Caribbean World Series 2007 Thread

[Guest KC]

First game of the series is freakin' tied at two in the 14th. Anderson Hernandez
almost hit a walk-off homer in the tenth but hit it to straight center and it bounced
off the wall for a double.

[metirish]

I drove past that stadium last year,Anderson swinging for the fences in the 15th...not his game...

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

bottom of the 17th.

Ugly turf at Clemente Field.

[Guest KC]

Going into the bottom of the 17th still tied, I can't decide if this is boring or
I'm just so happy to watch a baseball game. I've had it on for like four and
a half hours.

Cookie Rojas and his son doing the play by play, they ain't bad. Cookie
says "absolutely" too often, but other than that ....

[Guest KC]

Venezuela goes up 3-2 in the the 18th only to lose 4-3. Whackadoodledoo.
Five and a half hour game, PR is an hour ahead of us, second game will start
like 11:30 or so their time.

[Guest KC]

So Puerto Rico trounced Mexico last night for those watching the inside
of their eyelids and Domican Rep is playing Mexico right now and up in
the 3rd. No English coverage today on my cable, fished up a Fox World
feed on channel 196 en espanol though. There's a woman announcer and
I must say she much more pleasant to listen to than, say, Suzyn Waldman.

[Guest KC]

They kept plugging this site last night. They still
don't have a series roster up for Venezuela.

[Guest Edgy DC]

It's kind of strange. Each nation is represented by the champion of their winter league, but that champ gets to take up to ten players from other teams:

See below, with Mets in blue and exies in orange:

Dominican Republic

Catchers
Alberto Castillo
Luke Carlin

Infielders
Batista, Tony
=blue]V�ctor M�ndez
Tony Pe�a Jr.
Bernie Castro
=blue]Anderson Hern�ndez
Fern�ndez, Jos�
Tejada, Miguel

Outfielders

Alex Fern�ndez
Nelson Cruz
Luis Polonia
Pablo Ozuna

Pitchers

Juli�n Tav�rez
Hector Almonte
Jos� Lima
Amaldo Mu�oz
Joel Peralta
=blue]Jos� Vargas
Julio De Paula
Leo N��ez
Santiago Ram�rez
Fabio Castro
Jos� Capell�n
Jos� Acevedo

Coaches

F�lix Ferm�n
Juan Jim�nez
Tim Leiper
Nelson Silverio
Gustavo Llenas
Alex Taveras
Miguel Garc�a

Mexico

Catchers
Ger�nimo Gil
Adan Amezcua

Infielders
Heber Gomez
Juan Carlos Canizalez
Jose Luis Sandoval
Alfredo Amezaga
Carlos Gastelum
Vinicio Castilla
Erubiel Durazo

Outfielders
Derrick White
Karim Garcia
Luis A. Garc�a
Jon Weber

Pitchers
Arturo Lopez
Mauricio Tequida
Luther Hackman
Elmer Dessens
Jonathan Castellanos
Justin Lehr
Pablo Ortega
Michael Tejera
Oscar Rivera
Troy Cate
Jos� Silva
Dennis Sarfate

Coaches
Cornelia Garc�a
Adulfo Camacho
Sergio Robles
Stan Kiles

Puerto Rico

Catchers
Jos� Molina
Yadier Molina

Infielders
=blue]Rub�n Gotay
C�sar Crespo
Luis D. Figueroa
V�ctor Rodr�guez
Luis R. �Wicho� Rodr�guez
Javier Valentin
Alex Cora

Outfielders
Armando Rios
Hiram Bocachica
Juan �Igor � Gonzalez
Luis Matos

Pitchers
=blue]William Collazo
Edward Buzachero
Luis Gonz�lez
Josu� Matos
Jos� Santiago
=blue]Pedro Feliciano
=blue]Iv�n Maldonado
Jonathan S�nchez
Giancarlo Alvarado
Fernando Cabrera
Jonathan Albaladejo
Brian Edwards

Coaches
Lino Rivera
Rafy Montalvo
Henry Cruz
Edwin Rodr�guez
Gil M�rtinez

[nymr83]

Migual Tejada, Erubiel Durazo, and a whole bunch of retired and minor league players? sounds fun.

[Guest KC]

They were joking last night about the rosters and who would show up and how
no one knows until they get to the ballpark who got on the planes. It's kinda
funny.

If they're gonna plug a web-site though, it should have the data available.

[Guest Edgy DC]

That's only three nations, then I got busy.

[Guest KC]

ny: >>>sounds fun.<<<

It's baseball, it's in my living room, and it's got me ready for dumb pictures
on the internet of players stretching and soft-tossing on the 15th. Then, a
couple of more weeks and it'll be March. March. Games on tv. Baseball.

Sounds fun.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Phils reliever Castro gets a win
Compiled By The Inquirer Staff

Phillies reliever Fabio Castro held Puerto Rico to two hits in five innings last night to lead the unbeaten Dominican Republic to a 12-0 rout in the Caribbean Series in Carolina, Puerto Rico.

Castro struck out four and walked three for the win.

Miguel Tejada had two RBIs and Anderson Hernandez scored three runs to lead the Dominican Republic's Cibao Eagles (3-0) to victory.

Tejada, the Baltimore Orioles' star shortstop, went 2 for 3. Texas Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz had three RBIs, and Hernandez, a speedy New York Mets prospect, went 4 for 5.

The Carolina Giants (2-1) suffered their first loss in the tournament. In yesterday's early game, Oscar Salazar homered and had five RBIs to lead Venezuela to a 13-3 victory over Mexico.

[MFS62]

The announcers were gushing about how good Anderson Hernandez has looked. They said he may have been hurt by seeing how Jose Reyes has developed power at such a young age, and had been trying to do the same. But they said that the power will come, and that he should just keep doing what he has been doing (putting the ball in play).


Also - that extra inning game went 18 innings. Alberto Castillo caught all 18, and then caught the 9 inning game the next day. Anyone know if he has been signed by a ML team this year? There has to be a place for a very good defensive catcher like him on some major league roster.

Later

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

It would be very nice if Anderson Hernandez has figured out how to hit, and if he could displace Valentin as the starting second baseman this year or next.

I'm taking a wait and see attitude, though. I want to see him show some ability against major league pitchers.

[metirish]

="Yancy Street Gang"]It would be very nice if Anderson Hernandez has figured out how to hit, and if he could displace Valentin as the starting second baseman this year or next. I'm taking a wait and see attitude, though. I want to see him show some ability against major league pitchers.

Wouldn't that be huge if Hernandez hit enough to win the 2nd base job...that would be some defence to watch up the middle....

[Guest Edgy DC]

Thing is, allowing for an awesome highlight catch, the numbers show Valentin to have been clearly defensively superior last year. (My eyes also show that, though less clearly.) Matsui exceeded him as well.

It's clear he's a talented fielder, but, not that unlike his hitting, that hasn't translated yet into consistent performance.

I hope he does awesome and threatens Valentin day and night. Just don't forget there's nothing wrong with the defense we've actually been getting.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

The main reason I'd like to see Andy displace Valentin is because it would allow the Mets to get younger at second base, and would offer them, potentially, a solution to that position that could last for a few years or more.

My angle wasn't about improving the defense for 2007, but for having viable options for 2008 and beyond.

[metirish]

Nothing wrong with Valentin att all..except his age I suppose,I would like to think over the course of a season that Hernandez would prove to be the better glove....having said that I don;t think defence is a problem in the infield.

[Vic Sage]

if he's actually learned to hit, i'd be happy for him to dismiss Easley from the 25-man roster. Valentin's defense was better than sound last year, so we should only replace him with a clearly superior hitter. The only way Anderson fits that bill is if Valentin pops a hammy.

[MFS62]

Vic, of all the reserves who will be in camp, I think Easley is the one who will be on the 25 man squad come opening day. He is the most versatile of all the players trying for a spot in camp.
He hits right handed, with decent speed and power, and can play both infield and outfield defense fairly well. He could provide a good platoon with Valentin at second or with Green in right.

If Anderson Hernandez makes the team, it would be as a regular if Valentin couldn't play, IMO.

Later

[seawolf17]

Easley's a career .328 OBP guy who hit home runs when everyone was on steroids, and has basically sucked since 1999. He's UL Washington without the cool initials. He deserves a spot on the 25 only barely more than I do.

[MFS62]

seawolf17 wrote: Easley's a career .328 OBP guy who hit home runs when everyone was on steroids, and has basically sucked since 1999. He's UL Washington without the cool initials. He deserves a spot on the 25 only barely more than I do.

Well, uh,...., he's still versatile.
LOL!

Didn't realize he may have been one of the 'roid kids.

Later

[Vic Sage]

plus there's no reason to have 2 backup SSs on the bench, so if A.H. makes it, it'll have to be over Easley's dead body. which would be fine by me, by the way.

[metirish]

It's baseball but it's kinda boring...has a spring training feel to it.

[Frayed Knot]

Pedro Feliciano goes 3 innings for the win as Puerto Rico comes from behind for a 10-inning win vs Mexico.

[metirish]

Willie and Gary Cohen are on SNY...

[Guest Edgy DC]

Veteran Dominican seeks opportunity
By Enrique Rojas
ESPNdeportes.com

CAROLINA, Puerto Rico -- Jose Lima never doubts his ability to rise from the ashes and have another resurgence in baseball, as he has done several times in his career.

"There's still a lot of 'Mambo' left," Lima told ESPNdeportes.com, referring to the nickname he's known by in the Spanish-speaking world. "My arm feels better than ever, and I've shown that time and again this winter season."

Lima, the best pitcher this year on the Cibao Eagles -- champions of the Dominican winter league -- will start the first game of the Caribbean World Series for the D.R. against Venezuela's Aragua Tigers.

The veteran right-hander was 5-0 with a 1.31 ERA in five starts in the Dominican league postseason, and will face the odds-on favorite to win the series in the opener.

Lima, 34, is a 13-year major league veteran who went 0-4 with a 9.87 ERA in four starts with the New York Mets in 2006. His career has had constant ups and downs since he debuted with the Detroit Tigers in 1994.

The Dominican native won 21 games for the Houston Astros in 1999, but

"I've been in darker situations than this, and I've always come back strong. I can do it again." -- Jose Lima

won just 17 more in the next three seasons. He then resurfaced in 2003 -- after starting the year in an independent league -- and won eight games at the end of that campaign. The next season he had 13 victories for the Los Angeles Dodgers, then threw a shutout in the team's only victory of the postseason, beating the eventual National League champion Cardinals.

Since then, Lima has gone 5-20 in the majors and has a lifetime record of 89-102. He arrives to the "Little World Series of the Caribbean" in Carolina, Puerto Rico, without any offers from major league clubs, and just two overtures from Mexican Summer League teams.

"It's amazing that, with the kind of winter league season I've had, I haven't been invited to anyone's spring training," said Lima. "I've still got the arm strength and confidence to get back to the majors."

Lima hopes that his performance in the Caribbean Series will be the clincher for a major league club to make him an offer.

"If nobody comes calling, I'll go to Mexico," he said. "I've got offers from Veracruz and Monterrey, and I'll go there with one of them, perhaps even before the Caribbean Series ends. I've been in darker situations than this, and I've always come back strong. I can do it again."

Enrique Rojas is a reporter and columnist for ESPNdeportes.com and ESPN.com

[MFS62]

Seems to me while watching the games that when a Dominican player scores, Lima is always the first one out of the dugout, with a big grin on his face, to greet him.
Methinks Lima is the Gary Carter of the Dominican Republic.

Later