Good job Canada!!! World Baseball Classic!!!

[Devastatin Dave]

Knowing the possibility for this to get nasty, considering who's starting this thread not in the least, but I gotta give props to the boys up north for putting the smakedown on our team, the overpaid spoiled Major league American players. Not saying Canada doesn't have its share of high priced players, but the American team is stocked top to bottom with All Stars. So good job Canada, and I hope you go all the way.

PS Tribeman and Goofy can still kiss my hairy, pimply butt!!!

So, is anybody watching? I would encourage everyone to because its cool to see some talent out there that haven't made it to the Bigs.

[lars573]

This is our revenge for the olympic hockey disaster.

[Goofball]

This is why baseball is and always will be my favorite sport. More so than in other sports, on any given day, any team stands a pretty good chance of beating any other team, no matter where the two are ranked.

And depending on who's pitching, of course...



At any rate, I am certainly not gloating. I saw what happened to our high-priced hockey talent at the Olympics.

And from what I understand, we just used our best pitcher to get by you guys, and pitchers are strictly regulated by pitch count and innings pitched in this tourney.

And, we have to face another very tough team next: Mexico.

Yikes.

I also think it would be a damned shame if the U.S. team didn't make it to the second round, since this is the inaugural event and being played in the U.S.

You guys are experiencing the anxiety Canadians will be experiencing for our hockey team when the Olympics are in Vancouver in 4 years.

Good luck...

[Hurin_Rules]

They're calling it the 'Miracle on Grass'. Yep, I'd have to admit I've seen a few miracles on grass myself

I too heard the Americans might not even make it to the next round. How can this be? they're 1-1, and will most likely end up 2-1. While Canada would still come out ahead in a tiebreaker, surely more than one team makes it to the final round?

And good on ya DD for pointing out the game; I'll try to do something nice for an American today

[Goofball]

They're calling it the 'Miracle on Grass'. Yep, I'd have to admit I've seen a few miracles on grass myself

I too heard the Americans might not even make it to the next round. How can this be? they're 1-1, and will most likely end up 2-1. While Canada would still come out ahead in a tiebreaker, surely more than one team makes it to the final round?

Two teams from each pool of four teams advance to the next round. Canada (after having also beaten South Africa) is the only undefeated team in their pool right now.

[Devastatin Dave]

I'll try to do something nice for an American today

Now don't hurt yourself...

[Proletariat]

I too heard the Americans might not even make it to the next round. How can this be? they're 1-1, and will most likely end up 2-1. While Canada would still come out ahead in a tiebreaker, surely more than one team makes it to the final round?

I think it's because if you guys win, and we win vs South Africa, we'll need to beat a tiebreaker with Mexico which comes down to total runs scored. I'll have to double check later, but the US could be in big trouble.

Congrats so far Canadians, you must be pretty proud.

[Beirut]

Well good for us!

As for the hockey... we lost because of the Bertuzzi curse. That snivelling wretch should never, ever, have been let on the team. What a discrace.

To have seen that shmuck with an Olympic medal around his neck would have been sickening.

[Goofball]

Well good for us!

As for the hockey... we lost because of the Bertuzzi curse. That snivelling wretch should never, ever, have been let on the team. What a discrace.

To have seen that shmuck with an Olympic medal around his neck would have been sickening.

I can't tell you how gratifying it is to hear somebody else say that. Bertuzzi is a no good bum/bully who should have been drummed out of the NHL and thrown in jail for what he did. I sincerely hope he loses the law suit and ends up paying Moore millions.

Unfortunately, living where I do, my opinion is a distinctly unpopular one...

[Kraxis]

Now I haven't followed baseball because I'm not much interested, but back when I was younger Cuba was supposedly the best (tell me if I'm wrong).
How about now? Are they even in this turney (considering the political issues I wouldn't be surprised)?

[Proletariat]

Now I haven't followed baseball because I'm not much interested, but back when I was younger Cuba was supposedly the best (tell me if I'm wrong).
How about now? Are they even in this turney (considering the political issues I wouldn't be surprised)?

I think Cuba's current talent pool is way over-hyped. Most of their players that defect to the MLB are always proclaimed as the next Babe or Clemens and wind up being either ho-hum or complete busts. I dunno about historically, but fwiw they are 1-0 in the tourny right now.

The tied teams shall be ranked in the standings for that Round according to fewest runs allowed divided by the number of innings (including partial innings) played in defense in the games in that Round between the teams tied.

U.S. has allowed a total of 8 runs total to the two other teams. Mexico allowed 2 to the U.S.; Canada 6 so far. So if Mexico beats Canada 1-0, the RA would go:

Mexico 2
Canada 7
U.S. 8

So the U.S. would go home.

Edit: If the U.S. and Canada tie in RA, the breaker after that is ERA. Who the hell came up with these things? So I'm not sure what would happen if Mexico wins 2-1 or 2-0, but that might put the U.S. out as well.

http://www.worldbaseballclassic.com/...ex.jsp?sid=wbc

[Beirut]

I can't tell you how gratifying it is to hear somebody else say that. Bertuzzi is a no good bum/bully who should have been drummed out of the NHL and thrown in jail for what he did. I sincerely hope he loses the law suit and ends up paying Moore millions.

Unfortunately, living where I do, my opinion is a distinctly unpopular one...

Glad to share the complaint with someone.

Far as I'm concerned, Bertuzzi should have stood up like a man, said he did wrong, and agreed not to play until Steve Moore could play. And if Moore could never play, so be it. I would have been impressed with Bertuzzi accepting the consequences of his actions. But his snivelling to get back into the game was shameless.

I hope he loses his pension on that lawsuit.

[Proletariat]

Just got down watching the game on Tivo.

This is why baseball is great. Two AA guys hold off a USA team loaded with stars in the last few innings. Adam Stern playing out of his gourd. Great, great, great stuff.

Also what the tournament needs - the USA needs to be challenged to ensure the tournament's survival.

:feebly tries to squelch all the hideous non-baseball talk:

Man, I can't wait for spring training to be over...

[Goofball]

Just got down watching the game on Tivo.

This is why baseball is great. Two AA guys hold off a USA team loaded with stars in the last few innings. Adam Stern playing out of his gourd. Great, great, great stuff.

Also what the tournament needs - the USA needs to be challenged to ensure the tournament's survival.

:feebly tries to squelch all the hideous non-baseball talk:

Man, I can't wait for spring training to be over...

Me too neither.

Plus, my own ball team has our first practice this Saturday.

I'm pumped.

[GoreBag]

Mexico kicked team Canada around today. I watched most of the South African game with my father, but had pretty much forgotten about the whole thing until Steven Colbert ranted about it on TV.

[lars573]

Not like I'm surpised. But baseball is so boring I could never care.

[Devastatin Dave]

Sorry Cananda, the Mexicans put the smack down on your guys. Hopefully the team will pull it together. The USA team is still in it from what I understand now. So far, its been pretty good baseball. I know some don't like baseball, but i love it.

[Proletariat]

So in the second round we have:

Korea
Japan
Dominican Republic
Puerto Rico
Cuba
Venezuela
Mexico
United States

Looks to me like the best teams moved on and we've got some exciting games ahead. They need to do this every year. I thought it might suck, but it's great to have meaningful baseball games in March.

This kills the All-Star game, btw.

Edit: Unless Varitek or David Ortiz get season ending injuries while playing WBC games. Then this will have been the stupidest idea evar.

[Devastatin Dave]

.

This kills the All-Star game, btw.

Edit: Unless Varitek or David Ortiz get season ending injuries while playing WBC games. Then this will have been the stupidest idea evar.

I like it better than the All-Star game by far.
Boston Sucks!!! Take that!!!

[Goofball]

So in the second round we have:

Korea
Japan
Dominican Republic
Puerto Rico
Cuba
Venezuela
Mexico
United States

Looks to me like the best teams moved on and we've got some exciting games ahead. They need to do this every year. I thought it might suck, but it's great to have meaningful baseball games in March.

This kills the All-Star game, btw.

Edit: Unless Varitek or David Ortiz get season ending injuries while playing WBC games. Then this will have been the stupidest idea evar.

So wait a second. Me no comprenday. Canada goes 2 for 3 in the first round, but we don't advance to the second round?

How does that work?

[yesdachi]

The Colbert Report did a great skit on this last night! He made a great comparison about the amount of money any one of the US starters make compared to the entire Canadian team and then compared the salaries of the entire team to what all Canadians make annually, very funny!

[Proletariat]

So wait a second. Me no comprenday. Canada goes 2 for 3 in the first round, but we don't advance to the second round?

How does that work?

US still needs to beat S. Africa. You'd think that should be easy, but Canada went into the 9th losing to these guys, so you never know.

Here's how I think it works:

There will be a 3-way tie, US, Can, Mex
Tie breaker 1) Head to head, all are 1-1
Tie breaker 2) 1-Mexico 2.42 runs against, 2- US (somewhere around 4 runs), 3- Canada (7.67 runs).




Something that bugs me, for the second round, they should have split the pairings from each first round pool, instead of promoting both teams into the same second round pool.

As the two teams promoted from Pool B, Mexico and the US should have been put into different second round pools to create some different and interesting matchups for the second round.

As it stands, two out of the six games in each second round pool will be rematches. USA and Mexico will play again, as will Japan and Korea.

I would rather see the US play second round games against the DR or Cuba than see another game with Mexico.

[Goofball]

US still needs to beat S. Africa. You'd think that should be easy, but Canada went into the 9th losing to these guys, so you never know.

Here's how I think it works:

There will be a 3-way tie, US, Can, Mex
Tie breaker 1) Head to head, all are 1-1
Tie breaker 2) 1-Mexico 2.42 runs against, 2- US (somewhere around 4 runs), 3- Canada (7.67 runs).

Dang. So if we had just kept the Mexico game close (say, 1 or two runs) we would have already clinched a second round berth?

[Proletariat]

Yeah, the Mexican route killed you guys. It sucks for us too, since Mexico becomes the top seed next round.

Oddly, if SA had beaten Canada, the US would be the top seed. So the fact the US beats Mexico in the first tiebreaker doesnt matter once Canada is in the mix. Then Canada is eliminated by the second tiebreaker, but the US drops to 2. I don't get it myself, I would think after you get the two in then you repeat the tiebreaker process to determine seeding, but oh well.

There is still the chance that the US gets stomped 18-0 by South Africa... But with Clemens pitching I wouldn't be too hopeful. Apparently there's 11 high schoolers on the SA team and one of them said somewhere in the media he was worried his acne medicine may produce a false positive during steroid screening.