• Several Mariners to play in WBC

    20Oct
    Categories: Australia, Dominican Republic, Japan, Netherlands, Venezuela, WBC2006, WBC2009 Comments: 0

    No matter which position they are, Seattle Mariners has lots of players who want to join the World Baseball Classic next March.

    Include Starter Felix Hernandez, who was asked not to participate for Venezuela in 2006, is likely to want to pitch for his country. So does third baseman Adrian Beltre is likely to be on the roster for the Dominican Republic, as he was three years ago. Second baseman Jose Lopez could also play for Team Venezuela.

    As for Catcher Kenji Johjima, who elected to work out with the Mariners in 2006, his first spring, rather than play for Japan, is likely to want to play for his country this time around.

    The other possibility include Lefty Ryan Rowland-Smith would be a candidate for Team Australia. And outfielder Wladimir Balentien could be included on the roster of The Netherlands because his home of Curacao is part of the Netherlands Antilles in the Caribbean.

    Due to Team rosters won’t be settled on in a couple of months, so other players could also be involved, it could be more interested to see player face their teammates during WBC.

    Tags: , , , ,

  • Japan, Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico to host first round

    23Mar
    Categories: Canada, Japan, México, Puerto Rico, WBC2006, WBC2009 Comments: 0

    Yes, the stadium to play first round of 2009 World Baseball Classic is decided.

    As in 2006, Tokyo Dome and Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, will host first-round games. In 2009, those venues will be joined for the first time by Rogers Centre in Toronto and Foro Sol Stadium in Mexico City.

    Rogers Centre is the home ballpark of the Blue Jays, and Major League Spring Training exhibition games have been played at the 27,940-seat facility in Foro Sol Stadium in Mexico City.

    The 16-team field is the same as ‘06, though an expansion of the field to 24 countries and territories with qualifying rounds as a preface to reach the main competition is under consideration for 2013.

    Next year’s brackets are as follows:

    Pool A — China, Chinese Taipei, Japan and Korea will begin play on March 5 in Tokyo Dome.

    Pool B — Australia, Cuba, Mexico and South Africa, from March 8-12 in Mexico City.

    Pool C — Canada, Italy, the U.S. and Venezuela, from March 8-12 in Toronto.

    Pool D — Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, Panama and Puerto Rico, from March 7-11 in Puerto Rico.

    Venues for the second round, plus the combined semifinals and finals are still to be determined.

    The semifinals and finals were sold out at San Diego’s 45,000-seat home of the Padres in 2006. Japan vanquished Cuba, 10-6, to win the tournament and Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, who now toils for the Red Sox, was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

    Attendance for the ‘06 tournament at its seven venues was 737,112 tickets sold, a major coup considering that the Asian bracket didn’t reach the 80 percent capacity in Tokyo Dome that was originally projected.

    Several important figure and host representative has talked about 2009 World Baseball Classic:

    Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Major League Baseball Commissioner, said:

    “The 2009 World Baseball Classic will further demonstrate the remarkable global growth of our game,” “There has been incredible demand to host the games of the second World Baseball Classic, and we are pleased to have four international destinations as our first-round venues. We are excited about the 2009 World Baseball Classic and look forward to next March.”

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

    “The best baseball players in the world are looking forward with great anticipation to playing in the 2009 World Baseball Classic,” “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.”

    Dr. Harvey Schiller, President, International Baseball Federation (IBAF), said:

    “On behalf of the entire IBAF membership, we are excited to once again participate in this important event. The cooperation between IBAF, Major League Baseball, and the Major League Baseball Players Association is at an all time high. We all look forward to this event as a prelude to our return to the Olympic program in 2016 and beyond.”

    Takuo Takihana, Chairman, The Yomiuri Shimbun, remarked:

    “Since The Yomiuri Shimbun hosted the first US-Japan All-Star Tour in 1931, and invited Babe Ruth to Japan in 1934, we have dedicated our soul to spread this wonderful sport of baseball throughout the world. It is our great honor to be named the host of the Round One games in Tokyo once again, following 2006. With pride, as the largest selling newspaper company in the world, with a daily circulation of 10 million copies per day, we promise you to stage a supreme baseball event.”

    Carlos Hermosillo Conade, Minister of Sport of Mexico, said:

    “The government of Mexico, under President Felipe Calderón, is committed to working with the businesses of our country to bring international events like the World Baseball Classic to Mexico to demonstrate our hospitality, culture and organizing capabilities. We have worked very closely with ALHÜVA Entretenimiento, represented by the enthusiastic sports promoter Alejandro Hütt, and Mexico City is very excited to be host of Round 1 games at Foro Sol Stadium. For the enormous baseball fan base in our country, it will be especially exciting to be able to see the Mexican National Team filled with MLB stars compete in Mexico for the first time ever.”

    Paul Godfrey, President and CEO, Toronto Blue Jays and Rogers Centre, added:

    “This is a world class event for Rogers Centre and the City of Toronto. What better place to hold the World Baseball Classic than in a city that has such a strong international reach? The raised global profile of the tournament, along with the great performance of teams from the United States, Venezuela, Italy and our own Team Canada, will make these games most exciting as fans will see their favorite players demonstrate an unprecedented level of passion and dedication to their national teams.”

    Antonio Muñoz, MB Sports Chairman of the Board, said:

    “Over the years, we have brought to Puerto Rico the best baseball there is, including the historic games of the inaugural World Baseball Classic. We are very proud to once again be selected to host the world’s premier international baseball tournament and expect Hiram Bithorn Stadium to be a showcase for thrilling match-ups between the Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, Panama and our home team representing Puerto Rico.”

    About World Baseball Classic, Inc.
    World Baseball Classic, Inc. is a company created at the direction of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) to operate the World Baseball Classic tournament. The tournament, which is sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF), is supported by MLB, the MLBPA, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), their respective players associations and other leagues and players from around the world.

    About the World Baseball Classic
    The World Baseball Classic is the premier international baseball tournament, sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation, and features the best players in the world competing for their home countries and territories. In March 2006, 486 players – 235 of them from MLB organizations – representing 16 teams from across the globe competed in the inaugural event. More than 740,000 fans from 48 states and 15 countries attended games and millions more watched on TV as Team Japan was crowned the first-ever World Baseball Classic Champion. Broadcast by 48 media outlets in 10 languages to 205 countries and territories around the world, the inaugural tournament had 50 official sponsors and 21 official licensees. Media members representing 25 different nations attended the 39 games in seven host venues across three countries/territories. The next tournament will be held in March 2009 and will again feature 16 of the greatest baseball-playing nations in the world. The tournament will be held every four years thereafter, with plans in place to expand the participant field beginning in 2013.

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  • 2009 World Baseball Classic to feature same 16 teams

    20Feb
    Categories: Australia, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Italy, Japan, Korea, México, Netherlands, Panama, Puerto Rico, South Africa, USA, Venezuela, WBC2009 Comments: 0

    After further discussion, the 16-team field is set for the second World Baseball Classic, which is scheduled for March of next year. Though it is exactly the same as the inaugural edition in 2006, it may be the last time the governing bodies of the tournament restrict the competition to that few teams.

    Under consideration for 2013 is an expansion of the field to 24 countries and territories with qualifying rounds as a preface to reach the main competition.

    “As the level of baseball continues to rise worldwide, it is essential that the World Baseball Classic expand its field to give the growing number of formidable teams the opportunity to participate,” said Paul Archey, Major League Baseball’s senior vice president of international business operations. “In accordance with the tournament’s goal of growing and enhancing interest in the game, the Steering Committee has strongly endorsed the expansion of the competition for the 2013 event.”

    But that’s down the road. Next year’s field will again feature defending title winner Japan, runner-up Cuba, the U.S., Dominican Republic, Korea, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela — all teams that qualified for the second round last time and thus received automatic berths for ‘09. It was announced on Feb. 20th that Australia, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Italy, Netherlands, Panama, and South Africa were sent invitations.

    Similar to the last time selection process, the Steering Committee determined the 16 teams for the 2009 World Baseball Classic based on criteria established to create the most highly-competitive international baseball event in the world. Some of the key factors involved in team evaluation and selection included: strength of native player base, number of professional players, international rankings, viability of domestic baseball programs, participant’s impact on baseball development in country/territory and diverse global representation.

    “There has been significant improvement in the level of play internationally and indeed, Major League ranks include even more players from across the world,” said Gene Orza, chief operating officer of the Players’ Association. “The 16 teams selected best represent the breadth of quality play around the globe, which meets a key tournament objective, showing the world how far baseball has come internationally. If you liked the tournament last time around, wait ’til you see her this time.”

    The venues are expected to be announced next month with all four first-round competitions being played outside the U.S., which will host Round 2, the semi-finals and finals, as it did in 2006.

    Toronto remains a “very strong candidate” to host one of the four groups in first-round play, a source with knowledge of the event’s planning told The Canadian Press. Canada is likely to be joined by the United States, a Latin American country and a non-traditional baseball country in the first round, with the games being held at the Rogers Centre, home of the Major League Team Toronto Blue Jays.

    Attendance for the ‘06 tournament at its seven venues was 737,112 tickets sold. The semi-finals and finals were sold out at San Diego’s 45,000-seat PETCO Park, undoubtedly a front-runner to host the Classic’s finale again in 2009.

    It was the first time that all Major League players were allowed to represent their native lands in an international baseball tournament. The baseball competition in the Summer Olympics, which is slated for Beijing in August, includes non-25-man roster MLB players only.

    “The intensity in the stands as well as the intensity on the playing field was absolutely remarkable, and I’m not sure that going into it you could have felt that,” Commissioner Bud Selig said at the time regarding the legacy of the Classic. “I’m very confident that this will be the platform we use to take this sport internationally to the dimension that I want to take it and believe that we will.”

    About the World Baseball Classic Steering Committee
    The World Baseball Classic Steering Committee consists of 12 members representing professional baseball leagues, Club owners, players, international baseball federations and other international organizations affiliated with the game of baseball (for a complete list of members, see below). The Steering Committee provides ongoing guidance regarding the development of the premier international baseball tournament, the World Baseball Classic. The focus of the committee is to ensure that the tournament continues to maximize its potential to develop the game of baseball worldwide.

    Steering Committee Members
    Major League Baseball (2)
    Tim Brosnan, Executive Vice President, Business
    Rob Manfred, Executive Vice President, Labor Relations

    MLB Players Association (2)
    Gene Orza, Chief Operating Officer
    Michael Weiner, General Counsel

    International BAseball Federation (2)
    Harvey Schiller, President
    Eduardo de Bello, Panama

    Nippon Professional Baseball (1)
    Kazuo Hasegawa, Executive Secretary

    Japan Professional Baseball Players Association (1)
    Toru Matsubara, Executive Director

    Korean Baseball Organization (1)
    Il-Sung Ha, Secretary General

    Korean Professional Baseball Players Association (1)
    Jin-kyun Na, Secretary General

    Members-at-large (2)
    Gyo Ishiguro, Chief Officer, Culture & Sports Projects, Yomiuri Shimbun
    Roland Betts, President & Founder, Chelsea Piers, L.P.

    About World Baseball Classic, Inc.
    World Baseball Classic, Inc. is a company created at the direction of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) to operate the World Baseball Classic tournament. The tournament, which is sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF), is supported by MLB, the MLBPA, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), their respective players associations and other leagues and players from around the world.

    About the World Baseball Classic
    The World Baseball Classic is the premier international baseball tournament and features the best players in the world competing for their home countries and territories. In March 2006, 16 teams from across the globe competed in the inaugural event, which was sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF). More than 740,000 fans from 48 states and 15 countries attended games and millions more watched on TV as Team Japan was crowned the first-ever World Baseball Classic Champion. The next tournament is scheduled for March 2009 and will be held every four years thereafter.

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  • First eight teams of 2009 WBC decide

    20Apr
    Categories: Cuba, Dominican Republic, Japan, Korea, México, Puerto Rico, USA, Venezuela, WBC2009 Comments: 0

    Yes, there will be another World Baseball Classic.

    In 2009.

    A joint steering committee overseeing the tournament made official on April 20th. what long has been presumed: that the second international baseball competition to include Major League players will be staged in March 2009, with dates and venues yet to be determined.

    Additionally, all eight teams that advance to the second round in first World Baseball Classic — the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Puerto Rico, United States and Venezuela — will receive the first invitations. The remaining eight will be determined and unveiled by the seven steering committee members in December 2007, but it will be a tough decision, for there are many countries interested in participating.

    “We are extremely pleased with the impressive results of the 2006 World Baseball Classic and excited about the momentum and anticipation it has generated for the upcoming 2009 event,” said Bob DuPuy, MLB’s president and chief operating officer. “As international baseball continues to develop and thrive, and the supply of quality baseball nations grows, the task of selecting the 16 deserving teams has become increasingly difficult,” DuPuy said.

    The eight countries that were eliminated in the inaugural first round were China, Chinese Taipei, South Africa, Canada, Australia, Panama, Italy and The Netherlands. There has been a desire from other baseball-playing countries to be included in the 16-team field, and some that so far don’t play the game. Israel, for example, is starting its first professional baseball league this summer and is seeking a berth in the next Classic.

    “Numerous countries, far more than we currently can invite, are clamoring to get in,” said Gene Orza, the chief operating officer of the MLB players association and its representative to the steering committee. “Given the limitations on the size of the field that we face at this date, we want to make sure that the widespread interest in participation gets the attention it deserves.”

    The first tournament was such a rousing success that the steering committee announced a dispersal of $8 million to the International Baseball Federation (IBAF), plus the baseball federations of the 16 nations and commonwealths that participated based on their finish in the tournament. The federations are expected to distribute a minimum of $3.3 million to their local baseball programs. And in addition, the IBAF will receive $1 million to continue developing the game globally.

    Attendance at the seven venues was 737,112 tickets sold, the semifinals and finals were sold out at PETCO Park, undoubtedly a front runner to host the Classic’s climax again in 2009. The steering committee said it would begin taking bids for venues immediately.

    Last time, the games were also hosted in San Juan, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Ariz., Anaheim and Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

    Japan won the initial tournament from March 3-20, 2006 with a squad featuring just two major league players by defeating Cuba 10-6 at San Diego’s PETCO Park, while Communist Cuba made it to the final with the latest generation of their amateur dynasty.

    Many US major leaguers shunned the Classic in favor of pre-season workouts with club teams in advance of the April opening of the US season. Some had suggested moving the event to November, after the major league World Series, but major league baseball commissioner Bud Selig had voiced doubts about a change.

    Thursday’s meeting in New York was the second for the steering committee, which is made up of officials from Major League Baseball, Nippon Professional Baseball, the IBAF, and representatives for the MLB and NPB players associations.

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  • World Baseball Classic All-Tournament Team

    20Mar
    Categories: Cuba, Dominican Republic, Japan, Korea, USA, WBC2006 Comments: 0

    Ichiro - City
    Like every international tournament, World Baseball Classic has it’s own All-Tournament Team, and six of the 12 players were played in Championship game at PETCO Park.

    The all-tournament team, whose name probably should be changed to all-world, honored the best of the inaugural World Baseball Classic. It was an event that drew 737,112 spectators and was covered by 5,354 media outlets.

    Sixteen countries and nine languages were represented, and at seven different venues and three rounds, one champion was finally decided.

    Below is the All-Tournament Team:
    C Tomoya Satozaki, Japan .409, 1 HR, 5 RBI
    1B Seung Yeop Lee, Korea .333, 5 HR, 10 RBI
    2B Yulieski Gourriel, Cuba .303, 2 HR, 6 RBI
    SS Derek Jeter, United States .450, 9 hits
    3B Adrian Beltre, Dominican Republic .300, 4 HR, 9 RBI
    OF Ken Griffey Jr., United States .524, 3 HR, 10 RBI
    OF Jong Beom Lee, Korea .400, 6 2B, 10 hits
    OF Ichiro Suzuki, Japan .364, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 4 SB
    DH Yoandy Garlobo, Cuba .480, 1 HR, 4 RBI
    P Yadel Marti, Cuba 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 12.2 IP, 2 SV, 11 K
    P Daisuke Matsuzaka, Japan 3-0, 1.88 ERA, 10 K
    P Chan Ho Park, Korea 0.00 ERA, 10 IP, 3 SV, 8 K

  • Japan is WBC Champion.

    20Mar
    Categories: Cuba, Japan, WBC2006 Comments: 1

    It’s Japan, not Cuba, not USA, not Dominican Republic, not Venezuela, not Puerto Rico, not Korea, become the inaugural winner of World Baseball Classic.

    Final:
    Japan 10, Cuba 6

    JAPAN           - 400 020 004   --  10
CUBA            - 100 002 021   --   6

    No matter what the final score read when those tiny yellow bulbs high above left field stopped blinking, Cuba’s unforgettable and historic ride through the World Baseball Classic came to a memorable ending Monday night at PETCO Park. As expected. Even in defeat. Japan took advantage of an early lead and never looked back, paving the way for a 10-6 victory in front of 42,696 in the tournament’s championship game.

    Baseball fans around the globe have long been clamoring for an authentic world champion. Finally they have one. Japan is the winner of the inaugural World Baseball Classic. And now, baseball is not only spoken here, it is spoken everywhere. The Japanese put the crowning touch on the 17-day tournament that was played in Tokyo, Arizona, Florida, Puerto Rico and Southern California with the climax coming on Monday night at PETCO Park.

  • Japan vs. Cuba in WBC Final

    18Mar
    Categories: Cuba, Dominican Republic, Japan, Korea, WBC2006 Comments: 0

    After 16 teams fight for 38 games, only Japan and Cuba left, and the winner will be the first championship for World Baseball Classic.

    Semifinal:
    Cuba 3, Dominican Republic 1

    CUBA            - 000 000 300   --   3
DOMINICAN REP   - 000 001 000   --   1

    Behind an offense of players known primarily only in their native land, Cuba stunned a Dominican Republic squad made up of some of the most famous players in the world, 3-1, in the first game of the semifinals at PETCO Park on Saturday afternoon.

    The Cuban National team is accustomed to winning. After all, this club is 22-2 in international play, dating back to 2001. First, it beat Venezuela. Next was Puerto Rico. And now, the Dominican Republic — which arguably was its best win, ever. Cuba silenced a ferocious lineup in front of a sellout crowd of 41,268 and a nationally televised audience of millions, and did it on U.S. soil, a rarity in its rich baseball history.

    Japan 6, Korea 0

    JAPAN           - 000 000 510   --   6
KOREA           - 000 000 000   --   0

    Kosuke Fukudome came off the bench with one out in the seventh inning and poled a two-run pinch-hit homer into the right-field seats at PETCO Park off Kim, the beleaguered Byung-Hyun Kim. And suddenly, the Japanese are on their way to the World Baseball Classic finals and a matchup against Cuba for the inaugural championship on Monday at 9 p.m. ET.

    After holding the opposition to eight runs in its first 60 innings during the World Baseball Classic, Korea succumbed to a five-run barrage in the seventh inning and dropped a rain-interrupted 6-0 decision to Japan before 42,639 at PETCO Park. The loss ended Korea’s six-game winning streak, and kept it from playing Cuba in Monday night’s championship game.

  • Mexico regenve, Japan in semifinal!

    16Mar
    Categories: México, USA, WBC2006 Comments: 0

    No one can expect this; Mexico’s 2-1 victory to USA let Japan to join Korea, Cuba and the Dominican Republic at San Diego’s PETCO Park for the semifinals.

    Pool 1:
    Mexico 2, United States 1

    USA             - 000 100 000   --   1
MEXICO          - 001 010 00x   --   2

    The bell tolled for Team USA on Thursday night at Angel Stadium, ending the Americans’ quest to win the championship of the inaugural World Baseball Classic. Even with Roger Clemens starting perhaps the last game of his illustrious career, one of the greatest assemblages of U.S.-born players ever bowed to archrival Mexico in the final game of the second round and was eliminated from the tournament.

    Playing solely for national pride, Team Mexico got two RBIs from Jorge Cantu and a brilliant night out of its bullpen on the way to a tense 2-1 victory in the second-round finale for both teams in front of 38,264 fans at Angel Stadium. Lefty starter Oliver Perez and seven relievers held Team USA to three hits as Mexico improved to 3-3 for the tournament — and eliminated its rivals to the north from title contention while avenging a 2-0 loss in the first round in the process.

  • Cuba in, USA still alive!

    15Mar
    Categories: Cuba, Japan, Korea, Puerto Rico, WBC2006 Comments: 0

    Cuba maintain their tradition, to become the second team in final four, and Korea still unbeaten, defeat Japan twice in 10 days to be the third team advanced into semifinal. As for USA, they still got a chance to play another games by winning Mexico tomorrow.

    Pool 1:
    Korea 2, Japan 1

    KOREA           - 000 000 020   --   2
JAPAN           - 000 000 001   --   1

    Before Wednesday night’s high-stakes matchup between Korea and Japan in Round 2 of the World Baseball Classic, a techno version of Bryan Adams’ “Heaven” blared through the speakers. After getting a clutch two-run double in the eighth inning from Jong Beom Lee and an equally clutch relief performance from righty Seung Hwan Oh on the way to a 2-1 victory in a beautifully pitched game Wednesday night at Angel Stadium, Korea’s unbeaten (6-0) squad celebrated as if it had indeed moved on to a glorious baseball afterlife.

    Go Mexico! That is the only rallying cry remaining for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic after it dropped to Korea in a classic game played before 39,679 at Angel Stadium. It comes down to this for manager Sadaharu Oh’s team: Root, root, root for Mexico. If the United States wins the final quarterfinal game here, it’s all over for Japan, and the team would return home wondering what might have happened if the offense had a little more punch in the middle of its lineup.

    Pool 2:
    Cuba 4, Puerto Rico 3

    CUBA            - 100 300 000   --   4
PUERTO RICO     - 100 000 200   --   3

    Garbed in its traditional uniform — red pants and predominately red jersey — for the first time in World Baseball Classic play, Cuba went out of its way to save its best for last. Cuba manager Higinio Velez was not around to see it all, but he probably would have liked what his red machine did Wednesday night. In fact, he would have loved it.

    Puerto Rico may have been bounced from the inaugural World Baseball Classic on Wednesday, but it certainly went down swinging. Bernie Williams hit a leadoff home run, but one of Puerto Rico’s other superstars, Ivan Rodriguez, was thrown out at home plate trying to score the tying run in an electrifying 4-3 loss to Cuba, which advanced to the tournament’s semifinals in San Diego.

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  • Dominican Republic in Final Four! Japan still has hope!

    14Mar
    Categories: Dominican Republic, Japan, México, Venezuela, WBC2006 Comments: 0

    By defeated the Venezuela, Dominican Republic become the first team in Final Four of World Baseball Classic, and after winning against Mexico, Japan still have hope to advance.

    Pool 1:
    Japan 6, Mexico 1

    JAPAN           - 000 410 001   --   6
MEXICO          - 000 000 010   --   1

    It probably was more important than ever for Japan to get off to a good start in its World Baseball Classic game against Mexico. An early toe-stubbing could have further demoralized a team that already spent too many hours down in the dumps following a disputed loss to Team USA on Sunday. Well, a splendid effort by right-handed starter Daisuke Matsuzaka, and a four-run fourth inning, provided just the tonic Japan needed to climb back into Classic semifinals picture as it notched a 6-1 victory before 16,591 at Angel Stadium.

    Mexico’s hopes of advancing to the semifinals of the inaugural World Baseball Classic were left hanging by the thinnest of threads at Angel Stadium with a loss to Japan. Team Mexico, 0-2 in pool play here, needs Korea (2-0) to beat Japan (1-1) on Wednesday. Then comes the hard part. Mexico would have to defeat the United States, 1-0, in 14 innings on Thursday to advance via the tiebreaker based on total runs allowed divided by innings played on defense.

    Pool 2:
    Dominican Republic 2, Venezuela 1

    VENEZUELA       - 000 001 000   --   1
DOMINICAN REP   - 100 000 10x   --   2

    Kelvim Escobar peered in at Albert Pujols in the bottom of the seventh inning at Hiram Bithorn Stadium, and knew that Venezuela’s fate in this World Baseball Classic was likely riding on this one exchange with perhaps the finest right-handed hitter in the world. The bases were loaded, and there were two outs in a 1-1 game.

    As he unleashed a fastball on the outer half of the plate, Escobar was prepared for just about anything that came his way. Except, that is, for the ball slipping off the glove of catcher Ramon Hernandez for a costly passed ball that snapped the tie, and ultimately led to the most crushing of defeats to the Dominican Republic.

    In any language, the noisy celebration and party for La Republicana Dominicana is on, and its headed to Southern California. In front of a boisterous crowd of headband-wearing, flag-waving and country-loving baseball aficionados from all over the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic edged Venezuela, 2-1, to become the first team to qualify for the World Baseball Classic semifinals in San Diego.

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