World Baseball Classic '09 - Discussion Thread

[NYJets]

Re: World Baseball Classic '09 - Discussion Thread

It's baseball. We don't need more teamwork and more chemistry, we need more of the best players to play.

But even then, it's still baseball, and anything can happen. Peavy didn't have it today, and it's going to be tough to win when your down 6-0 after 2 innings. I would have liked more of a fight, we made it very easy for Vazquez, but still it happens.

Hopefully eventually most of the best players start playing. But even if that does happen, I don't expect the best teams on paper to start dominating year after year. Everyone says the playoffs are a crapshoot, well double elimination is even more of a crapshoot. Guys go into slumps, pitchers have bad days, etc.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: World Baseball Classic '09 - Discussion Thread

I'm not so pissed I missed this game for work.

Pathetic.

Win tomorrow, let's do it!

[bigfnjoe96]

Re: World Baseball Classic '09 - Discussion Thread

Well, Puerto Rico just beat the USA by the ten run mercy rule, 11-1 in 7 innings.

Boriqua........

[Pared]

Re: World Baseball Classic '09 - Discussion Thread

Pa' que tu lo sepa!

[SlimKibbles]

Re: World Baseball Classic '09 - Discussion Thread

This year's USA team seems to have a better clubhouse vibe than the one 3 years ago.

You just had a bunch of superstars there, with names like Clemens and A-Rod and from interviews I've heard from the guys who also played on the team in '06 they basically echoed the same thing.

Pride is not a problem IMO, but instead the time to build chemistry is so much more important. Think about why the USA men's basketball team didn't win gold in Athens. Think about how they changed the program so they would have time like the other European national teams to gel, playing in the world championships each year, etc, and look how well it worked for them in '08.

Similarly the Latin American teams have a lot of time to build team chemistry. A lot of the guys play winter ball down south. I'm sure they also have some sort of Latin American championship where these countries play against each other constantly.

It's the same deal here IMO. If USA baseball wants to take this seriously, they need to think about building an A team in the offseason and have them constantly play together, pick guys that would be good cogs, utility guys, scrappy guys mixed with some star power. It seems like the mindset of USA national sports has always been about "let's throw some all-stars in there and see what develops" and that never works. ...

You do make some good points in your post. I was talking about pride being an issue more so with the players that turned down the offer to play. I don't think pride is an issue at all with guys like Adam Dunn, Jake Peavy, and Chipper Jones. The clubhouse does seem to have a better vibe, and you're right, USA international sports do seem to always just grab a bunch of all-stars, put them on a team, and see what happens. The one team that does it right is US Soccer but that is a bit of a different animal and there is more time to prepare for the World Cup, or whatever. I don't know. I've just seen more enthusiasm for international competition over the years from foreign players as opposed to Americans in baseball and basketball, at times. Kind of bothers me.

[Marinerss]

Re: World Baseball Classic '09 - Discussion Thread

wow. USA lost huh.

[dodgerblue]

Re: World Baseball Classic '09 - Discussion Thread

I don't think pride is an issue for this group either, I think they ran into a buzzsaw yesterday and baseball works that way sometimes. However, the latin teams just finished their season and they are much more prepared to play these games than US players who are more in spring training mode. Throw in very short double elim series and anything can happen. But man that was embarrassing. Imagine Canada getting whacked in hockey or Brazil/Germany in soccer. We've been playing this game for over 150 years!

[Eton Rifles]

Re: World Baseball Classic '09 - Discussion Thread

it is just one bad game. Remember the USA beat Venezuela 15-6 in the first meeting and then lost 5-3 in the second meeting. Also, Mexico got killed by Australia in their first meeting then killed them in the second meeting. I say don't panic unless the USA is losing late in the game to the Dutch.

[fugazi]

Re: World Baseball Classic '09 - Discussion Thread

it isn't about "best players" for the USA either...their lineup is just short of fantastic.

most of those ''best players'' you are talking about are from other nations...

baseball is just that kind of game, moreso than any other...where any team really can get it handed to them anyday...

remember the thread that made fun of the marlins for losing 10-1 to puerto rico (i think it was pr)...last week the marlins beat the mets 11-1...big deal. it happens a lot.

don't overblow it, and don't blame the players that weren't there. There is only a team or two in the WBC that even compares talent-wise to the US, so i really don't think that is the issue.

[Jackdog]

Re: World Baseball Classic '09 - Discussion Thread

I agree with this guy's assessment of Davy Johnson.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-useloses031409&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

[Lintyfresh85]

Re: World Baseball Classic '09 - Discussion Thread

TOTALLY AGREE.

What a clown.

Give Larkin the team.

[OSUFan_88]

Re: World Baseball Classic '09 - Discussion Thread

So, basically, team USA is going to run the team like an elevated spring training?

I'm not going to waste anymore time watching it, then.

[Marinerss]

Re: World Baseball Classic '09 - Discussion Thread

I agree with this guy's assessment of Davy Johnson.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slu...yhoo&type=lgns

I see. Americans are just now calling it an exhibition because they are losing. Haha at the excuses.

[Jackdog]

Re: World Baseball Classic '09 - Discussion Thread

So, basically, team USA is going to run the team like an elevated spring training?

I'm not going to waste anymore time watching it, then.

That exactly what it sounds like. When Johnson says he "“Just basically let him(Peavy) get a little more work,” I lost total interest in the USA squad. I wonder how the players that really want to win this thing felt about that statement.

[firktaf]

Re: World Baseball Classic '09 - Discussion Thread

That would make sense, but the seeding game exists for 5 reasons:

1. Extra $$$ for MLB
2. The team that wins their first 2 games doesn't have to wait around for 4-5 days to play another game
3. Extra $$$ for MLB
4. Fans get another chance to see the two best teams in the group play each other
5. Extra $$$ for MLB

I'm confused how having there be the possibility for 1 more game would hurt any of those points. In fact, I think it would enhance 4 out of those 5 reasons. Playing an extra game would get the MLB more money...or at least it should and fans would get yet another opportunity to watch the two best teams from that pool play if the situation called for it. The only difference from it's current state is that you would've had an extra game of USA vs Venezuela and an extra game of Japan vs Korea. Cuba and Puerto Rico both won their pool outright so nothing would've changed for how those pools ended up.

If there is any real deterrent to this, then I would assume it would be scheduling and ticket sales. The MLB/WBC would have to prepare for the possibility of an extra game and that would probably mean financially reserving the stadium in San Juan but ended up throwing money away for it because of how Puerto Rico won their pool. For ticket sales, I don't think they could sell tickets in advance for games that might not happen...but the MLB is able to do it for the MLB playoffs, so I don't really know about that.