WBC IGT: Japan v. Cuba

[Willets Point]

I was not among the naysayers but even I have had my expectations exceeded. Hooray for baseball!

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

I fell asleep while Japan piled it on in the 9th. Newsday this morning asserts Matsuzaka is "likely to join the Yankees in the next few years."

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I was a nay-sayer but now I'm a yay-sayer.

Hopefully next time around there will be more television coverage.

[Guest holychicken]

I don't see how anyone could REALLY have been a naysayer about this tournement. I mean, come on, it is a bunch of allstar teams actually playing for something. Nothing like the meaningless allstar game mid-season. . .these were guys playing for their countries and a lot of them REALLY wanted to play for their countries.

Other than the fact that Cuba brought the game to a stand still in the 9th inning with what seemed like 15 pitching changes and the pitcher stepping off the mound after every pitch, that game was a lot of fun. Cuba never stopped battling back and it looked like, for a moment, we were going to have a really exciting 9th inning.

I am definitely looking forward to this tournament again.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Here's why I was a nay-sayer:

1. I saw it as an exhibition series. I had no idea (though I should have) that the players and the fans, especially in Latin America, would take it so seriously.

2. A U.S. victory would have meant nothing to me. I am proud to be a U.S. citizen, but the source of that pride has nothing to do with the achievements of athletes. I assumed, wrongly again, that most others would feel the same way.

But I was wrong and Bud Selig was right. (Holy crap!) The next couple of springs will be dull without the WBC.

[Elster88]

holychicken wrote: I don't see how anyone could REALLY have been a naysayer about this tournement.

There WERE lots OF good REASONINGS in OTHER threads. If YOU want TO really SEE them, YOU should DO a LITTLE research.

[metirish]

I guess they love doing this in Japan....don't drop the legend.

[Willets Point]

All-Tourney team
C Tomoya Satozaki (Japan)
1B Seung Yeop Lee (Korea)
2B Yulieski Gourriel (Cuba)
SS Derek Jeter (USA)
3B Adrian Beltre (Dominican Republic)
OF Ken Griffey Jr. (USA)
OF Ichiro Suzuki (Japan)
OF Jong Beom Lee (Korea)
DH Yoandy Garlobo (Cuba)
P Daisuke Matsuzaka (Japan)
P Chan Ho Park (Korea)
P Yadel Marti (Cuba)

[Guest cooby]

So, did the American Flag shirt guy ever come back?

[Guest holychicken]

Elster88 wrote: There WERE lots OF good REASONINGS in OTHER threads. If YOU want TO really SEE them, YOU should DO a LITTLE research.

Lordy, give me a break. I capitalized on word twice and you tweak. Sorry, I will make sure italicize it next time so I don't get an unnecessarily obnoxious response.

But anyway. . . the only "good" reason I read that it would suck was that people would not be prepared. The only team that wasn't really prepared was the US.

All the other reasons were concerns, not reasons to not be excited about it.

[Elster88]

holychicken wrote: ="Elster88"]There WERE lots OF good REASONINGS in OTHER threads. If YOU want TO really SEE them, YOU should DO a LITTLE research. Lordy, give me a break. I capitalized on word twice and you tweak. Sorry, I will make sure italicize it next time so I don't get an unnecessarily obnoxious response.

Take it easy.

[Willets Point]

cooby wrote: So, did the American Flag shirt guy ever come back?

I never saw him again, but I think the camera also moved to a different location.

[Guest holychicken]

]Take it easy.

I am not taking it hard at all, I just found the response a little unnecessary, that is all.

[Elster88]

Eh.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Oh has a flatter stomache than he had in his playing days.

Sadaharu, by the way, was all about the Benny Agbayani leg kick:

[nymr83]

Edgy DC wrote: Sadaharu, by the way, was all about the Benny Agbayani leg kick:

I would guess thats the other way around.

[Guest Rotblatt]

During one of the Japan games, a commentator who interviewed Oh talked about his leg kick.

Oh, who was only 5'9", based his stance off of two things--aikido & a pitcher's wind-up. The thought was that pitcher's used their wind-ups to generate velocity on their pitches, and why shouldn't the batter do the same thing.

If you look at a clip of Oh batting, it just looks so easy for him to hit dingers.

Check out Aaron v. Oh in Clash of the home run kings.

More clips here.

[metirish]

I wonder if Sandra Oh is related to Sadaharu ....

[Willets Point]

Is that a parachute drop behind left field? That would be one hell of a way to watch a game.

[Centerfield]

metirish wrote: I wonder if Sandra Oh is related to Sadaharu ....

Given a choice, I think I would rather kiss Sadaharu...