I’m amazed by the quality of the baseball. Before it started, everyone was saying it would be an All-Star Game type of baseball, with no one playing hard or taking it seriously. When I was watching Korea-Japan last night and Mexico-US tonight, I had the same feeling I get watching the Cardinals in the playoffs.
Korea has just been amazing to watch. The defense is spectacular (no errors in 6 games!,) they know how to hit situationally or for power, they run and the pitching has been flawless. Japan’s almost as good, and the Dominican doesn’t have to just MASH the ball like they can, because they have some pitching. Cuba’s talented, but raw, and I can see where they could be a serious force with some polish.
Team USA is going to have to put in more prep before the next tournament. I like the idea that a lot of guys have floated: start Spring Training a week or two early in WBC years, so the MLB players get a week or two of games under their belts before tournament play starts.
I’ve heard that the second-round teams from this tournament will be automatically qualified for 2009, but they may make the bottom 8 spots open in a qualifying tournament.
My question is: who designed the brackets? Isn’t it silly that Korea will be playing Japan for the third time? The winning teams of each first round pool should have been split in the second round. It should be set up more like the soccer world cup.
Go Korea!
How in heaven’s name can four umpires not see a ball hitting the foul pole? Seriously, one wonders how impartial they were. Two incredibly bad calls by Davidson just happen to help the US- I can’t believe it’s coincidence. I’m glad the US lost, I’d hate to see the winner get through just because of the umpiring.
According to MLB President and COO Bob DuPuy, the brackets for this tournament were “designed to maximize regional interest” in the semis (read: give the U.S. an easier path to the finals.) He does expect crossover semifinals in 2009, though.
BobLibDem, according to the reports I’ve heard, none of the other umps saw anything conclusive, and Davidson thought it kicked off the top of the wall. I don’t buy that, but that’s what they claimed.
Congratulations to Mexico.
Congratulations to South Korea.
And congratulations to MLB for putting together an event I honestly thought would be a waste of time, but that’s turned out to be remarkably compelling.
The quality of baseball from some of these teams has been amazing.
If someone had told me just two weeks ago that I’d be drooling for 2009, I would have laughed at them.
Bring on round three. 