Biggest Upset in International Baseball

The World Baseball Classic ended over a month ago, but it's never a bad time to look back. In fact, this years WBC had one of the biggest upsets ever in international baseball.

The Dominican Republic came into the tournament as the favorite to win their pool, and possibly win it all with their stacked lineup and power house team. Then there was the Netherlands, who were expected to do nothing other than put 9 men on the field.

In the first game of the tournament, the Netherlands took an early 3-0 lead with the help of a few defensive errors by the DR. Sidney Ponson and the rest of the Netherlands pitching limited the powerful offense to just 2 runs, as they won the game 3-2. If that already wasn't a big enough upset, the Netherlands would do it again, in dramatic fashion.

Facing elimination, the Dominicans found themselves against the Netherlands again. The winner would advance to the second round; the losers were done.

The game was a pitchers duel. The game was 0-0 until the Dominicans took a 1-0 lead in the 11th inning when the Netherlands's right fielder, Gene Kingsale, misplayed a ball with two outs. With Carlos Marmol on the hill, things looked good for the Dominican Republic.

But the Netherlands's were resilient. A double to lead off the inning, and Kingsale was at the plate with a chance to redeem himself. He singled and tied the game.

The Netherlands would be down to one out with Yurendell de Caster at the plate. He hit a groundball to first, looking like the game would be sent to another inning, however first basemen Willy Aybar made an error, and Kingsale scored the winning run. Another upset for the Netherlands as they advanced to the second round in dramatic fashion, shocking the world.

Because the Netherlands upset the Dominicans, not once, but twice, that makes it the biggest upset in international baseball.

To see IRONPIGPEN's biggest international upset, please visit his site.

WBC Champs

I know its a few days late, but Japan beat Korea 5-3 in 10 innings to become the 2009 World Baseball Classic Champions. Japan also won the WBC in 2006.

World Baseball Classic Phillies Stats

Current Phillies

Team USA was eliminated on Sunday night, falling to Japan. Many past and present Phillies participated in the tournament.

Jimmy Rollins: Rollins went 4-4 during the semifinals. He did his best to avoid elimination, but USA failed.

8 G/ .417 AVG/ 1 HR / 4 RBI/ 4 SB/ 1.250 OPS

Shane Victorino (USA): 8 G/ .316 AVG/ 1 RBI

Brad Harman (Australia): 3 G/ .333 AVG/ 1 RBI/ .833 OPS

J.C. Romero: Romero was the losing pitcher in USA's dramatic come from behind win against Puerto Rico.

2.2 IP/ 1-1/ 10.12 ERA/ 1.88 WHIP/ 1 SO

Former Phillies

Bobby Abreu: Korea eliminated Venezuela during the semifinals.

7 G/ .348 AVG/ 1 HR/ 3 RBI/ 2 SB/ .945 OPS

Endy Chavez (Venezuela): 7 G/ .348 AVG/ 2 RBI/ .942 OPS

Carlos Silva (Venezuela): 12.1 IP/ 1-1/ 5.11 ERA/ 1.46 WHIP/ 6 SO

Yoel Hernandez (Venezuela): .2 IP/ 40.50 ERA/ 6.00 WHIP/

Travis Blackley (Australia): 5.2 IP/ 1.59 ERA/ 1.24 WHIP/ 4 SO

Chris Snelling (Australia): 3 G/ .273 AVG/ 2 HR

Rod Barajas (Mexico): 2 G, 3/6

Randall Simon (Netherlands): 6 G/ .143 AVG

For stats of other Phillies players whose team was eliminated in the first round, click here.

USA's Comeback

Look at the photo above. A Met. A Phillie. A Red Sock. A Yankee. In one uniform, one team, one country. Together. That is what the World Baseball Classic is about.

Team USA dog piled after they advanced to the semifinals in their dramatic come from behind victory against Puerto Rico.

For the first few innings, the game was back and fourth. Alex Rios and Carlos Delgado each hit home runs for Puerto Rico. Shane Victorino and Brian McCann drove in runs for USA.

Carlos Beltran flashed some leather when he leaped against the wall to rob McCann of a home run in the 4th inning.

On the other hand, Derek Jeter was unable to flash leather a few times as the ball squeaked up the middle twice. Jimmy Rollins, the better defensive player of the two, was the designated hitter. Davy Johnson's decesion to play Jeter at short was controversial since the hits led to runs for Puerto Rico.

Going into the bottom 9th inning, 3 outs from eliminating USA, Puerto Rico was up 5-3.


Shane Victorino led off the 9th inning with a single off his Philadelphia Phillies teammate, J.C. Romero. As he jogged down to first, he and Romero had a chuckle, but Romero would have the last laugh.

Brian Roberts singled and Derek Jeter flied out to right. With runners at the corners, Roberts stole second base. Jimmy Rollins would draw a walk against his Phillies teammate after a long at bat. Romero was lifted for Fransico Cabrera.

"I just had to bear down, the concentration you have in that situation, the
adrenaline, the feeling of importance is very close to what it was like in the
World Series last October," said Rollins.

Kevin Yokilis, who homered earlier in the game, drew a bases loaded walk with just one out. USA was down by one.

David Wright followed with a bloop down the right field line scoring Brian Roberts and Jimmy Rollins to give USA a 6-5 victory.

QUOTEABLE:

"The celebration was pretty wild," Wright said. "I never thought that we'd
be dogpiling in March, but it was pretty special and something I'll always
remember."

"All I know is that David Wright's face was in the dirt, and all the Mets
fans were panicking," said Brian Roberts. "When people say these games aren't important
they should have been in the dugout in the ninth inning."

"I heard a guy in right field yelling you guys don't have the desire or
attitude to win. We showed them that we do. I think that's one of those things
everyone criticizes, but we find a way to win." Victorino said.

"It's right there with it, I think, the excitement and that adrenaline rush," Youkilis said. "When you win the World Series and stuff like that, the dogpile is the same. That was nuts to go out there and do that, and just to be able to celebrate with different guys. I think that's the most special thing is, you're celebrating a game, you're celebrating a nation."

"Being with the United States and all the fans out there were supporting us today, you're celebrating as a whole, and that's what is so special about that."

Rollins on being teammates with player of their rival teams:

"We'll deal with that when we get there," Rollins said. "Tonight, we're
celebrating.".

USA will play Venezuela tonight to determine their seed in the semifinals.

Past & Present Phillies Classic Stats

Many former and current Phillies are participating in this years World Baseball Classic. Here are the latest stats from the tournament.

Current Phillies

Jimmy Rollins (USA): 2 G, 3/5 with a double, CS

Shane Victorino (USA): 2 G, 2/5, 1 run

Carlos Ruiz (Panama): 2 G, 2/5, 1 BB

J.C. Romero (Puerto Rico): 1-0, 1.1 IP, 0 ER, 1 SO

Matt Stairs (Canada): 2 G, 0/6, 1 BB, 2 SO

Brad Harman (Australia): 1 G, 3/5, 4 runs, RBI

Former Phillies

Chris Snelling (Australia): 1 G, 3/5, 3 runs, 3 RBI, 1 walk

Bobby Abreu (Venezuela): 2 G, 4/8 with a double, 2 RBI

Carlos Silva (Venezuela): 4 IP, 0 ER, 6 H, 2 SO, 1 BB

Bruce Chen (Panama): 4 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 SO, 3 BB

Nelson Figueroa (Puerto Rico): 2.2 IP, 0 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO

Mike Costanzo (Italy): 3 G, 2/8 with 2 doubles, 1 walk, 3 SO

Nick Punto (Italy): 3 G, 1/12, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 SO

Rod Barajas (Mexico): 1 G, 2/2, 2 BB

Randall Simon (Netherlands): 2 G, 1/6, 1 BB, 1 SO

Yoel Hernandez (Venezuela): 0.1 IP, 3 ER, 2 H, 1 BB

WBC Note: Japan and Korea have both advanced to the second round. Korea beat Japan 1-0, declaring them Pool A winners.

Cuba Could Win

The power house teams are expected to dominate the World Baseball Classic. With stars on teams such as USA, Japan, and the Dominican Republic, there is almost no question those teams will succeed.

Ever hear of an upset? Cuba is capable of it. They don't have the big name players like other teams, however Cuba finished second in the 2006 WBC and won the silver medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Their players aren't popular in the rest of the world, but in Cuba is a different story. Their key players are outfielder Frederich Cepeda, pitcher Pedro Lazo, and infielder Yuliesky Gourriel.

In their first game of international play, Cuba dominated South Africa, 8-1. Cepeda hit 2 homeruns.

Cuba isn't known to have a bad team. Cuba won Gold Medals in the 1992, 1996, and 2004 Olympics. They won 14/17 Gold Medals in the Central America and Caribbean games. They also won 25 World Cup Gold Medals. History is on their side.

Cuba's toughest opponent may be Japan if both advance to the second round. However, if they get past them, they can get past anybody.

The Netherlands upset the Dominican Republic team on Saturday. The DR's main offensive threats in their stacked offense lost the two best players in the game, Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez. The reason the DR will not win the tournament because of their pitching. Their pitching staff is anchored by the young Edison Volquez. They are talented, but very young.

The USA also has a decent team, but their pitching staff isn't as good as it could be. They have aces Jake Peavy and Roy Oswalt, but their bullpen is a little questionable. Pitchers also have pitching limits in the first few rounds, so their starters will not go as deep into a game they normally would.

IRONPIGPEN explains why Japan will win. Phoul Ballz explains why Team USA will win. Check out their counterpoints!

Ruiz OK After Neck Strain

Sunday morning, Phillies assistant GM Scott Proefrock updated news on the injury to Carlos Ruiz:

“Apparently there was a collision in the game. Subsequent to that, I guess he
was chasing a pop up, he flipped his mask off and he felt it. So they took him
out of the game. It was diagnosed as a neck strain. He was treated, sent home
after the game and they’ll reevaluate him today when he comes back in.”

Bruce Chen, Panama's pitcher, diagnosed Ruiz with a nerve pinch after the injury happened.

Carlos Ruiz took batting practice and will be in Panama’s lineup tonight against the Dominican Republic.

QUOTE SOURCE: Philly.com

WBC Thoughts

The World Baseball Classic is well underway. On Saturday, ESPN aired baseball game after baseball game. Heaven for every baseball fan.

It has been around 130 days since an intense game has been played. 130 days since the Phillies won the World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays. 130 days later the entire world is watching playoff atmosphere games.

For many players, especially ones from foreign countries, it means the world to represent their native country. A loss feels like they let their whole country down.

In the United States and Canada, the tournament may not be as big as it is in Asia, the Dominican Republic or other countries. Worried about injuries, many Americans opted not to play, wanting to prepare for the upcoming MLB season. However, in other countries, turning down the opportunity was not an option.

The Olympics used minor league players because it was in the middle of the baseball season. The WBC should be using as many professional players as possible. Better games will be played and more people will watch. Players can showcase to the entire world why they are the best player in the game. Fans get a chance to see players they don't normally get to see.

I like the idea of the tournament, just not the timing. More players would participate if it weren't right before the season. November would be an appropriate time, after the postseason, guys are still in shape, and if a player gets hurt, they have time to recover.

Even though it's in March, its still awesome, and fun to watch.

Round One Results

The United States beat Canada 6-5 in a game that was down to the wire.

Kevin Youkilis, Brian McCann and Adam Dunn each homered for Team USA. Russell Martin and Joey Votto homered for Canada.

Jimmy Rollins did not start for USA, but was caught stealing. He was 1-2 for USA. He also made a spectacular play in the 9th inning to save a potential run.

Shane Victorino was 2-4 for USA.
Matt Stairs was 0-3 with 2 strikeouts for Canada.

The Netherlands upset the Dominican Republic, 3-2.

The DR didn't play good defense in the first inning as Edison Volquez allowed 3 unearned runs.

Japan beat Korea 14-2 in 7 innings. Daisuke Matzusaka pitched 4 innings allowing 2 earned runs. Murata and Johjima each hit home runs for Japan.

Puerto Rico beat Panama, 7-0.

Javier Vazquez pitched 4.1 innings allowing just 4 hits. Carlos Delgado and Ivan Rodriguez homered for Puerto Rico.

Pudge is showing off his skills as he remains teamless. For Puerto Rico, Pudge was 4-4 and drove in 4 RBI.

Carlos Ruiz, who left the game in the 9th inning due to a neck injury, was 1-2 for Panama.

The Phillies beat the Detroit Tigers, 8-2.

John Mayberry Jr. and Ryan Howard each homered for the Phillies.

Jamie Moyer pitched 4 innings and allowed just 1 earned runs and struck out 5. JA Happ pitched 3 scoreless innings and struck out 7 batters.

PHOTO COURTESY: MLB.com

WBC Reasons to Watch and Scores

Team USA gave the Top 10 Reasons to Watch the World Baseball Classic on the Late Show with David Letterman. Rollins led off.



Results of WBC Games:

Japan beat China, 4-0. Yu Darvish made his WBC debut pitching 4 hitless innings striking out 3. Murata homered for Japan.

Korea beat Chinese Taipei, 9-0. Lee, Jin, and Jeong each hit home runs. Ryu earned the win for Korea.

WBC Picks

Here are my predictions for the winners of each pool for the World Baseball Classic.

Pool A: Japan

The defending champions look to their young phenom, Yu Darvish, and star veteran, Ichiro.

I think Japan will win the entire tournament. (Look back next week for a counter point post on tournament winner predictions)

Pool B: Cuba

The Cubans won the silver medal in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

Pool C: United Stats of America

A lot of players opted not to play for Team USA, but they are still stacked with stars such as David Wright.

Pool D: Dominican Republic

Even without Albert Pujols, the Dominicans have a stacked lineup with the likes of Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz.

The bloggers of IRONPIGPEN! The Pork Stops Here! and Phoul Ballz also made predictions. Check them out.

Rules Should be Enforced in WBC

The World Baseball Classic will be featuring many rules that are not familiar wit Major League Baseball.

Rules:

• DH will be used every game.
• 65 limit pitch count in Round One, 80 in Round 2, 95 in the Semi-Finals and Finals. (A pitcher may finish batter if he reaches the limit in the middle of an at-bat.)
• A pitcher must rest 4 days if he threw 50 or more pitches, 1 day if he threw 30 or more pitches, and 1 day after he pitched 2 consecutive games in a row.
• A game is called after opposing team is up by 10 runs after 7 innings or 15 in 5 innings.
• MLB replay rules will be adopted (home run over fence, fair/foul, fan interference)
• If game goes until the 13th inning, each half inning will start with runners on first and second base.

These rules are completely necessary for the World Baseball Classic. For many players, this is a competitive form of spring training which includes more playing time. Many are just getting back into the baseball routine.

The pitching rules will be sure to save the arms of pitchers. Pitching wins championships, and a team needs their pitchers healthy for the season.

The mercy and extra inning rules are also necessary. They will speed up the game save time, and players from waring down before the season begins.

The rules shouldn't be used for Major League Baseball, but because the World Baseball Classic is so early in the year, they are perfectly useful.

For the counter point of this argument, please visit IRONPIGPEN: The Pork Stops Here!

A-Rod Playing for DR

In 2006, Alex Rodgriguez played for the United States during the World Baseball Classic. In 2009, A-Rod will be playing for the Dominican Republic.

A-Rod, 33, has 553 career home runs and could very well break Barry Bond's all time record. A-Rod also has a career .306 AVG and .967 OPS. With Team USA, A-Rod hit .333 with no home runs and 3 RBI in the 2006 WBC.

A-Rod is also a wealthy man. Over his career, he has made a total of $194,431,586. He made $28 million in 2008, more than the entire Florida Marlins roster.

The controversy is whether A-Rod, a New York born player, should be able to switch his WBC team.

A-Rod is a Dominican American, so playing for Team Republica Dominicana isn't out of his roots. At the age of four, A-Rod and his family moved to their native country, the Dominican Republic. He lived there for a few years before moving to Miami.

The rules state that a player can chose his native country, or a country of his ancestors. The decision for A-Rod in both 2006 and 2009 weren't easy ones. Wanting to satisfy both sides, A-Rod said in 2005 he would not play for either team. However, he stated in interviews he was leaning toward playing with the Dominican Republic in 2006. With the help of David Ortiz, A-Rod committed to the Dominican Republic in 2009.

"I am 100 percent sure that I will play for the Dominican Republic team,"
Rodriguez said. "This time, there will be no doubts, and it is a dream of my
mom's that I intend to fulfill."

Perhaps A-Rod was not satisfied with Team USA's loss to Mexico early in the first WBC. Perhaps he feels he has a better opportunity with the Dominican team.

Because A-Rod is both American and Dominican, he should have a choice as to which team he wants to play for, even if he decided to flip flop teams. After all, in the first place, A-Rod was not completely committed to playing with the United States.

For the counter point of this article, please visit IRONPIGPEN: The Pork Stops Here!

QUOTE SOURCE: Worldbaseballclassic.com

Power House Teams Will Dominate

The United States and Japan have two of the biggest market teams in the World Baseball Classic. Add in the Dominican Republic and you have 3 of the world's biggest power houses.

In 2006, the United States lost in the second round to Mexico. In this years tournament, USA will try to redeem themselves, taking home the gold.

While many players opted to sit out the WBC and report to Spring Training, Team USA still has a solid team. The United States have returning players to their roster, but also have key additions and subtractions. The popular topic is Alex Rodriguez moving from Team USA to the Dominican Republic team. But that doesn't mean USA has a hole at third base.

You know Team USA is good when your choice of starting third baseman is between Chipper Jones, David Wright, and Evan Longoria.

Derek Jeter and Dustin Pedroia will be playing the middle field, with Jimmy Rollins and Mark Derosa backing up. Derek Lee or Kevin Youkilis will man first. A terrific infield, none the less.

The outfield is filled with spectacular talent such as Grady Sizemore, Ryan Brain, and Carlos Quentin, as well as others.

The United States also has excellent starters in Jake Peavy, Roy Oswalt and Scott Kazmir as well as others. With a 65 pitch limit, the bullpen must be strong. With J.J Putz and Joe Nathan at the back end of the bullpen, the late innings should be a breeze.

Japan is looking to repeat. In 2006, they defeated Cuba in the finals to take home the championship. Japan has Major League talent on their roster, including world wide fan favorite, Ichiro Suzuki.

Japan's pitching also consists of the Red Sox's Daisuke Matzusaka. Dice-K will try to dazzle the world with his famous pitch, the gyro-ball. Also on the pitching staff is Dice-K's Boston teammate, Hideki Okajima. Okajima had a 2.61 ERA in 2008.

One of the biggest names in Japan, and on the WBC roster is Yu Darvish, a 22 year old phenom. In 4 seasons with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, Darvish is 48-19 with a 2.33 ERA and 585 strikeouts.




The offense of the Dominican Republic's can't get much better with Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez both in the same lineup. The Dominicans also have a tough choice for shortstop between Hanley Ramirez and Jose Reyes, two of the game's best.

The roster will also include big names like David Ortiz, Alfonso Soriano, Vladamir Guerrero and others.

The pitching doesn't have the big names like their offense, anchored by Ervin Santana, Francisco Liriano, Edison Volquez, with Jose Valverde and Francisco Cordero at the back end. The Dominican Republic may not have the best staff in the WBC, but they have talented pitchers who will get the job done. They'll surely get their run support.

The double elimination bracket could prevent the smaller market teams to pull ahead of the power houses. However, the World Baseball Classic may be like the playoffs; any team can get hot at the right time. The small market teams could end up winning the tournament, as they have a lot of talent too. However, there is no reason why Japan, USA and the Dominican Republic wouldn't be able to dominate.

To see the counter point of this article, please visit IRONPIGPEN: The Pork Stops Here!

Participating in the World Baseball Classic

Some of the world's best players will be competing in the 2009 World Baseball Classic in March. Many current and former Phillies participated in the last tournament in 2006.

In this years tournament, many Major League players opted out of the global event. Brad Lidge, Cole Hamels, Chan Ho Park, and Ryan Howard are among Phillies who chose to sit out. Chase Utley partcipated in 2006, but is forced to sit out recovering from hip surgery.

Despite his suspension, J.C. Romero will participate on Team Puerto Rico. Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino (USA), Matt Stairs (Canada), Ronny Pualino (Dominican Republic) and Carlos Ruiz (Panama) will be Phillies to participate in the event. Mike Schmidt will be apart of Team USA's coaching staff.

Minor leaguers Carlos Carasco (Venezula), Mike Bolsenbroek (Netherlands), Drew Naylor, Joel Naughton, Brad Harman (Australia), and Michael Spidale (Italy) will also participate.

Fomer Phillies Bobby Abreu, Carlos Silva, Endy Chavez (Venezula), Rod Barajas (Mexico), Brian Mazone, Nick Punto, Mike Costanzo (Italy), Rheal Cormier, R.J. Swindle (Canada), Travis Blackley (Australia), Randall Simon (Netherlands), and Bruce Chen (Panama) will also participate.

It is a shame baseball was eliminated from the Olympics since Major League players can't leave their teams during pennant races, but this could replace it. Although it may not be as big as soccer or hockey world events, it is important for many players to represent their countries, especially those from the Dominican Republic. The event itself is great, but for the Phillies sake, it might be better if some of their stars sit this one out.

There are many risks involved. A player could get hurt, and be done for the year. Having a Major League team losing one of their star players would be a huge blow to a team, especially one who has a chance to make the postseason. Although there is a 65 pitch limit for pitchers, there is always that risk, and pitching is one of the most important aspects of the game.

The Phillies did an excellent job of using Cole Hamels during the 2008 season. Hamels set a career high, and was third in all of baseball in innings pitched. The Phillies were careful not to overuse him, avoiding short rest. Hamels is more successful when he is rested. Hamels has a history of injuries, and the WBC could increase his risk of injury, rushing into competitive games. Hamels, normally a slow starter in Spring Training, needs extra time to get ready for the season.

Howard usually has excellent springs, so he would probably impact Team USA. Howard needs to use spring to see the ball better and work on mechanics to be consistent and cut down on strikeouts. It is also likely Howard will be hearing for arbitration during this time.

Brad Lidge is due for a blown save, unfortunately. Brad, you can blow as many saves as you want in Spring Training, so use that time wisely. Get it all out bud. Team USA wouldn't be too happy about that.

USA manager Davy Johnson stated that for the shortstop posistion he will not share time between Derek Jeter and Jimmy Rollins. If Jeter gets the job, it would be a disadvantage to Rollins. Rollins would not get the at bats he would normally get in Spring Training. This could lead to a slow start for Rollins.

Ronnie Paulino is in a similar situation as Rollins. Paulino will be a backup, therefore not getting at bats in.

For a minor leaguer such as Carrasco, participating in the event will effect his chances of being on the Major Leagues roster. The 5th spot in the Phillies rotation is up in the air, and Carrasco has a chance of getting the job. Chances may be slim, but participating in the WBC takes those chances away as it will be tougher for the Phillies coaching staff to evaluate him.

I'm a fan of the World Baseball Classic. I think it is excellent for the game of baseball and different countries. It promotes the game and gives us all a chance to see different players. I'm excited to watch, but from a biased Phillies standpoint, it is better some players report to camp.

For the counterpoint of this argument, please visit IRONPIGPEN: The Pork Stops Here!