Come anticipate the World Baseball Classic with me

Good game.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9348188/Team-USA-needs-Rollins,-not-Jeter,-at-short

"past a diving Jeter" a+++++ username

at least jetes failings are getting some mainstream media traction instead of handwringing by BBP/HBT et al. I mean it's all valid handwringing but Joey from White Plains KNOWS WHAT HE SEES...

maybe Joey will see the Yanks signing him as a part-time DH for 2011.

(thx Tracer, I owe you a drink when you're Stateside)

yeah, we've conquered the 'range = 0' battle and now we have to move to the 'value as a bat lim --> 0' battle. Whose who are better @ maths, feel free to correct that limit value.

Joe Sheehan doesn't like double-elimination:

Are we all comfortable with this?

Puerto Rico beats the U.S. The U.S. beats Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico loses to Venezuela and doesn’t play the Netherlands. The U.S. beats the Netherlands and doesn’t play Venezuela. The U.S. advances.

If I’m the only one bugged by this, fine. I am bugged by it, however, and I at least want to put it out there.

.....

I understand the desire to play it out on the field, but a double-elimination format falls down when the quality of competition is as unequal as it is in these groups. There is a massive difference between playing Cuba and playing South Africa, the difference between a 30% chance of winning a game and a 99.9% chance.

Alex doesn't really care what Joe Sheehan likes.

well, the commenters point out the other doable options seem worse.

the wbc just seems like something where it's better to enjoy it for what it is than try to make it what it can never possibly be.

Yeah I think it's great. My only complaint is that the MLB players seem pretty hampered by the time when it's being played, but there isn't much you can do about that.

damn, the final on Monday doesn't start til 9:30 ET. What a time to start thinkin' of the in-park fans...

Not that I've gone to BP today or thought this out much, but...

When I am elected WBC commissioner/dictator:

Four pools of four teams play round-robin -- so, three games played by each team. Team with best record advances. Tiebreaker goes to team that won head-to-head. (Two games played at each location daily; round over in six days.)

After a travel day, four remaining teams play another round-robin, as above. Two top teams advance to finals. (Round over in six days.)

After a travel day, the finals: if one of the teams went undefeated in previous round, it needs to beat fellow finalist only once. Fellow finalist would have to beat undefeated finalist twice (in a row, obv). (Finals over within two days.)

Minimum number of games played by one team: three.

Maximum number of games played by one team: eight.

Tournament takes 16 days to complete, shorter than current set-up.

sounds ok, but one travel day from tokyo?

OK, two.

what do you do about three-way ties?

anyone know Japan's starting pitcher tonight?

hisashi iwakuma

It's Hisashi Iwakuma (if you mean do I know anything else about him, no.)

he won 21 games last year! for somebody!

Can't be a three-way tie in a round-robin pool of four, right?

But there could be a four-way tie, right? No one would win the pool. Each team in the next round would get a bye or 9-0 ghost victory.

can't you have 2-1, 2-1, 2-1, 0-3?

Of course you can. What was I thinking?

Maybe they should make this a proper 16-team double elimination tournament played at Canton, MI's Softball City over the course of a weekend.

yeah to me that's the problem with round-robin play, esp. when they're gonna have filler teams like south africa who will inevitably get hammered. too many ties, this isn't soccer, if you want to do round-robin correctly i think you'd need each team to play each other twice.

xxxxxp Rakuten Golden Eagles is who!

hah yeah i just looked that up, been around since 2004 apparently? good for them.

VEN/USA "seeding" to be determined by coinflip (the Twins love this method) in the event of a rainout.

Yeesh

WHY ARE THEY PLAYING IN THIS?

Fidel, you old coot.

http://mathaba.net/news/?x=618809

"The Japanese coach ordered a bunt from the second – and without doubt first-rate – batter of the team, and as a result, presented the opponents with their second out.

I am sure that, for our experienced team, that would seemed an error whichever elemental way it is analyzed."

he's read Weaver On Strategy

Longoria to USA roster

Oswalt named to start vs Japan

Smart move considering he's the only dude pitching well.

Morgan and Phillips on the same fucking telecast.

Chavez, no! Ravine, yes!

Chavez, no! Clay Tarver, yes!

WRESTLING

ESPN CLASSIC

i am still watching the wrestling cuz i'm too lazy to switch over

my friend wrestles for pitt so he is basically providing commentary 4 me

Venezuela throwing it.

Er, dropping it.

i dont know CLASSIC #

JUST IN TIME

FUCK yeah korea

Head first slide into home w/o throw.

hahaha yeahhhh fuk u venezuela EAT BALLS