Comments on: Japan threatens boycott of World Baseball Classic

By: cktai

cktai — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 07:43:10 +0000

The Netherlands WBC roster is made up from roughly 50% MLB and MiLB players, like Kenley Jansen, Rick van der Hurk, Jair Jurrjens, Shairon Martis, Sidney Ponson and Greg Halman, and 50% Dutch professional Honkbal Hoofdklasse players, most of them olympians, like Sharlon Schoop, Sidney de Jong, Michael Duursma and the legendary Robbie Cordemans who in his last 4 seasons allowed 28 earned runs in 346.1 IP for an ERA of 0.73 and a record of 31-5.

By: kiwicricket

kiwicricket — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 01:09:51 +0000

Because in other nations, representing your country is the highest possible honour and level you can achieve, not dangling yourself off trying to make the most amount of money from a ‘club’. In those particular nations where Baseball is only a minor sport, the players there would give a limb just to be able to compete with the worlds best. If the ‘big stars’ in the US or MLB are too concerned about getting injured, or just don’t give a dam, that’s fine with me, but please don’t dismiss the enthusiasm and passion of other countries just to compete against other countries best players. The countries competing where baseball is only a minor sport will all be non/semi-professional. They will compete for free(I know in NZ’s case they will pay for some of the trip themselves personally) and will be over-the-moon just to be able to do so. Just my outside perspective on things.

By: rcali

rcali — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 20:15:32 +0000

Is it sad that most of could care less about this event? Even Jeter doesn’t care about exhibition games anymore.

By: President Miraflores

President Miraflores — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 19:46:09 +0000

Winner-take-all may make things interesting for teams that have a legitimate chance of winning, but for teams like South Africa and the Netherlands, stocked with kids, why take the last couple of pennies out of their pockets after they traveled around the world to lose to professional ballplayers?

By: gammagammahey

gammagammahey — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 19:45:24 +0000

As a Korean, I’d be very happy to see Japan not in the WBC next time. WHY WOULD YOU PITCH TO ICHIRO?!?!?!

By: FC

FC — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 19:25:02 +0000

The problem with it, is that suffers from the same issue as the MLB Playoffs, except it’s even MORE of a crapshoot.

By: FC

FC — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 19:20:19 +0000

Heyyyy… I care

By: mox19380

mox19380 — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 18:50:34 +0000

I know it’s not a big deal here. But I definitely enjoy watching it

By: oikosjeremy

oikosjeremy — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 18:13:20 +0000

As has been discussed previously on this blog, it’s not a big deal in the US, but it is a big deal in a lot of other countries. I’m not saying that necessarily makes the event a great thing, or an equally great thing for all concerned, but it’s not true that “no one” cares.

By: paperlions

paperlions — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 18:05:14 +0000

No one, including most players, care about the World Baseball Moneygrab….just discontinue the farcical event.

By: Matthew Pouliot

Matthew Pouliot — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 17:54:30 +0000

MLB teams already have enough issues letting their players participate in the tourney. It has to be a guaranteed money maker for the teams to give up their players.

It won’t happen, but it could be worked so that the owners’ share gets split in one way and then the players’ share goes into a different pool, to be split based on tourney results. And, yeah, it would make things interesting.

By: Panda Claus

Panda Claus — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 17:46:56 +0000

How ’bout winner take all? That might make things interesting.