Just love the passion these 2 teams played with tonight. I hope they can work out the bugs with this tourney because I think it is very exciting baseball.
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Watching Japan and Korea play in this tournament was, for me, like watching a CD of how to play this game. They appear to be way ahead of US players in fundamentals, execution and desire. Maybe I'm crazy, but I don't care which US players might have played in this event, I still think they would have had a very tough time winning the gold.
Absolutely agree!!
I am not a fan of the WBC; but last nights game was exciting and very well played.
If they fix the format this could be so much better and draw more attention. Two weekends, true double elimination bracket play name a champ. It takes too long and for Korea and Japan to play 5 times is odd. (along w too many other games that did not matter after teams already qualified to advance).
Great game last though, kudos to the play on the filed..
If they fix the format this could be so much better and draw more attention. Two weekends, true double elimination bracket play name a champ. It takes too long and for Korea and Japan to play 5 times is odd. (along w too many other games that did not matter after teams already qualified to advance).
Great game last though, kudos to the play on the filed..
Loved it!
Here's a thought... shouldn't Japan or some other country be given the opportunity to host an upcoming WBC final round?
Here's a thought... shouldn't Japan or some other country be given the opportunity to host an upcoming WBC final round?
Ichiro says he wanted to play against better U.S. squad
Tuesday 24th March, 07:08 AM JST
LOS ANGELES —
Ichiro expressed disappointment Sunday that the United States could not field a better squad in the World Baseball Classic. ‘‘I didn’t feel anything special about playing against them. Looking at their lineup today, I just felt sorry for them,’’ the Seattle Mariners star said after Japan’s 9-4 semifinal victory over the United States.
Tuesday 24th March, 07:08 AM JST
LOS ANGELES —
Ichiro expressed disappointment Sunday that the United States could not field a better squad in the World Baseball Classic. ‘‘I didn’t feel anything special about playing against them. Looking at their lineup today, I just felt sorry for them,’’ the Seattle Mariners star said after Japan’s 9-4 semifinal victory over the United States.
Truer words may not have been said about the WBC
What the WBC needs to do is let the rest of the world play in March. The winner of the tournament in March plays the U.S. All-Star team during the all-star break at the city hosting the all-star game. Just eliminate the home run derby or some other event and play a series for the WBC Title. This way MLB's best are there and they're in mid-season form. They could even bring in players who missed the all-star cut and play in the series.
There is a wonderful editorial written by Gwen Knapp in today's Chronicle. In its purest form, the article emphasizes the "game" of baseball and how it is now played by teams like Japan and Korea.
Here is an extract I thought was very poignant:
" Ichiro Suzuki, not Mark McGwire, should have been the model for a new era in baseball. But small ball seemed like a harder sell. Owners and marketers didn't really believe in their own product. They led with power, even though the typical home run can't compete visually with the crushing violence of football, the soaring dunks of basketball or, as other sports become more mainstream, the dramatics of professional wrestling.
At its best, the sport is elegant and cerebral, like a moving chess match. Two of the greatest moments over the last decade were Derek Jeter's backward toss to the plate against Oakland's Jeremy Giambi and Dave Roberts' history-altering stolen base in the ninth inning of the 2004 ALCS's Game 4. Defense, head games, speed. Sublime.
The WBC finalists played like purists, and it made them unbeatable. The U.S., if allowed to play under their ideal circumstances, might be dominant. But then again, the Americans got to play at home, and the pitch limits imposed on WBC teams may have held back the Asian teams, who tend not to baby their arms the way Americans do. The only thing we know for sure is that the Japanese and Koreans aren't playing for a highlights reel, or to lure an audience away from MTV. They should be baseball's dream team."
At the essence, the WBC leaves me with the picture of Ichiro singling to drive in two and taking the extra base on the throw home contrasted with hulking Adam Dunn taking the call 3rd strike to end the game against Japan.
Baseball in its purest form contrasted with baseball the way it is played and cheered in the good ole USA by MLB owners, marketers and those shaping the game.
Here is an extract I thought was very poignant:
" Ichiro Suzuki, not Mark McGwire, should have been the model for a new era in baseball. But small ball seemed like a harder sell. Owners and marketers didn't really believe in their own product. They led with power, even though the typical home run can't compete visually with the crushing violence of football, the soaring dunks of basketball or, as other sports become more mainstream, the dramatics of professional wrestling.
At its best, the sport is elegant and cerebral, like a moving chess match. Two of the greatest moments over the last decade were Derek Jeter's backward toss to the plate against Oakland's Jeremy Giambi and Dave Roberts' history-altering stolen base in the ninth inning of the 2004 ALCS's Game 4. Defense, head games, speed. Sublime.
The WBC finalists played like purists, and it made them unbeatable. The U.S., if allowed to play under their ideal circumstances, might be dominant. But then again, the Americans got to play at home, and the pitch limits imposed on WBC teams may have held back the Asian teams, who tend not to baby their arms the way Americans do. The only thing we know for sure is that the Japanese and Koreans aren't playing for a highlights reel, or to lure an audience away from MTV. They should be baseball's dream team."
At the essence, the WBC leaves me with the picture of Ichiro singling to drive in two and taking the extra base on the throw home contrasted with hulking Adam Dunn taking the call 3rd strike to end the game against Japan.
Baseball in its purest form contrasted with baseball the way it is played and cheered in the good ole USA by MLB owners, marketers and those shaping the game.
Good article, but I thought the biggest difference was the pitching and fielding. The small ball Korean team hit one less home run than the USA did.
I watched Korea beat Japan a few weeks back in a 1-0 thriller. The fan enthusiasm was unbelievable. I saw this same type of reaction in Cleveland a few years back in 1997 when the Indians beat the Yankees and Orioles to advance to the World Series. The Indians basically relied on small ball that year with Omar Visquel + company but they had some boppers like Thome and Ramirez as well.
Baseball is fine all by itself imho. It is a big enough game for both small ball and long ball. I love fundamentals and enthusiasm just like the next guy but I also like watching big guys hit them a long ways. I suspect that the game this writer was lamenting for was changed forever when Babe Ruth appeared on the scene. I still think there is something to be learned & enjoyed by watching Japan and Korea. The young upstart teams that have appeared on the scene the past few years like Tampa, Arizona, Colorado, etc. have the necessary enthusiasm to keep the game growing in the right direction imho.
Baseball is fine all by itself imho. It is a big enough game for both small ball and long ball. I love fundamentals and enthusiasm just like the next guy but I also like watching big guys hit them a long ways. I suspect that the game this writer was lamenting for was changed forever when Babe Ruth appeared on the scene. I still think there is something to be learned & enjoyed by watching Japan and Korea. The young upstart teams that have appeared on the scene the past few years like Tampa, Arizona, Colorado, etc. have the necessary enthusiasm to keep the game growing in the right direction imho.
PG,
Little doubt the pitching and fielding made a difference.
But, in my view, so did execution by both teams as contrasted with the way Team USA plays the game..the Ichiro bunt for a single, the later bunt to advance runners into scoring position.
Both teams constantly putting on pressure.
Korea scoring two runs on 3 hits until the 9th they score the 3rd run on 1 hit..
That was part of my focus with the probably clumsy effort to contrast Dunn and Ichiro.
Little doubt the pitching and fielding made a difference.
But, in my view, so did execution by both teams as contrasted with the way Team USA plays the game..the Ichiro bunt for a single, the later bunt to advance runners into scoring position.
Both teams constantly putting on pressure.
Korea scoring two runs on 3 hits until the 9th they score the 3rd run on 1 hit..
That was part of my focus with the probably clumsy effort to contrast Dunn and Ichiro.
Joe Torre's book ("The Yankee Years") gives an excellent review of the late 90s Yankee teams winning it all 3 consecutive years (and 4 of 5 years) by doing the little things.
Its a style of baseball I enjoy more than the current American brand.
Its a style of baseball I enjoy more than the current American brand.