World Baseball Classic Brackets Announced

[hoyahoyasaxa]

mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/wbc/index.jsp

Pool A (in Japan):
Japan
Korea
Taiwan
China

Pool B (in USA):
USA
Canada
Mexico
South Africa

Pool C (in Puerto Rico):
Puerto Rico
Cuba
Panama
Netherlands

Pool D (in USA):
Dominican Republic
Venezuela
Australia
Italy

Have to finish in the top 2 to advance to the next round.

[StPetersburgHoya (Inactive)]

We get to play Canada ... eh ... they have a good or-gan-i-zation

[Deleted]

The always outspoken Gary Sheffield voiced some concern about the WBC:

"My season is when I get paid," he said flatly. "I'm not doing that. . . . I'm not sacrificing my body or taking a chance on an injury for something that's made up." Sheffield, whose is well-known for being outspoken, added, "A lot of guys feel that way. They won't say it like I will, though."

Can't say I blame him. I'm sure there are plenty of players - pitchers especially - that feel the same way. This isn't like the Olympics where representing your country has some history and national sentiment behind it.

If you ask me, this whole thing smells like a ploy to bump up the sagging popularity of baseball the way the Red Sox or Yankees appearing the post-season does every fall. For one thing, from what I understand no other leagues in countries involved were contacted about their players' participation (most notably Japan). Granted that's because most of the rosters for the good teams are going to be made up of guys in MLB, but the fact remains this whole thing was designed without the participating nations' leagues in mind.

Not to mention they're going to have to go up against March Madness. Why not do what hockey does and have the World Championships immediately after the season? Sure some guys will be tired from playing in the playoffs, but the majority will have had a month or so off to practice together, rest a bit... and then they've got the full off-season to chill.

[Deleted]

Also, will any of the Cuban defectors go play for Fidel?

[SFHoya99]

Hockey? What's that?

Buffalo, your sad attempts to bash other sports in order to prop up hockey is pathetic. Just because Buffalo is not a major league city...

As for the World Cup, the truth about it is simple: it is a marketing tool that Americans will care very little for, but will mean a whole heckuva lot to the rest of the baseball-playing world.

[Deleted]

Oh SF... such a comedian, such a dope.

I'm merely using hockey as a SCHEDULING model. I really think they'd be better off playing this thing end of October/early November in some nice warm climate areas as opposed to March when they're competing with March Madness - something even non-sports fans go nuts for!

I should have been more specific - by "sagging popularity" I simply meant in TV ratings, which is all these sports executives seem to care about these days, nevermind the good of their sport. I love baseball... I just hate how they try and sell you on "everything is fine and dandy, we're healthier than we've ever been" when the only reason they put up good post-season ratings are because of the Yankees and the Red Sox. Meanwhile, fans in about 20 cities and the rest of the country couldn't give a rats ass.

[Deleted]

Speaking of baseball and San Fran, what's the REAL scoop on Bonds, SF? He coming back or what? I haven't seen his lover... er... confidant Pedro Gomez on ESPN in a couple days...

[SFHoya99]

Re: Barry

No one knows. The truth is that after his three knee operations of so, Barry got a strain of MRSA (the anitbiotic-resistant staph infection) in his knee.

People talked about how he would never play again. My doctor friends were talking about how he might die. It's not an easy recovery, and people have died from it.

My guess -- Barry's a heavy guy now and even if some muscle mass is gone, he's still not going to be Mr. Slim at 40+. He won't have any help in recovering from injuries and he had three successive knee surgeries plus two to three invasions of his knee to apply antiobiotics directly to the infection.

I bet he's no where near close, and though he's a hard worked, I bet he comes back no where near the player he was. And it won't be because his numbers were so inflated by steroids, but because this is a career-ending injury for a hefty 40-year old who doesn't want to face the questions that come with challenging Ruth and Aaron.

Then again, he is a hard worker and a prick, so he may just come back to spite everyone. My doctor friends are just speculating.