The tournament drew a record 781,429 fans since it began in Asia on March 2, played to huge international television audiences, and Brosnan said it will certainly be back for its fourth running in 2017.

“The Commissioner is 1,000-percent committed,” Brosnan said.

....
Mainstream baseball countries Mexico, Canada, Venezuela and Korea were all knocked out in the first round, but only Mexico will have to qualify for the tournament in 2017.

In that matter, Brosnan promised more teams and more ...

Pesqueira and David Gonzalez, who also acts as the player’s agent, are now involved in a potentially historic lawsuit against Major League Baseball that could change the signing system for Mexican players and complicate efforts for a worldwide draft. At the crux of the fight is whether Pesqueira was willfully aware that he finalized a contract with the Diablos Rojos, or if he and his father were tricked into signing away his free-agent rights—or if the young player had ever even signed a ...

That was fun. Is it 2017 yet?

8:00 PM- Dominican Republic vs. Puerto Rico

WBC FINALS.

On MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

9:00 PM- Dominican Republic vs. Netherlands
Winner faces Puerto Rico in finals.

All games on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

9:00 PM- Japan vs. Puerto Rico

Winner to finals.

All games on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

Just a seeding game today:

1 PM: Dominican Republic vs. Puerto Rico (Winner faces Netherlands, loser faces Japan)

All games on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

7:00 PM- USA vs. Puerto Rico (ELIMINATION GAME)

All games on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes

7:00 PM- USA vs. Dominican Republic (winner advances, loser faces PR in elimination game)

All games on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

7:00 PM- Puerto Rico vs. Italy (ELIMINATION GAME)

All games on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

6:00 AM: Japan vs. Netherlands (seeding game)
1:00 PM: Dominican Republic vs. Italy
8:00 PM: USA vs. Puerto Rico

All games on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

Honk, Honk.

12:30- Venezuela vs. Spain
4:00- Canada vs. USA
7:30- Puerto Rico vs. DR
6:00 AM (Monday)- Netherlands vs. Cuba (ELIMINATION GAME)

All games on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

11:00 AM- DR vs. Spain
2:30 PM- Mexico vs. Canada
5:30 PM- PR vs. Venezuela
9:00 PM- USA vs. Italy
6 AM (Sunday): Netherlands vs. Japan

All games on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

Day 7 isn’t all done yet, but, hey, better to be early than late.

Today’s games:
Italy vs. Canada, 2:00 PM
Puerto Rico vs. Spain, 5:30 PM
USA vs. Mexico, 9:00 PM
Cuba vs. loser of Taipei/Japan, 5:00 AM (Saturday) ELIMINATION GAME

The WBC really gets going with four games across three countries!

3:00 PM- Mexico vs. Italy, Pool D
6:30 PM- Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela, Pool C
10:00 PM- Cuba vs. Netherlands, Pool 1 (2nd round)
5 AM (March 8th)- Taipei vs. Japan, Pool 1 (2nd round)

All games on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes (or wherever you find it in your country).

Only one game tonight/tomorrow morning:

5:00 AM- Cuba vs. Japan

Winner gets top seed.

All games on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

Is this the end of the Honkbal heroes? Which Fukuoka pool team will avoid likely relegation to the qualification rounds in 2017? Will Taipei send the hometown fans home with pool sweep?

FIND OUT TONIGHT!
11:30 PM- Netherlands vs. Australia
3:00 AM- China vs. Brazil
6:30 AM- Korea vs. Taipei

All games on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

Tonight’s games (okay, technically tomorrow morning):
Cuba vs. China, 2:30 AM
Australia vs. Korea, 5:30 AM

All games on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes

Day 1 isn’t fully done yet, but I’ll submit this now. All times ET:

10:30 PM- Brazil vs. Cuba
1:30 AM- Taipei vs. Netherlands
5:00 AM- Japan vs. China

Pool B: Taipei vs. Australia, 11:30 PM EST, MLBN and ESPN Deportes
Pool A: Brazil vs. Japan, 5:00 AM EST, MLBN and ESPN Deportes
Pool B: Netherlands vs. Korea, 6:30 AM EST, will be on Tape Delay MLBN and ESPN Deportes later

Chatter up!

MLB Network’s exclusive English-language telecast of the 2013 World Baseball Classic in the United States begins this Friday, March 1 at 11:30 p.m. ET and continues with all 39 games of the tournament through the Championship on Tuesday, March 19 at 8:00 p.m. ET. MLB Network’s Bob Costas, Jim Kaat, Joe Magrane, Harold Reynolds, John Smoltz, Matt Vasgersian, Tom Verducci and Matt Yallof are among the group of announcers scheduled to call the tournament, produced by MLB Network in the United ...

Proof that there are at least 16 other people in the world who are even more interested in the WBC than I am.

Just 45 blocks downtown from the United Nations, Major League Baseball on Wednesday introduced winners of a competition for “MLB Fan Cave: World Baseball Classic Edition.” These 16 Cave Dwellers traveled from five continents and speak eight total languages. They will watch every game of the Classic live at all hours of the day and night, each gradually getting eliminated when his or ...

Many of the game’s elite stars and veterans of Major League Baseball (MLB), Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and other leagues from Asia, Latin America, Europe and Australia will participate in the third edition of the World Baseball Classic.  From the ranks of Major League Baseball, the rosters include 2012 American League Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera of Venezuela as well as fellow past Most Valuable Players Ryan Braun (USA), Joe Mauer (USA), ...

As a result, the Rays won’t be able to sign anyone next year for more than $250,000 and probably won’t make any major international splashes until July 2 either because of the tax. Going well beyond the bonus pool is a curious move, but the Rays did pull in a considerable amount of talent, including arguably the two best 16-year-old pitchers on the market. Given that their 90-win season last year will give them one of the lower bonus pools for the 2013-14 signing period, which many scouts ...