2013 World Baseball Classic

[Alexx1971]

I not against Czechia and so on.
I think, that 8 additional places should BE EARNED, to not receive automatically
I think, that it is necessary to play qualifying tournaments, in which these countries should in struggle receive these places in tournament.
I have specified as it I see here:
http: // www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=88632
I think, that is necessary to play 1 round - 4 groups with in each 6 teams( total 60 games), it's better than 6 groups with 4 teams in each group (36 games).
More games - the better tournament. In baseball it is possible to play EACH day (as against soccers)

[NewEnglandAmazins]

The arguments against this which occur to me are,

1. There is still a statistical formula which announcers and writers will have to repeatedly explain to viewers and readers. In short, this annoys people and drives away casual fans. The double-elimination bracket diagram may have looked a little complicated to some, but at least it could be drawn. You can't draw the round-robin plus RA/9 ranking and tiebreaker.

2. Why is it RA/9? Why is allowing fewer runs more important than scoring more runs, or any other measure?

Forgive me for overlooking the sensibilities of the casual fan. I used the RA/9, because it was the primary tie breaker in 2006. However a simpler tie breaking criteria can be used, perhaps Run differential. Goal differential is used for tie breakers in soccer, so it may be straight forward enough for the casual baseball fan.
I didn't mind the double elimination system to much, I just prefer pool play. As you mentioned in your "WBC Tournament Structure" thread, some intriguing match-ups didn't materialize. Also, it would be nice to see every team get in a at least three games on the WBC stage.

[Alexx1971]

However a simpler tie breaking criteria can be used, perhaps Run differential. Goal differential is used for tie breakers in soccer, so it may be straight forward enough for the casual baseball fan.

Yes !!!
Baseball bosses must take better from soccer

I didn't mind the double elimination system to much, I just prefer pool play.

Yes !
It's foolish system.
Teams must play "each-to-each" (like in WBC'06)

[NewEnglandAmazins]

I not against Czechia and so on.
I think, that 8 additional places should BE EARNED, to not receive automatically
I think, that it is necessary to play qualifying tournaments, in which these countries should in struggle receive these places in tournament.

I agree 100%

I have specified as it I see here:
http: // www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=88632
I think, that is necessary to play 1 round - 4 groups with in each 6 teams( total 60 games), it's better than 6 groups with 4 teams in each group (36 games).
More games - the better tournament. In baseball it is possible to play EACH day (as against soccers)

I like that format, but I'm not sure the WBC Committee will agree with the semi-final & final portion it. Many MLB clubs are not too happy about letting their stars play in a maximum of 10 WBC games; they're going to be less enthused about letting them play in a max of about 15 games. I wouldn't mind the final be a best of three series.

[quinnystar27]

maybe set up the second round as single elimination bracket style format. This is only if you had another 8 teams. this makes the WBC shorter and more exciting, yes there will be more upsets and pitching staff might be more important and crucial in games but it might be the best way. Of course teams would have to play every other day, very difficult to do.

[quinnystar27]

Baseball will grow

I have research the beginning of the world cup of soccer. And I could not help to notice the similarities between the world cup and the world baseball classic. One the world baseball classic began around the time were IOC wanted to remove baseball from the olympics. 1932 olympic did not have soccer in the list of games and was dropped to the fact that IOC didnt want professional players to go, also in 1932 soccer was removed from the games, yet it was brought back in 1936 i believe. Similar to baseball being removed and maybe coming back in 2016. Two soccer crazed nations like italy and england did not want to go because they thought it was to long a journey, expensive and meaningless. Similar to what some people believe about the world baseball classic. Also there was a lot of dropping out of players and even teams. 1934 world cup Uruguay didnt even go the defending champions.

I do not think baseball can ever top soccer in popularity, because all soccer needs is ball to play. Also some people believe that baseball is just a american game, i never hear soccer refer as just a english game even though the origins are english. Soccer became a world wide phenom, baseball I hope can become one day a world wide sport.

[Pere]

Forgive me for overlooking the sensibilities of the casual fan.

Hey, I wish we could.

I didn't mind the double elimination system to much, I just prefer pool play. As you mentioned in your "WBC Tournament Structure" thread, some intriguing match-ups didn't materialize. Also, it would be nice to see every team get in a at least three games on the WBC stage.

Definitely agree with the last bit.

I haven't bothered to plot it out on paper and present it here, but I have a vague idea about a combination system which begins with geographic pool play (including some new countries) and then moves into a bracketed tournament, with the first seeding being based on pool standings. Teams which had advanced to a certain level in the previous tournament could skip the pool play round (thus allowing a better showcase for the weaker teams there) and receive automatic bracket positions.

I'm no casual, but I still like the clarity of elimination only being possible "on the field." I think any format which relies on a statistical formula at any point still allows for the possibility of weird conditions like the one I believe Mexico faced in 2006, in which scoring some runs, and winning the game quickly, at a certain point, would eliminate themselves (this is what happened), but playing into extra innings and then winning, would advance them.

[philliesfiend55]

2013? - I thought that it was being held every three years, so that 2012 would be next.

[Alexx1971]

Of course teams would have to play every other day, very difficult to do.

Why? Baseball - it's not a soccer.
Any soccer team play in championship 30-35 game
Baseball play at 3-4 time more:
USA - 162 games
Japan -144 games
Korea - 120 games
Taiwan - 100 games
Cuba - 90 games

What's problem play the game every day ?

[Alexx1971]

Two soccer crazed nations like italy and england

England NEVER be soccer crazed
All my life until 1996 I like soccer and I know what I say.
Three guys from Ukraine was best European soccers man (Blokhin in 1975, Belanov in 1986, Shevchenko in 200?)
Biggest crazy soccers country - it's Brazil. Then Italy.
England not more crazy than Germany.
England not qualified on Euro2008 (Croatia win their in qualifying)

I do not think baseball can ever top soccer in popularity, because all soccer needs is ball to play.

I believe when India will play in WBC (in 10-12 years), baseball will more popular than soccer in the world because in 10-12 years China will win over Canada, Mexico, Taiwan WITHOUT problem !!!
In 1990 nobody think what China win Olympic games. But results Olympic'2008 we know

[chicagofan71]

England NEVER be soccer crazed
All my life until 1996 I like soccer and I know what I say.
Three guys from Ukraine was best European soccers man (Blokhin in 1975, Belanov in 1986, Shevchenko in 200?)
Biggest crazy soccers country - it's Brazil. Then Italy.
England not more crazy than Germany.
England not qualified on Euro2008 (Croatia win their in qualifying)

How is England not soccer crazed? Is that serious? And, the fact that they didn't qualify for Euro 2008's doesn't mean squat; they still love their soccer. That'd be like saying becuase Cuba didn't get into the semi finals of the WBC they're not baseball crazed

[quinnystar27]

i have to agree england is soccer crazed have you ever been to england to watch a game. Even B teams have crazy fan support. Manchester was over run by people that they stopped the trains, trams and buses during the uefa cup final when the rangers played it was just insane.

[chicagofan71]

i have to agree england is soccer crazed have you ever been to england to watch a game. Even B teams have crazy fan support. Manchester was over run by people that they stopped the trains, trams and buses during the uefa cup final when the rangers played it was just insane.

Yep, exactly. Teams in the Coca Cola Leagues also get pretty big crowds. Part of it is their system (if you are a solid B team, you always have the chance at a promotion, whihc I LOVE and wished baseball in the U.S. adopted, but it would never happen)

[Alexx1971]

Guys, don't be emotionally.
Please, let's think
Look at this
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/stats/a...r=2008&cc=3888
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/stats/a...r=2008&cc=3888
Germany average attendance: 41,746
England average attendance: 35,325
But nobody in Europe say that German - it's a crazy
Attendance and Crazy - it's a DIFFERENT THINGS
Italy:
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/stats/a...r=2008&cc=3888
Italy average attendance: 24,889
But Italy soccer fan, - tiffozi - a CRAZY!!!!!!
Good attendance - it's a good management

In Ukraine boxing guys have best results, than Mexico and Cuba (yesterday Klitshchko win Gomez by knockout).
http://www.boxrec.com/ratings.php?se...on=Heavyweight
We have 5 guys in TOP20, USA have 6 guys (only thanks to US promouters, because boxing - it's a dirty business).
But Mexico and Cuba - it's a boxing MUCH MORE crazy people.
CRAZY, ATTENDANCE, RESULTS - it's a three different things.
In Icehockey in 1980-1990 best team in the world it's USSR team.
But games in championship was with empty stadiums (not always, but often)
ATTENDANCE........
And our people not crazy. But soccer #1 (in Ukraine and Russian attendance about 9000)
Bad attendance - it's a bad management, but not bad sportsmen
Are you understand?

[jalbright]

Let's keep it to baseball, folks. This is Baseball Fever, after all. If you want to discuss soccer, there are other places for that.

[twinsfan09]

Joe Morgan said on yesterday's game that the WBC should be at the end of spring training and shorten up the season. I think they should starts spring training a week earlier and end a week earlier. Then have the WBC start after spring training. To compensate cutting the 2 weeks of the mlb season they could cancel the all star game for that year and then they would only have to take out a week of games.

[quinnystar27]

Joe Morgan said on yesterday's game that the WBC should be at the end of spring training and shorten up the season. I think they should starts spring training a week earlier and end a week earlier. Then have the WBC start after spring training. To compensate cutting the 2 weeks of the mlb season they could cancel the all star game for that year and then they would only have to take out a week of games.

I really wish that was the case. For that to happen two things have to occur one the WBC popularity has to soar beyond anything that MLB teams can think of. The tournament is popular outside the USA for sure but until it is popular in the USA MLB teams will not feel pressure to do anything drastic because their loyalty is to fans in the united states. the other thing is for teams to get some of the WBC money compensation i guess. I do not want to see that because MLB teams are already getting enough money and are a bit greedy. But because countries PR, DR, USA, VZ, CUBA, JPN, maybe KOR, do not need to develop their baseball sure it be nice for their representatives to get money to help development but they do not need that much unlike europe, south africa and so on. so rather then giving more money to teams from the WBC give it to MLB Teams for some sort of compensation. This is the only way I think for MLB to want to shorten it's season.

Another thing that might help but it is years away is that the next commissioner of baseball to grow some balls and kick steroids out and support the classic. I just pray the next commissioner of baseball is pro world baseball classic.

[Agente Libre]

Another thing that might help but it is years away is that the next commissioner of baseball to grow some balls and kick steroids out and support the classic. I just pray the next commissioner of baseball is pro world baseball classic.

?????

MLB has been testing for steroids for 5 years or more, and while I'm no fan of Bud Selig, he's very, very pro-WBC.

[quinnystar27]

?????

MLB has been testing for steroids for 5 years or more, and while I'm no fan of Bud Selig, he's very, very pro-WBC.

not saying selig is not i just hope the next commissioner is pro WBC

[Richard]

When the international dollars, yen, pesos or whatever become overwhelming and as large or larger than the domestic dollars, then even most of the MLB owners and any commissioner will be pro-WBC. In a generation or so, this will become a huge tournament especially when another sixteen or so nations are added.

[Paula59]

I don´t know if it was mentioned here before but I think the next WBC should have more venues all over the world. Not only the teams making are wbc the destinations also.
Let the teams go out there in the world and show that baseball is a global game and let them play where they normally not playing.
At least a venue at every continent it is a little bit more of travelling but it will help to grow the game
1st round with 4 pools on 3 continents and split the top 8 in here plus the rest by draw host nation is in his homepool single round robin
Europe, 2 x Australia, Africa (6 Teams at every pool)

From here they advance into 2 groups to Asia and South America with split groups Asian/South American the rest by draw single round robin

From here they advance to North America maybe Mexico, California or Florida with one pool and a single round robin or finals

For the next WBC the venues, continents shift so that a continent will have after 5 WBC the final round again.

[NewEnglandAmazins]

Wouldn't it be better for the whole WBC to be held in one region? It would reduce travel time and the duration of the tournament. I wouldn't mind seeing Asia & Australia hosting it in 2013, North America in 2017, and possibly Latin America in 2021.

[quinnystar27]

That might be better but i think the attendance will be sold out for sure in latin america right. You look at the number PR brought and i am sure venezuela and DR will bring the same interest. I dont see a problem with japan other then attendance i went to three classic venues this year tokyo first round, miami second round and LA. I saw all games in tokyo and noticed that if it wasnt japan playing there were no people. And i ask my japanese friends and they said they rather just watch japan. So i do not know if venezuela USA will bring a lot of interest. Latin america lacks the modern stadiums yet DR is making plans to make a state of the art stadium. I do not think the tournament should be done in north america again. Also i would like to see it in Australia but i do not think there will be much interest.

[Alexx1971]

Also i would like to see it in Australia but i do not think there will be much interest.

In Australia? But Australia not have ballparks with good capacity (20 000 and more)
Really WBC2013 make in Japan-Korea
They had success in 2002 (FIFA World Cup)
But soccer not popular in Korea & Japan.
WBC2013 in Korea-JApan will have success

[Rally Monkey]

I think we can expect to see the following in 2013:

The tournament will take place in March again.

There will be a play-in round for at least eight new teams and the bottom eight or twelve teams from the 2009 tournament.

South Korea will host one of the second round pools.

The Dominican Republic will host one of the first or second round pools.

Los Angeles, Anaheim, or Phoenix will host one of the quarter-final pools.

Miami will host the semi-finals and finals in its new ballpark.

Here's why I predict these things. South Korea has a definite claim to host a round. So if the WBC organizers give it to Japan again, Korea will rightfully demand to know why--and the specter of a boycott (such as the D.R. threatened this time around) could arise. What's more, I understand that Incheon plans to build a domed baseball stadium for the 2014 Asia Games. If this is ready to go by early 2013, I don't see how the WBC can say no.

The D.R.'s threatened boycott fizzled out this year, but we'll hear more about it as 2013 approaches. The D.R. can rightfully claim that their fans deserve to see them play. If they can get their act together in time, I don't see how the WBC says no--especially if the island is hosting one of the play-in rounds where tickets can be priced lower and the infrastructure doesn't need to be world-class.

I think the greater L.A. area has shown that its large ethnic communities and baseball-loving public are a perfect match for the WBC. The Dodger Stadium games were a huge success. (For those who noticed that the games didn't sell out, remember that it's a huge stadium. Dodger playoff games sometimes don't sell out.) Phoenix doesn't share L.A.'s demographics, but it's a baseball mecca in March. And with more promotion, I think the tournament could definitely be a draw for snowbirds.

(For what it's worth, I'd like to see the quarterfinals held in a single city. I know that that's a challenge for TV ratings, but it would make the tournament easier to promote and more of a draw for out-of-towners, I think.)

MLB has emphatically promised Miami officials that the WBC will be located there in 2013 if the county agrees to build the Marlins a new ballpark. Now that that's happened, I don't see how the WBC reneges on its promise. Too bad because, as I've written here for months, Miami hates going to baseball games.