Japan won the first ever World Baseball Classic. Did you know that? Now for some reason, the next WBC will be in 3 years in 2009. Perhaps for the next one, they'll learn a few things:
1. Don't schedule games during the NCAA tournament. Even the NIT knows that.
2. Try not to have it during Spring Training. It isn't really the best players in the world when they're kept to pitch counts and are swinging like it is Spring Training.
3. Maybe have more international umpiring crews.
4. Don't just arbitrarily select 16 countries, make them qualify in some way.
5. It is boring to have teams in the same group in the 1st round play in the next round. We never got to see the US play Cuba or the Dominican play Japan.
6. Don't put the games on ESPN Deportes and don't give the NIT more priority on regular ESPN.
It will be back in 2009, they're sticking to March, and it will probably still be in North America.
It will be interesting to see how participants in the WBC start off the season. Will they be warmer and fresher having played in serious games, or will they be colder having had limited playing time, or will they be worn out? Time will tell.
To Mr. Steinbrenner, though. One MLB player was hurt, more than 150 were not.
Boston sports blog featuring Patriots propaganda, and opinions on the Red Sox, Bruins, and Celtics.
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