WBC Championship Cap = Waste of Money

I PROMISE THIS IS THE LAST World Baseball Classic post until next year, just that I couldn't help but notice the championship hat for Japan selling for $26.99 at MLB.com. What were they thinking?! Will anyone buy and wear one of these slap-it-on ugly hats? Shame on MLB.

Japan: World Baseball Champions...Again

IT'S NO COINCIDENCE that Japan has won the first two World Baseball Classics. These guys are as fundamentally sound as they come...and then there's Ichiro. With the score tied 3-3 in the 10th inning, Korea opted to pitch to him despite the Japanese having two men in scoring position AND first base open. So after fouling off several pitches, including one that bounced in the dirt, Ichiro got his pitch. A split second later I saw this giant fuzzy ball coming towards the screen—a sharp, two-run single into centerfield, and Team Japan would go on to clinch another world title.

Team USA: Next in Line...Evan Longoria

PLAYERS FROM ALL NATIONS have expressed the honor of playing for their country, but with the rash of injuries to Team USA, it makes you wonder who's next in line for an injury. Here's hoping all the players come home healthy with the regular season only two weeks away.

Korea Sticks It to Japan

I'M A LITTLE LATE on this one, but I've been watching the World Baseball Classic more than I thought I would. There have actually been quite a few memorable moments, both big and small, including the flag planting the Koreans did after defeating Japan earlier this week to advance to the semifinals (Japan actually beat Korea yesterday to gain a more favorable semifinal matchup with the U.S.). Distasteful? Unsportsmanlike conduct? I admit that it surprised me and my gut reaction was that it was a bit much. Either way, it was rubbing it in to the Japanese. And it's no surprise to anyone that defeating Japan is probably just as good as clinching it all for Korea.

Eye Black Fashion

WATCHING JAPAN VS. CUBA play yesterday, I noticed that one of the Japanese players (Shuichi Murata?) was wearing a pretty cool eye-black sticker similar to one of the sketches (lower left). I've never seen anything other than those of the capsule-shaped variety. I wonder if we'll be seeing more kinds of shapes in the future.

Team USA: Mercy!

THE WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC is a real boon for countries like Cuba, Korea and Italy. These countries have a chance to showcase players we don't typically see while also gaining broader exposure to the entire world, similar to the Olympic Games. But for the U.S. team, it's simply a lose-lose proposition. If Team USA wins, nothing less is expected. Lose, and as Derek Jeter put it after losing 11-1 to Puerto Rico via the Mercy Rule, it's "embarrassing".

World Baseball Classic's David & Goliath

Netherlands defeats Dominican Republic, not once, but twice, eliminating them from the WBC tournament.

Fiction=cliché
Reality=shock