How I'd do the 2009 WBC

[Gamingboy]

Besides USA getting eliminated and low attendance in some of the games in the earliest round, the WBC has been a huge success. I've come up with a few things that could make it better though.


Qualifying
There should be qualifying in November of the year before the WBC. The "Elite Eight" of the 2006 Tourney would automatically qualify. The top two in each pool would advance to the March portion of the tournament. The top team that didn't advance out of the pool in 2006 would host the qualifier. I've made up fictional "Region names" for each pool. Sorta like the Little League World Series.

The pools:

Pool A-ASIA-PACIFIC (Taipei):
Chinese Taipei
China
Phillipines
Guam

Pool B- North America-Africa-Middle East (Toronto):
Canada
South Africa
US Virgin Islands
Guatemala

Pool C- North Europe-Caribbean-Central America (Rotterdam):
Netherlands
Panama
Nicaragua
Honduras

Pool D- South Europe-Caribbean-Oceania-South America (Nettuno, Italy):
Italy
Australia
Colombia
Brazil



Move Spring Training up to accomodate the players that are to play in the Classic
To February 1st, exhibition games starting around February 15th with the players that are to play in the Classic leaving around February 20th.

Move the Sites around

The Asian-Pacific Pool could be played in a different dome, like in Osaka or Nagoya.

The North American-African Pool could play in San Diego. "Big" Games could be played in PETCO, with San Diego State's Tony Gwynn Stadium for smaller games.

Pool C could play in Cuba. The Cubans have expressed a desire to host some games. However, in case the Government doesn't like the idea, the games could be held in Hiram Bithorn again.

Pool D could play in Venezuela.


Pools 1 and 2 could probably play like they did this time.

Celebration of Baseball
Have a week long All-Star break. Never going to happen, but supposedly, some people in MLB itself like the idea according to a ESPN.com article I read. The schedule could be like this:
Monday- Workout day
Tuesday- Futures game
Wednesday- Home Run Derby (which could also feature none-MLB sluggers from foreign leagues)
Thursday-Semifinal between Pool 1 winner and pool 1 runner-up
Friday-Semifinal between pool 2 winner and pool 2 runner-up
Saturday- The MLB All-Star Game
Sunday- The WBC Finals

How can you not tell that that wouldn't be sweet?

[Agente Libre]

Cuba wants to host games but with the average Cuban making $25/month, it's not going to happen. I don't think MLB is real excited about having 5-cent tickets to the WBC in Havana.

[ElVenado]

What about México?

I think México could host some of the games. Monterrey, México, has the best stadium in Latin América! it's a 3-level stadium with most of Major League facilities requriements; just remember Monterrey was contending to host the Expos when they're about to leave Montreal and we had a handful of visitors from MLB to inspect the site. Monterrey is just a 2-hours drive from Laredo and McAllen, Texas. This couldn't be an issue but something has to be considered: there's plenty of people willing to shorten the 5-hour drive to Houston or the 6+ hour drive to Arlington to watch a world-class match.
Anyway, it's a 3-year run till next tournament. Too bad it had to be on a soccer world cup year.

peace!
Alex

[aarond23]

I think the pitch counts should definitely be moved up.

Need to get more international umpires and no umpire from those countries should umpire the games of their home country.

I hope we are going to see teams get together early in February.

I hope any country that wants to try to qualify gets a chance, just like soccer.

[Andruw]

Cuba wants to host games but with the average Cuban making $25/month, it's not going to happen. I don't think MLB is real excited about having 5-cent tickets to the WBC in Havana.

Cuban manager Higinio Velez pleaded with reporters in a pre-game gathering to help push for the WBC to replace the world championships and become a biannual event – perhaps with Cuba hosting part of it.

"Let's fight together so this event won't be held every four years but rather every two, so the baseball world won't have to wait so long to enjoy this," Velez said.

Gene Orza, the union's chief operating officer, said staging the event every two years is unlikely because of the huge effort involved in it, but added that Cuba as a site for some early games would be considered.

[Agente Libre]

That was just a politically correct answer. You really think the union would sacrifice millions of dollars just so Castro can host some WBC games? It will never happen.

[aarond23]

Maybe what Orza meant by some 'early games' were some pre round of 16 qualifiers?

Or maybe they plan on giving some teams true home field advantage in the future in a different format?

[Knick9]

You should include everybody (all teams) in a one-game qualifier, and that includes USA, Canada, Korea, Japan, Dom. Rep. and etc. By the way, I was happy to find that baseball is played in Ireland, Scotland (Quote: I am William Wallace! ), and Great Britain. Who knows? It would be interesting to see them in the WBC '09. Of course, one more team would be needed after those three. There are ballparks out there, but I'm not sure which one is the best.

Either that or you could have more pool play, such as Pool E and F somehow. I'm just throwing it out there.

[Mike_Piazza]

Netherlands and Italy got the invitations to the WBC because
were 1 and 2 in the last european championship and have 2 good domestic leagues (probably the italian is better because there are very good import players),but in a qualification tournament others european national teams has to be invited.
Baseball is played in Europe in Spain,Sweden,Russia,Czech Republic,Croazia,Ukraine,Great Britain ,France and Greece.
Italy last year struggled vs Sweden and Russia to reach the final in the european championship and even if Italy vs Netherlands is the classic final of the european championship every time is more and more difficult to win vs other european national teams.
I think 1 or 2 teams from Europe should play in WBC,but to qualify i'd stay with the results from IBAF European Championship.

[Gamingboy]

Okay, Here's my redo on format



FIRST ROUND: Qualifying. Host country determined by top country that did not advance. Games played in the November of the year before the Classic.


ASIAN-PACIFIC Qualifier (Taipei):
Chinese Taipei
China
Phillipines
Guam

NORTH AMERICA-AFRICA-MIDDLE EAST (Toronto):
Canada
South Africa
US Virgin Islands
Guatemala

North Europe-Caribbean-Central America Qualifier (Rotterdam):
Netherlands
Panama
Nicaragua
Sweden

South Europe-Caribbean-Oceania-South America Qualifier (Nettuno, Italy):
Italy
Australia
Colombia
Spain


ROUND 2: The first round in the current format. The 'home venue" would be determined by the no. 1 team in each pool. Played in Early March.

Pool A (South Korean city, such as Seoul):
Korea
Japan
No. 1 Qualifier
No. 2 Qualifier

Pool B (Monterey, Mexico):
Mexico
USA
No. 1 Qualifier
No. 2 Qualifier

Pool C (Hiram Bithorn):
Puerto Rico
Cuba
No. 1 Qualifier
No. 2 Qualifier

Pool D (Santo Domingo):
Dominican
Venezuela
No. 1 Qualifier
No. 2 Qualifier


Round 3: Like the round 2 of the current format. Played in Mid March.

Pool 1 (San Diego):
No. 1 Pool A
No. 1 Pool B
No. 2 Pool A
No. 2 Pool B

Pool 2 (Hiram Bithorn):
No 1 Pool C
No. 1 Pool D
No. 2 Pool C
No. 2 Pool D

SEMI-FINALS AND FINALS WOULD BE PLAYED IN THE ALL-STAR CITY