Team USA eliminated

[efin98]

Simply superb play by the Mexicans tonight in their win against Team USA allows Japan to advance to the next round.

The Mexicans outplayed the Americans in every aspect: pitching, at bat, and defensively. They earned it.

[aarond23]

Yeah dissapointing for the American team no doubt about it. This team on paper wasn't particularly flawed. I really do think Martinez's hands were tied as the players and the GMs had a 'spring training' mentality that he could only play certain guys on certain days and for so long.

3 of the semifinal teams...Japan, Korea and Cuba started training in February while the US team was put together literally the weekend before the tournament started.

I think USA basketball is going to a system of only picking players that want to be there and will make a 2 year commitment. I know with the major league schedule it is much harder for American major leaguers to do that, so its going to be interesting what they come up with for 2009. I would like to see a minimum of 2 to 3 weeks training camp for this team in the future.

The only win they got in this round was partially due to bad umpiring.

I'm looking forward to Japan vs Korea Part 3 as well as DR/ Cuba....I'm sure all of those teams are too.

[Atlanta Braves Freak]

I'm not surprised that the US was booted, we really didn't show a sense of "pride" like the other countries showed. Japan, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, and all of the other countries played for the national pride, not just for an "exhibition". Honestly our players are spoiled and catered to and they just felt they were so much better and we got our butts kicked. IMO the World Baseball Classic should be scratched because it didn't play out like it was hyped up to be, star players dropped out and the US didn't win, what a bummer.

[Shoeless]

Surely I wasn't the only one who noticed that as the U.S. players filed out of the dugout, one player remained at the railing, staring out at the field for a long time. "Flag or blood?"--was A-Rod regretting his choice?

[sweetswing]

When I first heard about the WBC I thought the US ( I am Canadian) would win hands down, what with their pitching depth. In my opinion they lost because they had at least fifteen pitchers that didn't want to play that sat on the sidelines. Those 15 pitchers are better then all the pitchers that took part in the wbc. I am shocked, stunned and disappointed that they lost 3 games in such fashion and are now on the sidelines. Wow what a disappointment!!

[aarond23]

IMO the World Baseball Classic should be scratched because it didn't play out like it was hyped up to be, star players dropped out and the US didn't win, what a bummer.

You have to be kidding? All the great baseball we've seen and give up because a few players drop out and the US doesn't win?

Does the US have to win an event for it to be worth watching? Its not enough to respect that the other countries are great teams capable of beating the US on any given day?

[MainSlot]

When I first heard about the WBC I thought the US ( I am Canadian) would win hands down, what with their pitching depth. In my opinion they lost because they had at least fifteen pitchers that didn't want to play that sat on the sidelines. Those 15 pitchers are better then all the pitchers that took part in the wbc. I am shocked, stunned and disappointed that they lost 3 games in such fashion and are now on the sidelines. Wow what a disappointment!!

Sorry about ur loss. But your statement about those 15 pitchers is way wrong, two examples: one is obvious that is Johan Santana, another is Pedro Luis Lazo of the cuban team who is much better then some of those american pitchers.

[DownUnderDodger]

I'm not surprised that the US was booted, we really didn't show a sense of "pride" like the other countries showed. Japan, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, and all of the other countries played for the national pride, not just for an "exhibition".
And that is what made this tournament such a great and - dare I say it - vital event. It allowed the MLB "owned" foreign players to finally be able to represent their country and flag with pride, something that has been denied to them in previous international competitions (Olympics, WC, Intercontinental Cup). The people of USA always appeal to me as being very proud of their flag and country but this does not seem to apply to baseballers?

That USA did not win shows the strength of baseball outside USA, regardless of the so-called stars who elected not to play for team USA. I trust the comment that the WBc should be scrathed because of these reluctant 'stars' and that USA did not win was tongue in cheek!

How ironic that the team which finally eliminated them was the same team that eliminated them from the 2004 Olympics!!

[mlazar]

when are all these organizations that select these "supposed" all star teams going to realize the "only" way for a chance to win in any sport is to send the teams that won the World Series that year or the team that won the NBA championships etc, etc ....would we not have had a better chance to compete with the Chicago White Sox or Detroit Pistons in the Olympics representing us ? btw, What was Al Leiter doing there ?

[aarond23]

being very proud of their flag and country but this does not seem to apply to baseballers?

You are right downunder....USA baseball and national baseball has never been big in the USA...when Ben Sheets beat Cuba in 2000 made just a little blip and then this year in the WBC. The other competitions barely even get reported in the mainstream media.

USA Basketball had always been a bigger deal than baseball with the 72 Olympics fiasco and then the 92 Dream team....having it lose the way it did in Athens and the world championships before that was pretty shocking, but I don't think USA baseball has had enough of a following to really put a downer on the country or anything. The tradition just isn't there.

ETA: I follow USA baseball and I didn't even hear about the US loss to Mexico in the Olympic qualifying until I was reading a preview of the Athens baseball participants.

[aarond23]

Chicago White Sox

I don't think the White Sox would have done any better than this team did unless they started training about 3 weeks before they reported in spring training plus they would lose a few players like Freddy Garcia and Iguchi. I doubt that would be considered a legitimate team USA.

[laee3]

It was a good game.

[aarond23]

laee3,
The Asian teams were clearly more prepared than the US by actually training and playing games before the tournament started rather than the weekend before.

I think Mexico was in the same boat as the US though by the team mostly just being put together a few days before the tournament started. The guys in the Mexico bullpen Rincon, Villareal, De La Rosa, Cortes are all decent major league pitchers.

[Cubano100%]

Long time ago before the Classic started I wrote:

USA is going to be ambushed during the Classic.

Some in here replied to my comment with certain disbelief. Some of my reasons were:

1. Many Latin players were participating in the winter leagues keeping themselves in shape and seing live pitches. One person wrote to me: USA players keep themselves in shape during the offseason.

Nothing can be compared to seing live pitches and being part of the game.

2. The USA team will treat this tournament as an exibition one and a get
together party just like the NBA players representing the USA.
Why did the players report to Spring Training first and then left to join the USA team?

Just report to team USA and the coaches there will work on the same things that your Ball Club would do during Spring Training. USA should have begun training for the Classic earlier too.

3. How many USA players with more talent opted no to play in the Classic? Barry Bonds, Lance Berkman, C.C. Sabathia and so on.

Nothing can be compared to play for your country even more so when it is once every four years.


Now, two of the three teams that I was rooting for are out. Puerto Rico and USA. There is only one left for me.

[Mike_Piazza]

I'm surprised,the american roster was full of great players.
I think many MLB players were out of shape and played like in an exhibition.
I hope now that americans want a revenge and another WBC will be organized,but i'm not sure.
Congratulations to asian baseball,they play a different baseball and impressed a lot.
Cuba,that was joked by some american journalists before the WBC,showed to the world that are like Brazil in soccer.

[godzilla]

I'm pretty sure korea's gonna get whipp creamed by Japan. First of all the korea flurry in the WBC is a fluke. If the US line up had bOnds or Buerhle they wud've cranked theirnits. and if japan had matsui, iguchi and johjima we wud've split the. but korea i hav to say that they got luck. here are my semi's pitching structure

Uehara-Wada-Yabuta-Otsuka 7-1 win for japs

[Shoeless]

I'm pretty sure korea's gonna get whipp creamed by Japan. First of all the korea flurry in the WBC is a fluke. If the US line up had bOnds or Buerhle they wud've cranked theirnits. and if japan had matsui, iguchi and johjima we wud've split the. but korea i hav to say that they got luck. here are my semi's pitching structure

Uehara-Wada-Yabuta-Otsuka 7-1 win for japs

WBC lesson #1: never say "I'm pretty sure..."

[Shoeless]

You what's really ironic? Roger Clemens has A-Rod, Griffey, Teixeira, etc...and just like all last year, loses 2-1 again. With the bullpen letting his runner in.

That guy is cursed.

[Perseas]

WBC lesson #1: never say "I'm pretty sure..."

General Baseball Rule #1: never say "I'm pretty sure..." :)

[Honus Wagner Rules]

I'm not surprised that the US was booted, we really didn't show a sense of "pride" like the other countries showed. Japan, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, and all of the other countries played for the national pride, not just for an "exhibition". Honestly our players are spoiled and catered to and they just felt they were so much better and we got our butts kicked. IMO the World Baseball Classic should be scratched because it didn't play out like it was hyped up to be, star players dropped out and the US didn't win, what a bummer.
That's simply not true! Derrek Lee, Chipper Jones, Roger Clemens, Mark Teixeira, Dontrelle Willis, and Derek Jeter all were very proud to represent the USA and said as much. Just because they lost that doesn't mean they didn't put effort. They simply were not as prepared as the other teams. That's why they lost. I had no problem with their effort. They just didn't spend enough time preparing and hopefully they will change that next time.

[west coast orange and black]

when i first saw the tiers of the tie-breakers i thought "oh, brother, runs scored?"

as it turns out, japan advances because they allowed the fewer runs in games between the tied teams.

the kicker is: team usa would have advanced had they played but 1 more half-inning.

[FlashGordon]

That's simply not true! Derrek Lee, Chipper Jones, Roger Clemens, Mark Teixeira, Dontrelle Willis, and Derek Jeter all were very proud to represent the USA and said as much. Just because they lost that doesn't mean they didn't put effort. They sinply were not as prepared as the other teams. That's why they lost. I had no proble mwith their effort. They just didn't spen enough time prparing and hopefully they will change that next time.I tend to agree. Even though Clemens lost this last one, just the fact that he's mulling retirement shows he would like his last start to be for team USA. My personal feeling is that most of the players from these other countries are used to considering themselves team players first.

The WBC reminds me of a little league game I once saw between a local team and one from China. The Chinese players were technically flawless, while the American kids just wanted to have fun. Getting spanked as badly as they did certainly didn't feel like fun. I think Honus is right; Team USA won't take it so lightly next time around.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

I tend to agree. Even though Clemens lost this last one, just the fact that he's mulling retirement shows he would like his last start to be for team USA. My personal feeling is that most of the players from these other countries are used to considering themselves team players first.

The WBC reminds me of a little league game I once saw between a local team and one from China. The Chinese players were technically flawless, while the American kids just wanted to have fun. Getting spanked as badly as they did certainly didn't feel like fun. I think Honus is right; Team USA won't take it so lightly next time around.

Not having all the best players did hurt Team USA. Where was Roy Oswalt, Tim Hudson, Randy Johnson, Ben Sheets, Roy Holliday, John Smoltz, Josh Beckett, Mike Mussina, Chris Carpenter, etc. Of course the other teams did have all their best players either. Matsui, Manny, Vlad, Mariano, Rivera, and Pedro Martinez didn't play either for various reasons.

[Cubsfan97]

Hard to take, but not shocking. I picked the Dominican to win the tournament. I will watch it but probably not follow that much now.

[Licey Fan]

The truth been said, Team USA should've been out long ago... If it wasn't for having to beat south africa to advance in the 1st round (instead of the classic games between them tiebreaker, that wouldve classified canada), and the ump reverting that call against japan (yet again, he overruled a clear homerun, but it wasnt enough)... team usa should've even been considered yesterday...

the officiating should be revised!!! you just can't have members of the playing nations umpiring a game... meaning... NO AMERICAN UMPS IN TEAM USA GAMES!!!

credit to mexico's pitching as well..

[trosmok]

I'm surprised Korea has done so well, and wish them the best of luck against Japan. I knew team Japan would be a force, but the guys from Seoul I know almost nothing about except they've won three in a row going into San Diego.

When the state dept. finally gave up their ridiculous cold war ploy and issued team Cuba the required permit, I knew they would be the team to beat. Not only their record in international play, but also the talent that hasn't been seen by many outside of their island. I didn't know that more than a few of the best Cuban players weren't even allowed to participate until I saw their roster and heard there were some loyalty to Fidel questions and possible defectors that were eliminated from consideration very early on. I still think they should pound the extremely talented Dominican squad, primarily because of the superior pitching, but I'm hoping for a close or even extra-inning game. Team USA being eliminated simply gives me more reason to get jazzed about the tournament, I had my misgivings, but now I'm sold on the idea of it being on the up and up, (it's real easy to fix exhibition games), and a big future benefit for baseball lovers around the world.

[CrewChief]

I'm not surprised this happened. If there is one thing I've learned about baseball, it is that any one team can easily beat the other on any given day. The United States looked sluggish anyways, they have a lot to learn from the hustle and attentiveness displayed by Korea and Japan.

[Williamsburg2599]

I hate to say i told you so...

I still consider Mexico a contender,lets not pull a USA vs. Canada and count our chickens before they hatch.


....but i told you so:D

[ElVenado]

Was last night's México's victory over the US poetic Justice?
It's been said a lot since the Japan vs Us game last weekend, the umpires were upto give "the home team" a hand in their way to the championship.
Last night's call was nothing but shameless robbery... we all were just expecting the umpire to shout "hands up and give me all your money!" :D
After giving Japan that call, and givinig it again to Mexico, poetic justice was done... Japan advanced to the semifinals and Mexico beat the US on american ground.
I want to stress it is not the USA team's fault. It's the organizing comitee's... c'mon! in every other international tournament, there's never a referee from one of the contenders; it's always a neutral party from a country other than the players.
Of course team USA didn't need an extra hand, they had it all to succeed, BUT just making up a team "15 minutes before", gives your opposite and advantage. México's team was also formed in the rush and we also paid the price, the big deal was most of them were either just finished playing winter leagues or were spring training already.
WBC was a big success and I also think every team will take this seriously next time.

Viva México! :clapping
Alex

[trosmok]

re; Team Cuba:
....I still think they should pound the extremely talented Dominican squad, primarily because of the superior pitching, but I'm hoping for a close or even extra-inning game. Team USA being eliminated simply gives me more reason to get jazzed about the tournament,..

Well, my wish was granted, and that was one great game. No homer calls, no three way discussions with the umps via translators, good solid pitching, defense, small ball (island style), and the Dominican squad, while fully loaded, never seemed to quite pull the trigger. I thought I heard all thirty memebers of team Dominican had MLB experience, as opposed to zero of thirty on team Cuba; was this true? Viva Cuba!:gt

btw, I have Bradley in my office pool, do you think I should also buy a powerball ticket before Wednesday?:clapping