Category Archives: World Baseball Classic
News, info, players, countries, scores and everything about the WBC
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – March 12, 2017
Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images AsiaPac
It is Sunday and time for
@sullybaseball on the WBC how bizarre is it that we can’t watch it outside of the USA? We’re blacked out on MLB TV!
— markblakemore (@markblakemore) March 8, 2017
Seriously baseball. I don’t want to watch the WBC but how the hell can you black out the people who DO want to see it?
I make reference to slapping fish together on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
WBC 2017: Israel Not The Ugly Duckling After All
Most, if not all predictions (including the one made by this blog) about the final standings in group A can be scratched. Didn’t everybody pick Israel to finish last?
After a stunning win vs Korea yesterday, team Israel completed the upset by routing Taiwan 15-7 today
Today’s game was exactly the opposite compared to yesterday’s game in which both teams had a hard time scoring runs. Today Israel slugged its way to the victory.
With a solid AA/AAA pitcher on the mound for Israel, the team jumped on the Taiwanese pitching and outhit Taiwan 20-12 with four extra basehits.
Taiwan started the game with Chun-Lin Kuo on the mound. He played for the Seibu Lions of the NPB in the past two seasons. Those two seasons weren’t quite a success with ERAs of 5.31 (2015) and 8.46 (2016) and WHIPs of 1.682 and 1.701.
It showed as Israel jumped on Chun-Lin…
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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – September 23, 2016
No, the World Baseball Classic will NEVER be the World Cup of baseball. But it could be the gateway to make the game better than ever.
It is a Global Interest episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Asdrubal Cabrera, Jeff Samardzija, Carlos Santana, Ricky Nolasco, Trey Mancini, Cesar Hernandez, Mike Fiers and Christian Friedrich all added to their totals for Who Owns Baseball yesterday.
See the updated listing of WOB on MLB Reports
MLB Reports – Drastic Changes To The Game Going Forward In The Next CBA?
With Bud Selig leaving as commissioner in Jan of 2015, we have given the new guy in charge (Rob Manfred) some ideas to chew on from our top 3 guys at this website. Agree or disagree with us, at least we are not afraid to speak our mind about the game we all love so much. We are here to help grow the game. If we are not hardcore fans, we wouldn’t be running this fan-based website.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21 w/assists to
Paul Sullivan (Sully) (Lead Personality): Follow @sullybaseball &
Chuck Booth (Lead Analyst/Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The game of baseball is in decline right? Loved hearing that yet once again from every non-baseball fan. I tend not to disagree, but to think that no changes going forward is the right call is entirely wrong.
With Bud Selig making his grand exit in 2 months, Rob Manfred has a daunting task of capturing the new age fan, while the core audience grows a little older next year.
Here at the Report we have suggested some radical thought-provoking topics towards how baseball can improve, so I thought I would put them all in one article.
This list coming forth is a compilation of our top personalities – and their stances towards how the game can improve.
In this blog, I am using a lot of (Paul Francis Sullivan) Sully’s ideas. He is our lead personality on this site, and has the pulse of all sorts of historical and new age references that make sense.
Listen/Subscribe to his daily podcast The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
We will also use some of our Owner/Lead Analyst’s (Chuck Booth) views to add to the puzzle.
Finally, the list is completed by yours truly. Read the rest of this entry
Top Five Most Memorable Moments from the 2013 World Baseball Classic
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Monday, March.25 2013
The World Baseball Classic Ran from Mar.02 – Mar.19/2013.
By Sam Evans (Baseball Writer): Follow @RJA206
The 2013 World Baseball Classic was an amazing tournament that had its up’s and down’s; but for the most part, it provided a great opportunity to watch meaningful spring training games during the winter. Having watched almost every game, I can officially say that it exhausted me.
From cheering on the Americans to trying to pronounce all of the Japanese names, there was never a shortage of things going on at the 2013 WBC. There were a very few number of special moments that will stay with me until the 2016 WBC. Without further ado, here are my top five memories from the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
The Final 3 Outs of the World Baseball Classic:
WBC 2013 Final Results, Recap And Review
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Follow @mlbreportsWednesday March 2oth, 2013
- Congrats to the Dominican Republic: The 2013 World Baseball Classic Champions!
Jonathan Hacohen (Lead Baseball Columnist, Oakland A’s Correspondent and Website Founder): Follow @Jhacohen
After the initial WBC in 2006, the tournament returned in 2009. The decision was made to have the WBC played three years after the inaugural edition and then four years later from there.
As result, after a long wait for baseball fans…the third World Baseball Classic was back for the 3rd edition in 2013.
It was a thrilling March- with the final 2 countries facing off for global baseball supremacy: The Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. The DR won the game 3-0 behind the MVP bat of Robinson Cano.
Congrats to the Dominican Republic on being crowned the 2013 WBC Champions!
World Baseball Classic Week Two Recap
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Saturday, March 17th, 2013
Angel Pagan has led Puerto Rico to the 2013 WBC Championship Round.
By Sam Evans (Baseball Writer): Follow @RJA206
A lot has happened in the World Baseball Classic over the last week. For one, the four teams to play in the Championship Round have been determined. In the Second Round, Cuba, Chinese Taipei, the USA, and Italy were all eliminated. For some of those teams, it was an amazing accomplishment in itself to get as far as they did. For other teams, they fell way short of expectations in 2013.
Nonetheless, the four teams still in the running are exciting and all four have been playing a fantastic brand of baseball. The Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Japan, and the Dominican Republic are your 2013 WBC Final Four.
WBC 2009 Japan VS Korea Highlight:
World Baseball Classic Week One Update
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Saturday, March 10th, 2013
Orioles prospect Jonathan Schoop has helped the Netherlands become the most exciting team in the tournament.
By Sam Evans (Baseball Writer): Follow @RJA206
So far, the World Baseball Classic has been a great way for those of us drooling for baseball to take in some familiar sights. Even though some of the teams look very rusty and not exactly in mid-season form, others look primed to bring a championship home to their country. Group A and B have both finished their first round and have already moved on to Round 2, but Group C and D have yet to concluded their first round. Overall, the first week of the 2013 World Baseball Classic couldn’t have gone much better.
Complete World Baseball Classic Brawl – Canada VS Mexico March 9 2013
Yoenis Cespedes: While Cuba Misses Their Star in the 2013 WBC – the A’s Slugger Looks to be an A.L. MVP Candidate
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Follow @mlbreportsFriday March 8th, 2013
From Cuba to A.L. MVP? Despite not being able to represent his native country in the WBC, Cespedes is a year older and wiser. The more he adjusts to North America life and baseball, opposing pitchers will shudder even more each time Cespedes comes to the plate.
Jonathan Hacohen (Lead Baseball Columnist, Oakland A’s Correspondent and Website Founder): Follow @Jhacohen
It’s pretty ironic if you ask me. The 2013 World Baseball Classic is here and Cuba is off to a huge start. I had to pick a winner and went with Cuba as my pre-tournament favorite. Considering that Japan has won both editions of the WBC, Cuba was definitely going to be in tough. To top it all off, they are starting off the first two rounds in Japan. Why is it ironic? For Cuba is missing its biggest star for the tournament. Yoenis Cespedes, the Oakland A’s star outfielder is in Arizona for Spring Training.
Far away from the bright lights of Japan, where Cuba finally beat its nemesis this week in WBC play after several failed attempts in the past. With that monkey off their back, Cuba has made the statement that they are ready to win it all. But yet without their biggest star. For when one defects from Cuba, they are forever banished from representing their country again in any baseball capacity.
I couldn’t help but think watching Cuba play in Japan this week that in fact Cespedes and the A’s opened their season last year in Japan. Cespedes actually started off his season with a bang out there and never looked back. On March 29th last year, Cespedes had a home run in the 2nd game of the A’s young season. That bomb in Japan was the start of the legend. Who knew that Cespedes would actually be in Japan a year too early? For all the success that Cuba has enjoyed thus far in the 2013 WBC, imagine if they had Cespedes anchoring that lineup?
Cuba may very still win the 2013 WBC. My money is on that happening. But if Cuba falls short yet again, the what if scenarios will endlessly get bounced around. What if the team had Aroldis Chapman? Alexei Ramirez? And most of all, Yoenis Cespedes? Until Cuba allows its defectors to come home again, the talent drain will continue to affect the country in international tournaments.
Yoenis Cespedes 2012 Highlights Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is Advised:
2013 WBC Group D Preview
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Saturday, March 2nd, 2013
Mets infielder David Wright will lead Team USA at the 2013 Classic..
By Sam Evans (Baseball Writer): Follow @RJA206
Group D of the 2013 World Baseball Classic will be the division most closely followed by North Americans. The USA will attempt to do something they have never done; win the WBC championship. However, teams like Mexico and Canada won’t go down easily. The USA, Canada, Mexico, and Italy make up this year’s Group D of the WBC. With games starting as soon as Thursday, here is the final installation in my series of WBC previews.
2013 WBC Group C Preview
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Sunday, February 24th, 2013
Miggy Cabrera will take his talents to the WBC (for Team Venezuela starting on Mar.2.
By Sam Evans (Baseball Writer): Follow @RJA206
Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Spain have produced some of the most talented baseball players in the world. All four of these countries will be will represented in Group C of the WBC starting on March 7th in Puerto Rico. From Miguel Cabrera to Robinson Cano, this division is filled with popular MLB superstars. Even though the Dominican Republic and Venezuela appear to be early favorites to advance from this division, don’t count out Puerto Rico or Spain to make a run at qualifying for the next round.
World Baseball Classic–Venezuela Vs Puerto Rico–Alejandro Toca Cuatro:
2013 WBC Group B Preview
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Sunday, February 17th, 2013
The WBC Tournament runs from Mar.2-19/2013.
By Sam Evans (Baseball Writer): Follow @RJA206
Group B in the 2013 World Baseball Classic is just as talented as some of the other divisions, but some of the best teams in this quartet of teams lack the star MLB players found in other divisions. From Netherlands unique blend of top prospects and washed out big leaguers to Jae Weong Seo’s veteran presence on an inexperienced Korean team, Group B definitely has it’s share of stories. They key for the two teams that will advance out of this round will likely be pitching. There seems to be a lack of proven pitchers in this year’s WBC, particularly in this group. With less than one month before these teams start playing each other, here is a preview of what to expect from Group B in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
WBC Highlights 2009 Dominican Republic vs the Netherlands:
Cuba Is Ready To Win The 2013 World Baseball Classic
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Follow @mlbreportsSaturday February 16th, 2013
Pedro Luis Lazo. One of Cuba’s greatest pitchers of all-time. Considered also one of the best pitchers in the history of baseball not to pitch in the big leagues. A legend, he represented Cuba in the 2006 and 2009 WBC tournaments. He will be missed in this year’s edition.
By Jonathan Hacohen (Lead Baseball Columnist, Oakland A’s Correspondent and Website Founder): Follow @Jhacohen
Going into the 3rd edition of the World Baseball Classic, the #1 question that I get asked on a daily basis is: “Which country will win it all?” A fair question, as all sports fans (not just baseball ones) love to predict champions before the first game is even played. Given that Japan has won the first two WBC titles (2006 and 2009), they have to be the favorites going into this year’s tournament. But as every new WBC edition begins, every country begins to get hungrier and hungrier. We had a qualifier tournament recently, the inaugural one for a WBC. 16 countries battled it out to win the 4 coveted spots into the tournament. Chinese Taipei, Brazil, Canada and Spain will field teams next month.
Canada and Chinese Taipei were two of the four countries that did not receive automatic entries and were required to qualify. Brazil and Spain were the newcomers that got their first taste of the WBC…and evidently loved it. So who will be it folks? Japan beat Korea in 2009 and Cuba back in 2006. Ironically, Cuba lost to Japan twice back in the 2nd round of 2009. If not for Japan, Cuba would have at least WBC title under their belts. Maybe two. So who does Cuba get in their group as part of the 1st Round of the 2013 WBC? Japan, of course. This time around, things will be different. Cuba is ready to knock the Japanese gorilla off their backs and take the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
2013 WBC Group A Preview
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Friday, February 9th, 2013
Sam Evans (Baseball Writer): Follow @RJA206
With the World Baseball Classic starting not too long from now, it’s time to preview all of the teams and their individual superstars. Group A is perhaps the most talented division. Japan, China, Cuba, and Brazil will make up the structure of Group A, which will begin play in Fukuoka, Japan on March 2nd. This division appears to be one of the strongest and definitely one of the most interesting.
2009 WBC Highlights from the final – Japan vs Korea:
MLB Teams Should Limit Their Pitchers In The WBC
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Follow @mlbreportsSunday, February 3rd, 2013
The WBC Tournament runs from Mar..2-19/2013.
Sam Evans (Baseball Writer): Follow @RJA206
Yovani Gallardo threw the most pitches in the National League last year, with 3,480 pitches thrown in his 33 starts. To imagine him throwing even more pitches, for a team other than the one that owes him just under $20 Million over the next two years, seems pretty far-fetched. Nonetheless, Gallardo will be pitching for Team Mexico in the 2012 World Baseball Classic this March. The issue of how Major League teams should react to their player’s decisions regarding their play in the WBC will be an underlying storyline throughout the next couple of months. It depends on the situation, but for the most part, it seems clear that by teams limiting their pitcher’s playing time in the WBC, they are making the best decision not only for the team, but for the pitcher as well.
Yovani Gallardo Highlights:
WBC Groups 3 and 4 Recap: Brazil and Chinese Taipei Advance
Wednesday, November 21st, 2012
Sam Evans: The final two qualifying tournaments for the 2013 WBC are complete. Out of Panama, the Brazil team shocked the world by beating the host country Panama to advance. In Taiwan, Chinese Taipei left no doubt they were the best team, not allowing a single run in the whole qualifier. Both of these teams will face much more experienced teams in March, but Brazil and Chinese Taipei have proven that they are ready for the best of the best.
World Baseball Classic Groups 3 and 4 Update and Predictions
Sunday, November 18th, 2012
Sam Evans: The World Baseball Classic qualifying rounds in Panama and Taiwan are finally underway. Many of these games were predictable blowouts but some came down to the end. It will only be a few days before it is revealed which teams are advancing, so here is a quick recap of the games already played and a preview of the finals.
2013 WBC Qualifiers: Groups 3 and 4 Preview
Wednesday November 14th, 2012
Sam Evans: The WBC is coming to Panama and Taiwan! Qualifier 3 and Qualifier 4 both begin on November 15th. Group 3 will feature Panama, Brazil, Nicaragua and Colombia. Group 4 includes Chinese Taipei, New Zealand, the Philippines and Thailand. Who will advance out of these two qualifying rounds? Keep reading to find out.
Canada and Spain Qualify for the 2013 World Baseball Classic
Friday September 28th, 2012
Sam Evans: With most baseball fans focused on the thrilling MLB playoff races, the 2013 World Baseball Classic hasn’t got as much attention as expected. However, in the first two qualifying tournaments, two teams surprised the baseball universe to advance to the next round. Canada and Spain weren’t exactly favorites in their respective qualifiers, but both won enough games to be playing in March of 2013.
2013 World Baseball Classic: Preview of the Upcoming Qualifying Tournament Starting in September- Qualifier Group 2
Wednesday September 5th, 2012
Sam Evans: With more international talent than ever before, this year’s World Baseball Classic should be the best one in the short history of the tournament. The qualifying tournaments feature countries that wouldn’t strike you as baseball factories, but the talent is surprisingly impressive. Earlier, I previewed the qualifier group one, with this being the second group qualifier.
This round is scheduled to take place from September 20th to September 24th in Regensburg, Germany. The games will all be played at Armin-Wolf Baseball Arena. Regensburg, which is located where the Danube and Regen rivers come together, has a population of just under 150,000 people. Single-game tickets for this tournament will cost 15 to 75 euros. Personally, that seems like a lot to me, but I guess Germany should be able to charge more when they are hosting this kind of talent.
Armin-Wolf Arena is the premier baseball stadium in Germany. It has a seating capacity of 10,000 people, and when the local German team plays, they consistently draw around 3,000 fans per game. Don’t expect all of these games to be played in a sold-out arena. However, at the 2009 Baseball World Cup, 10,000 fans filled the stadium when Germany played. Armin-Wolf is a beautiful stadium that rivals any ballpark in Europe. Read the rest of this entry
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