by user 71.195.215.8
The World Baseball Championship is up for grabs, and it's anyone's guess as to who will be the victor. USA has lost to Canada, Venezuela has beaten Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico has beaten the Dominicana, and right now Korea is pummeling the USA in the seventh inning 7-1. While the Dominican's seem to be favorites with the US a close second, lesser talented team's have already upset them both. It's truly anyone's game.
This has been a fantastic addition to professional baseball. The energy that other countries have shown in their support for their teams is phenomenal. Some player's have been quoted as saying that they regret not playing in the WBC. Some player's are calling it the greatest experience of their life. Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com quoted Chipper Jones as saying this:
"It's the best baseball experience of my life," Team USA third baseman Chipper Jones said. "Period. Bar none. It beats any World Series win, any World Series loss, any All-Star Game."
Those are some powerful words.
There has been a lot of excitement for nervous owners and GMs as well. The Seattle GM must be fairly happy with Adrian Beltre's performance thus far, hitting .500 with 4 home runs. Boston need not worry about David Ortiz as he has been hitting his usual bombs. Griffey has been sharp, Odalis Perez has pitched well, and players from Cuba and Japan have showcased some serious talent.
Overall it's a very exciting experience and it's only in the trial run. Future years should bring more excitement, more participation, and better games. The umpiring has been solid as well despite the bad call in the USA v. Japan game.
What is everyone else's opinion on the WBC so far?
From http://www.obstructedseats.net
Date
Tue 03/14/06, 1:03 am EST