Anyone else following the World Baseball Classic ?

[Shi Huangdi]

I've been trying to keep up with up with it, it's nice to see a big international tournament finally come up about a sport which is actually interesting. This is the first international baseball tournament to use Major League players Unfortunately it's gotten hardly any press coverage in the USA, and the closest it's gotten to TV coverage is tape delays in the middle of the night, in spite of some the games being played at what is primetime in the USA. It's a shame, you'd figure with all the channels ESPN has it could have put it on ESPNews or ESPN2, instead of just Deportes which isn't widely available. We've already had one great game with Korea pulling off a shocking upset over it's historical rival Japan in front of over 40,000 Japanese fans, including the Japanese crown prince.

There should be some good games to come. I think the United States had to be the big favorite(Dominican Republic might have been if Guillen, Gurrero, and Martinez were in for them), but there is always room for an upset. We'll have to see how good Cuba will be, it'll be hard to tell with them because none of the players on their team plays in the major league. Personally I am hoping for a USA vs. Cuba world championship, that would really be intense....

[Asher]

No one watches it because it's like an international poutine cooking contest .

[Imran Siddiqui]

Me

And Drake said he was following it as well.

Probably won't get that into it until the later rounds.

[Shi Huangdi]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Me

And Drake said he was following it as well.

Probably won't get that into it until the later rounds.

Cool

I know the first chance we'll get to see team USA will be Teusday, should be able to check out the end of it on ESPN2 after I get home from work. Mexico does have a number of major leaguers and you know they'd love to score an upset against us.

[Guynemer]

Haven't been following it at all; I heard there are some very strange and obscure rules about pitch counts and whatnot. What exactly is the deal?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Guynemer
Haven't been following it at all; I heard there are some very strange and obscure rules about pitch counts and whatnot. What exactly is the deal?

The owners are pussies and wanted to put in strict pitch count rules because it is prior to Spring Training and they don't want to risk any injuries at all.

[Drake Tungsten]

I've been watching, but it's been easy for me to watch the Group A games on TV here. Will be harder to follow now that all the remaining games will be played in the Western Hemisphere.

We've already had one great game with Korea pulling off a shocking upset over it's historical rival Japan in front of over 40,000 Japanese fans, including the Japanese crown prince.

I don't know if it was that shocking of a loss. Korea has a surprising amount of big-league talent on their team, while Japan only had Ichiro and their domestic stars. Still an upset, but not a huge one. Their rematch in Anaheim should be interesting, even though it's stupid that the two Group A teams and the two Group B teams play each other again before facing new competition.

The owners are pussies and wanted to put in strict pitch count rules because it is prior to Spring Training and they don't want to risk any injuries at all

I hate Steinbrenner even more now than I used to. What kind of douche pressures players not to participate in the WBC and publically apologizes to fans of an oh-so-important spring training game because Jeter, A-Rod, Damon and others chose to represent their country?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Yeah, really. I wonder if he apologizes when players play in Dominican winter leagues? And this is to represent their countries! As much as Georgie boy thinks players should solely be beholden to their club, players want to represent their countries.

[Shi Huangdi]

Originally posted by Guynemer
Haven't been following it at all; I heard there are some very strange and obscure rules about pitch counts and whatnot. What exactly is the deal?

It seems to me likes a number of BS rules to give the USA an advantage.

For one, the USA has given itself homefield advantage throughout the WBC. The USA has also given itself an extremely easy schedule, making it so it has no chance of facing any of the major powers of the WBC(Except for Japan, but who knows if they are that good) The WBC is using the lame designated hitter rule, which benefits teams such as the USA which of alot of offensive depth. The pitch count rules, as well as the rules preventing pitchers from pitching twiece in a row, have the effect of giving a huge advantage to teams that have a lot of depth at pitching, such as the USA.

I can understand why they set up this way, after all ratings in the WBC's biggest market, the USA, depends largely on whether the USA is in it or not. Still I think it cheapens the tournament to have the favorite get additional advantages already built in.

I hate Steinbrenner even more now than I used to. What kind of douche pressures players not to participate in the WBC and publically apologizes to fans of an oh-so-important spring training game because Jeter, A-Rod, Damon and others chose to represent their country?

That man is a digusting menace to the game of his baseball. It's bad enough how he always tries to buy the world series, now he is opposing a great effort to truly internationalize baseball all for his selfish interests...

[Drake Tungsten]

I can understand why they set up this way, after all ratings in the WBC's biggest market, the USA, depends largely on whether the USA is in it or not. Still I think it cheapens the tournament to have the favorite get additional advantages already built in.

It does cheapen the tournament. Then again, I'd like to see this become a regular thing, so I'd like to see America stay in it as long as possible, fairly or not. This will be the only WBC if Americans don't tune in...

[Imran Siddiqui]

I don't think it was to give the US an 'edge' at all. I think it was because the owners didn't want the players to get injuries while not on the clock for them.

[Drake Tungsten]

The US team definitely has an advantage, most likely deliberate. Group B is the weakest in the tournament and Group A (who Group B gets paired with in the quarterfinals) is the next weakest group. Plus, America's first game in the quarters will be against the other Group B team, giving them one more game before they have to face Korea or Japan. It's been set-up so that the US will play at least 4 games before its first stiff test. Theoretically. Mexico may be better than most people think...

[Drake Tungsten]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
Plus, America's first game in the quarters will be against the other Group B team, giving them one more game before they have to face Korea or Japan.

This isn't true. Sorry; that's what I get for believing things I read...

[Bosh]

Will be interesting to see the Korea/US game.
Was surprised the Korea beat Japan though, good for them...

[flash9286]

Been trying to catch some of the games on ESPN, but they come on at like 4 in the morning. Is the Dominican Republic still the favorite?