Slightly OT: The World Baseball Classic

by cubs2k8isnxtyear on Mar 5, 2009 2:50 AM CST

As many of you already know, the World Baseball Classic begins today, with defending champion Japan taking on China to open up the international tournament.

Here's the bracket for the event.

The United States team features the hottest name of the winter for Cubs fans, Jake Peavy, as well as the venerable Derek Jeter and a bullpen that the Cubs can counter (LaTroy Hawkins?!) and take down on their own.

Venezuela, defending champion Japan, the USA, and the Dominican Republic are the top contenders to be the 2nd "World Champion of Baseball".

Cubs players featured in the WBC are Geovany Soto, Kosuke Fukudome, Ted Lilly, and Carlos Marmol.

Al already posted an article on the main page about ways to fix the World Baseball Classic. This thread is specifically about the 2009 version and the actual games.

My prediction is a Dominican Republic victory over defending champion Japan. I will try and catch as much of the action as I can but it's not my top priority with college basketball heating up.

What are your predictions for the 2009 World Baseball Classic and will you be watching?

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Also...

MLB.TV is debuting they’re new media player with a beta version during the CHN/JPN game right now…. looks pretty smooth so far. I’m sure by Opening Day, they’ll find a way to screw it up though.

by MillsChC on Mar 5, 2009 4:28 AM CST reply actions

I almost puked when I saw Latroy Hawkins

seriously? There isn’t another reliever out there that is able to pitch??

#34: You'll be missed!

by Chanman25 on Mar 5, 2009 8:11 AM CST reply actions

Playing CF and batting 7th Kosuke

went 0-0 with 4BB and 1 run. 4BB! Hopefully he’ll have that kind of patience again this year.

by thehat34 on Mar 5, 2009 8:31 AM CST reply actions

His patience...

Was a thing of beauty early on last year.

Someday we'll go all the way...

by CubsBullsBears on Mar 5, 2009 8:59 AM CST up reply actions

Four walks is a good thing.

It shows that he’s not wildly flailing at everything as he was during the 2nd half of last year.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Mar 5, 2009 9:04 AM CST up reply actions

As fate would have it...

…I was reading the Cubs 2009 Annual on the train this morning and, per Colin Wyers’ excellent article, Dome “had the 19th best walk rate of all qualified [major league] starters” last season. So, yes, this is great news. He just needs to maintain his strengths (patience, pitch recognition, baserunning and defense) and find a way to overcome his weaknesses.

My sig line is out for jury duty.

by daver on Mar 5, 2009 10:38 AM CST up reply actions

If it happens to be on...

I’ll be sure to take a peek, but the WBC (in its current format) does not really interest me; my focus will be on college basketball like someone said above and even spring training to a certain degree.

Free Ronny Cedeno

by Kansas25 on Mar 5, 2009 9:27 AM CST reply actions

If it is on TV

I will watch baseball. If I have time to, that is. I do have to work for a living, and here in Alaska, many of the games take place during the workday. But I have no interest in the outcome of the WBC. I just hope no one gets hurt.

"I lof to hit de home ron!"

by Tekboy on Mar 5, 2009 9:30 AM CST reply actions

I will watch

I’m especially interested in the Cuban team. I’ve heard Leslie Anderson is a stud.

In 2006, the teams that had an advantage were the ones that had played together for a while and were not as impacted by MLB commitments, the Japanese and the Cubans. I don’t see why that trend will stop. I think it negatively effects teams when tthier players are more worried about what comes after the WBC than the WBC itself. The Cubans, certainly, don’t have this issue. They are more concerned with International tournaments than thier seasons.

by jerry morales rules on Mar 5, 2009 10:08 AM CST reply actions

I'll definitely be making an effort...

…to catch as much of the WBC as I can, though I’m probably not going to sacrifice much sleep to follow the games.

My sig line is out for jury duty.

by daver on Mar 5, 2009 10:39 AM CST reply actions

You're probably waiting till round 2, then...

… although there are some games on at more reasonable hours over the weekend.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Mar 5, 2009 1:02 PM CST up reply actions

The more I think about it...

…the more I’m interested. Most players will use it as a tune-up but from what I remember, a lot of countries took this seriously last time and put forth a lot of effort. Didn’t Japan get screwed over on a call in a game against the U.S.?

I’ll be home all day Friday and wanted to watch some games but it doesn’t look like that’ll happen with games at 4:30 a.m. and later on. Does anyone know if ESPN plans on re-airing any of the games during the day? I’d much rather see Chinese Tapei take on Korea than watch Skip Bayless yelling all day.

by montanacubby on Mar 5, 2009 10:41 AM CST reply actions

ESPN will re-air the 4:30 am

game @ 1pm CST.

"Why do you always point to the sky when Zambrano starts?" My girlfriend.

"You just wouldn't get it...it's a Cubs thing..." Me.

by cubs2k8isnxtyear on Mar 5, 2009 1:42 PM CST up reply actions

Correction.

The game is on ESPN2, not ESPN. It’s on right now.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Mar 5, 2009 2:02 PM CST up reply actions

Thanks Al,

sorry about the mistake.

"Why do you always point to the sky when Zambrano starts?" My girlfriend.

"You just wouldn't get it...it's a Cubs thing..." Me.

by cubs2k8isnxtyear on Mar 5, 2009 2:50 PM CST up reply actions

No worries.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Mar 5, 2009 4:23 PM CST up reply actions

I won't catch much of the Asian Bracket

But if it’s on during the day, I’ll watch.

I love to play baseball. I'm a baseball player. I've always been a baseball player. I'm still a baseball player. That's who I am. - Ryne Sandberg

by Bill Potter on Mar 5, 2009 11:06 AM CST reply actions

WBC ralted

now that Arod is out, will Aramis get the call to play third? I hope they do.

by xene on Mar 5, 2009 11:35 AM CST reply actions

Darvish looked pretty good from what I saw

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Mar 5, 2009 1:26 PM CST reply actions

Darvish

is a major league pitcher right now. It’s unlikely he comes over anytime soon, though.

by Josh Timmers on Mar 5, 2009 1:34 PM CST up reply actions

How much do you think

a Yu Darvish would garner from a MLB team?

More thank a Dice-K? He’s a lot younger and looked very good.

"Why do you always point to the sky when Zambrano starts?" My girlfriend.

"You just wouldn't get it...it's a Cubs thing..." Me.

by cubs2k8isnxtyear on Mar 5, 2009 2:51 PM CST up reply actions

The economy is different

now than it was when Matsuzaka was posted. I think even the Red Sox and Yankees would think twice before shelling out $51 million in posting fees today. There just isn’t that kind of money to go around.

But because of his age and athleticism, Darvish is probably slightly more valuable than Matsuzaka.

by Josh Timmers on Mar 5, 2009 3:27 PM CST up reply actions

Do you think Darvish will wait till he's a complete free agent to come to the US?

I do. Being posted right now would probably not get him what he wants.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Mar 5, 2009 4:24 PM CST up reply actions

It's not his decision

on when to be posted, really. It’s up to the Nippon Ham Fighters. He can ask to be posted, but if they say no, it would be considered the height of rudeness for him to continue to ask.

I doubt Nippon Ham will wait until he’s a complete free agent to let him go—they’d get nothing for him in that case. He’s got five more years until free agency, so I’d expect that they’ll post him in probably three years. No later than four.

They’re likely to wait until the economy improves, but if Nippon Ham needs the money, maybe they’ll have to sell him early. I know that Seibu was able to cover some of their railway losses with the money they got for Matsuzaka.

I’m also getting this second-hand from people who actually read Japanese, but there seem to be rumors that Darvish doesn’t want to come to the US, mainly because he doesn’t think he’d be welcomed being half-Iranian. I dismiss these comments as nonsense from the jingoistic Japanese press. His parents met going to school in Florida, after all. I think he’d have less trouble assimilating into US culture than most Japanese players.

by Josh Timmers on Mar 5, 2009 5:43 PM CST up reply actions

What a feeding frenzy that'll be when he's posted

If it happens anyway

There was a full blooded Iranian national on the Memphis Grizzlies this year, so I dont see why it would be a problem, thats a pretty ignorant point of view to assume Americans wont follow a baseball player b/c he’s half Iranian

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Mar 5, 2009 9:17 PM CST up reply actions

Three things

1) I didn’t read this myself, so something may have been lost in a game of telephone

2) This is Japan, a place where ethnic and racial identity is rigid and important (although thankfully changing among young people) and they assume it also is elsewhere

and

3) There are a lot of crappy Japanese newspapers out there that will say anything. Kind of like the idiots on “Around the Horn.”

by Josh Timmers on Mar 5, 2009 11:14 PM CST up reply actions

I wasnt implying you said that, sorry if thats how it was read

It was just awesome to finally see him actually pitch, he’s a lot bigger than I had thought-it’ll be interesting to see how this tug of war plays out b/t his love of the Japanese game and desire to prove himself on the biggest stage, but I hope that he isnt basing his decision upon American/Iranian relations, as Im sure he identifies himself as Japanese anyway

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Mar 6, 2009 7:26 AM CST up reply actions