Freeman was set to play for Canada

But does he know the lyrics to ” Let’s Go to the Mall” or the “Beaver Song”?

“LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. - How many national teams can boast having a suitable replacement for an MVP winner?

Had Joey Votto’s knee prevented him from playing in this month’s World Baseball Classic, Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman was ready and willing to wear the maple leaf.

“I told the players association to make sure they let the WBC know that both my parents were born in Canada,” Freeman said Thursday before the Washington Nationals met his Braves in a pre-season game at Champions Stadium.”

Mitch Williams: Wrapping up the World Baseball Classic

ATTENTION: Taking Richard Beymer’s place in the role of Tony Wyzek tonight, tonight will be Mitch Williams.

As an analyst you make predictions based on what you know. So it is tough to make predictions in this event. I took a lot of heat from Team Puerto Rico because they felt I was making excuses for Team USA losing to them, when I said they didn’t look as ready as Puerto Rico because PR has winter ball. I was not making an excuse for the US! It was a nice way of saying that the US needed to start working and playing together sooner.

Team PR had five Major League players on their roster. The entire US team was made up of big league players. But to be honest, before Japan played PR in the semifinals, I was going to pick Japan to win. Right up to the point that I found out that Team PR were so mad at me, thinking I was making excuses for the US. Then I changed my pick and went with PR.

If a team is so passionate as to get that upset by my comments about the US, they are there to win. What Yadier Molina did to upset that Japan lineup was impressive to say the least. He had his pitchers get the ball and throw it. They took no time in between pitches. Hitting is about timing, and the Japanese are known for the high leg kick at the plate. It is a timing mechanism. Molina did all he could to disrupt that, and PR got to final, where they eventually lost to the DR, 3-0.

This brings me back to why I believe Team USA needs to pick a team and start playing together sooner. Because the art of hitting is about timing.

Jimmy Rollins wants WBC every two years

Cool! Player could go on the 730 day DL list and be right back at it!

His reasoning: Players get caught up in the magic of the WBC when they get a chance to play in it—or even watch it. So those who play can’t wait to play again. And many who watch think, “I’d like to be a part of that.” And if the next edition were two years away, “maybe there’d be slightly more anticipation,” he said, “because it’s still relatively fresh.”

But by the time the next one rolls around, if it’s a four-year wait, all that passion, all that momentum, has faded away, Rollins theorized. So getting the best players to play becomes a harder sell than it would be if the next WBC was just over the horizon.

“Four years, especially in this sport, where you play every day, is a long time,” he said. “So you’ve got guys who are 28 [and didn’t play]. But now they’d know they’d get another shot when they’re 30, instead of when they’re 32. Big difference. When you’ve got four years of baseball in between, a lot can go on. Four years is a long time.

“Wasn’t it (Bryce) Harper who said he definitely wants to play in the one in ‘17?” Rollins went on. “If there was one in ‘15, then he could have that first real big-league spring training (this year) and get that out of the way. Now the next year, he knows he’s on the team. He waits a year. And then the following year, he’d be able to play in it.”

Rollins knows there are players around him who will never buy in to the WBC. But all he can tell them is: They don’t know what they’re missing.

“When you see it, when you feel the environment, man, it’s something else,” he said. “Every game is an elimination game. There are no series. It’s like Jimmy V said in that (30 for 30 film): It’s survive and advance.

Looking into Classic’s future, MLB sees growth

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 qualifiers.

“There’s a thousand possibilities,” Brosnan said. “There are going to be competitions in the intervening years because it’s going to grow larger. The intention is to play the championship every four years, but we might see more qualifiers two years from now. This tournament is just going to continue to grow.”

2 years? As in, 2015 in addition to 2016 for qualifiers? How big are they going to make it? I’m intrigued…

Dodgers’ Hanley Ramirez injures right thumb in WBC final

As soon as he’s done fully adjusting his drape cut look, Jim Kaat will make a statement…and then another…and then…

As the Dominican Republic danced through the night, the Dodgers held their breath. They must wait to see if their shortstop can play on opening day.

Hanley Ramirez injured his right thumb in the championship game of the World Baseball Classic on Tuesday, in which the Dominican beat Puerto Rico, 3-0. Ramirez is expected to undergo an MRI exam Wednesday in Arizona, according to Dominican Republic General Manager Moises Alou.

“I don’t think it’s bad,” Dominican coach Alfredo Griffin said.

Ramirez, playing third base for the Dominican, jammed the thumb while diving for a ground ball in the third inning. He remained in the game, even delivering a single in the fourth inning, but left after five innings.

Ramirez declined comment through a team spokesman. Dominican Manager Tony Pena said he removed Ramirez for precautionary reasons, even though Ramirez told Pena he could have gone on.

Dee Gordon would be the likely replacement as Dodgers shortstop, albeit with none of the middle-of-the-order power the Dodgers expect from Ramirez.

WBC Finals: Dominican Republic 3, Puerto Rico 0 (DR runs table and wins 1st WBC title)

That was fun. Is it 2017 yet?

Baseball’s newest rally novelty: Dominicans’ rally plantain

The Dominican Republic is hoping it can ride plantain power to the World Baseball Classic championship.

Owing at least part of their success to closer Fernando Rodney’s mystical “rally plantain” that he keeps tucked in the side of his uniform pants while sitting in the bullpen, the Dominicans advanced to Tuesday night’s title game by beating the Netherlands 4-1 in a WBC semifinal on Monday

...“It’s kind of crazy,” San Diego Padres right-hander Edinson Volquez, who was the winning pitcher Monday, said of the plantain, a yellow banana-like fruit that is common in Latin America. “It works, though. So why not?”

That’s what Dominican manager Tony Peña thinks.

“When I first saw Rodney with that banana or plantain or whatever it is, I cracked up,” said Peña, the New York Yankees’ bench coach. “In this game, you need to do whatever you can to make it fun and take away the stress. It can be a difficult game and you need to keep things loose. Rodney definitely keeps things loose.”

Thanks to BN.

World Baseball Classic FINALS OMNICHATTER

8:00 PM- Dominican Republic vs. Puerto Rico

WBC FINALS.

On MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

Jays’ Josh Johnson could’ve pitched for Canada

He certainly would’ve helped in the Canada/Mexico brawl…

World Baseball Classic Semi-Final Number 2 OMNICHATTER

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

All games on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

WBC Semi-Final Number 1 OMNICHATTER

9:00 PM- Japan vs. Puerto Rico

Winner to finals.

All games on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

Passan: World Baseball Classic truth: U.S. fans are boring

Hey…what do you expect from a society that Dockingly waits 3.5 hours for a lameass, bar band version of “In the Midnight Hour”?!

That is the kind way of saying: American fans are boring. And players, too. Because we are. We rationalize it through our willingness to placate those who might react poorly. Those are the people who think the loudest a stadium should get is when the NOISE METER flashes on the Jumbotron. It’s not just the wine-and-cheese crowd, either. The sterilization of American baseball crosses boundaries socioeconomic, racial, age and sex alike.

And here’s the thing: It is an issue unique to America among baseball powerhouses. Japan, a country with a culture that values respect and deference, nevertheless fosters an environment with beating drums and constant chants and players acknowledging achievements with a hand signal or a greeting outside of the dugout. It is not quite as blatant as the D.R. It is evident still.

It’s unfortunate America won’t watch any of it, for the same reason America doesn’t watch the World Series: Baseball is a parochial sport. We love our teams more than we do the sport. And that’s fine. It’s a natural evolution. As football grew to supplant baseball as the nation’s obsession, baseball needed to find a new role, and it has: the summer outing, the local treasure, the safe option.

Were people to tune in, they’d see baseball can capture the dynamism of college basketball and football, our two sports that feel as much like a rock concert as they do a sporting event. Much has been made of the United States not having the same passion for baseball as the Dominican Republic or Japan. That’s rationalizing. And it’s not true. If conventions were different – if players and fans both weren’t boxed in to a preconceived set of emotions, reactions and morés – American baseball would be just like the rest of the world.

That’s the truth. And it would be the furthest thing from embarrassing.

ESPN: Team USA reacts to celebration

MIAMI—A day after players from the Dominican Republic engaged in some no-holds-barred celebrations at Marlins Park in response to their 3-1 World Baseball Classic victory against Team USA, it became apparent that some American players weren’t overly thrilled with the spectacle.

“Some players had something to say about it, but I can only speak for myself,’’ Phillips told reporters before Team USA’s elimination game against Puerto Rico on Friday night. “It was cool. I’m a flashy person myself, so I kind of like this stuff.

Seems like the US players are not happy the DR tried and wanted to win.

Rosenthal: Ousted US took half-hearted approach

Well Below Competitive.

Torre, at one point in his postgame news conference, uncharacteristically bristled at a question about whether holding the tournament in the middle of spring training hurts Team USA. The question, he said, would not even have been relevant if the U.S. had gotten a hit with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth, instead of ending up with merely a bases-loaded walk.

In response to a follow-up about this being the third straight WBC disappointment for the U.S., Torre said, “I guess John Elway had to win a Super Bowl for everybody to consider him a great, great player. It doesn’t always happen. Ernie Banks never was at a World Series. It’s just what happens in short series. It’s not easy to do.”

No argument, but three straight disappointments amount to a pattern. Both Braun and Phillips said they would highly recommend the WBC experience to other players. Perhaps this latest knockout will inspire the next generation of hitters — Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, etc. — to go all-in. And perhaps the next time the best U.S. pitchers will say to themselves, “I’ve got to do this,” and prepare accordingly.

Heaven knows, there is no ideal time for the tournament, and a number of players have legitimate reasons for declining to participate. OK, fine. The players, as I’ve written previously, are mostly good enough.

It’s the mindset that needs to change, from the major league clubs to the Team USA manager and players. Maybe the urgency can never be what it is for Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic. But Phillips put it best, saying, “You just see how everybody’s passion is totally different than our country’s.” Right now, the U.S. approach is too half-hearted.

Joe Torre spoke beautifully, and his words rang hollow.

Doesn’t that alone indicate a problem?

Harper: Wright wrong to play through injury

(If Playing You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Wright (Homer bank’s closed)

Even so, Wright should have known better. After all, while downplaying the idea that he felt any real pain, he admitted that it was enough to wake him up at night for a period of a week or so.

So he had to know he was putting himself at risk by continuing to play, especially since he had virtually the same injury a year ago in spring training. Captain America or not, as Wright was being hailed for his heroics in the World Baseball Classic, his first responsibility is to the Mets, all the more so after signing that eight-year, $138 million contract in December.

Now, however, there’s a pretty good chance Wright won’t be ready for Opening Day, or even for the first couple of weeks of the season.

GM Sandy Alderson was trying to sound more optimistic than that on Friday, saying the diagnosis called for three to five days’ rest for a strained intercostal muscle. But Terry Collins was far more realistic, saying that anytime there’s an injury of this nature, involving the rib-cage area, the player almost always winds up missing about a month — mostly recently Daniel Murphy.

... The problem here is that Wright found himself in a tough spot, caught between the pull of playing for his country and that of being the leader of a Mets ballclub that simply can’t afford to have him sidelined.

Such is the nature of the WBC. Indeed, this is an obvious reminder of why major league teams are so reluctant to allow their highly paid stars to play in the tournament, fearing that preparation for high-intensity games in March will lead to injuries.

WBC Day 16 OMNICHATTER

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.

WBC Day 15 OMNICHATTER

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

All games on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes

WBC Day 14 OMNICHATTER

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

All games on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

WBC Day 13 OMNICHATTER

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

All games on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

Barra: The World Baseball Classic: Where America Getting Creamed is a Good Thing, Apparently

Allen Barra: Cream’s Profiles.

My question is: Why does Bud Selig, commissioner of the American major leagues, give a hoot about “the internationalization of the sport?” Does he think this will help produce more talent for American pro teams, the way the increased popularity of basketball in Spain and France has produced top players like Pau Gasol and Tony Parker? Or does he think that the internationalization of the game is going to lead to him, Bud Selig, being elected commissioner of all the world’s professional baseball leagues?

Simply put, what does he mean by “our vehicle?” Who exactly is the “our”—the American team owners who keep grumbling about having their star player miss spring training and risk injury while playing in games that mean nothing to management? (And it just isn’t American-born players who are the concern of American team owners, but their players who are playing for the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and other international teams.)

“Overall, you’ll look back on this in retrospect someday and realize that you’re watching a sport that is going to be legitimately worldwide.” But what is baseball now, illegitimately worldwide? Japan has won the two previous WBCs, Cuba and South Korea were runners-up, and Venezuela and the Dominican Republic finished in the top four. There have been, over the past six years, increasingly tough teams from Taiwan, Australia, Italy and Spain.

What exactly does this signify if not the “internationalization” of baseball?

Robinson Cano is way off base with his angry reaction to Nick Punto’s slide

Hey, Cano. Stop jogging your mouth off!

But when Nick Punto clipped Cano with his slide to end the top of the seventh on a 6-4 forceout, a clearly annoyed Cano turned his head and stared at him rather than jog off the field.

It made for a tense few moments. After what happened with the ugly brawl between Mexico and Canada, we’ve learned things can escalate quickly. Punto defused the situation, however, by popping up off the ground, saying he was sorry and slapping Cano on the butt.

Punto apologized, but he didn’t do anything wrong. Since when is sliding hard into second base a crime? Punto didn’t go after Cano, who was standing on top of the base and pretty much got what he deserved. Cano is smart enough to know that, but he still behaved like some kind of victim.

“He can look all he wants—it’s good, hard baseball,” said Mike Piazza, the hitting coach for Italy. “There’s a difference between hard baseball and dirty baseball. I don’t think it was a dirty play. Make the play and get off the bag.

“At this point, every game is important, every inning is important. If the guy bobbles the ball, and he’s not going in hard, you could hurt your team.”

...“I was upset because it was the third time,” Cano said. “I don’t care if you slide in a double play. But when it’s a forceout at second base, the last thing you want is to get hurt like that.

“[Punto] says, ‘You know, I don’t want to hurt you.’ But that’s the third time. I don’t want anybody to get me hurt or anything like that because they just want to slide hard.”

Here’s a simple solution, Robby: Move out of the way. Cano has taken some criticism over the years for his nonchalant, too-cool-for-school approach, but he’s so super talented, it rarely, if ever, burns him.

WBC Day 12 OMNICHATTER

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.

Kingdom of the Netherlands 7, Cuba 6

Honk, Honk.

Passan: USA overcomes upstart Canada, Joe Torre’s mismanagement in WBC

Despite Joe Torre managing as though the analytical breakthroughs of the last 20 years never happened – bunting three times with a lineup of All-Stars, shrugging off matchup-relief situations, walking a career-long scrub to load the bases with a new reliever coming in and keeping the player who led the major leagues in slugging percentage last year on the bench all game despite struggling for runs over the first seven innings – Team USA turned into Team USA over the final two innings, dropping seven runs and joining Italy, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico in Miami.

... One of Torre’s greatest strengths is explaining the rationale behind certain decisions. None of his elucidation Sunday passed muster. Intentionally walking Pete Orr, a lifetime .259/.289/.332 hitter, to load the bases with Cishek then facing his first hitter in the eighth was strategically dreadful. Cishek is far from a control artist, and the possibility of a force at any base wasn’t worth the trade-off of a bases-loaded walk or hit by pitch.

Cishek escaped, ostensibly vindicating Torre like Victorino did in the eighth with a run-scoring single. It didn’t, of course, mitigate his stubborn insistence to small-ball conventions. If Torre is going to be a slave to that style of play, actively stomping on Team USA’s inherent superiority like it’s a smoldering cigarette butt, moving past Miami to San Francisco will take far more than talent.

Unless Torre is trying to make up for lost moves after spending the last two years in Major League Baseball’s front office, he’ll soon understand: Best to let this team play. Beyond questionable starting pitching – the U.S. picks up Gio Gonzalez to start its first game in Miami on Tuesday – this is a deep, strong, dangerous team. Its lineup frightens. Its baserunning is top-notch. Among David Wright, Jones and Phillips, whose diving stop of an Adam Loewen shot in the eighth inning squelched Canada’s rally, the U.S. has flashed elite gloves across the diamond.

Thanks to Brills.

Baer: Jim Kaat wants to throw Sabermetrics “in the trash can”

Or as thebadguyswon put it…“We don’t need the WBC to prove to use that Joe Torre is an idiot.”

Former Major League pitcher and 16-time Gold Glove award winner Jim Kaat called for Sabermetrics to be thrown in the trash can while commentating on MLB Network. Kaat made the quip when the U.S. put runners on first and second in the top of the second inning against Canada in a deciding match between Pool D contestants in the World Baseball Classic. Ryan Braun had doubled and Ben Zobrist had reached base on error, then were advanced a base on a successful bunt by Adam Jones. After giving up the out, Eric Hosmer and Shane Victorino grounded out to end the threat with no runs scored.

The expected runs matrix at Baseball Prospectus spits out 1.44 expected runs with runners on first and second and no outs as opposed to 1.29 with runners on second and third and one out. In one game, the difference of 0.15 runs is unnoticeable, so neither side can claim with any authority that the decision to bunt in that specific circumstance was an extremely good or extremely bad idea.

...Update (6:20 PM): Just as I pushed “Publish” on this post, Zobrist attempted to bunt with runners on first and second and no outs. Rather than advancing the runners, he popped out to the catcher. World Bunting Classic.