2013 World Baseball Classic

[Ceetar]

Fman99 wrote: This is the first WBC that I remember actively paying attention to, enjoying, or looking forward to the games. The US squad and some of these Latin American teams are filled with respectable mixes of starts and still-active big leaguers. It's nice to watch a March game where the fans and players actually care who wins, also. It helps that Capt. USA is out there knocking balls around (no offense, Jordy).

I enjoyed last time, for much the same reasons.(and because I went to one. Always better in person right?) the Twitter chatter helps I think, as does the Captain America bit. Spring Training is so long and meaningless, it's nice to see something that's competitive baseball, even if it's not perfect.

[Frayed Knot]

Captain America has a "stiff back" and is sitting out tonight's game.
"If this is April I'd be in there" says Dabid.

1-1 in the 4th.
DR run came via a shot by Hanley off of Dickey in the 2nd inning which is expected to land any minute now.

[Edgy MD]

It is fucking April, David. In fact, it's October for America.

Anytoots, why isn't Ben Zobrist in there? Willie Bloomquist is a nice guy and all, but... And what's the deal with Longoria? He discover he has an uncle in Poland or something? DO I HAVE TO START PUNCHING?!

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

It all makes sense, now.

Your home plate umpire? Angel Hernandez.

[Fman99]

These horns are intolerable, holy hell.

[Guest Kong76]

I think DR should be flagged there for excessive celebration
going up 2-1 in the top o' the ninth.

And again at 3-1.

[Frayed Knot]

NOW?!? Kimbrel picks his spot to Fuck up?
How 'bout saving two or three of those hits for the regular season, huh? Like maybe when you're in Queens.

Verducci and whoever (Vasgersian?) are trying too hard to sell this series. Yes this IS different from a normal March game ... NO, it isn't the Super Bowl, Masters, Rose Bowl and Stanley Cup rolled into one.

I've seen like six innings of this tourney so far tops but it's been enough to see Torre bunting at least three times too many. Doesn't help that the announcers (Kaat and someone in one of the earlier games) keep praising him for it. At one point they were saying how well the U.S. had been employing 'small ball' in that particular game; except that they were scoreless at the time. It's like they think as long as the Sac Bunt gets the runner over then it proves the strategy successful. No guys, it doesn't.

Wright to return to PSL tomorrow to get checked out. Might be a tight squeeze to get from Miami to PSL and back to Miami in time for tomorrow night's game even if he does get the clean bill of health.

[ashie62]

It is competive baseball

Did Wright get hurt???

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Sore back. Took BP, nothing major, "if it were April, I would have played," etc.

[Guest vtmet]

Kong76 wrote: I think DR should be flagged there for excessive celebration going up 2-1 in the top o' the ninth. And again at 3-1.

it's that damn Reyes guy's fault...where ever he goes, his brooding is infectious and makes his whole team moody & downtrodden...

[ashie62]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Sore back. Took BP, nothing major, "if it were April, I would have played," etc.

I've heard that all too many times.

If he is really really injured I blame Bud Selig for starting this asinine tournament.

[Guest vtmet]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Sore back. Took BP, nothing major, "if it were April, I would have played," etc.

Wright: Don't blame Teixeira injury on WBC

http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/on-base-perception-1.3631854/wright-don-t-blame-teixeira-injury-on-wbc-1.4765555

Teixeira: Don't blame Wright injury on WBC

[ashie62]

Dear God...

[Guest vtmet]

I was joking with the quotes by the way...

there was one good thing that came out of the game...the MLB Network announcers were practically worshipping the ground that Braves Closer Kimbrell walked on (...Kimbrell allowed 1 extra base hit all season long...1...Kimbrell never allowed a multiple hit inning all season long...Kimbrell never allowed a hit with a runner in scoring position all season long)...

If it were a Mets pitcher, and they were saying crap like that, you know that a either back to back to back doubles were about to happen; or the guy would give up a Grand Slam within 5 minutes...it's about time that a compliment backfired on a Brave or a Phillie, even if it was in a game that don't count for a hill of beans...

[ashie62]

Ya got me good lol

[Guest vtmet]

Ashie62 wrote: Ya got me good lol

lol...however, one of the quotes was actually true...Wright (probably very in tune with Mets fans line of thinking) was quoted as saying that the WBC wasn't to blame for Mr Horse's injury (aka Mark Tiexeria) saying that these things happen all the time in Spring Training...

[Benjamin Grimm]

Didn't he also say that he's been playing all along with this stiffness? It kind of sounds like something I had with my back a few years ago. It would be stiff and achy if I was inactive; I'd feel it if I had been sitting too long and I'd have trouble standing upright after getting out of a chair. But as I'd move around I would feel perfectly fine and I wouldn't even remember that I was injured. It eventually resolved itself. I think it took a couple of weeks.

Hopefully this is something similar, and rest or applied heat or something will make it go away.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Didn't he also say that he's been playing all along with this stiffness? It kind of sounds like something I had with my back a few years ago. It would be stiff and achy if I was inactive; I'd feel it if I had been sitting too long and I'd have trouble standing upright after getting out of a chair. But as I'd move around I would feel perfectly fine and I wouldn't even remember that I was injured. It eventually resolved itself. I think it took a couple of weeks. Hopefully this is something similar, and rest or applied heat or something will make it go away.

Reading it's pain in the ribs now, not the back. Either way, D-dub going back to NY to get em checked out.

[Ceetar]

A Boy Named Seo wrote: Benjamin Grimm wrote: Didn't he also say that he's been playing all along with this stiffness? It kind of sounds like something I had with my back a few years ago. It would be stiff and achy if I was inactive; I'd feel it if I had been sitting too long and I'd have trouble standing upright after getting out of a chair. But as I'd move around I would feel perfectly fine and I wouldn't even remember that I was injured. It eventually resolved itself. I think it took a couple of weeks. Hopefully this is something similar, and rest or applied heat or something will make it go away. Reading it's pain in the ribs now, not the back. Either way, D-dub going back to NY to get em checked out.

that makes it sounds like more generic soreness/stiffness and not "oh hey, turns out my back is broken" type pain.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I don't much like the sound of this.

[Frayed Knot]

I think the true lesson of all this is obvious: Craig Kimbrel clearly hates America

[metirish]

Did you guys know that the WBC is clearly bigger than Spring Training , and in fact this is clearly not Spring Training .....in case you didn't know this Matt Vasgersian will tell you multiple times.

[Frayed Knot]

metirish wrote: Did you guys know that the WBC is clearly bigger than Spring Training , and in fact this is clearly not Spring Training .....in case you didn't know this Matt Vasgersian will tell you multiple times.

Yeah, like I mentioned above, he and Verducci spent last night sounding a bit too much like they were pr agents for the tourney.

[metirish]

Frayed Knot wrote: metirish wrote: Did you guys know that the WBC is clearly bigger than Spring Training , and in fact this is clearly not Spring Training .....in case you didn't know this Matt Vasgersian will tell you multiple times. Yeah, like I mentioned above, he and Verducci spent last night sounding a bit too much like they were pr agents for the tourney.

Seeing that now, totally agree...hey guys, let us enjoy the games, no need to sell it....last nights game was fun, relax.

thankfully Jeremy Roenick's MLB equivalent wasn't in the studio crying.

[bmfc1]

At one point they claimed that the game was "bigger than October!" Idiots telling us what to think instead of drawing our own conclusions.

[Guest vtmet]

bmfc1 wrote: At one point they claimed that the game was "bigger than October!" Idiots telling us what to think instead of drawing our own conclusions.

well it is the only "World Championship"...so the Yanks may claim to be World Champs more than anyone else; but Japan have won more "World Championships" than the Yanks...

[ashie62]

Its not a true World Championship if the US cannot send players who are not in shape.

[Edgy MD]

Agreed. What's a truer representation of America than people who aren't in shape?

[metirish]

Pretty good game here , Vogelsong got a call there that gets two.

I -0 PR with 2 out in the 3rd.

[metirish]

Once again "mic'd up" proves that nothing interesting is said by the people that are mic'd....