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suave1477
03-15-2009, 04:22 PM
I read this and said wow Team Usa is pathetic!!



Team USA makes a mockery of WBC mission

By Jeff Passan (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/expertsarchive;_ylt=AiiidBYl30.Pvf5gxcLInKIHU84F?a uthor=Jeff+Passan), Yahoo! Sports 15 hours, 6 minutes ago



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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The World Baseball Classic is a farce. There’s no other way to put it. As much great baseball as it showcases, and as much as it means to other countries, until the United States starts treating the games as something more than exhibitions, the American public will continue to ignore it, and rightfully so.
This has little to do with the outcome of Team USA’s game Saturday night against Puerto Rico, an 11-1 mercy killing. The WBC invoked its 10-run slaughter rule in the seventh inning. However embarrassing, it happens. Puerto Rico played well. The U.S. didn’t.
What’s inconceivable and inexplicable and downright insulting to anyone who wants the WBC to succeed was Team USA manager Davey Johnson’s explanation of why he continued to let his starting pitcher, Jake Peavy (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6872/;_ylt=Aukhjxmt1WtTStv8cQ3pX70HU84F), rot away any chance for a win with pitch after ugly pitch that the Puerto Ricans sprayed to every corner of Dolphin Stadium.
“Just basically let him get a little more work,” Johnson said.
Really.
OK, just to go over this one time: The WBC bills itself as a tournament to determine the world’s best team and spread the game’s allure (and, yeah, maybe fatten Major League Baseball’s wallet). It expects fans to take such notions seriously. They do, even though a double-pronged reticence within MLB – players and management alike – prevents many of the best players in the world from participating. Still, the games in the first round win support for their intensity and quality, especially this early in spring. And how does the manager for the most visible team, the one with the most major league stars, repay such commitment from those who bought tickets and watched on TV and sponsored the event figuring it more than a glorified spring training game?

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He makes sure Jake Peavy hits a pitch count.
Fifty-two, by the way.
That it followed manifold other mistakes makes Johnson resemble his predecessor, Buck Martinez, who fumbled and bumbled as the United States bombed out of the first WBC.
By the time Johnson summoned Joel Hanrahan (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7991/;_ylt=ApdJUr55dzSY9Bi3wocyWGsHU84F) to warm up in the bullpen, Puerto Rico led, 4-0, and had runners on second and third base. After the Puerto Ricans crossed their fifth run, Johnson still played with the infield back and allowed a 6-0 deficit, which showed an ignorance as to how the tournament’s emphasis on deep bullpens neuters the chances of big comebacks or revealed Johnson’s true feelings about Puerto Rico starter Javier Vazquez (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/5947/;_ylt=AlOXuJqrKD5o4yuF.ft9NxMHU84F)’s big-game prowess.
Actually, Vazquez pitched well. Of course, Team USA’s slipshod coaching helped his cause. With Adam Dunn (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6763/;_ylt=Aomqq.Tz.x8AEpSD_RvKI18HU84F) on second base and Puerto Rico ahead, 7-1, Ryan Braun (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players;_ylt=AtMSmS6BgBwD1yPH6ptbcsUHU84F?type=las tname&first=1&query=Ryan+Braun&q=Ryan+Braun) singled up the middle. Carlos Beltran (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6132/;_ylt=AnO3JhFYIshmNjLUqV3BAdEHU84F) kicked the ball in center field. A tortoise could have scored – except that the third-base coach was Mike Schmidt.
He stopped Dunn as Beltran approached the ball, then yanked his arms toward home when he realized his mistake. Fans along the third-base dugout – among the few of the 30,595 in attendance with a rooting interest in the U.S. – razzed Schmidt about the decision. He defended himself. Schmidt held up seven fingers, then one, to remind them of the score. And then he touched to his right biceps, to indicate that Beltran has one of the most accurate throwing arms in the game.
And finally Schmidt pointed to himself, then the ground, held up a zero sign, and, man, would he ever be good at charades, because it looked like he said he had no business being here.
Maybe he didn’t do that last part.
Look, Schmidt is a Hall of Famer, probably the best third baseman ever. That does not qualify him to coach third base for Team USA, or at least a team that wants to put itself in the best position to win.
Someone from Team USA – Johnson, Schmidt, another coach, whoever – should have reminded the players that another run in the seventh inning meant a mercy loss. Felipe Lopez (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6415/;_ylt=AnLecAzmmYZ_WNQRa.T.OL0HU84F) doubled to make it 10-1, and with Mike Aviles (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/8260/;_ylt=AjM5DOQWjw7WmjfLWjfLEMgHU84F) up, the United States did nothing. The outfield didn’t move in, and Johnson didn’t order an intentional walk for a force play, and it may have been moot, but no one on the bench bothered to act like it mattered.
Aviles flared a single to right field. Dunn ran to retrieve the ball. Second baseman Mark DeRosa (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6094/;_ylt=AuHMtsQ1JltqhtcvMAQyEnkHU84F) ran toward him to cut off the throw. Neither realized the game had ended, nor did catcher Brian McCann (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7569/;_ylt=AnTnLOiRNvts1MI.Qs72lKgHU84F).
“It didn’t register in my mind that it was even a possibility until I turned around and saw their entire team at first base,” DeRosa said.
There, Puerto Rico celebrated. Not only had it sent Team USA into a do-or-die game Sunday against the Netherlands, it emasculated the tournament favorite, which previously dropped the final game of its pool to Venezuela.
“We lost,” Derek Jeter (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/5406/;_ylt=Aib7ssx2foNQHqivkvoaQS8HU84F) said. “You’ve got to get over the embarrassment.”
Not just to Team USA. To all of the WBC.
Its second pool kicks off play Sunday in San Diego with a rematch of the 2006 final, Cuba and Japan. If Cuba’s starting pitcher struggles, manager Higinio Velez will have no qualms about yanking him in the first inning. He did so in the first championship game, pulling Ormari Romero after 23 pitches and one out.
That’s the urgency this tournament demands: caring more about the team’s well-being than the individual’s. Let Peavy throw his pitches in the bullpen. The WBC deserves better than Johnson’s cockamamie excuse.
Because with a tweak here and there, and the commitment of everyone involved to building a sustainable event, the WBC will succeed. Fans will recognize it and appreciate it and flock to it. A farce of the past, a force for the future.

kellsox
03-15-2009, 04:39 PM
Its just not as important to the US as it is to some of the other countries and it seems to be getting less important by the day. Countries will be having a more difficult time getting players to participate as MLB players realize that it keeps them away from their real teams and the tournament just isn't worth the time. I predict that unless big changes are made to the format, the WBC will be no more after the next one in 4 years. I can say that I'm a huge baseball fan and I haven't watched an inning of it, nor do I plan on doing so. Real baseball starts April 3rd.
kelly

kingjammy24
03-15-2009, 04:56 PM
i'm not sure how MLB or anyone came under the impression that the WBC would be taken seriously by most of the MLB players.

"No player will be guaranteed money for participating. While players may receive compensation from shares earned by National Federations, no more than 50% of such shares may be distributed to players. Major League Baseball players will receive their normal spring training per diem during the tournament."

it's little more than a bunch of exhibition games for those guys. the only thing that matters is the world series. none of them are going to risk injury and missing the MLB regular season for the WBC. give each player on the winning WBC team a $3mm bonus and then watch them start playing. what did selig think would motivate the MLB players to actually play in the WBC? "a love of the game"? they play a 162-game grinder of a season followed by a lengthy post-season for a few. the WBC is a sad attempt to squeeze more work out of those guys for no extra pay and line the MLB coffers. why doesn't bud just institute a "second regular season". season 1 can go from spring-fall and then start again from fall-spring. 360 games a year.

rudy.

David
03-15-2009, 06:41 PM
If you aren't playing in the WBC, you're playing in spring training. Why teams are unwilling to send their players to play one place instead of another, I don't know. A reporter reproted GMs initially complained that WBC players would be overworked. After the four day break for Team USA, GMs then complained that their WBC players weren't getting enough work.

The WBC is just a pre-season exhibition and not the Olympics or, I agree.

skyking26
03-15-2009, 10:14 PM
One factor not covered here is the lack of attendance. I see more folks at my son's little league games than I do at the USA WBC. Check out the game tonight for USA. No support at all, which is sad.

Economy? Other??

xpress34
03-16-2009, 12:19 AM
I'm sorry, but I have to disagree.

YES, the US Team had a terrible showing against Puerto Rico, but they definately have heart and pride.

Maybe Davey Johnson wasn't the best pick for Manager, but Team USA came back strong tonight against the 'Cinderella' team of the tourney so far...

And after tomorrow night, the US Team will know who the have to beat to advance to the Semi Finals in L.A.

I don't understand the attendance thing myself. If they were playing here, I'd be at every game...

Hell, I'm already considering a 5 hour road trip to L.A. to see Team USA play in the Final if they get there while I'm in AZ for ST a week from tomorrow.

If you think the guys who ARE playing for Team USA don't have any pride, then why do you think they are playing???

My .02

David
03-16-2009, 03:17 AM
One thing is this Pre-Season exhibition is a MLB/United States production, not the Olympics in far away cities, and the American players play for the US teams all year long. Derek Jeter plays for the Yanks 164 games a year.

David
03-16-2009, 03:26 AM
I'll say it's hard to take a baseball tournament too seriously that is played at the start of spring training. If Bud considered this the real World Cup of baseball, he wouldn't schedule it for March. Most of the players aren't even in regular season shape yet-- just ask Davey Johnson and Jake Peavy.

skyking26
03-16-2009, 07:24 AM
I'll say it's hard to take a baseball tournament too seriously that is played at the start of spring training. If Bud considered this the real World Cup of baseball, he wouldn't schedule it for March. Most of the players aren't even in regular season shape yet-- just ask Davey Johnson and Jake Peavy.
I agree. My wife watched a few minutes with me last night; and I told her this things should be played "after" the WS when the guys are still in shape. This is a crazy time of year to be doing this.