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Southwest AmAZins,
In your post # 31 dated March 27, 2017, you make several suggestions for the next Qualifier.
First, announce years in advance the dates and cities for each of the four rounds, citing the fact that FIFA does so for the World Cup of football. I agree. The WBSC and MLB announced the dates and cities for the 2016-17 WBC only 7 months in advance. As for the dates and cities for the 2020-21 WBC, here we are in September 2019, only six months before the March 2020 Qualifiers and all we get from the WBSC and MLB is silence.
Second, a region should host the entire event. I disagree with this recommendation. The only region that would have enough adequate ballparks would be Latin America. Plus, part of the allure of the WBC is that it is played all over the world.
Third, expand the number of participating nations. On this point, I strongly agree, In my recent posts, I outline which nations might participate if we enlarged the tournament from 28 to 32 nations. Simply add one nation to each of the four Qualifier Round pools. And also which nations might participate if we enlarged the tournament from 28 to 40 nations. Simply add a second Qualifer Round of 16 nations. The relegated nations would play with 12 new nations in the First Qualifier Round. Then the four winners of the First Qualifier Round would play with the 12 un-relegated nations in the Second Qualifier Round.
Last, settle on a tie-breaker system. I agree. There has been a different tie-breaker system for each of the previous Classics. In the 2017 First Round in Zapopan, Mexico, after the sixth game, it took two full hours of arguments to explain to the Mexican team that Venezuela and Italy, not Mexico, would be playing in the Tie-Breaker game the next day for the right to go onto the Second Round.
Phil Lowry
In your post # 31 dated March 27, 2017, you make several suggestions for the next Qualifier.
First, announce years in advance the dates and cities for each of the four rounds, citing the fact that FIFA does so for the World Cup of football. I agree. The WBSC and MLB announced the dates and cities for the 2016-17 WBC only 7 months in advance. As for the dates and cities for the 2020-21 WBC, here we are in September 2019, only six months before the March 2020 Qualifiers and all we get from the WBSC and MLB is silence.
Second, a region should host the entire event. I disagree with this recommendation. The only region that would have enough adequate ballparks would be Latin America. Plus, part of the allure of the WBC is that it is played all over the world.
Third, expand the number of participating nations. On this point, I strongly agree, In my recent posts, I outline which nations might participate if we enlarged the tournament from 28 to 32 nations. Simply add one nation to each of the four Qualifier Round pools. And also which nations might participate if we enlarged the tournament from 28 to 40 nations. Simply add a second Qualifer Round of 16 nations. The relegated nations would play with 12 new nations in the First Qualifier Round. Then the four winners of the First Qualifier Round would play with the 12 un-relegated nations in the Second Qualifier Round.
Last, settle on a tie-breaker system. I agree. There has been a different tie-breaker system for each of the previous Classics. In the 2017 First Round in Zapopan, Mexico, after the sixth game, it took two full hours of arguments to explain to the Mexican team that Venezuela and Italy, not Mexico, would be playing in the Tie-Breaker game the next day for the right to go onto the Second Round.
Phil Lowry
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