World Baseball Classic Preview

This offseason feels longer than I remembered, maybe its because my Dodgers failed to make the playoffs and I am chomping at the bit to see how their spending spree pays off. Regardless, as baseball fans nothing is worse than the winter months watching the Sportscenter’s analysts constantly debate the significance of Tim Tebow, and the cause of the Lakers’ woes. Thankfully baseball fans are being rewarded for their patience with the 2013 World Baseball Classic precluding the regular season.  

Outside of soccer, you could make a case that baseball is the most globally competitive major sport. Hockey may be a close third but football is still strictly Americanized and basketball, while a lot of countries play it and may have one or two stars, is also dominated by America. In the World Baseball Classic there are eight countries that have a legitimate shot of winning the title. We all know about the talented countries in Asia and Latin America but Europe is also developing quickly.

This is a great event that baseball fan’s shouldn’t take for granted. Take note of each country’s approach to the game. Baseball’s lack of rules gives players opportunities to infuse their culture into their playing style. Ichiro’s assassin like precision and Cespedes’ violently powerful swing are just a couple examples of how borders create multiple interpretations that are extremely effective.

I can’t wait to see how far baseball has come on a global scale and it’s a shame we have to wait four year for such a great event.

Here’s the format 

The first round is pool play, there are four pools labeled A,B,C and D containing four teams each. Each team will play every team in their pool and the top two teams from will advance to the second round

Here are the pool alignments

                                 

Pool A

Japan

China

Cuba

Brazil

Pool B

Korea

Netherlands

Australia                    

Chinese Taipei          

Pool C

Venezuela

Puerto Rico

Dominican Republic

Spain

Pool D

USA

Mexico

Italy

Canada

In the second round top two teams from “Pool A” will join a pool with the top two teams from “Pool B” and the top teams from “Pool C” will play “Pool D.” Each new pool will play each other just like the first round and the top two teams from each pool will advance to the championship round.

The championship round will be held in San Francisco and will be single elimination.

In the next few entries I will give you my breakdown of each group and how I see the tournament unfolding. So stay tuned and you can visit web.worldbaseballclassic.com to research for yourself.

-Blake Dale Lepire