The Japan team is taller than the average Japanese citizen. Average Japanese male is 67.2" tall.
Japan team pitchers avg 71.25", 106% of polulation average
Japan team infielders avg 70.6", 105% of population average
Japan team outfielders avg 70.5", 105% of population average
Average USA male is 68.9" tall.
USA team pitchers avg 74.57", 108% of polulation average
USA team infielders avg 74.86", 109% of population average
USA team outfielders avg 74.67", 108% of population average
Conclusions:
In WBC height was not a good predictor of success.
Professional baseball players are taller than the average population male.
USA team players are taller by a wider margin over the general USA population than are the Japanese players over the Japanese population.
The 5'7" Japanese male is probably complaining about the bias towards height in Japanese baseball just like Chicksdig.... is complaining about the bias in the USA.
Are we saying that if the USA team were on average 4" shorter they would have played better? I don't think so.