World Baseball Classic 2017

InsideTheParker

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Same. But I do question how fair it is for hitters still without timing facing pitchers in a rhythm is.

I'd rather this be held mid MLB season. They can lose 8 games or whatever every 4 years for it.
The purpose of this is to grow the game of baseball and create or intensify interest in other parts of the world. I wonder if that's happening. To me, this is somewhere between an exhibition and a tournament, and the US winning it isn't very important.
 

jon abbey

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If this is still tied in the 11th, each half inning starts with runners on 1st and 2nd.
 

Orel Miraculous

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Same. But I do question how fair it is for hitters still without timing facing pitchers in a rhythm is.
It's not like there's a rule that bars US hitters from adequately preparing for the tournament. The Japanese and Korean teams began camp for this in January; the Venezuelans were practicing together for weeks before spring training started.

The US baseball community doesn't care about this tournament. That's fine. But it's quite arrogant for Americans to then deliegitimize the entire tournament by projecting their attitude onto the rest of the world.

Edit: not accusing you of being specifically arrogant; I completely share your desire to do this in midsession. It's just infuriating to see the American sports media and baseball world to continually make circular arguments as to why ththey WBC is stupid.
 

canderson

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It's not like there's a rule that bars US hitters from adequately preparing for the tournament. The Japanese and Korean teams began camp for this in January; the Venezuelans were practicing together for weeks before spring training started.

The US baseball community doesn't care about this tournament. That's fine. But it's quite arrogant for Americans to then deliegitimize the entire tournament by projecting their attitude onto the rest of the world.

Edit: not accusing you of being specifically arrogant; I completely share your desire to do this in midsession. It's just infuriating to see the American sports media and baseball world to continually make circular arguments as to why ththey WBC is stupid.
Oh I strongly agree. But teams restrict what players can do.
 

The Gray Eagle

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This Puerto Rico team is fun to watch. Correa, Yadier, Baez, Lindor, etc., a very entertaining bunch.
 
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jungleboy

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Nice quote from Chris Archer about what the game meant to him:

"It was definitely a special moment. ... I haven't started in a postseason game in my career, and the last time I played in the postseason was four years ago. So to go out there and have that type of atmosphere, honestly, I got chill bumps four or five times before the game and just like kind of thinking to myself, is this real?"
MLB.com link.
 

InsideTheParker

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Although he walked in a run, so far Eric Gagne is pitching in his retirement for Team Canada better than I remember him pitching for the Red Sox almost 10 years ago.
 
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Merkle's Boner

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If Italy holds on against Venezuela, that would have to be one of the biggest upsets of the tournament. And it would knock Venezuela out I'm pretty sure.

And as I'm typing Prado drives in two and it's 5-3.
 

simplicio

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Now up one, and Tommy Layne comes in to try to get outs.

I was shocked that Venezuelan offense couldn't produce in the last game; this is more like it.
 

InsideTheParker

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Yeah, you can watch it on mlb.com by logging in with your tv provider, if your channels include mlbn. Fun game. Venditte pitching. I missed, if they said, how they're dealing with his ambidextrousness.
 

InsideTheParker

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Oh boy, Gavin Cecchini in a big spot, 2 outs in the ninth, 2 on. Tying run in on ball in the air, Salvador Perez and pitcher K-rod both hurt on the play at the plate to cut down the winning run. In case that's not clear, it's 10-10 going into the 10th. (Nick Punto 3B coach, tried to hold up Butera, the runner, but he ignored him.) They just showed Perez needing help to get down the stairs to the clubhouse. I'm afraid he might be hurt significantly.
 
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InsideTheParker

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Oh, boy, the "Italian" team is now having to pitch a real Italian, in the 10th, with two on and one out. Name of Crepaldi. Venezuela up 11-10. He gets the two outs they asked him to get. If Italy ties it up but doesn't win, in the bottom of the inning, Crepaldi is it, the only arm left in the pen.
 

jon abbey

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Whoa, Butera is Perez's backup in KC, that is crazy for countless reasons.
 

jon abbey

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Indians fans cannot be happy seeing Miller go for a high-intensity six out save on March 11.
 

jon abbey

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Giving up 3 runs and the lead in 9 pitches is a good way to keep your pitch count down (22), Miller is always thinking about the big picture. :)
 

Kliq

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Get rid of the Marlins and let a Dominican franchise play at the park. Great atmosphere.
Yeah that was great, felt like October baseball in March. Maybe the US doesn't take it that seriously but it means a lot to other countries and those guys were going hard.
 

Tokyo Sox

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2nd round is underway here in Tokyo. Cuba took an early 1-0 lead on Israel on a solo shot from Despaigne but the Jew Crew has battled back and are up 3-1 after 7. Impossible to predict at this point which two teams are likely to advance out of the 2nd round here.
 

Rasputin

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2nd round is underway here in Tokyo. Cuba took an early 1-0 lead on Israel on a solo shot from Despaigne but the Jew Crew has battled back and are up 3-1 after 7. Impossible to predict at this point which two teams are likely to advance out of the 2nd round here.
I hope I'm not the only one that thinks that's awesome.
 

Tokyo Sox

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Yes and yes. This kid Senga looked great vs Australia but is getting knocked around a bit now, and was lucky to escape 2nd & 3rd no out last inning.

Edit: Stadium is packed, again, and I've got some great seats:
ImageUploadedBySons of Sam Horn1489322290.951875.jpg

Senga escapes again.
 

Tokyo Sox

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Japan wins. I think their skill set is better adapted to these new rules. They handled the guys on base situation much better than the Dutch did.
No one loves small ball more. Dutch could have tried the same but elected to let Profar swing away and he popped out to Nakata at 1st.

Really great game and great energy once again at the Dome.
 

InstaFace

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No one else finds it a little... peculiar isn't strong enough a word, but unseemly feels too strong... that the "Israel" team is a bunch of Jewish-Americans playing in MLB / MiLB who grew up in the US and may have never even been to Israel, much less be a citizen?

I mean, to take a less-emotionally-charged example: "Germanic" is the single biggest ethnicity of origin in the US, but if a bunch of players whose families had been here for generations decided "you know what, we're not going to make the USA squad so let's just find our great-great-grandparent who was German and go make a German team" despite none of them giving the slightest damn about Germany, that wouldn't quite feel right, would it?

I love the WBC, but a big part of the fun is players caring about representing their country. I just don't see how the farcical end-runs to assemble a team like that aid the goal here. Sure, if you've got most of a roster but can stretch the rules a bit to bring in an MLB star as a ringer, go nuts, at least the core of the team is from your country, and that ringer guy will feel the passion and go along with it. But otherwise, you're pretty much a barnstorming team of randos, some of whom may keep kosher a little bit.
 

InsideTheParker

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InstaFace, I can't argue with you, but history has led to the diaspora as well as to the founding of Israel, and being spread out over many countries is part and parcel of being Jewish. So you might not understand that this bunch of Jews feels the same kind of determination to do well as other teams, and that Jews watching the games feel the same kind of enthusiasm and excitement. Nonetheless, you are right, but that bell has been rung and "Israel" has been let in. I reckon if a bunch of German-Americans felt that way, they might let them form a team and compete to get in also.
 

InsideTheParker

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Oh boy, the Colombians tie it up off Rodney in the ninth. He prevents the winning run, and that is reason enough (to him) to shoot off his imaginary arrow.