The World Baseball Classic Thread

[NewOrioleWork]

Congrats to Team Japan.

This was some really, really good baseball.

[MurphDogg]

Over-under on the date "FJM" comes out of their self-imposed retirement: May 15.

I'm taking the under. Like, Monday after the first Sunday Night Baseball game.

Also, I haven't really read through this thread from the beginning, but anyone else find Japan's helmets interesting?

I really doubt there is a return of FJM. Their lead writer Michael Schur who appeared under the pseudonym Ken Tremendous is the show runner for the new NBC show Parks & Recreation.

[clevis]

I was at the game tonight and I have to tell you, it was like nothing I've experienced before. The pure passion was just amazing. These two teams played their hearts out and their fans were living and dying with every pitch.

Being half-Japanese, I've always routed for Japan in these types of international competition. They just seem to "want it" so much more. It really was a pleasure to watch. Pitching and defense, pitching and defense, pitching and defense. Fundamentals make the Japanese team what they are. Truly one of the most amazing sports experiences I've ever had.

What a beautiful game baseball is...

[RShack]

Oh, the texture.

It's definitely different. I think I like it, but I don't know if I'd like it, for example, as the Orioles' everyday helmet.

Looks like the kind the MFY's had back when Mantle and Maris were playing... textured with a matte finish, almost like it's covered with coal dust.

[RShack]

Japan defeats Korea, 5-3 in ten innings.

Future Oriole Yu Darvish with the two-inning win.

After he blew the save in the 9th.

He would've got the L, if not for Ichiro.

The whole thing was great. But with some very curious managing by both sides. There's some kind of Asian manager-think I don't understand. It's not as simple as both of them being dopes. They're thinking some things that I don't get. Whatever it is, in some cases it was clearly wrong (like pitching to guys they should've walked, like Ichiro), but it's not as simple as them being dumb. There are some different ideas involved somehow, like playing the OF way too shallow at the end. Both managers did it. No manager over here would've done that. It turned out great for Korea when it stopped a guy from scoring from 2B on a LF single. I wonder what else they do different. Makes me wanna see more Asian ballgames.

Anyway, how anybody can not like the WBC is beyond me. (Yeah, I know, it goofs up ST, but still...)

[DrungoHazewood]

After he blew the save in the 9th.

He would've got the L, if not for Ichiro.

The whole thing was great. But with some very curious managing by both sides. There's some kind of Asian manager-think I don't understand. It's not as simple as both of them being dopes. They're thinking some things that I don't get. Whatever it is, in some cases it was clearly wrong (like pitching to guys they should've walked, like Ichiro), but it's not as simple as them being dumb. There are some different ideas involved somehow, like playing the OF way too shallow at the end. Both managers did it. No manager over here would've done that. It turned out great for Korea when it stopped a guy from scoring from 2B on a LF single. I wonder what else they do different. Makes me wanna see more Asian ballgames.

Anyway, how anybody can not like the WBC is beyond me. (Yeah, I know, it goofs up ST, but still...)

In Japan it's not baseball. It's yakyu. Apparently there are some things in yakyu that aren't emperically kosher that are nonetheless the way things are done. Like sacrifice bunting in situations we'd never bunt in the US. And maybe positioning. And throwing a lot of pitches in games, and between starts. I don't pretend to know everything about the culture of baseball in Japan, much less Korea or Taiwan. But they do some things differently.

[bobmc]

Looks like the kind the MFY's had back when Mantle and Maris were playing... textured with a matte finish, almost like it's covered with coal dust.

Very shweet - I loved it!

[mrbig1]

In the history of baseball, The last guy I want to face with 2 out and 2 on is Ichiro. The Korea manager should have walked one of the best hitters of all time.

[NewOrioleWork]

In the history of baseball, The last guy I want to face with 2 out and 2 on is Ichiro. The Korea manager should have walked one of the best hitters of all time.

The Korea manager agrees with you...

http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?bicode=070000&biid=2009032588128

Did a missed sign for an intentional walk to relief pitcher Lim Chang-yong (Yakult Swallows) cost Korea the World Baseball Classic final? Or was Lim overconfident?

After losing 5-3 to Japan in the World Baseball Classic final yesterday, Korea manager Kim In-shik said, “I sent catcher Kang Min-ho a sign to walk Ichiro Suzuki (in the 10th inning). But Lim didn’t follow the sign, which resulted in the defeat, though I didn’t ask Lim why yet.”

Really? That was like a 9 pitch at bat. You mean In-shik couldn't have come out sometime before Ichiro hit the single to make sure his catcher and pitcher caught the sign?

Very odd.

[BaltimoreTerp]

The Korea manager agrees with you...

http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?bicode=070000&biid=2009032588128

Really? That was like a 9 pitch at bat. You mean In-shik couldn't have come out sometime before Ichiro hit the single to make sure his catcher and pitcher caught the sign?

Very odd.

My guess is that's the last time he's managing the Korean team in an international setting if he's going to throw his catcher under the bus like that.

[DrungoHazewood]

In the history of baseball, The last guy I want to face with 2 out and 2 on is Ichiro. The Korea manager should have walked one of the best hitters of all time.

In the history of baseball the last guy you want to face is a singles-hitting outfielder who probably isn't among the 500 best hitters of all time?

[RShack]

The Korea manager agrees with you...

http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?bicode=070000&biid=2009032588128

Really? That was like a 9 pitch at bat. You mean In-shik couldn't have come out sometime before Ichiro hit the single to make sure his catcher and pitcher caught the sign?

Very odd.

Yeah, that's 100% BS. It's not like the manager was in Maxwell Smart's Cone of Silence and couldn't say something to somebody.

There was enough time for me to say "This is crazy" about 50 times.

The C kept glancing over there, and while I was busy yelling at the TV and scaring the dog, the manager coulda wiggled 4 fingers.

[mrbig1]

In the history of baseball the last guy you want to face is a singles-hitting outfielder who probably isn't among the 500 best hitters of all time?

Japan had runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs. All they need is a single,Agree? So let's think about a guy who has a 337 lifetime batting avg. Who is the alltime single season hits leader. A record that stood for over 70 years. A man who rarely strikes out. Would you want Jim Thome? He's a big hitter, But he also strikes about 150 times a season. You want a guy who can put the bat on the ball. Nobody I've seen in my lifetime does that better than the great Inchrio. He has only played in MLB for 8 full seasons. If he retired today he would be a lock for the HOF.

[Gurgi]

Japan had runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs. All they need is a single,Agree? So let's think about a guy who has a 337 lifetime batting avg. Who is the alltime single season hits leader. A record that stood for over 70 years. A man who rarely strikes out. Would you want Jim Thome? He's a big hitter, But he also strikes about 150 times a season. You want a guy who can put the bat on the ball. Nobody I've seen in my lifetime does that better than the great Inchrio. He has only played in MLB for 8 full seasons. If he retired today he would be a lock for the HOF.

Ichiro has the numbers to be in the Japanese and the American Hall of Fames. I wonder is there anyone who is in both? Ichiro is a very RARE talent. A true living legend.

[DrungoHazewood]

Japan had runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs. All they need is a single,Agree? So let's think about a guy who has a 337 lifetime batting avg. Who is the alltime single season hits leader. A record that stood for over 70 years. A man who rarely strikes out. Would you want Jim Thome? He's a big hitter, But he also strikes about 150 times a season. You want a guy who can put the bat on the ball. Nobody I've seen in my lifetime does that better than the great Inchrio. He has only played in MLB for 8 full seasons. If he retired today he would be a lock for the HOF.

Ok, I guess I misread. Ichiro is arguably the best singles hitter ever, when you take into account the difficulty of the leagues he play(ed/s) in. So I'd probably agree he's on the very short list of players you'd want up when all you need is one single.

Ichiro has the numbers to be in the Japanese and the American Hall of Fames. I wonder is there anyone who is in both? Ichiro is a very RARE talent. A true living legend.

No, I'm pretty sure no one is in both. There are no Japanese players in the Cooperstown Hall. Except for some Negro Leaguers, and maybe one or two players who played before the majors were organized Cooperstown has never inducted anyone who spent most of their careers outside of MLB.

I'm not sure about the Japanese version, but I don't think they induct Americans.

Ichiro is a rare talent, one of the best contact hitters of the modern era. And a very good defender, and baserunner. And I think a deserving HOFer. But let's not go too overboard. He's rarely among the top 10 offensive players in baseball. When he doesn't hit .330, well, compare him to Nick - they're both plus defenders, they both hit .300-ish, but Nick hits more than twice as many extra base hits and walks almost twice as often. Ichiro steals more bases, but, for example, in 2008 Nick was worth over six wins, while Ichiro was under four.