Baseball World Cup is on for 2006 according to BA

[Ding Dong Johnson]

People who don't like this tournament sure pay a lot of attention to it.

 

With both Cuba and Japan on board, I'm really looking forward to it.

 

I actually like the idea of the tourney, I just wish it was done following the WS instead of during ST. If DLee gets a high ankle sprain or Aramis pulls a hammy, I'd like for them to have plenty of time to heal before opening day.

[The Voice of Reason]

There may be some interest in the final game but holding the tournament in March was a mistake. I agree with the following excepts from Jayson Stark's article.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=2304682

 

 

"We find ourselves wondering why so many questions haven't been answered, why ticket sales have been so lukewarm, why Danny Haren qualifies for the team from the Netherlands, why the semifinal games have been scheduled on a March Madness Saturday during the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament -- and several thousand other things"

 

"The single biggest problem is that this was an idea not formulated by the baseball people. It came from the bureaucrats. I guarantee you that if you took a vote of general managers today, it would be at least 27 to 3 against holding it in March."

 

"All of us have a responsibility to [promote] the betterment of the game and do what's good for the game, and we all understand that," says one skeptical GM. "But at the end of the day, I still wish they were doing this in November."

[erik316wttn]

Maybe next time it'll be held in November, December, or January or something. It'd give me something to make the offseason semi-exciting every 4 years or so.

 

March is a bad time, I agree.

 

It sucks that it runs up against the NCAA tourney.

 

And the semi's are the day I get married! Grrrr!

[1908]

There may be some interest in the final game but holding the tournament in March was a mistake. I agree with the following excepts from Jayson Stark's article.

I find myself once again in agreement with Rob Neyer:

 

Ryan (Fairfax, VA): What impact do you see the WBC having on its participants during the regular season and the playoffs?

 

Rob Neyer: I don't think there will be much of an impact. I do think everybody's over-analyzing the WBC. They'll go, they'll play a few innings, and then they'll do what they always do. Yes, somebody's going to get hurt. But people get hurt in spring training, too.

[Soul]

There may be some interest in the final game but holding the tournament in March was a mistake. I agree with the following excepts from Jayson Stark's article.

I find myself once again in agreement with Rob Neyer:

 

Ryan (Fairfax, VA): What impact do you see the WBC having on its participants during the regular season and the playoffs?

 

Rob Neyer: I don't think there will be much of an impact. I do think everybody's over-analyzing the WBC. They'll go, they'll play a few innings, and then they'll do what they always do. Yes, somebody's going to get hurt. But people get hurt in spring training, too.

 

As long as it's someone else's best player, I completely agree with Mr. Neyer...

[LoneStarCubFan]

Yeah, it'd be a darm shame if Albert Pujols ruptured an achilles giving it his all for the Dominican Republic.

[Jon]

MLB.com has released the rules for the WBC. It includes how many pitches a pitcher can throw and when.

[rocket]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/worldclassic2006/news/story?id=2294525

 

WBC television schedule.

[Jon]

Z wants to pitch the opener against the DR. Have the guts to make something of it, Johan?

 

"I think they will have the best team in the World Classic and I want to face them," Zambrano added.

 

The game will be on ESPN.

[erik316wttn]

Z wants to pitch the opener against the DR. Have the guts to make something of it, Johan?

 

"I think they will have the best team in the World Classic and I want to face them," Zambrano added.

 

The game will be on ESPN.

 

Carlos Zambrano will eat your soul.

[Vinestal]

I guess Im in the minority but Id rather watch a spring training game than a NCAA basketball game of any kind. Im always irritated that it gets all the press during spring training, Im more interested in who the Cubs "B" team beat in a split squad game than who's going to the final 4.

[SouthSideRyan]

Anybody else a little annoyed that the US can't play the Dominican Republic or Venezuela any earlier than the championship??

 

My US lineup(using only the positions they're set to play, despite my desire to put Texieira in LF, A-Rod at SS, Jeter at 2B)

 

SS Jeter

3B Rodriguez

DH Teixeira

1B Lee

RF Griffey

LF Damon

C Varitek

2B Utley

CF Wells

 

Additionally Todd Jones would never leave the bullpen.