Anyone else watching the World Baseball Classic?

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Discussion Overview

The thread discusses the World Baseball Classic (WBC), focusing on various teams' performances, strategies, and the overall excitement of the tournament. Participants express their preferences for certain teams, share opinions on the quality of play, and engage in debates about competition and dominance in sports.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express support for the Dominican Republic and Japan, citing personal preferences without strong reasons.
  • Concerns are raised about the absence of the U.S. team and its implications for the tournament's significance.
  • Participants discuss the quality of the Dominican Republic's lineup and speculate on South Korea's chances of maintaining their winning streak.
  • There are frustrations about weather interruptions affecting gameplay, particularly regarding Japan's pitcher, Uehara.
  • Some participants highlight the excitement of the WBC despite its flaws and express hope for Japan's success in the final.
  • Discussions arise about the implications of dominance in sports, with some arguing it can detract from the excitement of competition.
  • Participants debate the impact of the U.S. women's hockey team's loss on the perception of competition in women's sports.
  • There are contrasting views on whether consistent dominance by a single country is beneficial or detrimental to the sport's appeal.
  • Some participants question the strategies employed by different teams, comparing styles of play and discussing the potential for teams to diversify their approaches.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of opinions, with some agreeing on the excitement of the WBC and the quality of certain teams, while others disagree on the implications of dominance in sports and the effectiveness of different playing styles. The discussion remains unresolved on several points, particularly regarding the nature of competition and strategy in baseball.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference specific games and performances but do not provide detailed analyses of strategies or statistics. The discussion includes personal anecdotes and opinions that may not reflect broader trends in baseball.

Who May Find This Useful

Fans of baseball, particularly those interested in international competitions, as well as individuals curious about different playing styles and strategies in the sport.

honestrosewater
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Cuba's uniforms are very red. But are they red enough to throw off the Dominicans? I am cheering for DR for no real reason. Who do you think will win?

Japan vs. Korea tonight. I like Japan. Again, no real reason. Call it women's intuition. (:rolleyes:)

P.S. I am learning about baseball. If you feel the urge, teach me something cool.
 
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The U.S. isn't even in it anymore. What's the point?
 
For the love of the game?
 
The Dominican Republic has one of the better lineups ever fielded by a baseball team. South Korea hasn't lost yet, but it's hard to see them remaining that hot. I haven't watched any games, though, but I'd still imagine the DR will take it.

Great job by the US. Bronze medal in basketball, don't advance to the medal rounds in hockey, don't advance to the semifinals in baseball. At least we can always count on our national women's softball team.
 
Gah, why can't they play in the rain? I really like Japan's pitcher, Uehara. I think Japan's going to win, but I hope they give Korea a chance to finish the game. Seriously, why can't they play in the rain? I've watched football games played in snow. Snow, people. Oy.
 
The WBC is awesome. It has its flaws presently, but it has produced many exciting games. I'm rooting for Japan in the final.
 
loseyourname said:
At least we can always count on our national women's softball team.

Softball was voted out of the 2012 Olympics. It's dangerous to be too dominant. The US women's hockey team did women's hockey a big favour by losing to Sweden this year, hopefully a good sign for more international competition.
 
shmoe said:
Softball was voted out of the 2012 Olympics. It's dangerous to be too dominant. The US women's hockey team did women's hockey a big favour by losing to Sweden this year, hopefully a good sign for more international competition.

A favour?

They clearly lost.
 
shmoe said:
Softball was voted out of the 2012 Olympics. It's dangerous to be too dominant. The US women's hockey team did women's hockey a big favour by losing to Sweden this year, hopefully a good sign for more international competition.
What's wrong with always being the best? Just so long as its done legally and through no cheating, I have no problem if a single country always wins in a certain event.
 
  • #10
JasonRox said:
A favour?

They clearly lost.

I'm not in anyway saying they lost intentionally, but yes I call it a favour-tongue firmly in cheek. There could be only so many olympics and world championships with Canada and the USA as a lock for the Gold and Silver medals before it got tossed out of the Olympics. One of them had to lose and it wasn't us :-p, so I thank the American team.
 
  • #11
Dawguard said:
What's wrong with always being the best? Just so long as its done legally and through no cheating, I have no problem if a single country always wins in a certain event.

It's dull. If one country is always so very far ahead of everyone else, the victory isn't terribly thrilling or emotional. I find I get more caught up in a sport if the outcome is uncertain.
 
  • #12
shmoe said:
It's dull. If one country is always so very far ahead of everyone else, the victory isn't terribly thrilling or emotional. I find I get more caught up in a sport if the outcome is uncertain.
Oh, I agree. But that doesn't mean there can't be fierce competition, close games, and uncertain results. You don't have to be unbeatable to win. I love watching neck-and-neck competition, but I really don't care who wins. So what if one country or team always wins, so long as it's fun to watch?
 
  • #13
Dawguard said:
Oh, I agree. But that doesn't mean there can't be fierce competition, close games, and uncertain results. You don't have to be unbeatable to win. I love watching neck-and-neck competition, but I really don't care who wins. So what if one country or team always wins, so long as it's fun to watch?

At the 2004 Olympics the US softball team was 9-0 and outscored its opponents 51-1. I think his point is that in that situation, you do know who's going to win, and it's not fun to watch. And situations like that aren't going to promote the sport in other countries, which is what we want so the other teams become more competitive in the future.
 
  • #14
honestrosewater said:
Gah, why can't they play in the rain? I really like Japan's pitcher, Uehara. I think Japan's going to win, but I hope they give Korea a chance to finish the game. Seriously, why can't they play in the rain? I've watched football games played in snow. Snow, people. Oy.

Have you ever tried throw a baseball into a 2' x 2' strike zone when it's wet and there is rain blowing in your face? It's impossible throw anything other than a fastball and even get close. You can't just run the ball or use short out patterns like in football. Baseball is a precision sport, which is why they play it in the summer.
 
  • #15
Dawguard said:
Oh, I agree. But that doesn't mean there can't be fierce competition, close games, and uncertain results. You don't have to be unbeatable to win. I love watching neck-and-neck competition, but I really don't care who wins. So what if one country or team always wins, so long as it's fun to watch?

You bet, as long as it's competitive I'm game. LeBrad's softball example is the kind of thing I'm referring to. How satisfying was it for US softball fans to see their team proudly at the top of an anthill? I'm sure they were pleased they were at the top, but it would be more satisfying and entertaining to have watched them struggle against fierce competition to get there.

Sweden in the hockey final I think will do wonders for promoting the womens game in their country (hopefully others as well), and should strengthen their team in the future. I honestly look forward to the day Canada has a reasonable chance of not making the final and they have more than one opponent who has any shot of beating them.
 
  • #16
loseyourname said:
Have you ever tried throw a baseball into a 2' x 2' strike zone when it's wet and there is rain blowing in your face? It's impossible throw anything other than a fastball and even get close. You can't just run the ball or use short out patterns like in football. Baseball is a precision sport, which is why they play it in the summer.
Can't they just bring out the tee?
 
  • #17
honestrosewater said:
Can't they just bring out the tee?

Sure, if they want the game to last thirteen hours, set a new record for home runs, and end 63-59.
 
  • #18
loseyourname said:
Sure, if they want the game to last thirteen hours, set a new record for home runs, and end 63-59.
Okay, so just make the batters wear blindfolds. Do I have to think of everything?
 
  • #19
The big game is tonight!

I'm very interested to see how the Japanese style of play matches up with the Cuban style. Hopefully it will be as good as most of the other games have been.

I'm also anxious to see if any Cuban players try to defect. Do they have any sort of security measures to make sure they all go home to Cuba? I am going to assume all of their families are being held hostage to ensure the players return.
 
  • #20
I don't know what happened to Japan last inning, but I hope they wake up. I like Japan's style. They're smart. That's how I would play. Ack, 6-5 now. Wake up!
 
  • #21
Right on!

Japan wins!

I'm happy about that.
 
  • #22
Are there any MLB teams that play like Japan? I've only seriously watched four games: Japan vs. Cuba, Japan vs. Korea, Cuba vs. DR, and USA vs. Mexico. But so far, it seems like there are two basic strategies: gorilla and capuchin monkey. Perhaps depending mostly on their size, they seem to focus on either power or shrewdness and to not bother developing the other. It seemed to me that, if they tried to, the smaller ones could bigger and the duller ones could be sharper, so why aren't they? Not enough resources? Specialization is a better strategy? Am I imagining things? Aren't those organ grinder monkeys wicked hilarious?
 
  • #23
honestrosewater said:
Are there any MLB teams that play like Japan? I've only seriously watched four games: Japan vs. Cuba, Japan vs. Korea, Cuba vs. DR, and USA vs. Mexico. But so far, it seems like there are two basic strategies: gorilla and capuchin monkey. Perhaps depending mostly on their size, they seem to focus on either power or shrewdness and to not bother developing the other. It seemed to me that, if they tried to, the smaller ones could bigger and the duller ones could be sharper, so why aren't they? Not enough resources? Specialization is a better strategy? Am I imagining things? Aren't those organ grinder monkeys wicked hilarious?

Japan has patience on the plate. They don't swing just to swing or to try to hit a homerun. While the American players are usually sluggers/power hitters/home run hitters. I don't know what a capuchin monkey is? perhaps you're referring to their strategy of small ball, which is bunting to let a runner steal a base. Doing the little things - base stealing, bunting to score, sacrifice fly to let a runner score from third base and all that.

Pitching and defense wins games so if you have a pitcher on the mound with his act together then it will be difficult to score off him. If you have say a Roger Clemens or Mike Mussina on the mound on a very good day or even on a bad day the chances of the other team scoring a lot of runs is not very high.
 
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  • #24
jimmydelgado777 said:
I don't know what a capuchin monkey is?
Capuchin monkey:

http://xs300.xs.to/xs300/06205/RallyMonkey.jpg

I just chose it to contrast with the gorilla. Gorilla = big + dumb. Capuchin monkey = little + clever. I like to oversimplify things. It keeps me from having to think too much.
 
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