2013 World Baseball Classic

[Rally Monkey]

Interesting that, at this late hour, Korean players are still threatening to boycott the WBC. See here:

http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_V...Ne7&category=6

[dviera78]

Ok guys, it's confirmed. Just as I thought and always said, Spain was situated in San Juan, Puerto Rico (I knew MLB wasn't going to put a Spanish Team full of Cuban defectors in the same group as Cuba) whereas Canada was put in Phoenix. So, that leaves Brazil traveling to Fukuoka instead. Best regards!

http://web.worldbaseballclassic.com/...93819-65400221

[NewEnglandAmazins]

Interesting that, at this late hour, Korean players are still threatening to boycott the WBC. See here:

http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_V...Ne7&category=6

I thought the owners agreed to add the tenth team in 2015

Ok guys, it's confirmed. Just as I thought and always said, Spain was situated in San Juan, Puerto Rico (I knew MLB wasn't going to put a Spanish Team full of Cuban defectors in the same group as Cuba) whereas Canada was put in Phoenix. So, that leaves Brazil traveling to Fukuoka instead. Best regards!

http://web.worldbaseballclassic.com/...93819-65400221

Great news! The Asia tickets should be going on sale soon.

[Rally Monkey]

Ok guys, it's confirmed. Just as I thought and always said, Spain was situated in San Juan, Puerto Rico (I knew MLB wasn't going to put a Spanish Team full of Cuban defectors in the same group as Cuba) whereas Canada was put in Phoenix. So, that leaves Brazil traveling to Fukuoka instead. Best regards!

http://web.worldbaseballclassic.com/...93819-65400221

Interesting. I, too, figured that MLB would want to avoid the politics of playing Spain against Cuba. Didn't think they were imaginative enough,though, to put Brazil in Asia. Should be very, very interesting.

Cool looking tix!

Update: I just checked my predictions. I thought MLB would try to smooth the way for Team USA by putting Spain in Phoenix. By putting Canada there, they've made it a bit more likely that we'll see an upset. And, with more major lragurrs playing in the field, that they'll sell more tickets.

[NewEnglandAmazins]

New IBAF Rankings, Brazil jumps to 20th and New Zealand breaks in at 29th.
Source: http://www.ibaf.org/en/news/2012/11/...8-5ddf603e1d39

[Rally Monkey]

Bad news: According to reports out of Japan, WBC preliminary rosters--which had been set to be released next week--won't be due now until mid-January.

http://yakyubaka.com/2012/11/30/samu...ember-29-2012/

More blown deadlines. Shouldn't be a surprise.

UPDATE: Here's a report from Team Canada that sheds some light on why the roster deadline is being pushed back. Makes sense: Some free agents (like Ryan Dempster) don't know where they'll sign yet, and their new teams could put the kibosh on their participation. But we should be hearing some roster commitments next week during the Winter Meetings.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/201...oster_unclear/

[Mischa]

Interesting. I, too, figured that MLB would want to avoid the politics of playing Spain against Cuba. Didn't think they were imaginative enough,though, to put Brazil in Asia. Should be very, very interesting.

Not too surprising, as 9 of Brazil's 28-man roster (for the qualifiers) played in Japan last year and another has played in Japan in the past. That's a good chunk of their team being familiar with Japanese baseball fans, especially the players with some NPB experience (Fernandes, Matsumoto, Kunabushi).

[PLowry]

As for the new IBAF rankings, they are confusing.

The IBAF post dated November 29 (yesterday) concerning newly updated rankings state they have been revised to reflect the September and November WBC Qualifiers, the Cuban team's trip through Taiwan and Japan this Fall, and the South American Championships won by Argentina.

Many team rankings have been updated.

However, for the First Place Team, Cuba, nothing has changed from September 21 through November 29 --- their total is exactly 766.02 points for both Sep 21 and Nov 29. Losses during their trip to Taiwan and Japan ? Doesn't matter ! ???

And now let's look at the Fifth Place Team, Canada, nothing has changed from September 21 through November 29 --- their total is exactly 485.00 points for both Sep 21 and Nov 29. Three consecutive lopsided victories at the Regensburg WBC Qualifier Pool ? Doesn't matter ! ???

So what is happening with Lausanne and the IBAF ? Don't know, but it's obvious that their rankings need to be double-checked before accepting them at face value.

If we assume these most recent IBAF rankings have validity, and I know this is a BIG IF for many who post here, and the decision is made to give some new nations a chance with a second round of qualifiers then the candidates for being added might include the following twelve teams --- # 22 Argentina, # 27 Pakistan, # 30 Croatia, # 32 Indonesia, # 33 Sweden, # 34 Hong Kong, # 35 Ecuador, # 36 Sri Lanka, # 37 Greece, # 38 Belgium, # 40 Honduras, # 41 Guam.

Or it may be decided to not have an additional round of qualifiers, but to replace some of the teams who did not win a game in 2012 --- Thailand, Nicaragua, France, Czech.

Addition of a second round of qualifiers could come in 2016 or in 2020. There are three and a half years to go before Fall 2016 WBC Qualifier decisions will be set in stone.

[cutchemist42]

Like we kinda guessed at, Brazil once they won seemed like a good fit for Japan with some slight regional interest likely to exist. The Brazil games will do a little better then Spain games in Japan would have.

[Rally Monkey]

Phil, as I've written here countless times, the IBAF rankings are a joke. They should be ignored.

[Rally Monkey]

Japanese media is reporting the schedule for Samurai Japan in Pool A in Fukuoka.

Sat., March 2
Japan v. Brazil

Sun. March 3, 7 pm
Japan v. China

Wed. March 6, 7 pm
Japan v. Cuba

http://yakyubaka.com/2012/12/01/samu...cember-1-2012/

[NewEnglandAmazins]

Japanese media is reporting the schedule for Samurai Japan in Pool A in Fukuoka.

Sat., March 2
Japan v. Brazil

Sun. March 3, 7 pm
Japan v. China

Wed. March 6, 7 pm
Japan v. Cuba

http://yakyubaka.com/2012/12/01/samu...cember-1-2012/

I wonder if all of the first round groups will use the same format?

Day 1
1 v. 4
2 v. 3

Day 2
1 v. 3
2 v. 4

Day 3
1 v. 2
3 v. 4

[Rally Monkey]

I'm guessing Cuba will play China in a March 2 doubleheader, Cuba will play Brazil on March 4, and Brazil will play China on March 5.

[Rally Monkey]

I wonder if all of the first round groups will use the same format?

Day 1
1 v. 4
2 v. 3

Day 2
1 v. 3
2 v. 4

Day 3
1 v. 2
3 v. 4

No. Other than Pool A, they're 4 day rounds. Probably two doubleheaders the first two days, then single nighttime games the last two days. Like in 2006.

[NewEnglandAmazins]

I'm guessing Cuba will play China in a March 2 doubleheader, Cuba will play Brazil on March 4, and Brazil will play China on March 5.

You're right. I must be really tired, I didn't see that Japan is off on Monday the 4th and Tuesday the 5th.

[NewEnglandAmazins]

I just found this schedule on FIBS website (Italian)

Thu., March 7
Italy v. Mexico

Fri., March 8
Italy v. Canada

Sat., March 9
Italy v. USA

Source: http://www.fibs.it/it-it/World-Baseb...?IdSection=677

This might be what the rest of the Phoenix Schedule looks like:

Fri., March 8
USA v. Mexico

Sat., March 9
Mexico v. Canada

Sun., March 10
USA v. Canada

[Rally Monkey]

Good article. It confirms that the schedule will be announced on December 3, along with some of the names of players who've already committed to play. The preliminary 28 man rosters will be due on January 26, with a deadline of February 20 set for final rosters.

[NewEnglandAmazins]

Any thoughts on this comment?

"This is still a young event" said WBC Inc President Paul Archey "We are having the third edition and we still work to make sure there will be a fourth. But we believe that the World Baseball Classic is a key to the development of the game internationally".

Source: http://www.ibaf.org/en/news/2012/12/...a-d7d80d6103b5

[USA101]

Any thoughts on this comment?

"This is still a young event" said WBC Inc President Paul Archey "We are having the third edition and we still work to make sure there will be a fourth. But we believe that the World Baseball Classic is a key to the development of the game internationally".

Source: http://www.ibaf.org/en/news/2012/12/...a-d7d80d6103b5

maybe WBC Inc. is struggling for sponsers or money in general?

[quinnystar27]

Any thoughts on this comment?

"This is still a young event" said WBC Inc President Paul Archey "We are having the third edition and we still work to make sure there will be a fourth. But we believe that the World Baseball Classic is a key to the development of the game internationally".

Source: http://www.ibaf.org/en/news/2012/12/...a-d7d80d6103b5

The WBC is a very young event. And not all the baseball powers are friendly to it. I think until you get to 10+ WBC tournaments will the tournament be here to stay. You have several owners against it. Your average MLB player would rather win a world series then a WBC trophy. Remember unlike football, there is only one maybe 2 if you count japan leagues that pay well enough to make a living.

Football a player who plays division 2 spain or in some league in bulgaria would love to win a world cup. But a MLB player would rather win the world series or win minor league games to get to the majors.

I think it will take some time and some great interest from fans to the the WBC as a tournament worthy of the highest honors in baseballs.

[NewEnglandAmazins]

There is no doubt that there are powerful baseball people against the event, many of them are owners. With Selig getting ready to step down and speculation that the next Commissioner may be a current owner, how would an Anti-WBC Commissioner undermine the WBC?

[wbcno1fan]

There is no doubt that there are powerful baseball people against the event, many of them are owners. With Selig getting ready to step down and speculation that the next Commissioner may be a current owner, how would an Anti-WBC Commissioner undermine the WBC?

Guys,i think you are over reading this article,mlb in general knows that the WBC is a great tool to develop the game internationally,the more new young players learn to play baseball the richer the owners will get; i remember reading back in 2005 when this event was created that 29 out of 30 owners gave their approval to this event that we love so much ( the late great George Streinbener being the only owner who did not approve the creation of the WBC.

[cutchemist42]

Going back now would be a slap in the face to the sport. I have no doubt they will see the profits from the expanded presence in Asia this time and not look back.

[cutchemist42]

https://twitter.com/WBCBaseball/stat...751618/photo/1

http://www.baseball.ca/eng_news_stor...w7uPRM.twitter

[Rally Monkey]

I'm thinking the big news out of today's WBC roster teaser announcement comes from Chinese Taipei. Chien-Ming Wang and Hong-Chih Kuo bring real star power. Looks like Taiwan isn't messing around this time.

http://web.worldbaseballclassic.com/...s_mlb&c_id=mlb