World Baseball Classic

[AuH2O]

Four solo homers and a ground out rbi.

Middle innings, the US had two on with two out. Schwarber up with a 3-0 count. Trea Turner on deck. Schwarber tries to hit the next pitch, an off speed pitch mind you, 800 feet and pops it up.

The most exciting play of the game was when the Japanese guy stole second in the 8th.

Sorry…I saw a lot of the same old ****, and it’s why basketball sucks now.

That game wasn’t the best stylistically, but that’s probably always going to be the case with the US team playing.

And Japan wasn’t exactly a base hit machine that game, but I’m not sure how many of their guys would be every day players in the MLB, yet they hit right with the US. Their style was effective.

It’s the strange thing about baseball now. Building a team to do well over a 162 game season and get to the playoffs is quite different than a roster set up to win in the playoffs. Solid back end of rotations, reliable but not dominant innings eaters in the pen, walking and slugging the hell out of the mediocre and bad pitchers in the league all are good ways to rack up wins in a long season, but don’t work in the postseason.

 

[EvilBetty]

Well technically the winner of the WBC would be the world champion. But the World Series champion also claims that lol. I would absolutely love if the World Series winner and the Japanese league winner would play a 3 game series sometime

world series featuring teams from 2 countries (at most, but usually just 1). so stupid.

 

[CloneIce]

world series featuring teams from 2 countries (at most, but usually just 1). so stupid.

Huh? Major League Baseball players come from a lot more than two nationalities

 

[20eyes]

Huh? Major League Baseball players come from a lot more than two nationalities

Canada and the US...

 

[CloneIce]

Canada and the US...

The best players in the world come here to play for Major League Baseball teams.

It’s pretty silly to complain about it being called the World Series given that it has by far the best teams in the world and teams with the best players from all over the world . The worst MLB teams would dominate in the Japanese league or any other professional league. Old, washed up or middling players head to those leagues when they can’t cut it in the bigs anymore. And the best players from those leagues all come to the US as soon as their team is willing to post them.

 

[jdoggivjc]

Canada and the US...

MLB TEAMS are only in Canada and the US, but PLAYERS come from all over the world - and in some cases better than what can be found in the US and Canada. There's a reason why the most successful MLB teams put academies in Central and South America - and why so many successful players come from there. And while Europe and China are about as far behind us as we are behind them when it comes to soccer, it's catching on there as well.

 

[Turn2]

Well, well, well, look what happens with no blackouts.

 

[CloneIce]

MLB TEAMS are only in Canada and the US, but PLAYERS come from all over the world - and in some cases better than what can be found in the US and Canada. There's a reason why the most successful MLB teams put academies in Central and South America - and why so many successful players come from there. And while Europe and China are about as far behind us as we are behind them when it comes to soccer, it's catching on there as well.

What is Even sillier about the griping - baseball is an American sport. The World Series moniker has been around for over a century. Professional leagues in other countries weren’t even there for the vast majority of the history of baseball and the World Series.

And yet people are whining about MLB using the term. Seriously. I’ll never cease to be amazed at the ridiculous things people will whine about.

 

[20eyes]

MLB TEAMS are only in Canada and the US, but PLAYERS come from all over the world - and in some cases better than what can be found in the US and Canada. There's a reason why the most successful MLB teams put academies in Central and South America - and why so many successful players come from there. And while Europe and China are about as far behind us as we are behind them when it comes to soccer, it's catching on there as well.

No sh*t. I was clarifying which countries teams participate in the WS. Not a hard concept, when the WS was created no meaningful baseball was played outside the US. Now players from everywhere play in it...

 

[jdoggivjc]

What is Even sillier about the griping - baseball is an American sport. The World Series moniker has been around for over a century. Professional leagues in other countries weren’t even there for the vast majority of the history of baseball and the World Series.

And yet people are whining about MLB using the term. Seriously. I’ll never cease to be amazed at the ridiculous things people will whine about.

The reason why you don't see more Japanese players in MLB isn't because they're not good enough; many players clearly are. But first, the Japanese pro league is good enough, popular enough with its audience, and pays its players well enough that most Japanese players would rather stay home and play rather than travel halfway across the world to play a style of baseball that they're rather uncomfortable with.

But that's also where baseball differs from soccer: soccer has numerous top level leagues throughout the world, whereas in baseball it's basically Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball (with leagues in South Korea, China, and Taiwan on the next tier). Which is why the best players in the world tend to come here.

 

[jdoggivjc]

No sh*t. I was clarifying which countries teams participate in the WS. Not a hard concept, when the WS was created no meaningful baseball was played outside the US. Now players from everywhere play in it...

No **** me all you want, but you couldn't have been less clear with your reply, to the point where your statement made you look like an idiot.

 

[ISUTex]

MLB TEAMS are only in Canada and the US, but PLAYERS come from all over the world - and in some cases better than what can be found in the US and Canada. There's a reason why the most successful MLB teams put academies in Central and South America - and why so many successful players come from there. And while Europe and China are about as far behind us as we are behind them when it comes to soccer, it's catching on there as well.

We're behind China in soccer?

 

[jdoggivjc]

We're behind China in soccer?

Probably not - although watching USMNT play sometimes makes you wonder.

 

[JM4CY]

The reason why you don't see more Japanese players in MLB isn't because they're not good enough; many players clearly are. But first, the Japanese pro league is good enough, popular enough with its audience, and pays its players well enough that most Japanese players would rather stay home and play rather than travel halfway across the world to play a style of baseball that they're rather uncomfortable with.

But that's also where baseball differs from soccer: soccer has numerous top level leagues throughout the world, whereas in baseball it's basically Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball (with leagues in South Korea, China, and Taiwan on the next tier). Which is why the best players in the world tend to come here.

I totally don’t doubt the quality of Japanese baseball. Especially after we just lost to them. But there a lot of examples of guys that come over here and don’t pan out. I think part of it has to do with their style not translating in some cases.

 

[jdoggivjc]

I totally don’t doubt the quality of Japanese baseball. Especially after we just lost to them. But there a lot of examples of guys that come over here and don’t pan out. I think part of it has to do with their style not translating in some cases.

Absolutely there's a style difference - I even said that's why many Japanese players don't want to come over, to go along with not necessarily wanting to travel halfway across the world when the baseball in Japan is about as good - and the pay is probably good as well. The only difference is you probably won't become the worldwide superstar in Japan like you would in America.

 

[ISUTex]

Probably not - although watching USMNT play sometimes makes you wonder.

I don't watch soccer, but I heard the USMNT beat England. That's got to really piss off those Brits.

 

[cyfanatic]

Doesn't really shift the conversation...but Iguchi had some GREAT moments for the White Sox...and I could watch this play all day and still be amazed at it:

 

[ISUTex]

Absolutely there's a style difference - I even said that's why many Japanese players don't want to come over, to go along with not necessarily wanting to travel halfway across the world when the baseball in Japan is about as good - and the pay is probably good as well. The only difference is you probably won't become the worldwide superstar in Japan like you would in America.

I don't think the Japanese league is anywhere near MLB. The best players from all over the world play in the MLB.