# World Baseball Classic Starts Tonight! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 2, 2006, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-baseball-classic-starts-tonight/346814 "2006-03-02T21:18:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-baseball-classic-starts-tonight/346814/41 "2006-03-09T20:37:40Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > I started out as kind of a cynic about this whole thing, but the more it plays out the more interesting it gets. I’m really interested to follow the Japanese team; manager Sadaharu Oh, a legendary slugger, has put together a group of highly technical small-ball players, and as a fan of old school slap-and-run play, I’d like to see them do well. > > God help me, I’m actually getting excited. Are we going to have to follow baseball year round now? Only every 4 years (although the next WBC is schedule for 2009, so they get off the Winter Olympics/World Cup schedule.) That is, of course, assuming that Team USA doesn’t lose in the first round, therefore killing all domestic interest in this thing. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-baseball-classic-starts-tonight/346814/42 "2006-03-10T00:45:00Z")
Well, thank Bob for that, anyway. (off to check the scores) ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-baseball-classic-starts-tonight/346814/43 "2006-03-10T02:15:21Z")
Viva Mexico! Mexico is up 8-0 in the 4th, which means that if the result stands, the Americans are in. ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-baseball-classic-starts-tonight/346814/44 "2006-03-10T02:17:17Z")
So what does this mean for Canada? If the U.S. wins tomorrow, does Canada not make it? ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-baseball-classic-starts-tonight/346814/45 "2006-03-10T02:20:21Z")
> [@Kid\_A](#): > > So what does this mean for Canada? > > If the U.S. wins tomorrow, does Canada not make it? Canada, at this point, has to win to advance. If they lose and the Americans win tomorrow, they go back to playing hockey, because the U.S. and Mexico will have the tiebreakers. Right now, though, they should be more concerned about not getting mercy ruled, because it’s 8-0 in the bottom of the 4th. ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-baseball-classic-starts-tonight/346814/46 "2006-03-10T04:32:10Z")
Well, with that 9-1 loss, Canada’s chances are down to hoping that the South Africans can pull off an upset that would dwarf the Miracle on Ice tomorrow against the U.S. Meanwhile, Cuba and Puerto Rico will square off to decide who wins Pool C tomorrow, in what should be an exciting game. And rumor has it that Vlad Guerrero may be back for the Dominicans in round 2. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-baseball-classic-starts-tonight/346814.md?page=2)