World Baseball Classic:
Play Ball! Special Report by Stefanie Marie Rivera
The World Baseball Classic, Major League Baseball’s answer—they hope— to the world craze over soccer, begins its second run on March 5. Australia, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, Puerto Rico, South Africa, the United States and Venezuela are the nations playing each other for the title of “world champ.”
Although the 2006 tournament was a hit by creating an international arena for the game of baseball, which was non-existent since 2005, when baseball was taken out of the Olympic Games, the tournament had its share of flaws. First glitch?: The format utilized in the tournament. In the round-robin format, each team in a specific pool plays with each opposing team once, and the top two teams in each pool move on to the second round. In the second round the top two teams of Pools A and B and the top two teams of Pools C and D compete against each other in a four-team single-elimination bracket in which the pool winners and runners-up compete against each other in the semifinals. Finally, the winners of the semifinals meet to determine the World Baseball Classic champion.
This round-robin format caused controversy. For example, in the Pool A games, the Korean team played and won every game in rounds one and two of the pool to secure a place in the semifinals. However, in the semifinals, the Koreans lost to the Japanese team, even after having beaten them twice before. This led to an uproar because the Korean team had only one loss and had already beaten Japan twice, while Japan had four victories and three losses up to that point. Korea did not benefit from the cumulative record of their previous rounds.
This secured Japan the spot in the finals and ultimately, the 2006 WBC title.
For this year’s tournament, the International Baseball Federation made changes to the format, transforming it to a double-elimination format during the first two rounds of play and cross-over semi-final games. This means that for rounds one and two the first two teams with two losses will be eliminated from the competition and the two victorious ones will pass on to the next round. In both rounds, teams in the final game will be able to compete for a Pool Championship prize. The winners of each round two pool will play against the opposite pool’s runners-up in two single-elimination semifinal games. And just like in 2006, the winners of the semifinal series will compete in a final one-game tournament for the World Baseball Classic Championship.
Format changes aside, new rules impact various other aspects of MLB’s international tournament. The pitcher rest equalization rule, the Major League Baseball video replay rule and a variant of the International Baseball Federation extra-inning rule were put into place. Each pitcher is now permitted to throw 70 pitches per game in round one, 85 per game in round two and 100 per game in the semifinals and final. These limits have increased from levels set for the 2006 tournament, in which pitchers were allowed to throw 65 pitches in round one, 80 in round two and 95 in the semifinals and final. The pitcher rest equalization rule, which states that any pitcher who throws 30 or more pitches in the semifinals will not be permitted to pitch in the final, will be implemented during the semifinal games to avoid an advantage for the team that played first. The video replay rule will be used by the umpires to review certain “boundary” calls, such as home runs over the fence, fair/foul home run calls or fan interference on home run calls. And the extra-inning rule states that if after 12 innings the game is still tied, each half-inning thereafter will begin with runners on first and second base, with the batting order intact. These changes in format and rules for the World Baseball Classic are intended to enhance competitiveness and, in the case of the 12 inning rule, attempt to limit wear and tear on MLB players prior to the opening of the regular season.
This year promises to be a grand showcase of hometown talent for a fan base desperate
to relive the excitement of the thrilling games hosted in 2006. Puerto Rican peloteros playing in the Major Leagues are all shedding their team uniforms and proudly wearing the Puerto Rico colors for this year’s games. Javier Vázquez, Carlos Delgado, Iván Rodríguez, Carlos Beltrán, Javier López and Bernie Williams all said ‘yes’ to representing the island in the WBC. Puerto Rico plays in Pool D against Panama, the Netherlands and the Dominican Republic at the Hiram Bithorn Stadium.
The World Baseball Classic begins on March 5. Round one will be at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan for Pool A; the Foro Sol Stadium in Mexico City, Mexico for Pool B; the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada for Pool C and the Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico for Pool D. The round two venues will be Petco Park in San Diego, California for Pool one and the Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Florida for Pool two.
The semifinals and finals will be held at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, California.
For the full schedule of the WBC and Puerto Rico’s players to watch, refer to the sidebars provided.
— Stefanie Marie Rivera
Untitled Document
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World Baseball Classic:Play Ball! The World Baseball Classic, Major League Baseball’s answer—they hope— to the world craze over soccer, begins its second run on March 5. Sixteen nations are playing each other for the title of “world champ.”
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