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• Advancement rules change

  24Mar
  Categories: WBC2006, WBC2009 Comments: 0

  Next time, no tiebreaking rules need to use for World Baseball Classic 2009.

  In an attempt to avoid the kind of convoluted tiebreaking procedures the World Baseball Classic rules committee instituted for the inaugural 2006 tournament, the round-robin format will be replaced in ’09 by double-elimination to move teams beyond the first two rounds. Also, there will be a crossover of teams from their originating four-squad brackets in the semifinals.

  Don Fehr, the executive director of the Players Association, said:

  “Implementation of double-elimination and crossover games to the World Baseball Classic next year will make the games even more intense, and the tournament even more exciting for both players and fans,” “It will be an unforgettable experience.”

  In ’06, each of the fours teams had to play three games in the first two rounds. Those with the top two records in each bracket ascended to the second round and the semifinals. If teams had identical records, a complicated formula of runs scored was used as the first tiebreaker.

  Next year, as soon as a team losses its second game in each of the first two rounds, it is eliminated. Once two teams have lost out, the other two move on to the next round. The semifinals remain as a single elimination competition to qualify for the finals.

  As far as the crossover goes, in ’06 Cuba and the Dominican Republic emerged from one second-round bracket and Japan and Korea from the other. Those teams played each other in the semifinals, with Cuba ousting the Dominican and Japan vanquishing Korea. Japan defeated Cuba in the finals to win the tournament.

  That will change in ’09, when the final game for each pool will determine seeding for the following round. Thus, in the semifinals, the winners of each pool in the second round will play the opposite pool’s runner-up in the single-elimination games.

  Tags: rules, WBC 2006, WBC 2009

• Canada welcome World Baseball Classic

  24Mar
  Categories: Canada, WBC2009 Comments: 0

  The World Baseball Classic is coming to Toronto, and players like the home advantage.

  Rogers Centre has been chosen as one of the sites for the first round of next year’s WBC, with Canada, the USA, Venezuela and Italy, whose team will be composed largely of second-generation players of Italian parentage possibly comprising the pool for the event, which will be scheduled for the first 12 days of March.

  The Toronto Blue Jays have been working on this for over a year, but there was some question about the city’s status after the Dominican Republic threatened to boycott the event unless Santo Domingo was chosen to be one of the host cities.

  The first WBC was a largely artistic and final success, despite skeptics who wondered how Major League teams and players would react to the interruption in their usual spring training regimens.

  Among the Canadian Major Leaguers who appeared in the 2006 event were Justin Morneau, Erik Bedard, Matt Stairs and Jeff Francis.

  “It’s a good draw for Toronto, because even the weakest team (Italy) might attract a few fans because of the sizable Italian community in the city,” said the source.

  During the first WBC, it was estimated that the host teams for events made about $1 million after expenses. That’s in addition to the spin-off benefits to the hotel and restaurant business.

  For players, they are excited.

  Matt Stairs played for Team Canada at the 1988 Olympics as a 20-year-old. Next year, when he is 41, he plans to represent his country again in the World Baseball Classic. If he does, he will get to perform before a home crowd.

  Toronto will serve as one of the host sites for the first round of the WBC, with games played at the Rogers Centre. The United States, Italy and Venezuela will also compete in that pool.

  Stairs, the only Canadian on the Toronto Blue Jays roster, said the club has already given him permission to leave spring training next March to play for Team Canada, as he did in the first WBC tournament in 2006.

  “Whenever you get 25 Canadians in one locker room, it tends to be quite fun,” Stairs said.

  So does Rich Harden of the A’s.

  “It’s every kid’s dream growing up to play for your country,” said Harden, a Victoria, B.C., native who hopes to play for Team Canada in 2009. “And I’m very excited to get the opportunity to do that this time around.”

  Tags: Canada, WBC 2009

• Fukudome, Blanco and Zambrano want to play

  24Mar
  Categories: Japan, Venezuela, WBC2009 Comments: 0

  Some Cubbies want to join the World Baseball Classic in 2009.

  That’s include Kosuke Fukudome, about to begin the first year of his four-year contract with the team, although it means that he could be late getting to Spring Training next year, due to first round of games will begin March 5 at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.

  “I’d be honored if selected,” Fukudome said through interpreter Ryuji Araki.

  This would not be Fukudome’s first international competition. He was the center fielder on the gold-medal winning Japanese team in the 2006 World Baseball Classic, and was a member of the Japanese Olympic Baseball team that won the bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics. He also helped the Japanese team win the silver medal in the 1996 Olympics.

  So does catcher Henry Blanco, who said he’d be honored to play for the Venezuelan team, if invited.

  “It was a good experience, and I’d definitely do it again,” Blanco said. “Now we know what it’s all about and we’d have time to prepare. You can see in a couple guys who didn’t play winter ball, they didn’t have good timing. I think Carlos Zambrano was practicing and throwing early, and it didn’t make any difference for him.”

  And Zambrano, who was more than willing to pitch for his country.

  “Sure, why not?” the Cubs Opening Day starter said.

  Tags: Japan, Venezuela

• Young, Braun, and Varitek would play for USA

  24Mar
  Categories: USA Comments: 0

  Even there is still one year away, some player already said they are willing to represent their country, include Michael Young, Ryan Braun and Jason Varitek, but Prince Fielder is unsure yet.

  For Texas Ranger shortstop Michael Young, who played on the United States team in 2006, would like to be a part of it once more.

  “Absolutely, I’d like to play again,” Young said. “It was an absolute blast. They may want to switch it up, but if the opportunity is there to play, I’d love it.”

  Young, a four-time All-Star, shared playing time at second base with Chase Utley from the Phillies. Young started two games and was 4-for-15 in the Classic before it ended for the United States with a loss to Mexico in the second round.

  “It was disappointing at the time because we felt like we had the best team,” Young said. “If the team gets together again, I’m sure we’d like to show what we are made of. But that shows what a great game baseball is. It’s not just 300-pound linemen pushing each other around. Everybody thought it would be the USA and the Dominican Republic in the finals, instead it was Japan and Cuba.”

  “I thought it was great the last time,” Young said. “It’s always going to cut into Spring Training. You can’t make it earlier and you can’t make it later. They did a great job, I don’t know if you can do any more. The venues were good and a lot of guys are open to traveling more.

  “It was a great time, a great event and a great experience. I met a lot of guys who I still keep in touch with. It was great playing Japan and seeing how good the Cubans are. It was great for the game.”

  As for Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun, his answer is simple.

  “Yeah, for sure,” Braun said when asked if he’d be interested. “I remember watching it last time and thinking it looked like a great experience. It definitely piqued interest in baseball in a lot of different countries.

  “I would be excited and honored to be asked to play.”

  “If anything, it makes you get ready a little bit sooner,” the native Californian said. “I think it would be an advantage coming into the season that you’ve already played some meaningful games. Sometimes, for these [Spring Training] games, it’s harder to have the same energy, the same focus.”

  However, First baseman Prince Fielder, who led the National League last season with 50 home runs, will have to think it over.

  “I don’t know. That’s a good question,” Fielder said. “I guess I would have to decide when it gets closer. I’d have to think about it.”

  For Boston Red Sox Catcher Jason Varitek, made a vague reference to the players who declined to participate in 2006 by encouraging any American player who is asked this time around to play, lest they miss out on a “phenomenal experience”.

  Asked what his approach will be should he square off in the 2009 event with current Red Sox batterymate and 2006 WBC Most Valuable Player Daisuke Matsuzaka of Japan, Varitek has a special idea. “By the time we get to it next year, we’ll have another year together, so I’ll come up with something by then,” he said. “Right now, I’m gonna bunt. And then steal second.”

  In keeping with the global theme, Varitek also noted that were it not for the World Baseball Classic, Matsuzaka, who will start for Boston in the opener here Wednesday, might not even be in Boston.

  Tags: USA, WBC 2009