World Baseball Thread MCXIII

[Naked Gents Rut]

Nederland!!!

[Naked Gents Rut]

Puerto Rico might have been the most impressive team in the World Baseball Classic's opening round, but no one could have seen this coming: an 11-1 rout of the United States in the first game of Round 2. A win was not a shock; a mercy-rule finish was. Puerto Rico jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, led 6-0 after two and piled on in the seventh inning to win 11-1.

The U.S. was never in contention in this game and didn't look at all like it was ready to play or interested in making a game of it. Puerto Rico outhustled them all over the field, and the U.S. bats did next to nothing against Javier Vazquez.

The U.S. has no time to feel bad for themselves -- they play an elimination game tomorrow against the giant-slaying Netherlands team that bounced the Dominican Republic from the WBC in Round 1.

http://www.fannation.com/si_blogs/world_baseball_classic_blog?eref=fromSI

Awesome. Here's hoping the Netherlands finishes the U.S. off.

[snoopy369]

Javier Vazquez

[Naked Gents Rut]

Japan is making a case for being the best baseball-playing nation on Earth.

[Naked Gents Rut]

Nederland...

I guess some other team is going to get the enjoyment of knocking the U.S. out.

[snoopy369]

David Wright

[-Jrabbit]

Great finish. Heartbreaking for the losers -- from undefeated to gone in 2 games.

On to the semifinals for the US...

[snoopy369]

I'm still not sure I follow this format, though. We're 1-1 vs. Puerto Rico, yet they're out and we're in? All because they played Venezuela and we played the Netherlands...

[EPW]

lol@USA

[Naked Gents Rut]

Japan

Maybe we should have a thread on their major league instead of the American one.

[Fistandantilus]

I'd train him as a switch-fielder.