Not sure if this is the correct forum, but is anyone keeping up with the WBC? I have watched USA play the last few nights, and they are LOADED! If only they had some pitchers that are top of their game play then I am not sure that anyone could compete with them. 

4 hours ago, Adrian Woj Burner said:

Not sure if this is the correct forum, but is anyone keeping up with the WBC? I have watched USA play the last few nights, and they are LOADED! If only they had some pitchers that are top of their game play then I am not sure that anyone could compete with them. 

Mexico did a number on them the other night.

12 minutes ago, nkypete said:

Mexico did a number on them the other night.

Yes they did. It is baseball, you will get that. But talk about a whooping, boy that game against Canada last night was good. 

I’ve watched bits and pieces. Wish the US games weren’t all in Phoenix and starting at 10pm!

And now the Mets are without their closer for the season.  No Timmy Trumpet this summer.   Edwin Diaz tore his patellar tendon during the post game celebration after Puerto Rico beat the Dominican Republic.

8 hours ago, Tranquility Base said:

And now the Mets are without their closer for the season.  No Timmy Trumpet this summer.   Edwin Diaz tore his patellar tendon during the post game celebration after Puerto Rico beat the Dominican Republic.

If I had to guess this will impact the WBC tremendously in the coming years. Just when we got the rosters back to where we wanted them, a season-ending injury happens due to a freak accident after the game. Now, more and more players will sit out in fear of losing their MLB seasons to an injury. 

57 minutes ago, Adrian Woj Burner said:

If I had to guess this will impact the WBC tremendously in the coming years. Just when we got the rosters back to where we wanted them, a season-ending injury happens due to a freak accident after the game. Now, more and more players will sit out in fear of losing their MLB seasons to an injury. 

 

9 hours ago, Tranquility Base said:

And now the Mets are without their closer for the season.  No Timmy Trumpet this summer.   Edwin Diaz tore his patellar tendon during the post game celebration after Puerto Rico beat the Dominican Republic.

I get these tournaments (for all sports) mean next to nothing and I would not be happy if I were an organization and my player were competing in the WBC, Olympics, etc. But it is not like he took a line drive to the face or threw out his arm on a breaking ball. Dude got hurt celebrating a victory. It was a freak thing. 

1 minute ago, bugatti said:

 

I get these tournaments (for all sports) mean next to nothing and I would not be happy if I were an organization and my player were competing in the WBC, Olympics, etc. But it is not like he took a line drive to the face or threw out his arm on a breaking ball. Dude got hurt celebrating a victory. It was a freak thing. 

This is my exact point. Players/teams are going to draw the simple conclusion of "if he wasn't playing, it wouldn't have happened". I don't understand it. 

I think every player should play in it, you are playing for your country. You never see soccer players sit out of the World Cup do you? 

What I do not understand is that these same injuries could easily happen in off-season workouts. Do they want their players to quick working out during the off-season? Not to mention this tournament is a great ramp up for these stars right before the season. 

For anyone that says "these games don't mean anything"...I say, not a single spring training game means anything, either.  At least not in the sense that it reflects in the regular season standings.

And yet, we still have not only returning starters, other veterans, and even superstars participating in spring training games.  Each year, every year.  Why?  Because they need the reps.

A guy can get hit on the wrist and be out for 6 weeks, somebody else can pull an oblique just swinging a bat, or roll their ankle rounding a base.  It can happen anywhere...even in a spring training game.

The WBC is no different than a split-squad spring training game. 

And now Houston has lost Jose Altuve to a broken thumb after being hit by a pitch.  Regardless of what you think of him, he's a vital part of a good Astros team.  And he's out for a good bit.

I was having this discussion with someone last night. There just isn't a very good time to have this event. It isn't like soccer, where you play the World Cup for one month in the summer after the league season. You can't really play this tournament after October because all of the players (especially pitchers) are just about spent. You can't play it midseason, like Olympic hockey, because a 162 game schedule doesn't allow for much time off. The only real option is when it is currently played, but then if guys get hurt it cuts into the start of their season.

I think this is a good event and I really enjoy it, but I can understand why organizations and players might be hesitant to participate.

Wainwright was outstanding last night.  His stuff is nowhere what it was, but he masterfully changed speeds and worked the zone.  Kept them off balance all night.  This has been the most enjoyable baseball I've watched in some time.  But that's not saying much considering my affinity for the Reds.

Looking forward to tonight USA vs Japan matchup. 

23 hours ago, gchs_uk9 said:

I was having this discussion with someone last night. There just isn't a very good time to have this event. It isn't like soccer, where you play the World Cup for one month in the summer after the league season. You can't really play this tournament after October because all of the players (especially pitchers) are just about spent. You can't play it midseason, like Olympic hockey, because a 162 game schedule doesn't allow for much time off. The only real option is when it is currently played, but then if guys get hurt it cuts into the start of their season.

I think this is a good event and I really enjoy it, but I can understand why organizations and players might be hesitant to participate.

I was thinking the exact same thing. My only other thought would be like the beginning of January, but them you run into problems with the weather, and players not wanting to play in their off-season. I believe that the time it is at right now is the best possible place, with just one change. 

Why don't they work around March Madness? If I were to guess, tonight's viewer numbers will be double that they have had all tournament. Granite, it is the championship. But personally I have gotten caught up in the 1st and 2nd rounds of March Madness and haven't watched the last couple games that the U.S. played. I did get the opportunity to see the end of that great Japan vs Mexico game last night. 

But, if they were to start actual tournament play of the WBC last night then they would've had a ton more viewers than they had over the weekend. 

2 hours ago, ChickenWyngz said:

Looking forward to tonight USA vs Japan matchup. 

Me too.  Bullpens may be the deciding factor.  Looking forward to it.