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Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Brazil stuns Panama to qualify for Classic

Once Thyago Vieira struck out Ruben Rivera in the top of the ninth inning, the Brazilian team spilled out of the dugout, some hoisting their country’s flags high over their head as the mob formed behind the pitcher’s mound. The celebration continued in the locker room, as champagne and beer flowed in victory.

“It doesn’t matter who you’re playing against, it doesn’t matter where you play, it doesn’t matter when you play,” Brazil manager Barry Larkin said. “If you have a plan, a mentality, if you execute, if you do the small things—you can win. You can play with anyone in the world.”

The shoe fits.

In a span of five days, Brazil went from unknown underdog to being the most dominant team of the Panama qualifier. Talk about a Cinderella story.

Gamingboy Posted: November 20, 2012 at 07:46 AM | 24 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: brazil, wbc, world baseball classic

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1. bunyon Posted: November 20, 2012 at 10:10 AM (#4306615)

TFA doesn't say specifically, but I assume this eliminates Panama?

And I'm disappointed that Brazilian baseball players have two names. That needs to change before the WBC.

2. BourbonSamurai, vassal of the Harpsburg Empire Posted: November 20, 2012 at 10:35 AM (#4306626)

Does Barry Larkin have any ties to Brazil?

3. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: November 20, 2012 at 10:54 AM (#4306641)

I don't think so, but its not unusual for head coaches to have no national affiliation with their team. They are guns for hire. The US Men's Soccer team is German and the women's coach is Swedish.

4. Arnett Mead (Arjun) Posted: November 20, 2012 at 11:28 AM (#4306661)

Thyago

is this another variant of "Thiago" or "Tiago", or is it a totally different name?

5. Gamingboy Posted: November 20, 2012 at 11:32 AM (#4306665)

Yes, Panama eliminated.

Barry Larkin's ties to Brazil are that he has done a lot of clinics down there for MLB, and he also has spent some time down there because his daughter (a singer) is a minor celebrity down there who's sung the theme song for some Brazilian soap operas.

And I'm disappointed that Brazilian baseball players have two names. That needs to change before the WBC.

Agreed. Ichiro can no longer be the only Mononymic baseball player. Somebody in Brazil needs to go single name.

6. kthejoker Posted: November 20, 2012 at 11:42 AM (#4306674)

"Larkin's daughter, a singer who performs as CymcoLe, recently recorded a single in Brazil. Called "Bring On The Nite," the song is one of the themes of the country's top soap opera."

So awesome it had to be shared.

7. zack Posted: November 20, 2012 at 11:47 AM (#4306682)

That was cool, but I'm disappointed in the Brazil uniforms. Hopefully they have something snappier for the actual WBC.

8. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: November 20, 2012 at 12:00 PM (#4306694)

That was cool, but I'm disappointed in the Brazil uniforms. Hopefully they have something snappier for the actual WBC.

And they'd better bring cheerleaders, preferably dressed for Carnival.

9. Never Give an Inge (Dave) Posted: November 20, 2012 at 01:01 PM (#4306766)

I didn't realize this until this morning, but Larkin's son Shane is a point guard and leading scorer for the University of Miami basketball team.

10. depletion Posted: November 20, 2012 at 01:17 PM (#4306785)

"Larkin's daughter, a singer who performs as CymcoLe, recently recorded a single in Brazil

No offense to Ms. Larkin and her vocal ability, but CymcoLe sounds like an antidepressant or a heart medication.

11. Steve Parris, Je t'aime Posted: November 20, 2012 at 01:34 PM (#4306801)

Larkin's daughter sang at the HOF induction this summer.

12. OsunaSakata Posted: November 20, 2012 at 02:31 PM (#4306849)

The US Men's Soccer team is German and the women's coach is Swedish.

The Swedish woman who coached the U.S. Womens National Soccer team recently resigned. The current coach is a Scottish man.

13. Greg (U)K Posted: November 20, 2012 at 03:10 PM (#4306880)

The Swedish woman who coached the U.S. Womens National Soccer team recently resigned. The current coach is a Scottish man.

The preferred nomenclature is "Scotsman". Or a "Porridge Wog".

14. Moeball Posted: November 20, 2012 at 04:28 PM (#4306949)

Once Thyago Vieira struck out Ruben Rivera in the top of the ninth inning

Please tell me this is the same Ruben Rivera that used to embarrass himself daily with the Padres (never met a low and away breaking ball that he could resist pathetically flailing at) and whose baserunning misadventures with the Giants are the stuff of legend on blooper reels as you can see manager Felipe Alou in the dugout swearing in two languages as he wonders WTF Ruben is doing?

15. Never Give an Inge (Dave) Posted: November 20, 2012 at 04:53 PM (#4306972)

#14, I assume so, as Ruben is from Panama, is only 39, and is reportedly still playing in Mexico.

And yes, the same Ruben Rivera who is cousins with Mariano Rivera and was cut by the Yankees after allegedly stealing memorabilia from Derek Jeter's locker.

16. Gamingboy Posted: November 20, 2012 at 04:55 PM (#4306974)

The Ruben Rivera is one in the same.

17. Mike Emeigh

Posted: November 20, 2012 at 05:27 PM (#4307017)

few would have been able to name any Brazilian baseball players other than Indians catcher Yan Gomes, who became the first native of his country to crack an MLB roster in May.

and the only people who might have been able to ID him even then are Blue Jays fans.

I really like this result - to me this is the reason we HAVE the WBC. Brazil played their hearts out throughout the qualifier, and on effort alone they deserve to be there.

-- MWE

18. Crispix Attacks 2: Swag Airlines Posted: November 20, 2012 at 05:31 PM (#4307022)

I know Yam Gomes actually grew up in Florida (since age 12 anyway). How many of the Brazilians are really products of the Brazilian baseball program?

19. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: November 20, 2012 at 05:32 PM (#4307026)

Does Barry Larkin have any ties to Brazil?

I like to imagine that his taint is kept smooth and hair-free.

20. alkeiper Posted: November 20, 2012 at 05:33 PM (#4307028)

Ruben Rivera was awful in this series. Chasing bad pitches, bad range in center field, etc.

21. Jarrod HypnerotomachiaPoliphili(Teddy F. Ballgame) Posted: November 20, 2012 at 05:35 PM (#4307031)

But he's an RBI machine in the Mexican League! The WBC announcer said so!

22. Gamingboy Posted: November 20, 2012 at 05:37 PM (#4307034)

I saw somewhere that WBC-related topics were Twitter trending in Brazil last night. It's stuff like that that shows the WBC is doing it's job of growing the game. I highly doubt, for example, that the World Series or All-Star Game trended in Brazil.

23. dr. scott Posted: November 20, 2012 at 05:40 PM (#4307042)

Well, you know what they say about the Playoffs... ~~good~~ pitching always gets Ruben Rivera out.

24. Double-Spin Mechanic Posted: November 20, 2012 at 05:59 PM (#4307059)

Ruben Rivera was awful in this series. Chasing bad pitches, bad range in center field, etc.

I can't iamgine that a 39-year old man with his pockets bulging with other people's #### wouldn't remind one of peak Devon White.

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Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Brazil stuns Panama to qualify for Classic

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