World Baseball Classic

[boozeboxer]

Doesn't look good for P.R. right now. Down 4-1 and the U.S. is still batting in the bottom of the 8th. Barring a miracle, we'll (Puerto Rico) will facing Italy tomorrow in a "do-or-die" game.

Italy is a team that really surprised me. You wouldn't think Italy would have a team at all!

[TitoFan]

I know what you mean. Italy is the Cinderella story in the WBC right now. And that's one thing I love about these international competitions. Every once in awhile, a team will come out of nowhere and capture everyone's imagination. Of course, they're playing Puerto Rico tonight in an elimination game. So I'm kinda hoping the clock strikes midnight and the carriage turns into a pumpkin.

[TitoFan]

Whew!

Great comeback by the Puerto Rican team to eliminate Italy 4-3. Italy goes home, but they definitely have nothing to be ashamed of. They lost two nailbiting, one-run games to two established baseball powerhouses, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. This is gonna do a lot for baseball popularity in Italy.

For Puerto Rico, it's a one day rest to wait for the loser of tomorrow's game between the U.S. and the Dominican Republic.
So for now, we're still alive. "Vamos boricua!!"

[TitoFan]

It's the U.S. vs the Dominican Republic tonight in what should be a hell of a matchup.
The winner goes directly to the semi-finals in San Francisco, where Japan and the Netherlands are already waiting.
The loser plays Puerto Rico tomorrow night in yet another elimination game, and a second spot in the semi-finals.

I'm enjoying this Baseball Classic!

[boozeboxer]

I hope our pitcher Tim Collins gets to show off a little.

[TitoFan]

@boozeboxer , did you watch any of the last couple of games? Damn! Those were pretty much all close, exciting games. I think the interest in the WBC has increased several times over. Even the major leaguers from the U.S. team, typically lackadaisical about the event, are expressing more interest. Especially team leaders like David Wright, who was sorely missed in the U.S.'s last 2 games.

What stands out to the U.S. players is the amount of fans, the cheering, and the celebrations of the teams that have played in the event.

Both teams eliminated in the 2nd round of Pool B (the U.S. and Italy) lost two 1-run ballgames. Well no... scratch that. The U.S. lost 3-1 against the DR, and 4-3 against Puerto Rico. Italy lost 5-4 against the DR, and 4-3 against Puerto Rico.

It sucks for the U.S. team, but I'm ecstatic about Puerto Rico getting into the semifinals. Of the 4 teams there: Japan, Netherlands, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico.... only the Netherlands is surprising to me. I've would've expected to see the U.S. there, or Cuba, or Venezuela.

Be that as it may, I'm glad to see the Caribbean well represented in the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic.

[TitoFan]

Crap! P.R. lost to DR 2-0 yesterday, and ends up getting seeded 2nd in our semifinal group. That means we get to play Japan tonight, after a trip from Miami to San Francisco. Dominican Republic gets the day off and plays the Netherlands tomorrow night. Not the matchup I was hoping for, but anything can happen. C'mon Puerto Rico... beat Japan!

[boozeboxer]

Crap! P.R. lost to DR 2-0 yesterday, and ends up getting seeded 2nd in our semifinal group. That means we get to play Japan tonight, after a trip from Miami to San Francisco. Dominican Republic gets the day off and plays the Netherlands tomorrow night. Not the matchup I was hoping for, but anything can happen. C'mon Puerto Rico... beat Japan!

I agree, BEAT JAPAN!

[TitoFan]

Crap! P.R. lost to DR 2-0 yesterday, and ends up getting seeded 2nd in our semifinal group. That means we get to play Japan tonight, after a trip from Miami to San Francisco. Dominican Republic gets the day off and plays the Netherlands tomorrow night. Not the matchup I was hoping for, but anything can happen. C'mon Puerto Rico... beat Japan!

I agree, BEAT JAPAN!

Japan down! One more game to go!
Dominican Republic and the Netherlands meet tonight in the other semifinal.
Meanwhile, Japan is eliminated from a World Baseball Classic for the first time ever.

They lost to Puerto Rico last night, 3-1.
People down here are celebrating big time!!

[TitoFan]

This is it!!

It's Puerto Rico vs. the Dominican Republic for the World Baseball Classic title. It doesn't get any better than this. It's a championship game with all the Caribbean flavor that these two baseball powers bring to the game. These are two rivals who meet yearly in the Caribbean Series, and know each other very well.

Baseball powers U.S., Japan, and Cuba have already been eliminated. The first two by Puerto Rico in what were widely considered upsets.

So come 8:00 pm Eastern Time, I'll be sitting in front of the TV set, cheering on our guys from Puerto Rico, to win the 3rd edition of the World Baseball Classic. To borrow Michael Buffer's phrase..... "LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE-E-E-E-E-E!!!!!!"

[ray corso]

I'm IN!!! Love baseball, tuffest thing to do in sports is to square the round ball up on a rounded bat!!
Other than looking at Jack Dempsey across the ring!!!!!! HA! Ray.

[TitoFan]

I'm IN!!! Love baseball, tuffest thing to do in sports is to square the round ball up on a rounded bat!!
Other than looking at Jack Dempsey across the ring!!!!!! HA! Ray.

You're 100% right about that. It's what many non-believers don't realize.
Good to see another baseball fan. I just love this World Baseball Classic.
It's in its 3rd edition, and it's gonna generate a lot of international interest in the sport.

On a sad note for me, Puerto Rico just lost the championship game to Dominican Republic, 3-0.
Well.... the DR deserves it. They have a juggernaut of a team.

[boozeboxer]

Now back to spring training tito!

[boozeboxer]

I think the main thing people don't appreciate is at the pro level, the game is incredibly fast. Even those slow players are very fast.

[TitoFan]

I think the main thing people don't appreciate is at the pro level, the game is incredibly fast. Even those slow players are very fast.

Totally agree. But I think that's only one of a handful of things people don't realize about pro baseball in general. For one, these guys make the incredibly tough plays look routine. Like the bunts down the 3rd base line that the third baseman has to field bare-handed and throw fast and accurate down to first in order to get the runner out. We take those plays for granted, but they're a helluva lot harder than they look.

Well... after all is said and done, I think it was a terrific WBC, and I'm sure it accomplished its goal of stirring up more interest in the game on an international basis. Even the U.S. might make some slight adjustments to its approach to the Classic.