Baseball World Tourney
 

Alright, I don't know much about this. Nor do I care to go back to ESPN.COM and read all about it again. But I do know that its suppose to be some time next year.

That being said...THIS SHIT IS GONNA BE SICK!

Can you imagine the f'in Dominican republic lineup? Goodness. Why don't we just hand them the title right now man. Vlad, Grandpa Pujols, Tejada, Soriana, Man Rams, Shrek (and when I say Shrek, I mean David Ortiz).


Yo yo what about the U S of motherf'in A's pitching. Clemens, Dontrelle Whatchu talkin bout Willis, Jake Peavy, Sheets, Prior, Wood....SO MUCH MORE and believe me. We will Need all of our guns in order to face that lineup I just mentioned.

What about Venezuela. Little Cesar izturis, Bobby The Don Abreau, Miguel Cabrerra, with Carlos I will beat Jim Edmonds ass Zambrano throwin bullets at, and K Rod closin the game out.

Sheeeeeesh I can't wait for this shit.

Whatever the case, I am a homer and U S A all the way motherbitches!



ETA:

Arods gonna represent the Dominican Republic. Really though. Really.

Arod, Vlad, Tejada, Grandpappy Pujols, Shrek Ortiz, Soriano, Man Rams.

Hey dominican republic, you need a catcher? I heard Veritek's great grea great great great uncle has a friend that was Dominican in his previous life. That is good enough for citizenship right? Represent them!

Ohhhh snaps, hey Dominican Republic, you need some pitchign? Sure we can go back in time and get Nolan Ryan and have him learn spanish. Hey,what about Danny Almonte, he can pass for a Dominican.

Mothertruckin great. Way to represent your country arod, you shithead. I hate you. I officially hate you now.



CHRIST!

Thats it. Someone suit up Jenny Finch.

Re: Baseball World Tourney
 

A big part of it is which teams allow all of their players to play. Some teams (*cough* Yankees) didn't let their prospects play in the Olympics. It would be tough to see them not putting up some sort of protest to a tourney like this.

That said, I also think MLB would use some not-so-gentle coaxing if more teams resisted on this.

There's also the question of how ready the players will be for the competition. Some of the biggest stars are notoriously late starters in spring training; would they be in game-shape that much earlier in the year?

If everything works out perfectly, it should be a lot of fun. I've been looking forward to the tourney since the idea was first hatched, so hopefully it comes off without a hitch.

yo just call this the official WBC thread.


AROD is playing for the US.


Vladdy pulled out of the DR team

C.C. Sabathia and Billy Wagner also pulled out for the U.S. They were replaced by Gary Majewski and Al Leiter. If Leiter throws a pitch for the U.S. in this thing, it probably isn't a good sign.

Japan just beat the heck out of China, 18-2.

are you fucking serious? who the hell is Gary Majewski? WTF


great. There goes two power pitchers

He's a reliever for the Nationals. He actually looks kind of like Nicholas Cage's character in "Con Air." Young guy, pitched ok last year for the Nats.

I thought it would be a longshot for Wagner to play anyway, after he hinted at retirement last year. Plus he just signed that big free agent deal with the Mets.

you guys. I tried watching the WBC so far and I can't hang. I keep falling asleep. LOL

true the baseball sucks right now because it's Korea, China and Japan and stuff. But once the US, DR and Venezuela gets rollin, I'll be all amped.

is this even on TV? what time are the games???

I got tickets to see next Saturday's game at Angel Stadium. 1 pm & we get to see the runners-up. Don't know who that is yet but I don't really care. I'm just excited I'm going to go! :D

1st base side field level.

that is so awesome. didn't you get those tickets as a valentines day gift for your husband?

I couldn't sleep the other night, so I watched Chinese Taipai vs. China, then part of Japan vs. Korea. I did get to sleep, LOL.

The Yankees management has made it well known they are not a fan of the WBC.

http://bostondirtdogs.boston.com/Hea...ankess_wbc.jpg

Haha, wow. Well, it was well-known that Steinbrenner was not happy with this whole thing. Beyond everything else, he still takes spring training very seriously (especially games against the Mets and Red Sox).

Yes I did. He loved them & is excited to go.

Now this is what I'm fuckin talkin about!

The DOmincan and Venezuela game was awesome. I love the atmosphere. I pray to god that both of these teams make to the final pool.

USA vs Mexico right now. It looks as if there are more Mexican fans than US fans. As is always the case whenever we play a latin team.

We better win 20-0

ESPN / ESPN2 will carry some of the games. most games start after 1:00p.m.

3 through 6 hitters for the US maybe the most dominant in The WBC.

.....and Derrick Lee has serious opposite field power.

DR beats Venezuela in what was reported as a wild one . . .

David Ortiz's OPS for the day: 3.467, 2 HR (off 2 LHP) - he's completely and utterly sick.

I think the Dominican has us beat there...there 1-6 is just flat out scary. Soriano, Tejada, Puljos, Ortiz, Alou, and Beltre. Overall I still think we have the better team with more depth, but that portion of their lineup is just scary. I bet these pitchers are glad they dont have to face this lineup for an entire season.

Ill make my case for a better US liineup at the leadoff and number 5 spots. The rest is pretty much dead even, with maybe an exception at the 3 hole, with Pujols over Griffey....however when Griffey is healthy, there may not be a better CF.

Soriano is not a good lead off hitter. He is very subpar when compared to Damon and Michael Young. Soriano strikes out way too much and chases bad pitches. Young and Damon are solid contact hitters and will have much greater obp. In the 5 hole, Moises Alou, at 40, is still good, but he is no Mark Teixera. Gold Glove first baseman, 300. + avg. and 46 homeruns, plus he is a lefty.

Georgio,

Both lineups are sick, but I would have to give the Domincan lineup the edge. 1-6, 3-6 whatever it is. But that is not a knock on the US lineup. The scary thing is, the domincan lineup doesn't even have Vlad or Man Ramz and it could of had Arod.

But the US has by far. BY FAR the best pitching. BY FAR. that with our sick lineup gives us a great chance. And to think, we don't have all of our best pitchers too.


I love this thing. And I wish Zambrano would have beaned one of the Domicans so I could see a nation brawl. I swear I thought the people in the stands were about to kill eachother.

Their lineup isn't as good at key positions, especially leadoff. Our pitching is better, and our catching is better in Jason Varitek and Michael Barrett.

what you see with the Dominican lineup is something that I have noticed a lot of college baseball coaches doing over the past few years...they use their prototypical "leadoff guy" (in this case Willy Taveras) in the 9 hole and put someone that is more of a two hole hitter in the 1 spot. In reality the leadoff guy only starts an inning what once or twice a game, so putting Soriano, a pretty good hitter, in the 1 spot in hopes of putting some runs on the board in the first inning isnt a bad move. Now Soriono batting leadoff for a national league club for an entire season is not a move I would make but with a DH in a sort series it isnt that bad of a move, especially with the low pitch counts allowed to pitchers in this tournament.

and I agree Texeria is better right now, but he is still young (only 25) and doesnt have the experience that Moises has. Texeria has only been in pro ball for what 4 years (I know he spent at least 3 at Georgia Tech before signing a pro contract) and there are some situations in the game of baseball where talent is one thing, but it doesnt help you out as much as experience does.

The at-the-plate difference between Varitek and a league-replacement catcher is probably about the same as between Griffey and Pujols right now (and possibly Teixeira too, who is GREATLY helped by his ballpark) - not that Varitek isn't very good, but it's just that he's very good for a catcher . . . now, calling the game is a different story, but I can't quantify that.

I just don't see the holes the same way you do - if anything, the US has similar holes in the OF (CF and RF, plus Damon is subpar if you consider him against strictly LFers).

I'm not sure exactly what you are trying to say here. Maybe clarify it up a little. I really doesn't matter who you match Varitek up against, replacement or not, because at this point in his career he is the best catcher in baseball....hitting, defense, calling a game....he's got it all. I caught for a year in college so I can see alot of the difference between him and other players. Regardless of the ballpark, Tex is still going to be dominant for years. Ballparks don't help you win gold gloves.....they may help you hit 45 HR's, but you still have to have the ability, like him, to hit .315 - .325.

OF - The Dominican's one advantage was Vlad in RF, but he's not playing. Ill take Randy Winn, Damon, and Griffey over Juan Encarnacion, Willy Mo, and Moises Alou any day. Damon is consistent, and that makes him so good. He doesn't make errors, gets on base, steals bases. He is also not a true LF, so I can't really compare him. Griffey, like I said, is one of the best when he is healthy, and he is. .305 with 35 hr's last year, not bad. Winn, is the same as Damon pretty much, with more speed and a slightly better arm.......however none have the arm of Alou, who still has a friggin cannon.

-Pujols is the best player in baseball, no arguing that. He can do it all.

Thank goodness - Team USA is finally getting some runs on the board.

JASON VARITEK HITS A GRAND SLAM!!!!!!

Team USA now only down by 2....it's a ballgame again!

CANADA SUCKS!

Wow. biggest upset of the classic....

:mad:


I missed most of the game. I saw us get down 0-7, came back home to watch us lose in the 9th :(


you know what was pretty cool about that game though? was Steve Nash drinkin a beer in the stands cheerin on his country

Looked like it was a great game; Ortiz is absolutely sick. He just keeps getting better and better.

I still can't believe the U.S. lost yesterday. Besides Jason Bay, there's not a whole lot of competition, on paper, with the U.S. squad.

Also, Al Leiter's performance yesterday pretty much sums up why the Yankees are in trouble if he has to pitch substantial innings.

I saw both games. I agree about Ortiz. can't wait until the regular season starts. Big Papi gonna put up some hugh numbers.

I'm still confident that the U.S. will advance despite the loss to Canada.

never thought Id say this but thank you Mexico...now if we could just beat South Africa

I was just about to post about this.

So who advances if USA wins tommorow? USA and Mexico? Explain the tie breaker for me.

The first tiebreaker is "runs allowed" . . . as long as the US blows out SA and doesn't give up a ton of runs, they should advance.

USA 17
South Africa 0

The enemy deserves no mercy

Right? RIGHT! RIGHT!

http://www.80stees.com/images/produc...Tee%20copy.jpg

Thats US-Japan game was pretty rough. That call in the eight inning on the flyball was questionable. A good game though, these were the types of games that I had been looking forward to seeing.

I had so much fun at that game. It sprinkled rain on and off but nothing major. There's nothing like sitting on the first base side while eating Italian sausage dogs & Hooters hot wings to start a good baseball game. :)
Alas, the drunk guys behind me started out amusing but really annoying towards the end of the game. The kept cheering for Mexico except we were at the US vs. Japan game. :rolleyes: Morons. It was fun to see one of them trip & fall when he tried to leave his seat when the US finally won.

This really pains me to say since I hate the city of Boston, The Red Sox, and all New Englanders but Fenway Park has the best Italian Sausages I've ever eaten in my life. Well, it wasn't really in Fenway (sold at cart, right outside the park), but whatever.

I'm really jealous of you. Did you stay for the Korea/Mexico game?

And why doesn't it surprise me that there were Mexico fans cheering for MExicao at the USA v Japan game?

PS. I'm jealous of you :p Glad you had fun

We didn't stay b/c my hubby had to get up early today & we had to drive back to Riverside. :(

It was pretty funny to see lots of people wearing Mexico hats & jerseys. The guy in front of me had the funniest hat I've ever seen. It was a white ballcap w/a little guy sitting on top of it. The little guy had a HUGE mustache & those lare hands that clap when you pull on the string.