WBC conspiracy

[unfinished_business]

Are the WBC umpires told to favor Team USA with close calls????

- the TAG-Up Call USA vs. Japan

- A ball clearly ricocheting off the Foul-Pole ruled a Double

There is a obvivous reason to do it:

USA advancing to Semis is a must for the WBC to be a true success!!

[Greerman29]

Whether or not it's a conspiracy, it won't matter because mexico just scored off a single.

[Blackout]

mexico got the run in anyway, so the umps are off the hook for now

[Sultan_1895-1948]

Durazo is in on the fix. He should have tagged up on that ball.

[efin98]

Davison said he thought it bounced off of the top of the fence. The umpires all said they didn't see it hit the pole nor did they say they could see it hit the top of the fence. They examined the ball, no paint on it at all indicating that it either hit the pole nor that it hit the fence.

[unfinished_business]

Davison said he thought it bounced off of the top of the fence. The umpires all said they didn't see it hit the pole nor did they say they could see it hit the top of the fence. They examined the ball, no paint on it at all indicating that it either hit the pole nor that it hit the fence.

When all four of those umpires cannot follow the flight of the Ball then they need glasses and new jobs!

[efin98]

When all four of those umpires cannot follow the flight of the Ball then they need glasses and new jobs!

Only one guy was close enough to see it, the guy at first base. He couldn't see the ball clearly and thought he saw something else. ESPN's cameras couldn't follow the ball either, they had to slow it down frame by frame just to see where it impacted.

If high tech video equiptment can't see the ball how the heck can four umpires see it clearly- they can't. They went with what the 1st base umpire thought he saw, a double off of the top of the wall.

[RBi]

- A ball clearly ricocheting off the Foul-Pole ruled a Double

Clearly with ESPN rewinding and slowing it down frame by frame...


NO DOUBT.
"Clearly"

[efin98]

Doesn't matter. Team USA lost 2-1 and are eliminated based on tie breaker. Japan advances.

[DownUnderDodger]

There is a obvivous reason to do it:

USA advancing to Semis is a must for the WBC to be a true success!!

WHY!!!??? If for fan support, it appeared that there was as many Mexican fans in the crowd as USA supporters.

I think the loss by Team USA just shows that Baseball IS a worldwide sport and there is life in Baseball outside the MLB. That the MLB teams need to import so many overseas players is testimony to that and it is just fantastic that this tournament has allowed those players and others not playing in MLB to show their skills for their country. I am sure the MLB club cheque books will be out in force to sign whatever talent they can from the 15 other countries!

[Astro]

WHY!!!??? If for fan support, it appeared that there was as many Mexican fans in the crowd as USA supporters.

I think the loss by Team USA just shows that Baseball IS a worldwide sport and there is life in Baseball outside the MLB. That the MLB teams need to import so many overseas players is testimony to that and it is just fantastic that this tournament has allowed those players and others not playing in MLB to show their skills for their country. I am sure the MLB club cheque books will be out in force to sign whatever talent they can from the 15 other countries!

It shows me that the US team doesnt really care... Maybe since they lost most of the great players will decide to play instead of sit out... if they do decide to play then the US will probably go undefeated in 2009

[aarond23]

most of the great players

What truly 'great' position players didn't play for the USA? Guys like Bonds, Berkman, Rolen were all nursing injuries.

I will agree that many of the pitchers like Halladay, Carpenter, Buehrle didn't play and Sabathia and Wagner pulled out which led to the Canada loss disaster with Leiter on the team but I don't see the main problem as not enough superstars signing up for the team.

I see the main problem as putting the team together the weekend before the tournament and then Martinez having a 'spring training' mentality as a manager.

[DownUnderDodger]

It shows me that the US team doesnt really care... Maybe since they lost most of the great players will decide to play instead of sit out... if they do decide to play then the US will probably go undefeated in 2009

What a cop-out. Not unexpected though! Let's see what happens in 2009!

[Shoeless]

WHY!!!??? I am sure the MLB club cheque books will be out in force to sign whatever talent they can from the 15 other countries!

It's not that simple. First of all, China and South Africa have none (except for one guy who's already signed). Second, Cuba is out because of the embargo. Third, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico teams are all big leaguers already, and most of the Venzuelans and Canadians are signed but in the minors. Mexico still has its counterpart to the reserve clause, so they're mostly not available; Japan's kind of the same. I don't know about Korea. The only guys likely to move are Matsuzaka (of gyroball fame), and if he ever becomes available, the Korean guy who hit all those homers.

[DownUnderDodger]

It's not that simple. First of all, China and South Africa have none (except for one guy who's already signed). Second, Cuba is out because of the embargo. Third, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico teams are all big leaguers already, and most of the Venzuelans and Canadians are signed but in the minors. Mexico still has its counterpart to the reserve clause, so they're mostly not available; Japan's kind of the same. I don't know about Korea. The only guys likely to move are Matsuzaka (of gyroball fame), and if he ever becomes available, the Korean guy who hit all those homers.

So what you seem to be implying is that MLB would possibly struggle to survive without the players from all those other countries. And no doubt when China, Chinese Taipei and Sth Africa get stronger their players will be poached. Australia had a miserable WBC but all but two of the Aussie team are on the MLB books as well.