Baseball World Cup
Baseball made news this past spring when the announced tentative plans to hold a 16 team World Cup of Baseball tournament in 2006. The tournament was to take place prior to the start of the Major League Baseball season, comprised of teams from Japan, US, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, Canada, Korea and etc. Some of these teams would be stacked!
MLB has been adamant of having this tournament take place prior to the season, while Japan, would like for it to take place following the regular season. While the US is far from being the favorite, MLB is taking a my way or the highway approach. With a June 30 deadline rapidly approaching, Bobby Valentine, the manager of the Lotte Marines, is not convinced Japan should participate.
I think that a Baseball World Cup would be awesome, I think that holding it in the spring isn't a good idea, nor do I think that holding it in the late fall is grand either. I think that NPB, MLB and the rest of the world, need to take a page from FIFA and how they run the world cup. Make it special, make it unique and most importantly, make it the only show in town. Take a three week break in the middle of the season and hold the tournament. Hold it every two years and rotate the hosting country(s).
I agree with Valentine that the champion from Japan should take on the champion from the US, but that should be a separate event.
MLB has been adamant of having this tournament take place prior to the season, while Japan, would like for it to take place following the regular season. While the US is far from being the favorite, MLB is taking a my way or the highway approach. With a June 30 deadline rapidly approaching, Bobby Valentine, the manager of the Lotte Marines, is not convinced Japan should participate.
I think that a Baseball World Cup would be awesome, I think that holding it in the spring isn't a good idea, nor do I think that holding it in the late fall is grand either. I think that NPB, MLB and the rest of the world, need to take a page from FIFA and how they run the world cup. Make it special, make it unique and most importantly, make it the only show in town. Take a three week break in the middle of the season and hold the tournament. Hold it every two years and rotate the hosting country(s).
I agree with Valentine that the champion from Japan should take on the champion from the US, but that should be a separate event.
posted by nhw at 4:04 PM
3 Comments:
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FAVORITE: I'd pick the Domincan Republic to win it all. That lineup is murder, and with Pedro on the mound the USA would have a hard time doing much of anything offensively.
DARKHORSE: Canada has some nasty pitching and some young stars in the making like Jason Bay. They lack depth, but if Harden could keep them in the game...who knows? BTW, can you imagine them playing "Oh Canada" when they crown the champions? That would be wEEEIIIIRRRd.
Harden and Pedro illustrate the need for a dominating pitcher, if someone gets locked in, in a one on and done tournament, that's all you need.
The DR has too much power on offense.
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