World Baseball Classic Thread

[Guest Edgy DC]

So, Livan Hernandez may compete with Puerto Rico, the sort of sticking point that has made Cuba's participation still up in the air.

And MLB's dominance of the oversight for this event has got to be an impedeiment to Cuba. It would be somthing to field a team of Cuban nationals and Cuban defectors playing together.

[Guest sharpie]

Delaware's team prolly won't go far.

[seawolf17]

All-Delaware Team:

C Chris Widger
1B John Mabry
2B Delino DeShields
3B Hans Lobert (1903-1917)
SS Ken Szotkiewicz (1970)
OF Randy Bush (1982-1993)
OF Dave May (1967-1978)
OF Kevin Mench

SP Sadie McManhon (1889-1897)
SP Ian Snell
SP Chris Welsh (1981-1986)
SP Bert Cunningham (1887-1901)
RP Chris Short (1959-1973)
RP Wayne Franklin
RP Renie Martin (1979-1984)
MGR/RP Dallas Green

[Guest sharpie]

Hans Lobert probably doesn't hit for average anymore.

[MFS62]

I never would have even thought about rooting against a team from delaware until I noticed the name of the manager.

I wonder if Harmon Killebrew still would be able to DH for the Idaho team?

Later

[MFS62]

Back to the real tourney

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/wbc/rosters.jsp?content=country

In case you're interested.

Later

[seawolf17]

I know Andruw Jones covers a lot of ground, but I think the Netherlands are going to be a bit overmatched.

[Guest sharpie]

A-Rod and Marco Scutaro get to be in their own little country.

[MFS62]

Back to the real tourney

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/wbc/rosters.jsp?content=country

In case you're interested.

Later

[seawolf17]

I know Andruw Jones covers a lot of ground, but I think the Netherlands are going to be a bit overmatched.

[Valadius]

Gah! Two double-posts!

Scutaro's got an interesting situation. He could choose to play for either Italy or Venezuela.

On edit: Venezuela, not Puerto Rico.

[Valadius]

Also - Jose Oquendo, Manager of Puerto Rico.

[MFS62]

Valadius wrote: Gah! Two double-posts!

Chalk it up to a system problem. Its too coincidental that both happened so close together.

Later

[seawolf17]

Oh. I just thought you were losing it, 62; I figured I'd just give everyone deja vu. Sharpie didn't hold up his end.

[metirish]

Coould it be really possible that Rodriguez thought he could play for both countries?

] It's time for A-Rod to get off the fence Tuesday, December 6, 2005 By BOB KLAPISCH SPORTS COLUMNIST DALLAS - While the baseball community is busy digesting the meaning of the World Baseball Classic - is it really a rule-the-globe tournament, or just a series of glorified spring training games? - the issue cuts far deeper for Alex Rodriguez, who can't decide if he'll play for the U.S. or the Dominican Republic. At first glance, it should be an easy choice: A-Rod was born in New York City, and as a full-fledged American citizen should be the starting third baseman on the U.S. squad, right next to Derek Jeter (who decided Sunday that he's playing). But the quirky WBC isn't quite the Olympics, and the eligibility rules are lax enough to allow Manny Ramirez, who became a U.S. citizen two years ago, to still represent the Dominican Republic. And that's why Andruw Jones, who was born in Curacao in the Netherlands Antilles, is playing for the Netherlands. Obviously, this tournament's legitimacy is diluted by its gerrymandered rosters, which has Mike Piazza playing for Italy. The Italian contingent, in fact, is more like the Italian-American squad, which is why there's been no hurricane of nationalist fervor whipping through this country. Not even FOX, baseball's primary vehicle to the masses, is interested in broadcasting the Classic. Still, there promises to be some entertaining moments, if the tournament boils down to a one-game, winner-take-all championship between the U.S. and the Dominicans. Who wouldn't want to see Barry Bonds facing Pedro Martinez, or Roger Clemens going one-on-one with Ramirez (especially with the residue of ill will between the two?) Put it this way: It'll be far better theater than your average spring training game, and by all accounts, the Latin squads (the Dominicans, Cubans and Puerto Ricans) will treat the games as if a world title were really at stake. Maybe that's why A-Rod still can't make up his mind. His parents were born in the Dominican Republic, which means he has every right (at least by tournament rules) to consider himself a teammate of Pedro and Manny and David Ortiz. Maybe he's worried about offending the game's top Latino players, although most American players have long since considered A-Rod one of their own. That's certainly true in the Yankee clubhouse, where Rodriguez mingled not with Mariano Rivera and Bernie Williams, but with Jeter, Jason Giambi and Tino Martinez (who despite his Spanish surname, is about as all-American as they come). Rodriguez does speak Spanish, but it's not the street dialect that many pro athletes speak. Instead, it's polished, schooled, perfectly enunciated - something out of a Berlitz tape. Rivera loves to tease A-Rod that whatever he's speaking, it's not real Spanish. Rodriguez would just smile and nod in agreement. Our advice is that A-Rod shouldn't spend too much energy soul-searching. The tournament wasn't designed for players to find their roots - it's just another gimmick to grow the game (and its revenues) around the world. Granted, it's a nice idea, but nothing worth questioning one's identity over. No Dominican player will consider A-Rod a traitor if he joins Jeter on the left side of the U.S. infield. And, conversely, no one in this country will hold it against Rodriguez if he honors his parents by joining the Dominican squad, the same way Piazza is getting a pass on playing for the Italian team. Yankee fans? They couldn't care less. In fact, they're more interested in seeing A-Rod take the Bombers to the World Series, or at least making up for the 0-for-11, no-RBI blemish attached to last year's AL Division Series. But the longer Rodriguez goes without making up his mind, the more of an issue this becomes. Ironically, the man who tries so hard to blend in is now standing out; of the 177 major-leaguers who have agreed to participate, only Rodriguez and Marco Scutaro have yet to pick a squad (and no one's waiting breathlessly on Scutaro's decision). The problem, of course, is that Rodriguez is still fighting his deepest demon, the one that craves universal approval. He went as far as to ask the players' union if he could somehow play for both teams - starting with one, and then switching uniforms if his first squad was eliminated early in the tournament. Cup officials told Rodriguez it doesn't work that way - not even for a tournament as loosely run as this one. Sooner or later, Rodriguez will have to cast his ballot, and we're betting he sides with Jeter and Clemens and Barry Bonds. Once Rodriguez joins, the Americans' roster will be the deepest, if not the most talented, in the tournament. The U.S. should prevail, although there's no way to measure how much national pride will factor into the outcome. After all, Fidel Castro is practically staking his political future on the performance of his Cuban players. The Dominicans consider themselves the game's finest talent breeders, and the Japanese take pride in their discipline and fundamentals. That's what the Americans will be up against. No wonder the U.S. contingent is already leaning on A-Rod to stop waffling. "We'd very much like A-Rod to be our third baseman," is what U.S. manager Buck Martinez said Monday. He was smiling but definitely not kidding. E-mail: klapisch@northjersey.com

[Benjamin Grimm]

Am I the only one who doesn't care at all about the World Baseball Classic? I might watch an inning or two because any baseball in March is worth looking at, but I won't be rooting for the country I was born in, or for the country where my great-grandparents were born.

I really don't care who wins. I just don't want any Mets players getting hurt. That's my rooting interest.

[metirish]

Yeah I'm the same way,I just hope no Mets player will get injured,I'll be shouting for the US though, US V Cuba or the Dominican in a title game would have some juice I would think.

[Frayed Knot]

I'm certainly not going to get all hyped up over it and I suspect few are. On the whole this is going to be a much bigger deal for the smaller countries involved. If China, Austrailia or Venezuela can win a game or 2 against their deeper regional competition it'll be a shot in the arm for them.

But I also think some are going a bit overboard in denouncing this. It's designed to promote the game and will be something that'll spice up the monotony of spring training once every couple of years. The rosters should be big enough, the precautions thought out enough, and the whole tourney short enough (I think the teams going to the final will play no more than 6-8 games) so that the it shouldn't be the major disruption that many are predicting.
Various talkies are already laying the groundwork to blame every potential injury (during ST & the reg season too) on the tourney itself as if these players would be sunning themselves on the beach if not for this "travesty". Look, players get hurt during ST all the time (Benson last year, Chipper missed what would have been his rookie year on the last day of ST) so it's not like this year should be any different, tourney or no. I've even heard about how this season will feature reduced fundamentals due to missed practice drills.
Yeah, right!

[Guest Edgy DC]

Steve Trachsel wouldn't have hurt his back last year if he had been playing tournament ball like he should've been.

His back stays intact, we''re a playoff team.

[Elster88]

Edgy DC wrote: His back stays intact, we''re a playoff team.

Nah.

[metirish]

From the article....

]After all, Fidel Castro is practically staking his political future on the performance of his Cuban players

So does that mean he'll quit or something if Cuba falis to impress?

[Guest Edgy DC]

]Nah.

Assuming unknowns that serve the agenda is important part of such arguments.

[Elster88]

]Assuming unknowns that serve the agenda is important part of such arguments

True. It's a trick I like to employ, too.

[Centerfield]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: Am I the only one who doesn't care at all about the World Baseball Classic? I might watch an inning or two because any baseball in March is worth looking at, but I won't be rooting for the country I was born in, or for the country where my great-grandparents were born. I really don't care who wins. I just don't want any Mets players getting hurt. That's my rooting interest.

I'm with you Yancy. And at the risk of sounding un-patriotic, if I happen to catch a US-Dominican Republic game and Jeter is facing Pedro, I'm rooting for Pedro to strike him out on three pitches.

In fact, just looking at the names associated with the US team, Jeter, Chipper, Asshead...ever since Piazza decided to play for Italy, I'm not sure there's anyone on our team I can even stomach rooting for.

[Elster88]

I hate Asshead.

[metirish]

Damn I hadn't thought about that, it would be hard to cheer and root for Asshead in a tight spot...

[Guest OlerudOwned]

I just look foward to seeing A-Rod being shunned by whatever team he decides to play for.

[Willets Point]

Centerfield wrote: ="Yancy Street Gang"]Am I the only one who doesn't care at all about the World Baseball Classic? I might watch an inning or two because any baseball in March is worth looking at, but I won't be rooting for the country I was born in, or for the country where my great-grandparents were born. I really don't care who wins. I just don't want any Mets players getting hurt. That's my rooting interest. I'm with you Yancy. And at the risk of sounding un-patriotic, if I happen to catch a US-Dominican Republic game and Jeter is facing Pedro, I'm rooting for Pedro to strike him out on three pitches. In fact, just looking at the names associated with the US team, Jeter, Chipper, Asshead...ever since Piazza decided to play for Italy, I'm not sure there's anyone on our team I can even stomach rooting for.

Why do you hate America?

[Centerfield]

Just so you know, I was standing when I posted that.

[metirish]

Yeah I bet you hate the troops too.....shame on you..