Tuesday, March 21, 2006

And Japan Rules The World...Baseball Classic

Japan now holds the title as the first true World Champion in Baseball. Japan beat Cuba in the finals of the World Baseball Classic last night 10-6. And maybe the presence of American big leaguers matters, as Team Japan has two (Ichiro Suzuki of the Settle Seahawks and Akinori Otsuka of the Texas Rangers) to Cuba's zero.

No, I don't believe that for a second. Major League talent apparently wasn't necessary. It just took talent, and Team USA should had plenty, with much more to spare.

Blame the silliness of the round-robin rules of the early rounds is you want. Team USA has the same problem that any casual fan can pick up on when watching just about any underachieving team in just about any sport. If they would made some more runs, they might have won some more games.

- Japan Becomes Envy Of World (Chicago Sun-Times)
- World's Best? Japan's Proof Is In The Results (ESPN)
- Cuban Ballplayers To Be Honored By Castro Upon Return (CBS SportsLine.com)
- Classic's Timing, Formula All Mixed Up (Arkansas Democrat Gazette)
Posted by J. Cleveland Payne @ 8:52 AM   0 comments ---------------------------------------