Japan //-- World Champions --\\

by ConditionOakland on Mar 20, 2006 11:10 PM PST

Congratulations Japan on winning the WBC.

Every single player on the Japanese roster stepped up to the plate and performed. Most notably, Japan's battery seemed to be on its toes towads the end of the series.

Cuba played a great game, but their pitching couldn't hold up in the critical late innings.
I expect they'll be back in the WBC Championships next time.

Japan celebrates against Korea.

A very important point that should be addressed is that Japan was missing VERY KEY players as well.
Matsui, Iguchi, and Jojima all chose to stay out.
With them at those key positions, who knows how much stronger they would have been.

I'll re-start the "Oversea Ball" posts again soon, with Fukudome and Uehara next up.

Uehara.

Ichiro homer.

Matsuzaka was shoved into the spotlight during the WBC, and whatever team lands him will definatly be holding a strong ace. I still think the A's need to bid high for him-- whoever has him is going to boost their chances at the WS.

Future MLB ace, Matsuzaka.

Hope everyone is well.
Congratulations Japan, World Baseball Champions.

Wrap-up here.

-CO

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Yay Japan!

Sometimes I think you talk just to make sounds.

by baseballnut020 on Mar 20, 2006 11:19 PM PST reply actions

Photos...

Akinori Otsuka (40) & catcher Tomoya Satozaki
[REUTERS/Lucas Jackson]

[REUTERS/Fred Greaves]

Baseball legend Sadaharu Oh
[REUTERS/Robert Galbraith]

[REUTERS/Robert Galbraith]

Ichiro with the flag of Japan

Ichiro with the 2006 World Baseball Classic championship trophy

Sometimes I think you talk just to make sounds.

by baseballnut020 on Mar 20, 2006 11:41 PM PST reply actions

More photos...

[REUTERS/Mike Blake]

Team Japan poses for a photograph after winning the World Baseball Classic final against Cuba in San Diego March 20, 2006. Japan won 10-6.

[REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson]

Team Japan manager Sadaharu Oh (L) and Ichiro Suzuki (R) pose for a photograph with the rest of team Japan after winning the final against Cuba in the World Baseball Classic in San Diego, March 20, 2006. Japan won by a score of 10-6.

[REUTERS/Mike Blake]

Japan's Ichiro Suzuki holds the flag of Japan while celebrating with teammates after winning the final of the World Baseball Classic against Cuba in San Diego, March 20, 2006. Japan won by a score of 10-6.

[REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson]

Japan's Ichiro Suzuki holds the championship trophy of the World Baseball Classic after winning the final against Cuba in San Diego, March 20, 2006. Japan won by a score of 10-6.

[REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson]

Team Japan, wearing their gold medals, holds the Japanese flag while celebrating after winning the final against Cuba in the World Baseball Classic in San Diego, March 20, 2006. Japan won by a score of 10-6.

[REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson]

Japan's Koji Uehara (L) sets the Japanese flag onto the pitcher's mound with teammate Naoyuki Shimizu after winning the final World Baseball Classic game against Cuba in San Diego, March 20, 2006. Japan won by a score of 10-6. Hey Naoyuki, I like your last name... it's the same as mine!

[REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson]

Japan's Ichiro Suzuki (C) poses with Cuban's Carlos Tabares (R) and an unidentified Cuban player after the World Baseball Classic in San Diego, March 20, 2006. Japan won by a score of 10-6. Now this is what the game is all about: unity. Players (and fans) from different nations coming together to celebrate a sport we all love so dearly. Damn, I LOVE THIS GAME!

Sometimes I think you talk just to make sounds.

by baseballnut020 on Mar 21, 2006 1:45 AM PST reply actions

Viva baseball brotherhood!

This is the first WBC game that I watched from start (or at least joined in progress) to end, and I was really touched with the Little League-style "good game" congratulatory walk between both teams after the game.

The only other time I've seen that was I think at the '04 NLDS game, where the Dogers went on the field to congratulate the Cards. (Am I remembering this correctly?) And from what one of the announcers was saying, that only happened because the losing, home field players found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.

by PositionPlayerProd on Mar 21, 2006 11:29 AM PST up reply actions

Thank you ...

for posting these pics...too bad espn cut to sportcenter instead of staying with this event. Hmmm, I wonder what would have happened had the USA won. Full coverage, interviews??? One must wonder.

by bondawg3 on Mar 21, 2006 2:22 AM PST reply actions

Yeah

ESPN blows donkey balls. Sandwiched between NIT and Sportscenter was just a baseball game to decide who the best in the world is. Ho hum. Who cares. More college basketball bullshit please.

Joe Morgan smells bad and has poor english skills. Wait so do I.

by Ionnes on Mar 21, 2006 3:26 AM PST up reply actions

Kidding :(

"HOLY TOLEDO!" Bill King

by 510inDenver on Mar 21, 2006 10:00 AM PST up reply actions

Wow

I actually think the WBC trophy is nicer than the World Series trophy.

by Tyler Bleszinski on Mar 21, 2006 8:24 AM PST reply actions

i was going to say the same thing

the world series trophy looks kind of lame compared to the WBC trophy.

also, it tastes like chicken.
http://www.zug.com/gab/index.cgi?func=view_thread&sort=funnymtd&head=1&thread_id=52782

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Mar 21, 2006 10:12 AM PST up reply actions

It is pretty and shiny

Reminds me a lot of the NBA championship trophy.

The World Series trophy is nice too, but it's hard to kiss it meaningfully after winning the champsionship, like Michael Jordan used to. All those little flags could do your face some serious damage.

by nickolai on Mar 21, 2006 10:16 AM PST up reply actions

Trophy

Yeah, but Matsuzaka's MVP trophy broke in two about 30 seconds after they gave it to him--no exaggeration.

by 20 Straight on Mar 21, 2006 10:16 AM PST up reply actions

I hate Ichiro!

But I am very happy for Japan. They deserved to win. They played really well. That trophy is amazing!

Congrat Japan!

"Same as he always throws -- hard and nasty," Melhuse on Rich Harden - 2/27/06

by BobbyCrosbysGirl on Mar 21, 2006 10:14 AM PST reply actions

Thoughts.....

First off, congratulations to the Japanese...Great Tournament! and a great Win!

But I would like to see a few things in the next WBC.

Let Managers manage pitch counts. If you have a starter who is feeling good, let him go. If this tournament is supposed to be important, then let them play like it is. Can you imagine pitch count limitations in the playoffs??
Get the rosters finalized earlier, and have more exhibition games before the tournament starts. Cuba should NOT have been the scouting mystery it was. And the players should need to have time to gel as a TEAM rather than a cobbled together All-Star team that is SUPPOSED to represent baseball in the US, or the Dominican Republic, or wherever.
Play the tournament BEFORE spring training. Once again, if its supposed to be important, then treat it that way. It shouldn't be something that disrupts MLB Teams from their season preparations, nor should it be so close to the start of the season that if players ARE injured, they don't have time to heal. I mean, National Pride aside, NO PLAYER wants to have their bread & butter job threatened by a potential injury right before the season starts.

To sum it up, I resent having the attitude that the US can go out and grab a bunch of people and beat the best that the rest of the world has to offer.

"HOLY TOLEDO!" Bill King

by 510inDenver on Mar 21, 2006 10:21 AM PST reply actions

Daisuke Matsuzaka

There's no way the A's are ever going to land him. From Tom Verducci at SI.com:

Matsuzaka, not yet a free agent, would have to go through the posting process, in which a team will have to bid likely more than $20 million just to earn the rights to negotiate a contract with him. And the early word is he is being advised by Scott Boras.

Link

by OaktownTribesman on Mar 21, 2006 11:03 AM PST reply actions

The only thing I hated about the WBC...

..was the decision to refer to every team as Team [Country Name Here].

"Team Japan has Team Korea on the ropes here..."

"Team USA will need to win tonight against Team Mexico to keep Team Canada out of the playoffs"

I mean, why refer to them as Team anything? We know they're a team - it's a prerequisite of admission into the tournament - it doesn't need to be repeated every freaking time they're referenced. Why Team Japan instead of just plain old Japan? Why Team USA instead of plain old USA?

When I go shopping for a shirt, to I go to Retail Outlet The Gap?

When I go grab a burger, am I visiting Fast Food Outlet Jack in the Box?

When I speak to my better half, to I refer to her as Wife Gillian, as we drive in our Car Toyota to City Surrey at Hour 6:00PM?

Please, someone, stop this crazy movement towards over-explanation and ignorance of language so we can get back to the War <strike>Against</strike> on Terror<strike>ism</strike&gt.

Don't you miss the days of martinis and greenies?

by Ozzz on Mar 21, 2006 12:31 PM PST reply actions

dude...

what...???

YABU: You're always eating cheese. ...Is cheese good for you? . FISCHER: IT'S BETTER THAN SUSHI!!!

by ConditionOakland on Mar 21, 2006 4:04 PM PST up reply actions

You damn well better not be...

grabbing burgers at Fast Food Outlet Jackin da' Box.

You better be grabbing burgers at Fast Food Outlet McFood in the Arches.

"Without steroids... 40 is the new 70." - socal

by McFood on Mar 21, 2006 8:24 PM PST up reply actions

I have no clue.

but they refer to them the same way in all sports.

Damn! Street is so imposing, he even causes the earth itself to freeze in fear! - monkeyball

by Jjjsixsix on Mar 21, 2006 8:36 PM PST up reply actions

It's just an American sports media thing

Like in Brazil, all the national teams are referred to as "selections"... the Brazilian selection, the Mexican selection, etc...

by OaktownTribesman on Mar 21, 2006 8:38 PM PST up reply actions

but I don't think...

any nation refers to a national team just as (nation name). I know that in Taiwan, 中華隊 (or 台灣隊...) is used, not just Taiwan, or Chinese Taipei, or China, or ROC, or whatever else (隊 signifies team) - I personally would rather have something after the nation name, whether it be selection, or team, or hell, group of players from (but that'd be a mouthful), but that's just me.

(Preferable because the nation is technically a plot of land; while the players are from and represent that plot of land, they are not that plot of land; they are chosen by some body in some plot of land to represent that plot of land. However, the plot of land is not the players. The Athletics signify a group of persons working for the goal of a championship. The United States signifies the plot of land under the jurisdiction of the USFG; thus, a team that represents it should be labeled as such, since they are not land.) << does that make any sense?

Damn! Street is so imposing, he even causes the earth itself to freeze in fear! - monkeyball

by Jjjsixsix on Mar 21, 2006 11:40 PM PST up reply actions

Well

I know that in the UK, they just say "England" or "Brazil" when talking about the national soccer teams. They even use them with the plural form of verbs, like for clubs:

"England are a great bunch of guys."
"Brazil have beat France to advance to the final."

by OaktownTribesman on Mar 22, 2006 6:30 AM PST up reply actions

I loved watching the games in PR

with PUerto Rican announcers. They were really great, not getting in the way of the game but doing good commentary and providing interesting adn relevant information.

We saw the final on ESPN with Joe Morgan and his buddy...what a letdown after the great work on PR sport channel 13 (broadcast channel, by the way: you don't have to pay anything.)

by OaklandSi on Mar 22, 2006 6:06 AM PST reply actions

The Japan Cuba final was the best outcome

The fact that only two major leaguers were playing in the game in no way suggests MLB inferiority. Major League Baseball is still the highest level of professional baseball, but the WBC finale gave us a little taste of what we're missing. Japan's signature small ball and discipline coupled with the mystery of the Cuban players made the game hugely significant for baseball. Yet, the game lost a lot of steam because some people are more nationalist goon than lover of baseball.

by kvn on Mar 22, 2006 6:07 PM PST reply actions