World Baseball Classic 2023

[TitoFan]

The team pools and venues for the Classic have been released, and... what a surprise... ... Puerto Rico is in the "Pool of Death."

https://www.mlb.com/news/world-baseb...pools-revealed

TOURNAMENT POOLS

Pool A:

• Chinese Taipei
• Netherlands
• Cuba
• Italy
• (Qualifier)

Netherlands and Cuba should breeze out of that group.

Pool B:

• Japan
• Korea
• Australia
• China
• (Qualifier)

Japan and Korea, no problem.

Pool C:

• USA
• Mexico
• Colombia
• Canada
• (Qualifier)

Pleeese... easiest of the groups. USA obviously gets in, with maybe Mexico a distant second.

Pool D:

• Puerto Rico
• Venezuela
• Dominican Republic
• Israel
• (Qualifier)

Any of the top three could win the Classic. But I'm gonna exclude Venezuela and say it'll be P.R. and D.R.

QUALIFIERS TOURNAMENT

Pool A:

• Germany
• Czech Republic
• Spain
• France
• Great Britain
• South Africa

Hmm... I know nothing about these teams. But two have to make it out into the actual tournament, so I'll guess Germany and Spain.

Pool B:

• Panama
• Nicaragua
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Pakistan
• New Zealand

Damn... I don't know how Panama got dropped into qualifiers, but I'd have to pick them, along with Brazil, to get out of qualifiers.

[palmerq]

Will this get MLB players? More importantly will obtain play that guy is the real deal, a total monster,a week or two ago he whacks a couple of home runs and 8 RBIs then not long after strikes out around ten, I forget the mad man has been on a bit of a pitching rampage recently..

I don't know a lot about baseball, I'm a minor follower been to a couple of Vancouver single a games and one Seattle MLB game.

[TIC]

i have no interest in this game but slightly off topic, i saw a photo of an old baseball crowd & almost everyone was holding a baseball bat. that could never happen now. society seemed a much better place back then

[TitoFan]

Will this get MLB players? More importantly will obtain play that guy is the real deal, a total monster,a week or two ago he whacks a couple of home runs and 8 RBIs then not long after strikes out around ten, I forget the mad man has been on a bit of a pitching rampage recently..

I don't know a lot about baseball, I'm a minor follower been to a couple of Vancouver single a games and one Seattle MLB game.

The answer is yes... MLB players absolutely play for their country. It's what makes the Classic so compelling.

The guy you're talking about is Shohei Ohtani. A rare superstar in today's game. Pitchers don't typically hit well... and position players can't pitch. This guy is doing something not seen since the days of Babe Ruth. I'm wondering if he'll play for Japan in the Classic.

Good for you having seen baseball games in person. To me, it's a lot of fun.

[palmerq]

Will this get MLB players? More importantly will obtain play that guy is the real deal, a total monster,a week or two ago he whacks a couple of home runs and 8 RBIs then not long after strikes out around ten, I forget the mad man has been on a bit of a pitching rampage recently..

I don't know a lot about baseball, I'm a minor follower been to a couple of Vancouver single a games and one Seattle MLB game.

The answer is yes... MLB players absolutely play for their country. It's what makes the Classic so compelling.

The guy you're talking about is Shohei Ohtani. A rare superstar in today's game. Pitchers don't typically hit well... and position players can't pitch. This guy is doing something not seen since the days of Babe Ruth. I'm wondering if he'll play for Japan in the Classic.

Good for you having seen baseball games in person. To me, it's a lot of fun.

I actually typed ohtani but it autocorrected to obtain and I didn't notice :S. I usually put on the angels when I see it listed just to see that guy and trout too is quite the hitter, quite amazing how they never seem to get to the play offs.

I much preferred attending the Minor League game in the park, not having the game on tv makes it proceed at a pretty good pace, it's a pretty small arena in Vancouver and only acouple of hundred tickets ever make it to sale due to companies buying all the season tickets and dishing them out... it's also in a pretty annoying area of Vancouver to get to, so I doubt i'll be going back any time soon, even though it is great fun.

I'd like to make it down to Seattle when ohtani is passing through though, that'd be cool.


I'll look out for this baseball classic whenever it's on, baseball is played pretty seriously in a few countries so it should have some good competion...Justin Morneau will win it for Canada!

[TitoFan]

Will this get MLB players? More importantly will obtain play that guy is the real deal, a total monster,a week or two ago he whacks a couple of home runs and 8 RBIs then not long after strikes out around ten, I forget the mad man has been on a bit of a pitching rampage recently..

I don't know a lot about baseball, I'm a minor follower been to a couple of Vancouver single a games and one Seattle MLB game.

The answer is yes... MLB players absolutely play for their country. It's what makes the Classic so compelling.

The guy you're talking about is Shohei Ohtani. A rare superstar in today's game. Pitchers don't typically hit well... and position players can't pitch. This guy is doing something not seen since the days of Babe Ruth. I'm wondering if he'll play for Japan in the Classic.

Good for you having seen baseball games in person. To me, it's a lot of fun.

I actually typed ohtani but it autocorrected to obtain and I didn't notice :S. I usually put on the angels when I see it listed just to see that guy and trout too is quite the hitter, quite amazing how they never seem to get to the play offs.

I much preferred attending the Minor League game in the park, not having the game on tv makes it proceed at a pretty good pace, it's a pretty small arena in Vancouver and only acouple of hundred tickets ever make it to sale due to companies buying all the season tickets and dishing them out... it's also in a pretty annoying area of Vancouver to get to, so I doubt i'll be going back any time soon, even though it is great fun.

I'd like to make it down to Seattle when ohtani is passing through though, that'd be cool.


I'll look out for this baseball classic whenever it's on, baseball is played pretty seriously in a few countries so it should have some good competion...Justin Morneau will win it for Canada!

Hey... good luck in Pool play.

You guys are in with USA, who's a lock to advance... but I'll be rooting for you against the likes of Mexico and Colombia. Of course, you'll also have a Qualifier in there, which is still TBD. But I'd say you have a fair chance to advance to the next round.

Yeah... watching a game in person is 10 times better than on TV, save the instant replays. Major league, minor league, hell.... I even enjoy the little tykes going at it in Little League play.

I'm biased of course, ... but to me, some of the world's best baseball is played in the Caribbean. Which is why I think the Pool we're in is pure hell.

[X]

I used to enjoy playing Rounders at school, I’m glad it seems like they have set up an adults tournament. Who knows, it may even catch on.

[TitoFan]

I used to enjoy playing Rounders at school, I’m glad it seems like they have set up an adults tournament. Who knows, it may even catch on.

As well it did, X. As well it did.

Who was to know what Rounders would become?