RIPPA Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 The Cubs' Seiya Suzuki has withdrawn from the WBC due to an oblique injury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Commander Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 (edited) Cuba vs the Netherlands is kicking off the World Baseball Classic on FS1 Gotta love the political angling where it's more preferable to put Cuba in Taiwan than Miami for WBC Pool Play Cuba was in Puerto Rico [2006], Mexico [2009], and Japan [2013/2017] in pool play, with the Puerto Rico visit involving Cuban-Americans showing up to protest. my guesses for who advances: Taiwan and Netherlands from A, Japan/South Korea from B, USA/Mexico from C, Dominican/Venezuela from D. Think that Colombia and Puerto Rico will put up fights in C/D. Cuba could get out of pool play if their MLB returnees boost the team enough. Edit: speaking of MLB returnees, somebody found Yoenis Cespedes and signed him up to play for Cuba in this tournament. He drew a walk but Cuba left the bases loaded without scoring a run. Edited March 8, 2023 by Cobra Commander Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Commander Posted March 8, 2023 Share Posted March 8, 2023 Netherlands beats Cuba 4-2, the ballpark was brutal for anybody trying to hit a home run, the MLB guys didn't do much for Cuba (Luis Robert getting picked off for the 3rd out makes me think that the 'defectors' will get blamed by the people running Cuban baseball if Cuba fails to make it out of pool play in this tournament) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Commander Posted March 9, 2023 Share Posted March 9, 2023 listening to the Puerto Rico/Red Sox game and the announcers appear to be in pain calling a game without the new Pace of Play rules Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Commander Posted March 9, 2023 Share Posted March 9, 2023 Australia vs South Korea is the baseball clash we didn't know that we needed 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hail Sabin Posted March 9, 2023 Share Posted March 9, 2023 Ohtani starts for Japan in 20 Mins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostinube Posted March 9, 2023 Share Posted March 9, 2023 Ohtani picks up the win for Japan with 5 Ks in four innings. He also picked up two RBIs. Japan led all the way but an Ohtani single in the 8th led to Japan batting around and blowing it wide open. The Tokyo Dome crowd is so amped for Ohtani that they will go nuts if/when he knocks one out of the park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted March 9, 2023 Author Share Posted March 9, 2023 18 hours ago, Cobra Commander said: meanwhile in baseball, the Dominican Republic is pounding the Atlanta Braves 9-0 On the flip side - the Giants beat Team USA 5-1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubbymark Posted March 9, 2023 Share Posted March 9, 2023 Cuba starting 0-2 isn't good for their hopes of advancing. There's such a disconnect with the American broadcast trying to hype up the Cuban team vs the sad the reality that their overall quality has fallen off a cliff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Commander Posted March 9, 2023 Share Posted March 9, 2023 1 hour ago, cubbymark said: Cuba starting 0-2 isn't good for their hopes of advancing. There's such a disconnect with the American broadcast trying to hype up the Cuban team vs the sad the reality that their overall quality has fallen off a cliff. The Cuban team this time seems like a half-ass dream team where most of the best Cuban players have legitimate reasons to stay away. Also doesn’t help that they’re playing their games so far away from Cuba due to the obvious reasons of why they wouldn’t play in the US. Panama beating Taiwan easily was a surprise to me since I thought that Taiwan might have some wind in the sails playing on their home turf. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubbymark Posted March 9, 2023 Share Posted March 9, 2023 I do agree with you on the reasons this Cuba team seems like a half assed dream team. I saw enough of Luis Robert and Yoan Moncada at White Sox games last year that left a lot to be desired. I’ve also seen a bit of Serie Nacional and Liga Elite de Beisbol in Cuba to see the overall quality of play is really down. A lot of Cuban pitchers have control problems and they don’t throw particularly hard either. Fielding is a bit lackluster and there aren’t that many power hitters right now either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted March 9, 2023 Author Share Posted March 9, 2023 Side note regarding that Italy/Cuba game - Matt Harvey threw 3 scoreless innings for Italy in basically what was his comeback game. Harvey missed all last year and had knee surgery in Sept So clearly he is gonna be looking to get a deal at the end of this tournament Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdA Posted March 9, 2023 Share Posted March 9, 2023 8 minutes ago, RIPPA said: Side note regarding that Italy/Cuba game - Matt Harvey threw 3 scoreless innings for Italy in basically what was his comeback game. Harvey missed all last year and had knee surgery in Sept So clearly he is gonna be looking to get a deal at the end of this tournament This is where I mention....err, DO NOT mention that the Yankees have most of their starting rotation crippled and we know Matt Harvey can handle New York. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted March 9, 2023 Author Share Posted March 9, 2023 In other MLB teams beating WBC teams news The Twins didn't get the memo and beat THE GREATEST TEAM EVER ASSEMBLED~! 2-1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Commander Posted March 9, 2023 Share Posted March 9, 2023 Erisbel Arreubarrena just returning to Cuba and getting to play again after washing out with the Dodgers was something I didn’t know about until a few days ago. I only found out about it because I forgot if he was the guy that Miguel Olivo bit (Miguel Olivo bit Alex Guerrero, who is also a Cuban) Meanwhile in WBC exhibitions, the Kansas City Royals defeated Great Britain 8-1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Commander Posted March 10, 2023 Share Posted March 10, 2023 If there was anybody in the Cuban system openly opposing letting defectors onto the Cuban team, they’re gonna just keep reminding people that they were right about the defectors until everybody else gets sick of hearing it. In other words, Cuba might go 0-4 in the WBC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Commander Posted March 10, 2023 Share Posted March 10, 2023 After Yoan Moncada made an error in a 4 run Panamanian inning, he doubled, got to third, and was out in-between third and home on a ground ball. Then Panama stole a base because Erisbel Arruebarrena, who was exiled from the Dodgers for breaking their rules, couldn't lay down a tag. Then their first baseman blew through a stop sign to get gunned down at the plate. The Cuban team looked to the Mets as a model.. unfortunately it has turned out to be the 1992 Mets. If this program was being run like the dictatorship that some South Florida residents believe they are, then people would be going to jail over this. I don't think they'll do that. Instead they'll make decisions like a sports talk radio caller and scapegoat the fuck out of the defectors (some of which have been awful). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Commander Posted March 10, 2023 Share Posted March 10, 2023 And then the Cuban team decided to not suck anymore at least for one night Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostinube Posted March 10, 2023 Share Posted March 10, 2023 Darvish starting against South Korea tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostinube Posted March 10, 2023 Share Posted March 10, 2023 Lars Nootbar is shining throughout two games. Also: Korea burned through ten pitchers and came very close to getting mercy-ruled in the 7th (15 run lead after five, 10 run lead after 7). Now Korea is in a 0 - 2 hole and need lots of other things to go their way to advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Commander Posted March 11, 2023 Share Posted March 11, 2023 checking the standings to see if we could get a game between Team Italy and Team Australia (only making this connection since Aussie Peter Moylan was also an Espresso machine aficionado) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Commander Posted March 11, 2023 Share Posted March 11, 2023 Panama beat Italy, Italy beat Cuba, Cuba beat Panama, Panama beat Taiwan, Taiwan beat Italy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostinube Posted March 11, 2023 Share Posted March 11, 2023 Pool A is going down to the last day as Taiwa...er..Chinese Taipei beats the Netherlands. It's still possible for all five team to end up 2 -2 and we have to go to the tiebreakers. Pool B is a little clearer as Japan is already in with three wins. Australia is in the driver's seat for the other slot for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Commander Posted March 12, 2023 Share Posted March 12, 2023 Saturday WBC action: Colombia beats Mexico in extras, America beats Britain but it took until the 3rd inning for the US to break through, Puerto Rico beats Nicaragua, and Venezuela beats the DR. 35,000 fans for both Miami games. 28k for Colombia/Mexico and almost 40k for USA/GB. South Korea beat the Czech Republic (on Sunday in Japan) a day after the Czech Republic and Japan entered into a relationship after their game. Meanwhile Cuba is beating up on Taiwan right now. So, if Netherlands beats Italy, then the Pool A winners would be the Netherlands and... Cuba would win the 2-2 tiebreaker since they beat both teams they tied with and lost to the best/worst teams. If everybody is 2-2, then good luck figuring it all out. I think things will work themselves out to prevent this scenario but it's not impossible to get the Cuban National team playing in the Semifinals in Miami, which would be something to watch. But Cuba beating Japan in Japan would be a major upset and I doubt that we're getting Cuba/Australia in the quarterfinals in Tokyo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostinube Posted March 12, 2023 Share Posted March 12, 2023 Pool A chaos! Cuba and Italy are in after Italy beats the Netherlands. Japan finished 4 - 0. Ohtani finally hit one out of the park and the pop in the Tokyo Dome... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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