667 replies to this topic

[BSLChrisStoner]

US down 5-1 in the 6th... have runners on the corners with 1 out.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Jonesy to lead off the bottom of the 7th with the US trailing 5-1.

[NewMarketSean]

Wow and the US struggles continue in the WBC. It feels like the other teams care a lot more.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Wow and the US struggles continue in the WBC. It feels like the other teams care a lot more.

I think the US guys care plenty, but anything can happen in one game scenarios in baseball. With yesterday's game out of the way though, they need to beat up Italy and Canada the next two games. Certainly will be disappointing if they don't advance.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Canada and Mexico with an ugly brawl in their game.

[Mike in STL]

Yeah. Sounded like they are attributing that to Mexico thinking Canada was running up the score, bunting up 9-4 in the 9th. But Canada was trying to erase a bad run differential after being mercy ruled in their first game.

[Mike in STL]

Now Carlos Zambrano is about to blow a gasket. Classic Big Z. He shows up the ump, now the ump is squeezing the zone tighter. Love it.

[DJ MC]

Canada and Mexico with an ugly brawl in their game.

I missed Canadians fighting? Crap!

[DJ MC]

I'm glad the tourism commercials are making sure everyone knows that the Dominican Republic is filled only with pretty Americans.

[Mike in STL]

Venezuela about to get eliminated.

[Mike in STL]

Here's a thought, maybe some of you guys have an opinion on this.

I think the WBC is a great event. Overall the feelings are probably mixed, at least for Americans. Most either don't care, or feel baseball isn't real baseball yet until opening day. This Puerto Rico / Venezuela game has the energy of a MLB postseason game.

So I wonder if they should take a page out of the NHL's book. During an Olympic year the NHL takes 3 weeks off and the players involved go compete. If once every 4 years, MLB had a 2 week All-star break at which point the WBC goes on, you think it would draw more attention? I understand it lengthens the season, and playing games in November in some places should be illegal. But there are ways around that, like scheduling 10 double headers each year. They used to do it. Why not play two on a Sunday afternoon every few weeks.

[DJ MC]

Here's a thought, maybe some of you guys have an opinion on this.

I think the WBC is a great event. Overall the feelings are probably mixed, at least for Americans. Most either don't care, or feel baseball isn't real baseball yet until opening day. This Puerto Rico / Venezuela game has the energy of a MLB postseason game.

So I wonder if they should take a page out of the NHL's book. During an Olympic year the NHL takes 3 weeks off and the players involved go compete. If once every 4 years, MLB had a 2 week All-star break at which point the WBC goes on, you think it would draw more attention? I understand it lengthens the season, and playing games in November in some places should be illegal. But there are ways around that, like scheduling 10 double headers each year. They used to do it. Why not play two on a Sunday afternoon every few weeks.

Money. Duh

That might be better for the WBC, but I doubt the owners would think that it's better for Major League Baseball. And no matter how much Bud Selig and whomever his successor ends up being loves the WBC the owners will have the final say.

If they could come to some agreement about getting baseball back into the Olympics, I could see an every-other-year scenario similar to soccer where they have the World Cup and Olympic tournament two years apart.

Really, though, the whole system would need to be redesigned around the idea of meaningful international competitions. And I don't think anyone, let alone Bud "Vogon" Selig, is willing to do that.

[SportsGuy]

Losing to Italy would be pretty awful.

[Mike in STL]

Money. Duh

Of course. What was I thinking.

[SportsGuy]

GS David Wright! USA up 6-2.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Wright is awesome. Good for him.

[Oriole85]

Losing to Italy would be pretty awful.

It would be but it doesn't matter, this game is essentially a glorified exhibition. Only tomorrow's result matters for getting into the next round.

[Oriole85]

As it is, it's tough enough to get quality pitchers in this tourney to begin with. I don't think teams would be too thrilled about losing their pitchers for a two-week period of time.

MLB proposed a few years ago, taking off a day or something on the final day of the baseball finals in the Olympics to get it back in it.

I don't see baseball taking off anytime during the season. Hockey in the Olympics draws much better ratings than SC Finals do. I don't think the correlation there is with baseball.

[SportsGuy]

It would be but it doesn't matter, this game is essentially a glorified exhibition. Only tomorrow's result matters for getting into the next round.

That's not true. If we lose tonight and win tomorrow, Mexico is in.

Edit..they just changed what they said earlier...'Mexico still may not get in.

[Oriole85]

Ok they are now saying that Mexico could potentially go to the 2nd round, if the US lose tonight through some tiebreaker. But the announcer says the chances of them getting through via tiebreaker are "slim."