Author Topic: World Baseball Classic next March  (Read 3724 times)

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gosensgo05

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World Baseball Classic next March
« Topic Start: July 11, 2005, 02:32:49 PM »
I'm really excited about this new international tournament...a World Cup for baseball.  

The Americans should be the favorites to win the tournament.  I think the Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and Dominicans will play very well.  If the Japanese players union agrees to the tournament, it would be fun to watch how the Japanese would play against the Americans or Caribbean teams.   Asians, North Americans, and Latin Caribbeans have very different styles of baseball.  

I wonder where the championship round will be played in the United States?  I think Yankee Stadium would be the PLACE, but the weather is too frigid during March.   I think MLB will encourage the tournament folks to choose a warm weather climate location; probably Dodger Stadium, Minute Maid Park, or Petco in SD.  

I should share my dream lineups for some countries in the near future.

visionary

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World Baseball Classic next March
« Reply #1: July 11, 2005, 02:38:59 PM »
Sounds like it will be pretty interesting.  I think I definitely like the idea, especially with Baseball excluded from the Olympics.

Offline Kenz aFan

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World Baseball Classic next March
« Reply #2: July 11, 2005, 04:36:58 PM »
I'm afraid having the tournament in March is gonna make some teams regret they allowed one or more of their players to participate... How will a team make up for the loss, if one of their key players gets injured? I think it would make a ton more sense to have it in November when players would have a lot more time to heal if anything were to happen.

visionary

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World Baseball Classic next March
« Reply #3: July 11, 2005, 07:59:17 PM »
Good point, I hadn't thought about that, but yeah it might make sense to have it at a more convenient time, in case players got hurt.  Though now that I think about it, do the other countries/leagues have their seasons around the same time?  If not it might be worse for a lot of them to do it in November.

Offline Senators2005

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World Baseball Classic next March
« Reply #4: July 11, 2005, 09:21:35 PM »
Isn't that just a sad state of affairs?  I mean about the Olympics excluding baseball from the games!  That freaking ridiculous.  MLB is one of the most widely diverse sports in the world.  We have Americans, Mexicans, Dominicans, Cubans, Venezuelans, Arubans, Japanese, Koreans..etc. etc. etc.  on & on.  The Olympics like the UN are controlled by Europeans, and they can't understand baseball.  Too complicated for them.   :roll:

visionary

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World Baseball Classic next March
« Reply #5: July 12, 2005, 05:37:13 PM »
Monday, July 11, 2005
USA, Mexico grouped for World Baseball Classic
Associated Press

DEARBORN, Mich. -- The United States will be grouped with Mexico, Canada and South Africa next year in the first round of baseball's first World Cup-style tournament.

The 16-nation, 18-day event, called the World Baseball Classic, opens March 3 in Tokyo or Taiwan, where Group A will include Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China.

The United States will be in Group B, which starts play March 8 along with the other groups and will be based in the United States.

Cuba, Puerto Rico, Panama and the Netherlands are in Group C, which will be in Latin America, and the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Australia and Italy are in Group D, which will be based in Florida.

Major League Baseball has spent more than a decade discussing the tournament and hopes the event will gain in prestige, such as soccer's World Cup. The International Olympic Committee voted Friday to kick baseball out of the Olympics following the 2008 Beijing Games. IOC president Jacques Rogge cited baseball's refusal to allow players on 40-man major league rosters to participate and the sport's drug-testing rules, which do not meet the World Anti-Doping Agency's standards.

"I don't know if frankly I consider it a blow," baseball commissioner Bud Selig said. "I'm sorry they made the decision, but we're moving on in a very dramatic way to internationalize this sport."

While Nippon Professional Baseball has agreed to participate, the Japanese players' association has not yet given its approval and has objected to having the tournament during spring training. It also is unclear whether Cuba, which might fear defections, will accept its invitation.

Gene Orza, the chief operating officer of the players' association, said the obstacles could be overcome.

"Cubans play international events with Americans and against Americans all the time," he said.

Several players who agreed to participate attended a news conference on the day before the All-Star Game: Miguel Tejada (Dominican Republic), Carlos Beltran (Puerto Rico) Andruw Jones (Netherlands), Dontrelle Willis (United States), Jason Bay (Canada), Carlos Lee (Panama), Hee Seop Choi (South Korea) and Justin Huber (Australia).

"I just hope I make the team," Willis said.

Tejada said fans back home would look forward to the event, which baseball hopes will be played a second time in 2009.

"They're going to be really excited to see all the players on one team," he said.

Each team plays three first-round games, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the second round, where each team plays three more games starting March 13.

Four teams advance to the single-elimination semifinals on March 18, and the semifinal winners go on to a one-game championship on March 20. The second round will be split between the United States and Latin America, and the semifinals and final will be played in the United States. No specific sites were announced, but the list of possibilities include Houston, Seattle and sites in Florida, Arizona and California.

Each team will have 27 players, including at least 12 pitchers, and there will be pitch-count limits. Players must be citizens of the nation they play for.

"We're aware of the issue of country jumping," said Paul Archey, an executive vice president in the commissioner's office, "but we haven't adopted a hard-and-fast rule."

Teams agreed not to block players from participating, but Orza acknowledged some clubs would try to sway players against playing.

"You can't stop people from talking," he said.

Forty-seven percent on the net proceeds of the 39-game tournament will go to prize money, with the remaining 53 percent split among Major League Baseball, the players' association, the International Baseball Federation and the organizations of the participating teams.

While soccer's World Cup is run by FIFA, the sport's international governing body, this event is pretty much controlled by MLB and the players' association, which has drawn complaints from Japanese baseball officials.

"Some already have accused us of being too dominant in the conduct of this event and we're sensitive to that," Orza said.

Insurance will be the largest single item in terms of cost, said Paul Archey, a baseball senior vice president.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=2105387&type=story

Offline JMW IV

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Re: World Baseball Classic next March
« Reply #6: July 12, 2005, 05:43:57 PM »
Quote from: "gosensgo05"

The Americans should be the favorites to win the tournament.
.


I disagree wholeheartedly.

we were talking about this at Yuda's and the consensus among us there was that the Dominican Republic is the head-and-shoulders favorite, followed by the US, Mexico, Puerto Rico ,and Venezuela(not in any particular order)

just consider this about the Dominican team:

Jose Guillen is a 5th Outfielder on that team, IF he even makes the team at all.

Pedro is the #1 starter in a rotation that includes Bartolo Colon, and Odalis Perez

the Dominicans are LOADED.

letsgonats91

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World Baseball Classic next March
« Reply #7: July 12, 2005, 06:40:27 PM »
I'm also really looking forward to it. I just hope these egotistic blow hearts here at home don't blow our chances at the title.

By the way: why the heck did the IOC drop baseball and softball from the Olympic lineup? Could this be because of anti-American feelings?

Offline Kenz aFan

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Re: World Baseball Classic next March
« Reply #8: July 12, 2005, 07:30:13 PM »
Quote from: "JMadisonIV"
we were talking about this at Yuda's and the consensus among us there was that the Dominican Republic is the head-and-shoulders favorite, followed by the US, Mexico, Puerto Rico ,and Venezuela(not in any particular order)


Wow, the Cubans weren't given any consideration at all in the discussions? They have got to at least considered a wild card to win or at least play in the final. Have they gotten that bad that they wont even be in the top five?

visionary

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World Baseball Classic next March
« Reply #9: July 12, 2005, 09:24:24 PM »
I think it is still in discussion whether they will even take part in the competition at all.

(Cuba...I mean)

visionary

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World Baseball Classic next March
« Reply #10: July 12, 2005, 09:28:50 PM »
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Sheffield won't play in 'something that's made up'
ESPN.com news services

Gary Sheffield wants nothing to do with the World Baseball Classic.

   
Gary Sheffield
Right Field
New York Yankees    
Profile
   
   
2005 SEASON STATISTICS
GM    HR    RBI    R    OBP    AVG
83    17    68    58    .399    .298

Several major league players spoke of the honor they would feel to represent their countries in baseball's first World Cup-style tournament when the groups for the event were unveiled Monday.

Sheffield was not among them.

The Yankees right fielder told reporters at the All-Star festivities in Detroit on Monday there was no chance he would participate in the event scheduled for March.

"My season is when I get paid," Sheffield told the New York Daily News. "I'm not doing that. ... I'm not sacrificing my body or taking a chance on an injury for something that's made up."

"A lot of guys feel that way. They won't say it like I will, though," he added.

Unlike Sheffield, Miguel Tejada (Dominican Republic) and Dontrelle Willis (United States) were among several players to come out in support of the tournament at press conferences Monday.

"I just hope I make the team," Willis said jokingly.

Tejada said fans back home would look forward to the event, which baseball hopes will be played a second time in 2009.

"They're going to be really excited to see all the players on one team," he said.

The 16-nation, 18-day event opens March 3 in Tokyo or Taiwan, where Group A will include Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China.

The United States will be in Group B, which starts play March 8 along with the other groups and will be based in the United States.

Cuba, Puerto Rico, Panama and the Netherlands are in Group C, which will be in Latin America, and the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Australia and Italy are in Group D, which will be based in Florida.

Major League Baseball has spent more than a decade discussing the tournament and hopes the event will gain in prestige, such as soccer's World Cup.

Sheffield didn't hold playing in the World Baseball Classic in the same high esteem as playing in the Olympics.

"This isn't the Olympics," he told the Daily News. "That's a big difference. This is something you made up."

The International Olympic Committee voted last week to kick baseball out of the Olympics following the 2008 Beijing Games.

Sheffield, who has been outspoken this season on other topics as well, including deferred money in his contract and the possibility of being traded, attributed some of his negative feelings about the Classic to the risk of being injured during the event -- which would take players away from their MLB teams during spring training.

"A lot of guys say, 'Give it a shot, give it a try,'" Sheffield told the Daily News. "But I don't think so."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

luckyexposfan

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World Baseball Classic next March
« Reply #11: July 12, 2005, 09:46:50 PM »
Just another shining example of what a classy guy Gary Sheffield is :roll:

Offline JMW IV

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Re: World Baseball Classic next March
« Reply #12: July 12, 2005, 09:59:37 PM »
Quote from: "Kenz aFan"
Quote from: "JMadisonIV"
we were talking about this at Yuda's and the consensus among us there was that the Dominican Republic is the head-and-shoulders favorite, followed by the US, Mexico, Puerto Rico ,and Venezuela(not in any particular order)


Wow, the Cubans weren't given any consideration at all in the discussions? They have got to at least considered a wild card to win or at least play in the final. Have they gotten that bad that they wont even be in the top five?


the cubans may not play at all.

and if they do, they'll be bringing their own homegrown team, and none of the Defected Major Leaguers (like Livan) will likely play for them.  I'd imagine they'd play for the US.

and the Cubans, while being a major force in International baseball, have never had to go against teams comprised almost solely with Professionals and MLBers(remember, it was amateurs-only in International Play).  The Cubans are used to beating up on College Players.

the other team besides the aforementioned to look out for is Japan, if they play.  Their Players' Union hasn't announced support of this yet.

the WBC is gonna be a whole new ballgame.

Offline bignatsfan

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Re: World Baseball Classic next March
« Reply #13: July 13, 2005, 12:12:36 AM »
Quote from: "JMadisonIV"
Quote from: "Kenz aFan"
Quote from: "JMadisonIV"
we were talking about this at Yuda's and the consensus among us there was that the Dominican Republic is the head-and-shoulders favorite, followed by the US, Mexico, Puerto Rico ,and Venezuela(not in any particular order)


Wow, the Cubans weren't given any consideration at all in the discussions? They have got to at least considered a wild card to win or at least play in the final. Have they gotten that bad that they wont even be in the top five?


the cubans may not play at all.

and if they do, they'll be bringing their own homegrown team, and none of the Defected Major Leaguers (like Livan) will likely play for them.  I'd imagine they'd play for the US.

and the Cubans, while being a major force in International baseball, have never had to go against teams comprised almost solely with Professionals and MLBers(remember, it was amateurs-only in International Play).  The Cubans are used to beating up on College Players.

the other team besides the aforementioned to look out for is Japan, if they play.  Their Players' Union hasn't announced support of this yet.

the WBC is gonna be a whole new ballgame.




I think the Cubans beat up the Blo's a couple of years ago, when Angeloser decide to hook up with Castro's team.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

bnf

visionary

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World Baseball Classic next March
« Reply #14: July 13, 2005, 02:20:53 AM »
I think they split the two game series, but I don't recall for sure.  I also think a bunch of the O's stars did not show up for the game in Cuba.

visionary

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World Baseball Classic next March
« Reply #15: July 13, 2005, 03:02:39 PM »
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
A-Rod: 'I want to say it out loud: I am Dominican'
By Enrique Rojas
ESPNdeportes.com

DETROIT -- Alex Rodriguez feels determined to help the Dominican Republic play a key role in baseball's first World Classic, which will take place in March.

   
Alex Rodriguez
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New York Yankees    
Profile
   
   
2005 SEASON STATISTICS
GM    HR    RBI    R    OBP    AVG
86    23    72    65    .416    .317

That's why the Yankees third baseman has already decided which country he will represent in the most important international event in baseball's history.

"I am going to play for the Dominican Republic, and I am going to make the Dominicans feel proud," Rodriguez said during the All-Star Game.

"I want to say it out loud: I am Dominican," added Rodriguez.

Major League Baseball, the Players Union and the International Baseball Federation have already announced baseball's first World Classic on Monday, with 16 countries slated to participate.

Rodriguez is one of the many baseball players who has dual citizenship and has the choice of representing the country he prefers.

Spanish version
Read this story in Spanish on ESPNdeportes.com.

Rodriguez is son of Dominican parents, but was born in New York. Along with other Dominican players born in the U.S., Rodriguez could play for the United States if so chooses.

"I am Dominican, and that's the flag I will represent in the World Classic," said Rodriguez. "We will have a great team, and we will try to win the title so that all the Dominican people will feel proud of their ballplayers and of their own nationality," he said.

The Dominican Republic will share Pool D, which will play the first round in Florida, with Australia, Venezuela and Italy. The two best teams will advance to the quarterfinals.

The Yankees third baseman was one of the five Dominican players to occupy successive places in the batting order for the American League lineup at the All-Star Game. Rodriguez batted second, a place he has been comfortable with during his last two seasons with the Yankees.

David Ortiz, the designated hitter, was the third player in the batting order, leftfielder Manny Ramirez was the cleanup, shortstop and eventual MVP Miguel Tejada was fifth and outfielder Vladimir Guerrero was sixth.

"Our country is a baseball power. With players like Miguel Tejada, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and others, we are going to keep the Dominican flag at the top," concluded A-Rod.

Enrique Rojas covers baseball for ESPNdeportes.com and has written at various newspapers in the Dominican Republic as well as serving as the Associated Press stringer.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2106934