting judgment on those who don't share your passion. If you head down that road, you'll find yourself in a lot of arguments you can't really win. Which seems counterproductive to enjoying the tournament.

The notion of the WBC as anything more than a curiosity is absurd to a lot of MLB fans, for any number of reasons:
  • Simply put, MLB players aren't ready in March. They may be in shape, but hitters don't have their timing down and pitchers have not been stretched out or built up the arm strength.
  • The rosters are strong, but they aren't the best players by any means.
  • The rhythm of the season has trained us to be patient and build from the spring to the fall. We're not going to change and focus a lot of attention in the month of March.
  • We are baseball snobs. "We" invented the game. It's true that a lot of great players come from other countries, but it's not a close call in terms of which country is the strongest. (There is a lot of circular logic here, but it's undeniable that the feeling exists.)
It's great that you love the WBC. I think it's a fun tournament. But insisting that we hold it in the same regard you do and/or casting judgment for our position is not likely to end well, especially if you bring patriotism and politics into the equation.

Edit: Premature post. Had to clarify.
 
Last edited:

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
70,713
To me, that doesn't seem like a very valid reason not to enjoy the WBC. Personally, I think suddenly having top class baseball outside the normal season is a huge bonus.
Well, it's just sports, there's no such thing as a "valid reason" to enjoy or not enjoy something, but the real point is that IMO it's impossible to have "top class baseball" in March as Average Reds just said. You disagree, great, enjoy.
 

jungleboy

New Member
Mar 1, 2016
153
jungleboy, your enthusiasm is great, so I don't want to squelch that.

If you love the WBC, my advice is to enjoy and celebrate it without probing for why others don't share your love
Well put, thanks. I'll do that from now on.

or (even worse) casting judgment on those who don't share your passion.
Sorry if I did that. I certainly didn't mean to.

I think we can all agree that in other countries and regions where baseball is very popular (e.g. Japan, DR, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela), fans and players care more about the WBC than in the U.S. I was just curious as to why that is. Sorry for derailing the thread and for offending anyone.

Anyway, enjoy the tournament! Or not!
 

Average Reds

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 24, 2007
35,330
Southwestern CT
No worries. I was just pointing out that fans of MLB who have been trained for years to expect a certain rhythm to the sport, and it's somewhat understandable that they just can't get overly enthused for a March baseball tournament.

Part of the reason that this doesn't apply to fans from many of the Caribbean countries that you mentioned is that many of them just finished with winter ball and so the timing for the WBC is much different to them.

But hey - it's all good.
 

BuellMiller

New Member
Mar 25, 2015
449
So what's the best lineup for the Red, White and Blue?

1B Goldschmidt
2B Daniel Murphy
SS Crawford
3B Arenado
LF McCutchen
CF Jones
RF Stanton
C Posey

That's gonna be tough to top.
Daniel Murphy obviously had the fantastic season last year, but I'd consider going with Matt Carpenter at 2b...a little more consistency over the last few years.
Also, would be nicer to get a few more LHB in there, at least against the DR and and our favorite LOOGY.
 

SydneySox

A dash of cool to add the heat
SoSH Member
Sep 19, 2005
15,605
The Eastern Suburbs
I think it's pretty true, or close to it. For example, in 2003 Lleyton Hewitt started the year No1 in the world and his biggest goal for the year was to win the Davis Cup.



The point I was trying to make was that the Davis Cup is far more important to Australian players than to American players. Do you disagree?



The point was not to compare baseball and tennis. The point was to say that competing internationally is more important to Australians (and athletes from other countries) than Americans, which I find curious. Do you disagree?



Maybe I didn't word that well. I meant: enjoy the great baseball and stop freaking out about the possibility of injuries. The point I was trying to make was this: whenever there is international competition in sports with strong club competitions, there is obviously the possibility that a player will get injured and then be unavailable for their club later on. But in other contexts this seems to be less of a problem to the clubs and fans than for the WBC. Fans don't watch the FIFA World Cup thinking, "I wish X player on my favorite club team wasn't playing in this exhibition tournament. He might get injured and miss next season."



I'm not sure that's it, personally. Sure, other countries don't have the top leagues in the sports you mentioned, but they have top leagues in other sports. To keep going with Australia because I was Australian once upon a time, it has the top rugby league competition in the world, the top provincial rugby union competition in the world (shared with NZL and RSA), the top Australian rules football competition (obviously), the top domestic cricket competition, etc. But despite this, representing Australia is still the pinnacle for so many athletes in sports where that is possible.

Another theory could be that the U.S. uses its position as the world's only superpower (and the wars, politics etc that go along with it) as a way to display patriotism and doesn't 'need' the sporting field to do it as other countries do.



To me, that doesn't seem like a very valid reason not to enjoy the WBC. Personally, I think suddenly having top class baseball outside the normal season is a huge bonus.

But getting back on track, I just think it is a shame if U.S. fans don't get behind this tournament the way fans from (especially) the Caribbean countries do. It's a great tournament, many of the world's best players play in it, there's a huge amount of national pride, and it's so cool to see the way the different countries play the game when they come together. Plus, more baseball.
Dude, again, you're being very polite but it's hard to go back and forth on the quote quote quote thing.

1) You're very wrong on the level of national enthusiasm within Australia for the Davis Cup. You use as an example one player or specific generations of players (maybe because you indicate you haven't been here for a long time) and seem completely unaware of the level of discontent for the Davis Cup over the last several years from players like Bernard Tomic, Nick Kyrgios and Thani Kokkinakis let alone Leyton Hewitt's dummy spits and in fighting and Pat Rafter's coaching fights. This is important because though, as I'll note in a second, your argument is inherently flawed for being a false equivocation, it's not even a correct example within the flawed argument. Your argument itself is broken by your internal logic.

Now, you may have been trying to make the point that the Davis Cup is more important to Australia than America, as you state. But if that was the case, you failed. Generally when you have to explain your point and only introduce an element of that point (the American Davis Cup importance only is referenced now for the first time) it's never good, but you not only failed to use a good example - Australia and the Davis Cup is notoriously unstable - you also failed to even discuss how Americans care about the Davis Cup (if you want to make that argument, you actually have to make it). Then, like I promised, you come to the crux of the issue - it's completely irrelevant to the discussion of the WBC unless you attempt to make it relevant. You didn't even try. False equivalence is a logical failure that runs when you quote one unrelated example and place it against another unrelated example

Ultimately my response to the new question - and it is a new question - that asks "is the Davis Cup far more important to Australian players than to American players?" is: I don't care. I hate tennis. And this has nothing to do with the WBC.

2) The point might not have been to compare baseball and tennis; but you did compare them. A comparison of why international competition might have, again, been relevant if you'd acknowledged, argued and tried prise out the differences in the sport that make them completely incomparable. False equivalence at a base level knocks it out; but you didn't even try to make the argument which is worse.

3) First - you just decided to speak on behalf of all world fans when it comes to football (soccer). And you misrepresented them. As well as cherry picking the world cup vs other international competitions, you're wrong. Fans of football teams absolutely fucking hate when their players go on international duty.

Second - false equivalence, yet again. You just named another sport, loosely compared it, and failed to even explore an argument. You leave us wondering whether you even know anything about football. You might. I will generously offer that I'll assume you do. But how could we know? You haven't even tried to make a point. You just loosely named another organisation, for the second time incorrectly stated a position, and walked away.

There are genuinely huge differences between how a WBC and the World Cup are run. I'm not going to make that argument for you because that shit's on you to try and prove. But trying to compare them without doing any work... as I've said, as an argument or point it's a false equivalence at the base level and devoid of anything resembling work at any other level.

4) You make a good response to Kliq's lazy point about domstic level sports, which isn't hard because Kliq seems to be trying to actually trying to make your point by suggesting countries that aren't the US don't have ongoing, powerful domestic sporting leagues. But you then try to turn it into something it's not. Because you undermine yourself; Rugby League and AFL players don't give a shit about representing their country, any more than people (edit), from America picked for the WBC. Cricket is all about international representation because club and domestic leagues literally act as a AAA or AA system for people only trying to get into the National team. The Rugby competition is by virtue of having 4 different nations involved already an international league, the very thing MLB is not.

5) Your last theory isn't a theory; it's a question. A theory uses any kind of supporting argument to make a point.
 

InsideTheParker

persists in error
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
40,371
Pioneer Valley
MLBN had a wonderful program this noon, which will be repeated tomorrow (3/5) at noon. MLBN Network Countdown, "Top Ten WBC Performances." It really got me in the mood for this year's series Included: big HRs by my faves Varitek and Youkilis, and the improbably Adam Stern inside-the-parker in Canada's win against the U.S.
 

amh03

Tippi Hedren
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 27, 2003
6,637
Didn't see it updated here...Hanley Ramirez has withdrawn from playing...

There will be no World Baseball Classic for Hanley Ramirez.

The Red Sox slugger has withdrawn from the tournament, Boston manager John Farrell told reporters on Thursday. Ramirez has been limited to DH this spring while he deals with shoulder soreness
http://boston.cbslocal.com/2017/03/02/red-sox-hanley-ramirez-withdraws-from-world-baseball-classic/

I haven't found any report, yet, on who will take over 1st base for the defending champs. A bummer that Hanley can't partake...
 

Tokyo Sox

Baka Gaijin
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Feb 16, 2006
6,132
There
MLBN had a wonderful program this noon, which will be repeated tomorrow (3/5) at noon. MLBN Network Countdown, "Top Ten WBC Performances." It really got me in the mood for this year's series Included: big HRs by my faves Varitek and Youkilis, and the improbably Adam Stern inside-the-parker in Canada's win against the U.S.
Japanese TV replayed the 2009 final vs Korea last night; spliced with player interviews looking back on it. The last few innings are crazy. Darvish gives up a game tying single in the bottom of the 9th to make it 3-3, (cut to interview: "I thought I'd blown it") then settles down and K's the next guy with two on, to send it to extras ("I calmed myself down and said, it's a new game now, just get outs"). Top of the 10th Japan gets a couple guys on, and up comes everyone's favorite interview Munenori Kawasaki. I didn't even remember he was on the team. They cut to an interview with Ichiro who was like, "the whole tournament, the whole game, no one was more energetic than Mune, always talking, always getting people going, I felt he could do it" ...and then back to the game, Kawasaki pops out. DOH. Two down, two on, up comes Ichiro and now we get interview clips almost every pitch. He works an 8-pitch 2-run single up the middle and the place goes crazy. He takes second on the throw but doesn't look back to the dugout to acknowledge his teammates (who are going berserk) because, he tells us, he knew he would become too emotional. Darvish starts playing catch in the dugout. He comes back out for the 10th, K's the final guy on an unfair slurve looking thing that moved about four feet, and Japan rejoices.

Games in Korea start tonight, with Jason Marquis on the hill for Israel vs the Korean hosts. Japan opening round starts tomorrow, Japan vs Cuba, and I have my tickets in hand. Giddy up.
 

SumnerH

Malt Liquor Picker
Dope
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
31,887
Alexandria, VA

Flynn4ever

Member
SoSH Member
Here in Japan there is much fretting and fussing that many of the best players are skipping this year, as Tokyo Sox points out it is a huge point of pride here that they wont the first two of these things. Many think it means Japan is better at baseball than the DR or the US. Many can be foolish as well.
 

Tokyo Sox

Baka Gaijin
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Feb 16, 2006
6,132
There
Korea vs Israel now in the 10th, tied 1-1. Israel has had a bunch of chances but have left at least 10 men on; 0-6 with RISP.

Great game to kick things off.
 

InsideTheParker

persists in error
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
40,371
Pioneer Valley
Extra innings right now on MLBN between Israel and Korea, 1-1. There has been some very exciting baseball, with lots of bases loaded strandings. Ryan Lavarnway coming up now, top of the tenth, with Ike Davis on base at first. Oy vey. Base hits for Lavarnway and Burchard (sp?). I lost track, but a run scored. 2-1 Israel. ISRAEL WINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Zeid, the relief pitcher for Israel, had been pitching since the eighth, I believe (I tuned in late). Because of the special rules for the WBC, there was a 50-pitch limit, which Zeid came right up to.
 
Last edited:

Tokyo Sox

Baka Gaijin
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Feb 16, 2006
6,132
There
Zeid was amped up, K's Dae Ho Lee to end it in the 10th. He did so on his 49th pitch, which is huge bc if he hit 50, he'd be unavailable for the rest of the round.

Great game, and great start to the tournament.
 

CSteinhardt

"Steiny"
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 18, 2003
3,201
Cambridge
The main reason I don't care about the WBC is the format - we know enough about baseball to know that one-off games don't determine anything useful - one dominant outing from a starter swings everything. I'd be very excited about a much longer tournament where the format means you really find out the best team, but that just doesn't fit in the calendar.
 

jungleboy

New Member
Mar 1, 2016
153
So the WBC is only available to MLB.tv subscribers in the U.S. (which was not the case for the first three iterations of the tournament). Can anyone recommend a reliable, free VPN that I can use to get around this for a few weeks? Thanks.
 

Tokyo Sox

Baka Gaijin
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Feb 16, 2006
6,132
There
Wonder why some Taiwanese players are boycotting the WBC.
I wasn't aware of that happening, but it sounds like some domestic bickering between the amateur and professional governing bodies. It's unfortunate, as they have some great players.

Israel up 6-0 over Taiwan now in the 3rd thanks to 4 runs on 6 hits in the top of the 1st, and now a Ryan Lavarnway 2-run shot. All my Jewish friends in Tokyo would be stoked to see them advance through to the next round and come here.
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
70,713
The Netherlands in a big hole before they even play a game, Israel is already 2-0 and they have to beat out them or the host South Koreans.
 

Tokyo Sox

Baka Gaijin
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Feb 16, 2006
6,132
There
The Netherlands in a big hole before they even play a game, Israel is already 2-0 and they have to beat out them or the host South Koreans.
Well, Team Honkbal will probably beat Israel and Taiwan themselves; if they lose to Korea, and if Korea beats Taiwan, then 3 teams are 2-1 and it goes to tiebreakers, which seem to come down to runs allowed in the event of a three-way tie.
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
70,713
Well, Team Honkbal will probably beat Israel and Taiwan themselves; if they lose to Korea, and if Korea beats Taiwan, then 3 teams are 2-1 and it goes to tiebreakers, which seem to come down to runs allowed in the event of a three-way tie.
If that's actually the tiebreaker, Israel isn't loving this garbage time 9th inning rally, 15-3 to 15-6 now.
 

Tokyo Sox

Baka Gaijin
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Feb 16, 2006
6,132
There
It seems to be; I can't really tell what the difference is between Step 1 and Step 2 though? unearned runs are more important than earned runs?
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
70,713
Also, it looks like that only determines the #1 finisher in the event of a three way tie at 2-1, and the other two teams play an extra game to see who advances as #2.
 

Tokyo Sox

Baka Gaijin
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Feb 16, 2006
6,132
There
Live from the Tokyo Dome, Japan vs Cuba

ImageUploadedBySons of Sam Horn1488881814.385365.jpg

Cuba threatening top 1st, Kikuchi with a great play at 2B on a ball that was smoked by Cepeda to start a dp and then they get a chopper to third to end the threat.