Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]


Welcome to The Complex II. We hope you enjoy your visit.

You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.

IF YOU'RE HAVING TROUBLE SIGNING UP, tweet us @TheComplexII, use a different email address (and we'll change it afterwards) or contact a member that you may already know through another source.

Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
  • Pages:
  • 1
  • 3
  • 4
[Baseball] The 2006 World Baseball Classic
Topic Started: Jan 21 2006, 03:50 PM (3,456 Views)
Tealey
Member Avatar
Mali 'Till I Die (Or Become Inactive)
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Posted Image

In March, there is going to be a new phenomenon sweeping the world of baseball, the World Baseball Classic. The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament, featuring Major League players, to be first held in March 2006 then in 2009, and then every four years thereafter. It is the first international baseball tournament to feature major-league players; the Summer Olympics regularly features college and minor-league players, since it conflicts with the MLB season, and the World Cup of Baseball historically has not had major leaguers either. Should be fun.

Announcement

Quote:
 

DETROIT -- All the world is a stage. Next year, Major League Baseball will be at the center of it.

For the first time, Major League players will be eligible to compete in international play when the inaugural World Baseball Classic opens its 18-day run next March 3. Commissioner Bud Selig and Don Fehr, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, announced specifics of the tournament at a packed Monday morning media conference on the eve of Tuesday's annual All-Star Game at Comerica Park.

The landmark field of countries invited includes Australia, Canada, China, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Chinese Taipei, the United States and Venezuela.

"The World Baseball Classic is an historic and unprecedented international tournament," Selig told an audience that included hundreds of media representatives from around the world, as well as officials from most of the national and international baseball federations involved.

"For the first time ever, baseball's best players will compete for their home countries in a global tournament," he said. "It will increase worldwide exposure for our great game and promote its grassroots development not only in countries where the game is already popular, but in nations where the game is less known."

As of now, the tournament -- which will run concurrently with Major League Baseball's Spring Training in Arizona and Florida -- is set to begin with the three-day Asian Qualifying Round in Japan's Tokyo Dome from March 3-6 and end with the title game at a Major League venue in the U.S. on March 20.

Japan has tentatively agreed to participate, but final approval must come from the Nippon Baseball Players Association later this month. Cuba has also yet to accept its invitation. Neither nation was represented at the press conference.

The other three first-round pools will be staged in Arizona, Florida and Puerto Rico from March 8-11.

The greatest names in baseball will be able to play for their home nations in international play for the first time.

Eight players, wearing the home jerseys of their respective national teams, attended the conference: Jason Bay, a National League All-Star outfielder from Canada; Justin Huber of Australia, who was the MVP of Sunday's World Team victory in the XM Satellite Radio Futures Game; Miguel Tejada, the starting American League All-Star shortstop from the Dominican Republic; Hee-Seop Choi of Korea; Andruw Jones, a National League All-Star who will play for the Netherlands; Carlos Lee, a National League All-Star from Panama; Carlos Beltran, the NL's starting All-Star left fielder, of Puerto Rico; and Dontrelle Willis, a member of the NL's All-Star pitching staff and a U.S. native.

Willis, responding to a media question, said, "I hope I just make the team." Echoing the sentiment of the other attending players, Willis added, "It's an honor, no matter how you cut it, to be a representative of my country."

The newly christened World Baseball Classic is targeted to be held again in 2009 and then every four years thereafter.

It will be the first international tournament to include Major League players on the 25-man rosters of each of the 30 Major League teams. Each nation will be allowed to carry a roster of 27 players, with a minimum of 12 pitchers.

Major League players are expected to fill 270 of the 432 roster spots. A maximum of nine players from each of Major League Baseball's 30 teams will be eligible to play in the tournament.

Olympic baseball, which was just dropped from the 2012 Games, has only been a gold-medal sport since 1992, with just eight nations competing in the tournament every four years. Since 2000, when the U.S. won the gold medal, only Major League-affiliated players outside each team's 25-man roster have been eligible to play for any of the teams attempting to qualify for those eight slots.

While Selig said that it was a shame that the International Olympic Committee had voted to drop baseball for 2012, he said that the World Baseball Classic was proof positive that baseball is truly global.

"I'm sorry they made the decision they made," Selig said. "But as far as the sport is concerned, if you watch what's going on here today, you understand that this sport is being internationalized. It will have a more profound significance in the world as time goes on. And there's no question in my mind that this tournament is going to develop into something that will have people all over the world trying to become a part of it. We're moving on in a very dramatic way."

The new World Baseball Classic opens the door to twice as many teams than the Olympics in the tournament, with developing baseball nations like South Africa, Australia, Italy and China all having a chance to showcase their budding programs. Meanwhile, powerhouse teams from the U.S., the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Japan, Canada, Chinese Taipei and Korea will have the chance to vie with perennial international power Cuba.

Cuba is expected to come into the tournament with its own national team of native professionals. Cuba's national team has won three of the four Olympic gold medals, every International Baseball Federation (IBAF) World Cup since 1982 and every gold medal at the Pan American Games since 1967. But even it has never faced this level of competition on the field in international play.

The Cubans may have diplomatic reasons for not wanting to play in a tournament that will largely be staged in the U.S., but Gene Orza, the union's chief operating officer, said that he anticipated Cuba would play. If Cuba was to decline its invitation, Orza said, the organizers would simply go to Plan B.

"Cuba has played in international tournaments before," he said. "And if they don't show up, we have other nations that have already asked to participate in case one of the nations drops out."

Paul Archey, Major League Baseball's vice president of international baseball operations, said his group is currently working on the venue situation and will provide full details "at the next press conference in a matter of weeks or months."

There will be four pools of four teams each. Japan, Korea, China and Chinese Taipei are in Pool A. The United States, Canada, Mexico and South Africa are in Pool B. Cuba, Panama, Puerto Rico and the Netherlands are slated to make up Pool C. The Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Italy and Australia are in Pool D.

In the first round, each of the four teams plays the other three teams once, and the two teams with the best records go on to the second round. The winners from Pools A and B and the winners from Pools C and D will form the next pair of four-team brackets.

In the second round, each of the four teams plays the other three teams once, and the two teams in each pool with the best records go on to the single-elimination semifinals. The two semifinal winners advance to the single-elimination championship game.

Each of the 16 teams in the tournament is guaranteed a minimum of three games, with the two finalists playing as many as eight.

There are 39 total games projected in the tournament.

Any player signed to a Major League contract must be approved to participate in the event by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association. But any other player in the world is eligible to play for his nation if he is a citizen of that nation, or if the country is his country of origin.

The baseball federations of each nation will select their players, managers and coaches in conjunction with Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association and any existing professional league in a particular nation.

Each team will have a manager and five coaches. Player rosters must be submitted to the International Baseball Federation 45 days in advance of training camps opening for each team -- Feb. 26 for teams competing in the Asian Qualifying round and March 3 for the nations opening in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

At that point, all players are subject to Olympic-type drug testing and penalties, including a two-year suspension from international play for an initial positive test. Any Major Leaguer testing positive under the tournament rules would not be subject to penalty under the Joint Drug Testing and Prevention Policy now in force in the big leagues.

Kevin McClatchy, the managing general partner of the Pittsburgh Pirates and a member of baseball's international committee, said he hoped that one day the World Baseball Classic would have a similar impact as soccer's World Cup, which will be staged next year in Germany.

"I'm very excited about this," he said. "It can grow into one of the most awesome tournaments on the world map."


More later.
Posted Image

"TC Admin"
 
Tealey :notworthy:


My Trophies:

FIFA Complex Cup x2 (Football)
Intercontinental Cup (Football)
Winners' Shield (Football)
One Day Cricket League x2 (Cricket)
ECB Complex Cup (Cricket)
World Club Championship (Cricket)
Tour vs. USA (Cricket)
Test Knockout Cup (Cricket)
Top Of The League (NFL)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Tealey
Member Avatar
Mali 'Till I Die (Or Become Inactive)
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
USA OKs Cuba to play in WBC.

Posted Image

Quote:
 
Game on!

Major League Baseball received word on Friday that the U.S. Treasury Deptartment has granted a license so Cuba can participate in the upcoming inaugural World Baseball Classic.

MLB filed the reapplication on Dec. 22, a week after the Treasury Dept. denied the initial application on financial grounds, thus initially barring Cuba from the 16-team tournament that is now set to be played from March 3-20 in the United States, Japan and Puerto Rico.

MLB has been waiting for the past two weeks for the Treasury Dept. to act. And only two days ago, Bob DuPuy, MLB's president and chief operating officer, said he was "guardedly optimistic" that Cuba would be allowed to participate. On Friday that optimism came to fruition.

"I wish to thank the Department of State and the Department of Treasury for their assistance in securing the approvals necessary for Cuba to participate in the inaugural World Baseball Classic in March," Commissioner Bud Selig said. "The federal government thoughtfully and diligently helped us bring the application process to a successful conclusion. Now, with Cuba's entry in the tournament approved, the World Baseball Classic promises to be an historic event and will guarantee our fans the greatest possible competition among the best players in the world."

Cuba is the preeminent baseball power on the international scene and the winner of three of the four Olympic gold medals since baseball became a medal sport in 1992. They were the winners of the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, and the 2004 International Baseball Federation World Cup in the Netherlands. The Cubans have won the latter tournament 25 times since its inception in 1938. The IBAF World Cup is now played on a bi-annual basis and Cuba has won 12 of the last 13 gold medals dating back to 1976 (South Korea won in 1982).

Cuba has never competed against MLB players at the international tournament level and this is the first one that will include Major League players. The closest it came was splitting a pair of exhibition games against the Baltimore Orioles in 1999, losing in Havana and winning at Camden Yards.


Now Cuba will have its chance. The Cubans play the first round along with Puerto Rico, Panama and the Netherlands in Puerto Rico from March 7-10. If they are one of the top two teams in that round, they'll move on to the second round, again in San Juan from March 12-17 against the winners of the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Italy and Australia.

The Treasury Dept. initially rejected the license for Cuba to participate because the long-standing economic embargo of that island nation "prohibits entering into contracts in which Cuba or Cuban nationals have an interest," a spokesman for that department said last month.

"Working closely with World Baseball Classic, Inc., and the State Department, we were able to reach a licensable agreement that upholds both the legal scope and the spirit of the sanctions," the Treasury Dept. said in a statement. "The application is in full compliance with U.S. policy on Cuba. Our decision in both the previous denial and this approval is fully consistent with U.S. regulations and the normal procedures for sports exchanges."

The new application stipulated that there would be no financial gain for the Cubans. The application that was approved simply acknowledges that no money will be paid to the Cubans, apart from $100 per day for meals paid directly to the players.

The IBAF had threatened to revoke its sanction of the tournament if Cuba wasn't allowed to play, which would have forced the other countries to drop out. That, of course, is now moot. The IBAF sanctioned the tournament after long negotiations that involved and MLB and the players association, which are co-hosting the tournament.

The other 15 teams submitted their provisional rosters of up to 60 players each this past Tuesday night with nearly 400 Major League-affiliated players in the mix. Cuba is now expected to formally accept the invitation to play in the tournament and submit a roster to the IBAF from among their players who participate internationally. Cuban exiles playing in the Major Leagues, such as Orlando Hernandez, Livan Hernandez and Jose Contreras, won't be included.

MLB officials will also have to apply for the necessary visas so members of the team and approved traveling party can enter the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

"We are grateful for the cooperation of the Departments of State and Treasury," said Don Fehr, the executive director of the union. "The license we have been given opens the way for the Cuban Baseball Federation's participation, along with other federations from around the world, in the inaugural Baseball Classic, and we now look forward with even greater anticipation to the opening of the tournament in early March."


Posted Image

"TC Admin"
 
Tealey :notworthy:


My Trophies:

FIFA Complex Cup x2 (Football)
Intercontinental Cup (Football)
Winners' Shield (Football)
One Day Cricket League x2 (Cricket)
ECB Complex Cup (Cricket)
World Club Championship (Cricket)
Tour vs. USA (Cricket)
Test Knockout Cup (Cricket)
Top Of The League (NFL)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Tealey
Member Avatar
Mali 'Till I Die (Or Become Inactive)
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Teams

Groups



Group A

China
Japan
South Korea
Chinese Taipei

Group B

Canada
Mexico
South Africa
USA

Group C

Cuba
Holland
Panama
Puerto Rico

Group D

Australia
Dominican Republic
Italy
Venezuela
Posted Image

"TC Admin"
 
Tealey :notworthy:


My Trophies:

FIFA Complex Cup x2 (Football)
Intercontinental Cup (Football)
Winners' Shield (Football)
One Day Cricket League x2 (Cricket)
ECB Complex Cup (Cricket)
World Club Championship (Cricket)
Tour vs. USA (Cricket)
Test Knockout Cup (Cricket)
Top Of The League (NFL)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
TC Admin
Member Avatar
Admin
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
I noticed this on the MLB.com website a few days ago - should be great - can't wait!
Posted Image
Credit to Bandit!
@TheComplexII
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Rated R
King of the Legends
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Holland for the cup!
Arrive.
Raise Hell.
Leave.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Tealey
Member Avatar
Mali 'Till I Die (Or Become Inactive)
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Stadium Info

Round One

Group A

The games in Group A of the WBC will be played at the Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan.

Posted Image

Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is the home field of the Yomiuri Giants baseball team, and has also hosted basketball and American football games, as well as Western-style pro-wrestling matches, Mixed Martial Arts events, K-1 Kickboxing events, and music concerts. Its dome-shaped roof is a flexible membrane held up by slightly pressurizing the inside of the stadium.


The Tokyo Dome and Tokyo Dome City amusement park.Tokyo Dome's original nickname was "The Big Egg." However, this has fallen from use and is rarely heard. It opened for business on March 17, 1988 and was built on the site of its predecessor, Korakuen Stadium.

In addition to being an arena, the Tokyo Dome also has an amusement park on its grounds. Named Tokyo Dome City, it includes, a rollercoaster and Ferris wheel as well as some shops and restaurants.

The Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets played a pair of games here to open the 2000 season, the first time American major league baseball teams have played regular-season games in Asia. The New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays played two games there in March of 2004 to open that season.

The Tokyo Dome has hosted several championship prizefights, including the heavyweight championship fight on February 10, 1990, where Mike Tyson lost the championship to 42-1 shot James "Buster" Douglas by a tenth-round knockout.

In August 2005, the Atlanta Falcons beat the Indianapolis Colts 27-20 in the first NFL preseason game of the year in the stadium.

A number of famous concerts have been held at the Tokyo Dome, including tour stops by The Rolling Stones and Mariah Carey, both of which broke attendance records.


Group B

The games from Group B will be played at Chase Field in Phoenix.

Posted Image

Chase Field, also known as The BOB (after its original name, Bank One Ballpark), is a stadium located in Phoenix, Arizona. It is across the street from the US Airways Center, used by the NBA's Phoenix Suns.


Group C

The games from Group C will be hosted at Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Posted Image

The Hiram Bithorn Stadium is a baseball stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico operated by the municipal government of the city of San Juan. Since the language of Puerto Rico is Spanish, the park is locally known as Estadio Hiram Bithorn. Its name honors the first Puerto Rican to play in the major leagues, Hiram Bithorn, who first entered MLB with the Chicago Cubs in 1942. Built under the mayoral administracion of Felisa Rincon de Gautier, the stadium was home to the Santurce Crabbers and the San Juan Senators of the LBPPR. After serving as host to Major League Baseball's Opening Day Game in 2001, it was the object of a major overhaul under the mayoral administration of Jorge Santini, before becoming the part-time home of the Montreal Expos of the MLB in 2003 and 2004 prior to their move to Washington as the Washington Nationals. The Expos played 22 "home" games in each season as a result of poor attendance at their home Olympic Stadium in Montreal. Prior to Major League Baseball's announcement of the Montreal Expos move to Washington, Puerto Rico and San Juan made a sincere effort to lure the Expos franchise to the Island territory permanently.

The stadium has approximately 18,000 seats, with field dimensions of 315 feet (96m) down the left field line, 313 feet down the right field line and 399 feet (121m) to center field. The fences are 8 feet high.


Group D

The games in Group D will be hosted at the interestingly named Cracker Jack Stadium in Disney's Wide World of Sports, Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Posted Image

Cracker Jack Stadium is a baseball field located in Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The stadium was built in 1997 and holds 9,100 people. It is the spring training home of the Atlanta Braves. It will be the location of Round One games in the World Baseball Classic.

Round Two

Group 1

Games from Pool 1 in the second round will be hosted at the Angel Stadium, Anaheim, California.

Posted Image

Renovations to Anaheim Stadium began Oct. 1, 1996, reverting the 30-year old structure back to a baseball-only facility. On Sept. 15, 1997, the renovated stadium's new name was announced: Edison International Field of Anaheim. On Dec. 29, 2003, the Angels announced the stadium would be renamed Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Total cost for the stadium renovation was estimated at $100 million and the project was completed in time for the Anaheim Angels Opening Day, April 1, 1998.
Anaheim Stadium had been the home of the Angels since their move from Los Angeles following the 1965 season. The stadium opened April 9, 1966, as the California Angels hosted the San Francisco Giants in an exhibition game. The franchise's first American League game was April 19, 1966 vs. the Chicago White Sox. The Los Angeles Angels played at Wrigley Field in 1961 and Chavez Ravine from 1962-65.

The original Anaheim Stadium seated 43,204 (later 43,250). The stadium underwent construction in 1979-80 for additional seating to accommodate the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL. Upon completion in 1981, the stadium seated 65,158 (later 64,593) for baseball. The Rams left Anaheim for St. Louis, MO in 1995. The new Angel Stadium of Anaheim has a seating capacity of approximately 45,050 for the Anaheim Angels.

Other unique features of the new Angel Stadium of Anaheim include terraced bullpens in the outfield, widened concourses, new restroom and concession areas, a spacious and modernized press box and broadcast booths, family-oriented seating sections (The Nestle Family Zone), state-of-the-art club-level and dugout-level suites, the Pepsi Perfect Game Pavilion (a youth-oriented interactive game area) and landscaped courtyards (with statues in rememberance of Gene Autry and Michelle Carew).

In addition, the new Angel Stadium of Anaheim includes three full-service restaurants: The KnotHole Club (a sports bar located at the club level down the right field line); The Diamond Club (an upscale restaurant with outdoor seating on the field level behind home plate); and the Home Plate Club (an indoor restaurant on the club level overlooking the main entrance to the ballpark).

The following organizations were involved in implementing the transition of Anaheim Stadium into Angel Stadium of Anaheim: Walt Disney Imagineering, which served as the manager of the design and construction of Angel Stadium of Anaheim; HOK Sports Facilities Group and Robert A.M. Stern Architects, which were responsible for the architectural planning, design and renovation; and Turner Construction, which directed and provided construction services.


Group 2

The games from Pool 2 in the second round will be hosted again by Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Posted Image

The Hiram Bithorn Stadium is a baseball stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico operated by the municipal government of the city of San Juan. Since the language of Puerto Rico is Spanish, the park is locally known as Estadio Hiram Bithorn. Its name honors the first Puerto Rican to play in the major leagues, Hiram Bithorn, who first entered MLB with the Chicago Cubs in 1942. Built under the mayoral administracion of Felisa Rincon de Gautier, the stadium was home to the Santurce Crabbers and the San Juan Senators of the LBPPR. After serving as host to Major League Baseball's Opening Day Game in 2001, it was the object of a major overhaul under the mayoral administration of Jorge Santini, before becoming the part-time home of the Montreal Expos of the MLB in 2003 and 2004 prior to their move to Washington as the Washington Nationals. The Expos played 22 "home" games in each season as a result of poor attendance at their home Olympic Stadium in Montreal. Prior to Major League Baseball's announcement of the Montreal Expos move to Washington, Puerto Rico and San Juan made a sincere effort to lure the Expos franchise to the Island territory permanently.

The stadium has approximately 18,000 seats, with field dimensions of 315 feet (96m) down the left field line, 313 feet down the right field line and 399 feet (121m) to center field. The fences are 8 feet high.


Semi Finals and Final

Both of the semi finals and the final of the WBC will be hosted by the PETCO Park, San Diego, California.

Posted Image

PETCO Park is spectacular in every way, combining the best sight lines in baseball with breathtaking views of San Diego. Architecturally magnificent, it celebrates the sea, the sky, the natural beauty, cultural diversity and unique spirit of our region. Innovative design features evoke the timeless traditions of baseball in an intimate setting, with state-of-the-art fan amenities to suit every taste and budget.

The natural stone and stucco exterior and lovely landscaping, including the Park at the Park beyond the outfield fence, make this the garden spot of baseball, with a relaxed yet dynamic atmosphere that reflects the San Diego lifestyle.

Concourses are spacious, open and airy. Signature towers and terraces offer panoramic views of the Bay, the downtown skyline, Balboa Park and the mountains on the horizon of America’s Finest City. Fans are lower and closer to the action than at Qualcomm Stadium. The playing field is asymmetrical, with dimensions and charming features that accentuate traditional baseball values.

The seating bowl is divided into distinctive "neighborhoods." All 42,000 fixed seats are comfortable, with cup-holders and extra leg room. Seats down the lines are angled to the infield. The two upper levels are built on extended cantilevers, with the front of the Terrace Level only 34 feet above the field, creating a sense of intimacy reminiscent of the great old ballparks, but with outstanding sight lines from every seat and no obstructed views.

The handsome and historic Western Metal Supply Company Building has been renovated and incorporated into the Ballpark, with the left-field foul pole attached to its southeastern corner, 334 feet from home plate. The 95-year-old structure houses the Padres Team Store on the first floor, with a door opening onto a standing room area in left field. The second and third floors feature festive Party Suites. A restaurant on the fourth floor provides terrace dining with superb views of the field. There is bleacher seating and standing room on the roof, 80 feet above the field.

Located at the hub of the regional transportation system, with easy access by car, Trolley, the Coaster, bus and future water taxis, the Ballpark has ample parking and inviting promenades to and from your vehicle or public transit.

In short, PETCO Park is attractive, efficient, comfortable and strikingly beautiful — just like San Diego. Welcome home!
Posted Image

"TC Admin"
 
Tealey :notworthy:


My Trophies:

FIFA Complex Cup x2 (Football)
Intercontinental Cup (Football)
Winners' Shield (Football)
One Day Cricket League x2 (Cricket)
ECB Complex Cup (Cricket)
World Club Championship (Cricket)
Tour vs. USA (Cricket)
Test Knockout Cup (Cricket)
Top Of The League (NFL)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Tealey
Member Avatar
Mali 'Till I Die (Or Become Inactive)
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
WBC Announces rules for WBC 2006

"Tom Singer/MLB.com"
 
Major League clubs concerned about their pitchers throwing "ahead of the calendar" in the World Baseball Classic were reassured Thursday by strict pitch counts spelled out within a wide array of regulations for the March event announced by tournament officials.
As set forth by World Baseball Classic, Inc. (WBCI), pitchers will be limited to 65 pitches in Round One games, and be ineligible to pitch for four days following any outing of 50-plus pitches.

Also detailed are "mercy rules" for ending lopsided games, limitations on the number of participants from any Major League organization, replacement of injured players between rounds, and tie-breaking procedures to determine teams advancing in the three-tiered tournament.

However, most of the attention was drawn to the restrictions designed to protect arms, the game's most valued commodity. No limitations were placed on the use of position players.

To warrant enforcement of the rules, there will be an addition to the game's lexicon: the Game Operations Technical Committee, which will be responsible for reporting pitchers at the limit to the umpire-in-chief, who will have the power to order pitching changes.

While pitch-count rules are mainly for the protection of Major Leaguers, whose teammates will simultaneously be going through routine Spring Training, the same rules will be in effect for all 16 nations competing in the inaugural global baseball tourney.

The rules announced by WBCI address the unique aspects of the international competition, since the games themselves will conform to official Major League rules, including the use of the DH.


Pitchers will have to lay off one day after throwing 30-plus pitches, obviously meant as a safeguard for long relievers. And, to prevent closers from being over-used, pitchers won't be allowed to work more than two consecutive days.

Starters will have more liberal pitch counts deeper into the WBC, which begins with Round 1 games on March 3 and concludes with the March 20 Final in San Diego's Petco Park.

The Round 2 limit will be 80 pitches, then 95 in the semifinals and final.

In all situations, a pitcher may exceed his limit only to complete an ongoing at-bat.

The strict pitch counts, particularly as they apply to relievers, will give WBC managers and pitching coaches plenty extra to think about. They will have to run one game with minds on the next, since their staffs will be frozen for the entire tournament.

The only roster substitutions allowed, and only between rounds, will be for injuries. Disabled players can then be replaced by another who had appeared on the team's 60-man provisional roster.

Those rosters were submitted by all 16 countries last Tuesday. Five days prior to its first scheduled Round 1 game, each team will have to file its competition roster of 30 players, five or six coaches, and the manager.

Commitments by Major League clubs will be limited to a total of 14 players from within its organization, and 10 off its big-league roster as of Aug. 31, 2005 (the day before the 25-man limit was lifted).

There is some wiggle room in the aforementioned, in both directions. A team can have more participating players if it gives explicit approval. Or, fewer, if WBCI finds it under duress because its quota includes too many same-position players (pitchers or catchers, for instance).

As previously reported, games will be declared over with a run differential of 15 after five innings, or 10 after seven. The so-called "mercy rule" will be in effect only for the first two rounds.

Tie-breakers figure to get heavy play. Rounds 1 and 2 will both consist of four teams playing three-game schedules. In each instance, the two with the best winning percentage advance but, given the schedule, ties are inevitable.

The pecking order for breaking ties in the standings, based on rules used by the International Baseball Federation:

• Head-to-head results.
• Fewest runs allowed per inning (including partial innings) in head-to-head play.
• Fewest earned runs per inning in head-to-head play.
• Highest batting average in head-to-head play.
• By drawing, conducted by WBCI.

Also detailed were how home teams will be determined for each WBC game, and guidelines for determining eligibility to represent any of the competing countries.

Those liberal rules, as previously noted, boil down to one litmus test: Qualifying for a passport issued by the particular country. Citizens and residents of the country obviously qualify, but so do U.S. citizens with at least one parent born in, or a citizen of, the nation in question.
Posted Image

"TC Admin"
 
Tealey :notworthy:


My Trophies:

FIFA Complex Cup x2 (Football)
Intercontinental Cup (Football)
Winners' Shield (Football)
One Day Cricket League x2 (Cricket)
ECB Complex Cup (Cricket)
World Club Championship (Cricket)
Tour vs. USA (Cricket)
Test Knockout Cup (Cricket)
Top Of The League (NFL)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Tealey
Member Avatar
Mali 'Till I Die (Or Become Inactive)
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Baseball to be spoken during Super Bowl

"mlb.com"
 
Roughly 90 million viewers around the world are expected to watch the Seattle Seahawks play the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XL at 6 p.m. ET Sunday on ABC, and many of them will be watching for the ads as much as the action.
Baseball will be spoken there, too.

The World Baseball Classic will have a 30-second spot aired during the telecast, featuring seven Major League Baseball players who are identified with the countries they will represent in the inaugural March 3-20 event. They include: Roger Clemens and Derek Jeter (U.S.), Albert Pujols (Dominican Republic), Andruw Jones (Netherlands), Carlos Delgado (Puerto Rico), Mike Piazza (Italy) and Ichiro Suzuki (Japan).

Clemens is the only player with a speaking role, issuing a challenge to all viewers by using the tournament's promotional slogan: "I'll be there for my country. Will you be there for yours?"

"The Super Bowl broadcast is the perfect platform for us to showcase the World Baseball Classic," said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. "The tournament was designed to promote our game to the widest possible audience and this commercial will help drive excitement for what will be a truly captivating international competition."

The Super Bowl ad, scheduled to run during the fourth quarter, brings to life the "face-the-world" theme that is featured prominently in the overall campaign for the World Baseball Classic. The announcement of the ad was made Friday by WBC Inc., and fans don't have to wait for the big game to see it. The commercial can be viewed on WorldBaseballClassic.com.

Watching Super Bowl ads has become an event within the event over the years -- and a potential boon for advertisers who can afford television's most expensive slot. In Friday's Wall Street Journal, for example, it was reported that Emerald Nuts is paying a little less than $2 million for a 30-second ad -- because its ad during the last Super Bowl reportedly helped to more than triple the brand's sales. In a listing of committed Super Bowl advertisers, Ad Age reports on its website that Emerald Nuts' spot also is scheduled for the fourth quarter.

Between those runs by Jerome Bettis and Shaun Alexander, baseball will keep such company as: Buena Vista Pictures' trailer for its "Shaggy Dog" remake starring Tim Allen; at least two hybrid-vehicle ads including one for Ford in which Kermit the Frog is backpacking; a baby Hummer; and, of course, romance novel icon Fabio.
Posted Image

"TC Admin"
 
Tealey :notworthy:


My Trophies:

FIFA Complex Cup x2 (Football)
Intercontinental Cup (Football)
Winners' Shield (Football)
One Day Cricket League x2 (Cricket)
ECB Complex Cup (Cricket)
World Club Championship (Cricket)
Tour vs. USA (Cricket)
Test Knockout Cup (Cricket)
Top Of The League (NFL)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Tealey
Member Avatar
Mali 'Till I Die (Or Become Inactive)
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Training Camps

Australia-------------------------------Boston Red Sox

Venue: Fort Myers

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Canada--------------------------------Toronto Blue Jays

Venue: Dunedin

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dominican Republic------------------Houston Astos

Venue: Kissimmee

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Italy-----------------------------------Detroit Tigers

Venue: Lakeland

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mexico--------------------------------Arizona Diamondbacks

Venue: Tucson

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Netherlands--------------------------Atlanta Braves

Venue: Disney

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Panama-------------------------------Washington Nationals

Venue: Viera

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Puerto Rico---------------------------New York Mets

Venue: Port St. Lucie

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

South Africa--------------------------Oakland A's

Venue: Phoenix

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

USA-----------------------------------Arizona Diamondbacks

Venue: Chase Field

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Venezuela----------------------------Philadelphia Phillies

Venue: Clearwater

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Japan---------------------Seattle Mariners

Venue: Peoria

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Korea---------------------San Diego Padres

Venue: Peoria
Posted Image

"TC Admin"
 
Tealey :notworthy:


My Trophies:

FIFA Complex Cup x2 (Football)
Intercontinental Cup (Football)
Winners' Shield (Football)
One Day Cricket League x2 (Cricket)
ECB Complex Cup (Cricket)
World Club Championship (Cricket)
Tour vs. USA (Cricket)
Test Knockout Cup (Cricket)
Top Of The League (NFL)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Tealey
Member Avatar
Mali 'Till I Die (Or Become Inactive)
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Provisional Rosters to be announced by Friday

Every team involved in the WBC will be required to name a 60 man provisional roster by Friday 17th February so that final squads can be named the day before the first match.
Posted Image

"TC Admin"
 
Tealey :notworthy:


My Trophies:

FIFA Complex Cup x2 (Football)
Intercontinental Cup (Football)
Winners' Shield (Football)
One Day Cricket League x2 (Cricket)
ECB Complex Cup (Cricket)
World Club Championship (Cricket)
Tour vs. USA (Cricket)
Test Knockout Cup (Cricket)
Top Of The League (NFL)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Tealey
Member Avatar
Mali 'Till I Die (Or Become Inactive)
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Trophy Unveiled

Posted Image

"WBC Head Honchos"
 
The Championship Trophy for the inaugural World Baseball Classic was unveiled for the first time today at a press conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The trophy, which will be presented to the winner of the World Baseball Classic after the tournament's Final at PETCO Park in San Diego, California on Monday, March 20, was created by Tiffany & Co.
World Baseball Classic Tournament Ambassador Tommy Lasorda displayed the trophy in San Juan, the only city with the distinction of hosting two rounds of tournament pool play. "I am pleased to unveil this award for the first time in such a great international baseball city like San Juan," said Lasorda, who has helped to spread awareness and promote the tournament globally. "I am anxious to see which team will take home this fine piece of hardware and very excited to get the World Baseball Classic started in Tokyo next week."

The sterling silver trophy stands 25-inches tall and weighs thirty pounds. It took Tiffany & Co. master artisans more than 200 hours to create the piece. The design, inspired by the World Baseball Classic logo, features a 'global baseball,' with longitude and latitude lines and vermeil stitching of a baseball, as its centerpiece. The ball grows from a four-tiered diamond-shaped base, representing the four rounds of the tournament, and broadens into the signature logo collar, comprised of four separate elements, representing the four pools made up of the 16 teams participating in the inaugural event.

Tiffany & Co. also has the distinction of creating the Commissioner's Trophy (given annually to the World Series Champion), the World Series MVP Trophy, the All-Star Home Run Derby Trophy, and the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award.
Posted Image

"TC Admin"
 
Tealey :notworthy:


My Trophies:

FIFA Complex Cup x2 (Football)
Intercontinental Cup (Football)
Winners' Shield (Football)
One Day Cricket League x2 (Cricket)
ECB Complex Cup (Cricket)
World Club Championship (Cricket)
Tour vs. USA (Cricket)
Test Knockout Cup (Cricket)
Top Of The League (NFL)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
TC Admin
Member Avatar
Admin
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Those Training Camps... does the International team play the MLB team in a friendly?
Posted Image
Credit to Bandit!
@TheComplexII
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Tealey
Member Avatar
Mali 'Till I Die (Or Become Inactive)
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
yeah, i just havent got round to doing that yet... :ph43r:
Posted Image

"TC Admin"
 
Tealey :notworthy:


My Trophies:

FIFA Complex Cup x2 (Football)
Intercontinental Cup (Football)
Winners' Shield (Football)
One Day Cricket League x2 (Cricket)
ECB Complex Cup (Cricket)
World Club Championship (Cricket)
Tour vs. USA (Cricket)
Test Knockout Cup (Cricket)
Top Of The League (NFL)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Tealey
Member Avatar
Mali 'Till I Die (Or Become Inactive)
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Exhibition Game Schedules

3 Mar----Canada National Team vs. Toronto Toronto win 9-4
4 Mar----Panama National Team vs. Washington Washington win 10-7
4 Mar----Venezuela National Team vs. Philadelphia Venezuela win 1-0
4 Mar----Italy National Team vs. Detroit Detroit win 6-5
4 Mar----South Africa National Team vs. Oakland Oakland win 13-1
4 Mar----Mexico National Team vs. Arizona Mexico win 6-1
5 Mar----Netherlands National Team vs. Atlanta Atlanta win 4-0
5 Mar----Dominican Republic National Team vs. Houston Dominican Republic win 12-8
5 Mar----Puerto Rico National Team vs. NY Mets Puerto Rico win 6-1
5 Mar----USA National Team vs. San Francisco USA win 12-7
8 Mar----Australia National Team vs. Boston Boston win 3-0
8 Mar----Japan vs. Seattle Japan win 6-5
8 Mar----Korea vs. Kansas City Kansas City win 7-4
9 Mar----Japan vs. Texas Texas win 8-4
10 Mar----Korea vs. San Diego San Diego win 7-1
10 Mar----Japan vs. Milwaukee Milwaukee win 5-4
Posted Image

"TC Admin"
 
Tealey :notworthy:


My Trophies:

FIFA Complex Cup x2 (Football)
Intercontinental Cup (Football)
Winners' Shield (Football)
One Day Cricket League x2 (Cricket)
ECB Complex Cup (Cricket)
World Club Championship (Cricket)
Tour vs. USA (Cricket)
Test Knockout Cup (Cricket)
Top Of The League (NFL)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Tealey
Member Avatar
Mali 'Till I Die (Or Become Inactive)
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Final Rosters

The time has come. Here's the final 30 man rosters for each country:

Group A

China

Pitchers

Tao Bu
Kun Chen
Quan Huang
Guo Jun Lai
Chen Hao Li
Hong Rui Li
Shuai Li
Nan Wang
Zheng Xu
Jun Zhang
Li Zhang
Bo Zhao
Quansheng Zhao

Catchers

Yi Feng
Wei Wang
Zhenwang Zhang

Infielders

Qi Chen
Zhe Chen
Fei Feng
Tao Guo
Lei Li
Guang Biao Liu
Wenbin Pan
Jing Chao Wang
Guo Gang Yang
Yufeng Zhang

Outfielders

Ya Qing Liu
Ling Feng Sun
Shuo Yang
Hongbo Zhang

Chinese Taipei

Pitchers

Chien-Ming Chiang
Wei-Ming Chu
Chu-Chien Hsu
Wen-Hsiung Hsu
Chun-Chung Huang
Po-Hsuan Keng
Hung-Chih Kuo
En-Yu Lin
Ying-Chieh Lin
Wei-Lun Pan
Ying-Feng Tsai
Sung-Wei Tseng
Chien-Fu Yang
Yao-Hsun Yang

Catchers

Fong-Ming Chen
Chih-Kang Kao
Chun-Chang Yeh

Infielders

Chia-Hao Chang
Tai-San Chang
Yung Chi Chen
Chan-Ming Cheng
Chia-Hsien Hseih
Chin-Lung Hu
Chih-Shen Lin
Chung-Shou Yang
Shen Yang

Outfielders

Chih-Yao Chan
Chien-Ming Chang
Lung-Yi Huang
Wei-Chu Lin

Japan

Pitchers

Kyuji Fujikawa
Soichi Fujita
Hirotoshi Ishii
Hiroyuki Kobayashi
Tomoyuki Kubota
Daisuke Matsuzaka
Akinori Otsuka
Naoyuki Shimizu
Toshiya Sugiuchi
Koji Uehara
Tsuyoshi Wada
Shunsuke Watanabe

Catchers

Ryoji Aikawa
Tomoya Satozaki
Motonobu Tanishige

Infielders

Takahiro Arai
Toshiaki Imae
Akinori Iwamura
Munenori Kawasaki
Nobuhiko Matsunaka
Shinya Miyamoto
Tsuyoshi Nishioka
Michihiro Ogasawara
Yasuhiko Yabuta

Outfielders

Norichika Aoki
Kosuke Fukudome
Tatsuhiko Kinjoh
Ichiro Suzuki
Hitoshi Tamura
Kazuhiro Wada

Korea

Pitchers

Young Soo Bae
Jung Kuen Bong
Tae Hyon Chong
Jae Hun Chung
Byung Doo Jun
Byung-Hyun Kim
Sunny Kim
Dae-Sung Koo
Seung Hwan Oh
Chan Ho Park
Myung Hwan Park
Jae-Weong Seo
Min Han Son

Catchers

In Sung Cho
Sung Heon Hong
Kab Yong Jin

Infielders

Hee-Seop Choi
Dong Joo Kim
Jae Gul Kim
Jong Kook Kim
Min Jae Kim
Tae Kyun Kim
Bum Ho Lee
Seung Yeop Lee
Jin Man Park

Outfielders

Byung Kyu Lee
Jin Young Lee
Jong Beom Lee
Yong Taik Park
Ji Man Song

That was Group A.......
Posted Image

"TC Admin"
 
Tealey :notworthy:


My Trophies:

FIFA Complex Cup x2 (Football)
Intercontinental Cup (Football)
Winners' Shield (Football)
One Day Cricket League x2 (Cricket)
ECB Complex Cup (Cricket)
World Club Championship (Cricket)
Tour vs. USA (Cricket)
Test Knockout Cup (Cricket)
Top Of The League (NFL)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Enjoy forums? Start your own community for free.
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Sport · Next Topic »
Add Reply
  • Pages:
  • 1
  • 3
  • 4

Theme created by Jenny of the ZetaBoards Theme Zone.