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[Baseball] The 2006 World Baseball Classic
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Topic Started: Jan 21 2006, 03:50 PM (3,460 Views)
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Tealey
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Feb 28 2006, 04:38 PM
Post #16
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Mali 'Till I Die (Or Become Inactive)
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Group B
Canada
Pitchers Erik Bedard Chris Begg Rheal Cormier Jesse Crain Eric Cyr Jeff Francis Steve Green Adam Loewen Scott Mathieson Mike Meyers Aaron Myette Vince Perkins Paul Quantrill Chris Reitsma Catchers Peter Laforest Christopher Robinson Max St. Pierre Infielders
Danny Klassen Corey Koskie Justin Morneau Kevin Nicholson Pete Orr Scott Thorman Outfielders
Jason Bay Stubby Clapp Aaron Guiel Ryan Radmanovich Matt Stairs Adam Stern
Mexico
Pitchers
Luis Ayala Francisco Campos David Cortes Jorge De La Rosa Elmer Dessens Edgar Gonzalez Esteban Loaiza Rodrigo Lopez Pablo Ortega Antonio Osuna Oliver Perez Roberto Ramirez Dennys Reyes Ricardo Rincon Oscar Villareal Catchers
Geronimo Gil Adan Munoz Miguel Ojeda
Infielders
Alfredo Amezaga Jorge Cantu Vinny Castilla Juan Castro Luis Cruz Erubiel Durazo Benji Gil Adrian Gonzalez Outfielders
Karim Garcia Luis Garcia Luis Alfonso Garcia Mario Valenzuela
South Africa
Pitchers Barry Armitage Tyrone Brandt Matthew Dancer Kalin Dreyer Shannon Ekermans Jared Elario Lester Fortiun Gavin Jefferies Tyrone Lamont Gary Maree Carl Michaels Darryn Smith Robert Verschuren Catchers Kyle Botha Bradley Erasmus Warren Herman Willem Kemp Infielders Paul Bell Nicholas Dempsey Dylan Haynes Zaid Hendricks Patrick Naude Jonathan Phillips Brett Willemburg Outfielders
Ian Butcher Jason Cook Duane Feldtman Gavin Ray Ashley Scott Ricardo Siljeur
USA
Pitchers
Roger Clemens Chad Cordero Brian Fuentes Todd Jones Brad Lidge Joe Nathan Jake Peavy C.C. Sabathia Scot Shields Huston Street Mike Timlin Billy Wagner Dan Wheeler Dontrelle Willis
Catchers
Michael Barrett Brian Schneider Jason Varitek Infielders
Derek Jeter Chipper Jones Derrek Lee Alex Rodriguez Mark Teixeira Chase Utley Michael Young Outfielders
Johnny Damon Jeff Francoeur Ken Griffey Jr. Matt Holliday Vernon Wells Randy Winn
Group B out of the way.....
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- "TC Admin"
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Tealey 
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)
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Tealey
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Feb 28 2006, 04:47 PM
Post #17
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Mali 'Till I Die (Or Become Inactive)
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Group C
Cuba
Pitchers Luis Borroto Yulieski Gonzalez Pedro Luis Lazo Yadel Marti Jonder Martinez Yunieski Maya Vicyohandry Odelin Adiel Palma Yadiel Pedroso Yosvany Perez Ormari Romero Dennis Suarez Maikel Vera Catchers
Roger Machado Ariel Pestano Erier Sanchez Infielders
Leslie Anderson Ariel Borrero Michel Enrique Yulieski Gourriel Juan Carlos Moreno Eduardo Paret Joan Carlos Pedroso Rudy Reyes Outfielders Frederich Cepeda Yoandy Garlobo Alexei Ramirez Carlos Tabares Osmany Urrutia
Holland
Pitchers
David Bergman Kenny Berkenbosch Robbie Cordemans Dave Draijer Gregory Gustina Jair Jurrjens Calvin Maduro Diegomar Markwell Shairon Martis Alexander Smit Nick Stuifbergen Robin van Doornspeek Michiel van Kampen Catchers
Maikel Benner Chairon Isenia Sidney de Jong Infielders Sharnol Adriana Ivanon Coffie Yurendell DeCaster Mark Duursma Percy Isenia Raylinoe Legito Randall Simon Hainley Statia Outfielders Johnny Balentina Andruw Jones Gene Kingsale Harvey Monte Danny Rombley Dirk van Klooster
Panama
Pitchers
Manny Acosta Albenis Castillo Bienvenido Cedeno Bruce Chen Manuel Corpas Jorge Cortez Roger Deago Paolo Espino Miguel Gomez Santos Hernandez Len Picota Ramon Ramirez Davis Romero Catchers
Damaso Espino Carlos Munoz Cesar Quintero Carlos Ruiz Infielders
Javier Castillo Vicente Garibaldo Yoni Lasso Orlando Miller Olmedo Saenz Outfielders
Earl Agnoly Audes De Leon Freddy Herrera Carlos Lee Sherman Obando Adolfo Rivera Ruben Rivera Manuel O Rodriguez
Puerto Rico
Pitchers Federico Baez Fernando Cabrera Kiko Calero Pedro Feliciano Dicky Gonzalez Josue Matos Juan Padilla Joel Pineiro Chris Rojas Orlando Roman JC Romero Jose Santiago Javier Vazquez
Catchers
Javy Lopez Yadier Molina Ivan Rodriguez Javier Valentin Infielders
Alex Cintron Willie Collazo Alex Cora Carlos Delgado Ruben Gotay Eduardo Perez Jose Valentin
Outfielders
Carlos Beltran Jose Cruz Jr Ricky Ledee Luis Matos Alexis Rios Bernie Williams
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- "TC Admin"
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Tealey 
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)
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Tealey
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Feb 28 2006, 04:52 PM
Post #18
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Mali 'Till I Die (Or Become Inactive)
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Group D
Australia
Pitchers
Craig Anderson Phil Brassington Adam Bright Adrian Burnside Tristan Crawford Matthew Gahan Wayne Lundgren Paul Mildren Damian Moss Peter Moylan Ryan Rowland-Smith John Stephens Phil Stockman Rich Thompson Catchers
Michael Collins Andrew Graham Matthew Kent Infielders
Trent Durrington Gavin Fingleson Bradley Harman Justin Huber Luke Hughes Brendan Kingman Dave Nilsson Rodney Van Buizen Glenn Williams Outfielders
Tom Brice Trent Oeltjen Brett Roneberg Paul Rutgers
Dominican Republic
Pitchers Miguel Batista Eude Brito Daniel Cabrera Bartolo Colon Francisco Liriano Damaso Marte Odalis Perez Fernando Rodney Duaner Sanchez Jorge Sosa Julian Tavarez Robinson Tejeda Salomon Torres Catchers
Juan Brito Alberto Castillo Ronny Paulino Infielders
Ronnie Belliard Adrian Beltre Pedro Feliz David Ortiz Placido Polanco Albert Pujols Jose Reyes Alfonso Soriano Miguel Tejada Outfielders
Moises Alou Juan Encarnacion Vladimir Guerrero Wily Mo Pena Willy Taveras
Italy
Pitchers Phil Barzilla Riccardo De Santis Lenny DiNardo Tony Fiore Mike Gallo Jason Grilli Todd Incantalupo Marc Lamacchia Alessandro Maestri John Mangieri Dan Miceli Fabio Milano Kasey Olenberger David Rollandini Catchers
Matt Ceriani Thomas Gregorio Mike Piazza Infielders
Davide Dallospedale Tony Giarratano Claudio Liverziani Frank Menechino Jairo Ramos Gizzi Mark Saccomanno Jack Santora Vince Sinisi Outfielders
James Buccheri Frank Catalanotto Dustin Delucchi Val Pascucci Peter Zoccolillo
Venezuela
Pitchers
Tony Armas Rafael Betancourt Giovanni Carrara Gustavo Chacin Kelvim Escobar Freddy Garcia Carlos Hernandez Jorge Julio Victor Moreno Ricardo Palma Francisco Rodriguez Johan Santana Carlos Silva Carlos Zambrano Victor Zambrano Catchers
Henry Blanco Ramon Hernandez Victor Martinez Infielders
Edgardo Alfonzo Miguel Cabrera Carlos Guillen Tomas Perez Marco Scutaro Omar Vizquel Outfielders
Bobby Abreu Tony Alvarez Endy Chavez Magglio Ordonez Robert Perez Juan Rivera
So that's each team's roster.
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- "TC Admin"
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Tealey 
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)
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TC Admin
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Feb 28 2006, 04:57 PM
Post #19
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- Tealey
- Feb 24 2006, 04:00 PM
yeah, i just havent got round to doing that yet... :ph43r:
Cool
USA v San Francisco
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 Credit to Bandit! @TheComplexII
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Tealey
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Feb 28 2006, 05:17 PM
Post #20
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Mali 'Till I Die (Or Become Inactive)
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im looking forward to seeing my faves, the boston red sox take on the aussies...
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- "TC Admin"
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Tealey 
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)
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TC Admin
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Feb 28 2006, 05:24 PM
Post #21
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I didn't want to support the Yankees as I felt they were to popular... so I went and supported the Houston Astros. And guess what! Soon after, they reached the Final! They are taking on the Dominican Republic.
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 Credit to Bandit! @TheComplexII
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Tealey
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Mar 1 2006, 05:02 PM
Post #22
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Mali 'Till I Die (Or Become Inactive)
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Schedule for the Tournament
They thought it would never come....
Round 1
Pool A (Tokyo, Japan):
Fri. March 3----Korea v Chinese Taipei Korea win 2-0 Fri. March 3----Japan v China Japan win 18-2 Sat. March 4----China v Korea Korea win 10-1 Sat. March 4----Japan v Chinese Taipei Japan win 14-3 Sun. March 5----Chinese Taipei v China Chinese Taipei win 12-3 Sun. March 5----Korea v Japan Korea win 3-2
Pool B (Phoenix, Arizona, USA):
Tues. March 7----Mexico v United States USA win 2-0 Tues. March 7----Canada v South Africa Canada win 11-8 Wed. March 8----Canada v United States Canada win 8-6 Wed. March 8----South Africa v Mexico Mexico win 10-4 Thurs. March 9----Mexico v Canada Mexico win 9-1 Fri. March 10----United States v South Africa USA win 17-0
Pool C (San Juan, Puerto Rico):
Tues. March 7----Panama v Puerto Rico Puerto Rico win 2-1 Wed. March 8----Cuba v Panama Cuba win 8-6 Wed. March 8----Puerto Rico v Netherlands Puerto Rico win 8-3 Thurs. March 9----Cuba v Netherlands Cuba win 11-2 Fri. March 10----Netherlands v Panama Netherlands win 10-0 Fri. March 10----Puerto Rico v Cuba Puerto Rico win 12-2
Pool D (Orlando, Florida, USA):
Tues. March 7----Dominican Republic v Venezuela Dominican Republic win 11-5 Tues. March 7----Australia v Italy Italy win 10-0 Wed. March 8----Italy v Venezuela Venezuela win 6-0 Thurs. March 9----Italy v Dominican Republic Dominican Republic win 8-3 Thurs. March 9----Venezuela v Australia Venezuela win 2-0 Fri. March 10----Australia v Dominican Republic Dominican Republic win 6-4
Round 2
Pool 1 (Anaheim, California, USA):
Sun. March 12----Japan v USA USA win 4-3 Sun. March 12----Mexico v Korea Korea win 2-1 Mon. March 13----USA v Korea Korea win 7-3 Tues. March 14----Japan v Mexico Japan win 6-1 Wed. March 15----Japan v Korea Korea win 2-1 Thurs. March 16----USA v Mexico Mexico win 2-1
Pool 2 (San Juan, Puerto Rico):
Sun. March 12----Cuba v Venezuela Cuba win 7-2 Sun. March 12----Puerto Rico v Dominican Republic Puerto Rico win 7-1 Mon. March 13----Dominican Republic v Cuba Dominican Republic win 7-3 Mon. March 13----Venezuela v Puerto Rico Venezuela win 6-0 Tues. March 14----Venezuela v Dominican Republic Dominican Republic win 2-1 Wed. March 15----Cuba v Puerto Rico Cuba win 4-3
Finals (San Diego, California, USA)
Sat. March 18----Cuba v Dominican Republic (SEMI FINAL 1) Cuba win 3-1 Sat. March 18----Japan v Korea (SEMI FINAL 2) Japan win 6-0 Mon. March 20----Japan v Cuba (FINAL) Japan win 10-6
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- "TC Admin"
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Tealey 
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)
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Tealey
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Mar 3 2006, 04:51 PM
Post #23
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Mali 'Till I Die (Or Become Inactive)
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Matches (3rd March)
So the first round of matches were played today in Japan in Pool A. Korea played Chinese Taipei and Japan played China.
Pool A
Korea versus Chinese Taipei

- "MLB.com"
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TOKYO -- A game Korea knew it probably had to win to advance past the first round of the inaugural World Baseball Classic, fell into place Thursday night in a classic opener at Tokyo Dome.
It seemed fitting that a terrific defensive play would end a superbly played game that had historical significance -- it's the first time active Major League players have participated in an event like this.
The final out in Korea's 2-0 victory over Chinese Taipei before 5,193 came when shortstop Jin Man Park dove to his left to stab a grounder hit up the middle, turning it into a forceout at second base instead of it being a run-scoring single to center field.
There were good defensive plays from both teams, a little surprising considering how little time the teams have been preparing for this inaugural tournament.
With so much riding on the Classic opener, Korea manager In Sik Kim rode the arms of four of his Major League pitchers to get the three-week tournament off to a successful start.
Right-hander Jae Weong Seo (Dodgers), Byung Hyun Kim (Rockies) Dae Sung Koo (Mets) and Chan Ho Park (Padres) combined on the shutout, holding Chinese Taipei on four singles and a double.
Park picked up the save, thanks in large part to the Park that could be seen over Chan Ho's right shoulder.
"This was a significant game for us so I was going to use them against Taipei," Kim said of four of his horses from the big leagues. "The plan I had coming in was to pitch two or three Major Leaguers in each game."
The opener was huge for both teams because it probably will take two wins to advance to the second round. With Japan considered a shoo-in, Korea conceivably can virtually clinch a trip to Anaheim next week with a victory Friday over heavy-underdog China.
But to get that second win, Korea might have to do it without third baseman Dong Joo Kim.
Dong Joo, a .302 hitter last season for the Doosan Bears, injured his left shoulder while diving into first base with an infield single in the sixth inning, left the game and went to a local hospital for X-rays. There was no immediate report on the seriousness of the injury.
"He is one of the most important players on the team," Kim said. "He's in the heart of our batting order (cleanup). He is so motivated that he slid into first base headfirst. We hope it is not serious.
"If we have to play without him, it would be a big loss for us."
One of the most talked-about rules being used in the 16-team tournament came to the forefront early.
Pitchers are limited to 65 pitches in the first round and Chinese Taipei right-hander En-Yu Lin had a shutout in the works after 64 pitches.
But his final delivery resulted in the game's first run being scored.
It came with two outs in the fourth inning. With a runner on second base and a 2-and-2 count, catcher Sung Heon Hong pulled a grounder past third base for a double, scoring Seung Yeop Lee from second base.
En-Yu could kick himself for surrendering a final-pitch hit, but it was his leadoff walk to Seung Yeop that hurt just as much.
He said the 65-pitch limit didn't really enter his mind.
"I was trying to get the (final) out," he said.
An infield out advanced Seung Yeop to second base and, one out later, he became a footnote in history -- the first player to score a run in the World Baseball Classic.
Korea tacked on its second run in the fifth inning on a leadoff single by Jin Man Park, sacrifice bunt and center fielder Jong Beom Lee's double off the wall in left field with two outs.
Sensing the important of the Classic opener, Korea played for a run in the first inning as soon as leadoff hitter Byung Kyu Lee reached on second baseman Sen Yang's error -- the only miscue in the well-played game.
Jong Beom sacrificed Byung Kyu to second. But the run Korea wanted never materialized as En-Yu struck out Seung Yeop Lee and Dong Joo back-to-back.
Chinese Taipei threatened in the second inning, putting runners on first and second with one out on a single to left field by Tai-Shan Chang and walk to Chio-Hsien Hsieh. An infield out moved both runners into scoring position before Seo induced Chun-Chang Yeh to ground out to second base.
"We didn't have many hits today, but we had chances to score," manager Hua Wei Lin said. "Their Major League pitchers are very good."
Both teams return to action Friday with Korea facing China in the first game and Chinese Taipei playing Japan in the nightcap.
It could be difficult for either Korea or Chinese Taipei to match the defensive work in their Classic opener.
Before getting hurt, Dong Joo Kim made a sparking snag to rob Chien-Ming Chang of a hit in the first inning; Korea right fielder Jin Young Lee ended the Chinese Taipei third inning with a stellar catch in foul territory; Chinese Taipei third baseman Yung Chi Chen stole a hit from Sung Heon Hong in the ninth inning.
Box Score
Korea----2 Chinese Taipei----0
China versus Japan

- "MLB.com"
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TOKYO -- China wasn't the pushover Team Japan may have expected, but the Japanese got the rout they were looking for eventually.
Still looking for the offensive explosion it lacked through its World Baseball Classic exhibition run, Japan finally found some power, smacking three home runs in its 18-2 win over China, which ended because of mercy rule after eight innings Friday at the Tokyo Dome.
Second baseman Tsuyoshi Nishioka hit a three-run homer off China pitcher Zhao Quansheng in the fifth inning, and center fielder Kosuke Fukudome made it back-to-back bashes with a solo shot.
Nishioka, who has just 10 career home runs in his three seasons with the Pacific League's Chiba Lotte Marines, isn't exactly known for his power, but he is fine being the man with the big stick.
"There were runners at first and third, so I thought even a bunt for a base hit would bring in a run," Nishioka said. "Then midway through the at-bat, I was thinking about a sacrifice fly.
"I'm not a home-run hitter. I never thought that would happen."
China had made a respectable showing through four innings, and catcher Wang Wei made the game interesting when his two-run homer off Japan starter Koji Uehara tied the score.
"It was a great home run for the Chinese team," Japan manager Sadaharu Oh said. "I was surprised it was still tied (after the fourth). Although it was tied, we didn't panic."
Not only did it not panic, Japan actually seemed to come to life. Wang's homer seemingly awoke the Japanese batters, bringing to the surface power that had mostly lain dormant leading up to the World Baseball Classic. And the resulting offensive outburst didn't stop until Japan's seven-run eighth inning invoked the mercy rule and closed the game out.
"Our bats didn't do so well, but it started to get good late in the game," Oh said.
Uehara struck out six batters in five innings of work, good enough for the win, although not as dominant as when he fanned eight in Japan's first exhibition game the previous Friday.
"I think Uehara did all right," said China manager Jim Lefebvre. "His fastball wasn't as fast as it was when we saw him in Sapporo, but he got the outs when he needed them."
China racked up three hits against Uehara in the fifth, but Zhang Yufeng hit into a double play to end the threat without doing any more damage.
"The bases were loaded, but they were not all clean hits," Oh said. "Uehara's pitching wasn't bad, so I left him in. I wanted him to settle down a little bit. I thought he was good enough to handle it."
Oh said said that inability to take control early on may have come about partially because of its Classic expectations, some of which may have come from a pregame team meeting. He told them before the game that if Japan is to realize its World Baseball Classic goals, the players would have to start Friday night against China.
"I told them they were well-prepared and that we were at our best," Oh said. "I said let's go and show them we have the spirit and we are the best in Asia. I believe it, and I am sure all the players do too."
Once Nishioka's homer turned the game's tide, Japan started playing like it believed it was the best team in Asia. Akinori Iwamura tripled in the sixth, kicking off a three-run frame, punctuated by RBI hits from Michihiro Ogasawara and Tomoya Satozaki, and a sacrifice fly by Nishioka.
Hitoshi Tamura had Japan's final homer, a two-run shot in the seventh.
Japan batted around in the eighth, and Oh began making some substitutions as Lefebvre cycled in younger pitching. Nishioka tripled in the eighth, driving in a run, and Japan took advantage of China's defensive lapses as well as two walks. Toshiaki Imae pinch-hit for Iwamura in the eighth, and came up with a bases-loaded single. Nishioka's monstrous night saw him finish 2-for-3 with five RBIs. Tamura, Imae and Ogasawara drove in two runs apiece.
Designated hitter Nobuhiko Matsunaka was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, an RBI and three runs scored also for Japan.
Zhao was tagged with the loss for China, having given up four runs and two of the homers. Naoyuki Shimizu pitched three innings of relief for Japan, going the distance in Uehara's stead. He gave up no runs and struck out five Chinese.
Although China had seven hits, star center fielder Sun Lingfeng was 0-for-4. Second baseman Liu Guangbiao and third baseman Yang Guogang both had two hits for China. Japan faces Chinese Taipei in Classic action on Saturday night, while the Chinese will try to knock off Korea.
Box Score
Japan----18 China----2
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So it was a crushing win for Japan and a win for Korea.
Pool A Standings
Korea----1-0-0 Japan----1-0-0 Chinese Taipei----0-1-0 China----0-1-0
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Fixtures
March 3rd
Canada versus Toronto
March 4th
China versus Korea Japan versus Chinese Taipei Panama versus Washington Venezuela versus Philadelphia Italy versus Detroit South Africa versus Oakland Mexico versus Arizona
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- "TC Admin"
-
Tealey 
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)
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Tealey
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Mar 4 2006, 02:54 PM
Post #24
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Mali 'Till I Die (Or Become Inactive)
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Matches (3rd March)
So there was one other match played yesterday, a warm up between Canada and their hosts Toronto.
Exhibition Matches
Canada versus Toronto

- "MLB.com"
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DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Ernie Whitt sat in the visiting dugout at Knology Park on Friday morning, answering questions about how he thought Team Canada would fare against the plethora of left-handed pitchers they are expected to see in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Based on what the Canadian skipper saw later that afternoon in an exhibition game against a split Toronto squad, getting hits off lefties, or right-handers for that matter, may not be the problem. Scoring runs. Well, that could be another issue. At least it was on this day as Canada's team -- the Blue Jays -- downed Team Canada, 9-4, before an announced crowd of 2,061. The Canadians picked up 10 hits and were on the verge of keeping pace with the Blue Jays, who jumped on starter Mike Meyers for two first-inning runs.
But Whitt's charges left 10 men on base, a trend that surfaced immediately. Pete Orr singled to lead off the game and after a stolen base was in position to give the Canadians the lead, but Toronto starter A.J. Burnett retired the next three batters he faced. It only got more frustrating in the second, when Team Canada failed to capitalize after loading the bases.
Kevin Nicholson negotiated a two-out walk to put three men on, but Burnett got Orr on a lazy fly to left to end the inning. Team Canada didn't mount another serious threat until it broke through with three runs in the sixth after the Jays already owned a 9-0 lead.
"Our situational hitting was not as good as it could have been," Whitt said. "We left a lot of men on base. But these are good tournament guys we have. It seems to me like they can turn it on and do a good job for us.
"I have to try and make sure everyone has two or three at-bats tomorrow. We want them to have some more at-bats heading into the tournament because some of these haven't even had Spring Training yet. The score today doesn't matter, though. We just wanted to get some work in."
Orr, who had an RBI single in the sixth, and Ryan Radmanovich paced the Canadians with a pair of hits.
Meyers settled down after issuing a leadoff walk in the second, retiring the side in order before handing things over to Aaron Myette, who struggled from his first pitch. Myette lasted only 1 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on four hits and a walk. Scott Mathieson followed and was only slightly more effective, allowing two runs on one hit (a Wayne Lydon homer) and a walk.
Paul Quantrill, Steve Green and de facto closer Jesse Crain each pitched a scoreless inning to close out the game. All pitchers who worked Friday will take Saturday off before throwing bullpens on Sunday, according to Whitt. Saturday's pitchers will rest Sunday and work Monday to prepare for Tuesday's opener against South Africa.
"The pitchers were not as sharp today as I would have liked," Whitt said. "We threw too many pitches. When you fall behind in the count, you get hit and that's what happened today. Some of the guys came in and threw well but the guys who haven't been in camp yet weren't as sharp. Some of these guys were pitching for the first time.
"We'll refine things some tomorrow. Overall, I just want to make sure the guys get their work in and get some chemistry going. But I think we're going to be okay."
Not a good start for Canada, who have a tough pool.
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- "TC Admin"
-
Tealey 
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)
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Tealey
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Mar 4 2006, 03:11 PM
Post #25
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Mali 'Till I Die (Or Become Inactive)
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Matches (4th March)
So there was another round of matches in Pool A from Tokyo earlier on today. with Korea playing China and Japan playing Chinese Taipei.
Pool A
Korea versus China

- "MLB.com"
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TOKYO -- Another superb team pitching effort has turned some California dreamin' into reality for Korea.
Right-hander Min Han Son needed a couple of batters to find the strike zone Saturday, but he settled into a groove and pitched four shutout innings as Korea -- thanks also to Japan's victory over Chinese Taipei in the nightcap -- clinched a trip to the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals in Anaheim with a 10-1 victory over China at Tokyo Dome.
Asia's top seed will be determined Sunday when Japan plays Korea in the Pool A finale. The winner goes to the United States as the top seed and plays the Pool B winner at 1 p.m. (PT) next Sunday at Angel Stadium while the loser plays the Pool B runnerup at 8 p.m. (PT) Sunday.
Korea's players had some added incentive going into their game against China. They were informed before the game that they must continue in the Classic without one of their teammates.
The shoulder injury third baseman and cleanup hitter Kim Dong Joo suffered Friday sliding head-first into first base has knocked him out of the Classic -- and beyond.
While discussing his team's victory, Korea manager Kim In-Sik broke the news that Dong Joo has a broken bone in his left shoulder and won't play again anytime soon.
"I think he has already gone through an operation," the manager said. "A part of his bone is fractured, as it came off at the joint. It has been suggested that he should go to the United States because they have better doctors there. It has not been decided yet."
In-Sik said the injury could sideline the star third baseman for up to three months.
"He is with us in our hearts and we want to do well for him in the remaining games," designated hitter Seung Yeop Lee said.
Korea completed its primary mission here -- advancing to the second round of the inaugural Classic -- and came close to pitching another shutout. That bid ended in the eighth inning when China left fielder Shuo Yang greeted right-handed reliever Jae Hun Chung with a home run to left field.
The Korean team generated so much offense against the outmanned China team that Dong Joo's absence was hardly noticed. Seung Yeop led the 18-hit assault against four China pitchers with two home runs, two singles, a sacrifice fly and five RBIs.
But it's the pitching that put Korea in the quarterfinals in Anaheim next weekend.
Korea used four of its six Major League pitchers in Friday's shutout victory over Chinese Taipei, but needed none of them -- or the other two -- against China, which dropped to 0-2 in the tournament and has been outscored 28-3.
Son needed a couple of batters to find the strike zone, but he settled into a groove and pitched four shutout innings to pick up the win.
Son walked the first batter he faced on four pitches, fell behind the next one with a first-pitch ball, and then suddenly became a strike-throwing machine as 32 of his final 41 pitches were strikes. The only hit he surrendered was a two-out single to ninth-place hitter Yi Feng in the third inning.
"I was thinking about the pitch-count limit in the beginning and maybe trying too hard (to throw strikes)," Son said.
When he departed after the fourth inning, Team Korea had a five-run lead and was in cruise control.
Three of those runs came in the third inning when Korea sent nine batters to the plate. Second baseman Jong Kook Kim started the inning with a double, left fielder Byung Kyu Lee smacked a run-scoring double to left-center, and Seung Yeop drove a Chen Kun pitch into the bleachers in right field for a two-run home run, the first of his two fence-clearing blasts.
"I felt we were a little flat coming out of a big game (Friday night)," China manager Jim Lefebvre said. "I thought our hitting was flat, our pitcher was a little nervous and they took advantage of it. When you don't get a lot of hits, it always looks like your team is down. We weren't getting anyone on base."
The Korean team, meanwhile, had a grand time, putting at least one runner on base in every inning except the fifth when China reliever Li Zheng struck out the first two batters he faced and retired Kab-Yong Jin on a fly ball to center field.
But now they must move on without Dong Joo, a .302 hitter last season.
"Maybe we need to rearrange the batting order," In-Sik said. "We have to make our best order without him."
Box Score
Korea----10 China----1
Japan versus Chinese Taipei

- "MLB.com"
-
TOKYO -- The eight-ball showed up way too early for Chinese Taipei Saturday at the Tokyo Dome.
It arrived five batters into their World Baseball Classic game against Japan when, with two outs, right-handed starter Chu-Chien Hsu served up a three-run home run to Hitoshi Tamura, starting Chinese Taipei towards a 14-3 loss before 31,047. The game was stopped after seven innings because of the 10-run "mercy" rule.
"I knew it was going to be a tough match when they hit that three-run homer in the first inning," manager Lin Hua-Wei said. "Yes, it had some influence on the game tonight."
Even with Japan's three-run head start, there were some early opportunities for Chinese Taipei to put some pressure on Japan and just maybe delay the home country team from reaching the second round of the inaugural World Baseball Classic.
But it was not to be as Chinese Taipei stranded four of the five runners it had in the first two innings and the game became an eventual rout. Japan joined Korea as the Asia Pool's representatives in the second round of the 16-team tournament in Anaheim March 12-16.
That is where Chinese Taipei wanted to go, but certain things got in their way, Japan's awakened offense being one of them. It hurt that the best pitcher in the country, Chien-Ming Wang, decided to skip the World Baseball Classic and attend Spring Training with the Yankees.
"We didn't have some good players in the Asia round," Hua-Wei said. "It is hard to measure how big of an influence that was, but it was an influence."
Hua-Wei's game plan Saturday was to use any and all pitchers available. So when one hurler encountered trouble, that pitcher was removed and another one came on to stem the Japan attack.
The veteran manager used eight pitchers in all and none of them lasted longer than 2 2/3 innings.
"Our performance as not good," Hua-Wei said, "but our opponent was better than we imagined. We learned we must have more effort to beat a team like that."
Hsu lasted one inning, prompting the parade of pitchers. There was no way of stopping a Japan offense that scored 18 runs against China in eight innings on Friday.
That didn't stop Hua-Wei from trying, however. When reliever Chien-Fu Yang walked Kosuke Fukadome with two outs in the second inning, after already allowing a run, the second pitching change of the game occurred.
More pitching changes were made in the third and fifth innings, but none of them worked the way Hua-Wei wanted and the team's maiden voyage in the 16-team Classic ends Sunday with a game against winless China.
After Hsu spotted Japan a three-run lead, his teammates put two runners on base in the bottom of the first when Japan starter Daisuke Matsuzaka hit Chien-Ming Chang with a pitch and walked Chih-Sheng Lin. But the potential get-on-the-board scoring chance fizzled when Wei-Chu bounced into a double play.
After falling four runs behind in the top of the second, Chinese Taipei showed some offensive life when Tai-Shan Chang and Chia-Hsien Hsieh singled with none out. Shortstop Chin-Lung Hu attempted a sacrifice bunt, but popped it up to the pitcher for the first out of the inning.
A groundout produced a run, but a line-drive out to left field by Chang-Ming Cheng added to Chinese Taipei's frustration. When Japan scored six runs in the fifth inning, it was time to start pointing to their rivals from mainland China in Sunday's early game.
"I feel happy for Korea and Japan," Hua-Wei said."
Box Score
Japan----14 Chinese Taipei----3
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So both Korea and Japan won by huge margins, cementing their places in Round 2.
Pool A Standings
Korea----2-0-0 Japan----2-0-0 Chinese Taipei----0-2-0 China----0-2-0
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Fixtures
March 4th (later today)
Panama versus Washington Venezuela versus Philadelphia Italy versus Detroit South Africa versus Oakland Mexico versus Arizona
March 5th
Chinese Taipei versus China Korea versus Japan Holland versus Atlanta Dominican Republic versus Houston Puerto Rico versus NY Mets USA versus San Francisco Australia versus Boston
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GO BOSTON!!!
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- "TC Admin"
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Tealey 
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)
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TC Admin
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Mar 4 2006, 04:09 PM
Post #26
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We've started!
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 Credit to Bandit! @TheComplexII
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Tealey
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Mar 4 2006, 04:33 PM
Post #27
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Mali 'Till I Die (Or Become Inactive)
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we have. pool a is nearly finished and the warm up games are played in the next few days.
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- "TC Admin"
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Tealey 
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)
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Tealey
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Mar 5 2006, 01:32 PM
Post #28
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Mali 'Till I Die (Or Become Inactive)
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Matches (4th March)
So yesterday, some exhibition games were played. Let's see how the teams did.
Exhibition Games
Panama versus Washington

- "Nationals MLB Site"
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VIERA, Fla. -- Once they leave the state of Florida, there's no question Team Panama faces an uphill climb. Being lumped into a World Baseball Classic pool with powerhouses like Puerto Rico and Cuba ensures that much. But Panama has high hopes for its Classic chances, and it proved competitive in a dry run against a split squad of Washington Nationals players on Saturday. Carlos Lee, Sherman Obando and Manuel Rodriguez all homered, but Washington defeated Panama, 10-7.
"It could get better, but all in all, we did good," Panama manager Anibal Reluz said through a translator. "It's experience and it's the first time. We took care of all the areas we need to take care of."
With one workout in Viera left before the team boards a flight to San Juan, Puerto Rico, Panama will be able to take a number of positives from the exhibition contest at Space Coast Stadium.
Right-hander Lenin Picota, who is slated to make the Game 1 start against Puerto Rico on March 7, looked sharp in pitching a scoreless tune-up inning, one of eight Panama pitchers to see mound time in the contest.
The offense looked to be in form as well, with the No. 3-6 hitters in Panama's lineup -- Olmedo Saenz, Lee, Obando and Carlos Ruiz -- combining for six hits, three runs scored and five runs batted in.
Panama will lean on veteran players in the tournament, but perhaps the greater value was getting many of the youngsters into action early. Panama is one of the more youthful teams in the tournament, and if it is to progress past the first round, one or more of those talents will have to step up.
"It's exciting," Saenz said. "I like it, because there's a lot of kids who don't have experience. This is a good moment for them. They can relax a little bit and see it's just baseball -- they're not facing players from another planet. They're ready for this."
With the announced attendance at 1,630, Lee delivered a wake-up call exclusively for a cheering section of about 350 in the second inning, blasting a solo home run to left off Nationals starter Andrew Good.
Lee, who hit 32 home runs last year for the Milwaukee Brewers, went down for a low-and-in changeup, prompting loud trumpets and chants of "Panama! Panama!"
Several busloads of Panamanians proved festive throughout the whole nine-inning affair, cheering wildly and performing musical salutations to their team.
For the players, the celebratory atmosphere was a reminder of their home country, as well as a preview of what awaits in San Juan.
"That's the way Panamanian fans are," Obando said. "They're real supportive of their teams and some of those guys show their emotions when the games are played. They have an opportunity to see players who are representing their country, so everyone is emotional in the stands."
As for Lee? He had provided Good with a taste of what the fans hope will greet more befuddled pitchers for Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Netherlands.
"He's a good hitter -- he's born to hit," Saenz said. "It's still early, I think his adrenaline and intensity are going to take over. To take a changeup down and in like that and keep it fair, you've got to be great."
Panama increased its lead to two runs in the fourth inning when it loaded the bases with nobody out on three consecutive singles against veteran left-hander Mike Stanton. Ruiz plated Saenz with a clean hit to left, but Stanton struck out Freddy Herrera and got Jonny Lasso to hit into an inning-ending double play.
The plate appearances alone against a pitcher like Stanton, Saenz said, might give the rookies confidence.
"That's a guy who has a lot of years in the big leagues and World Series experience," Saenz said. "It means a lot for everybody. They can say they faced Mike Stanton after watching him on TV, and had a chance to get a hit off him."
The Nationals reclaimed the lead in the fourth inning against Davis Romero, powered by Frank Diaz's three-run homer and a run-scoring hit by Tyrell Godwin. Panama fired back with two runs in the top half of the fifth, backed by a run-scoring groundout and Obando's solo homer to left-center off Valerio de los Santos, but it was the last time Panama led in the contest.
Obando, who admitted to being slightly emotional before the first pitch of the game, said his first home run for Panama was no big deal. The real games start Tuesday.
"Just another one," Obando said. "It felt good, and hopefully I can open some eyes over here again, and somebody will give me a chance to come back and play here."
After Washington's Ian Desmond singled in a run, giving the Nationals a 7-6 advantage, Larry Broadway left no doubt with a three-run homer off Panama reliever Santos Hernandez. The two clubs played a phantom bottom of the ninth inning, allowing Panama's promising young closer Manuel Corpas to get his three outs of work in.
"We played very good," Reluz said. "I believe everything is going to go well. I believe we are in good shape and I have confidence in my team."
Box Score
Panama----7 Washington----10
Venezuela versus Philadelphia

- "Phillies MLB Site"
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CLEARWATER, Fla. -- This wasn't your run-of-the-mill Spring Training game. "That was awesome. That was like back in high school, everybody yelling," Philadelphia right-hander Brett Myers said. "That was the most fun I've had pitching in a couple of years, at least. Usually Spring Training is serious -- get you're work in and get done. That was like a regular game for me. I was so pumped up."
And Myers was the losing pitcher.
It was only an exhibition, but in their first game together, this talented Venezuela team gave every indication that it will live up to the hype. Six pitchers combined on a five-hit shutout as Venezuela edged a Phillies split-squad team, 1-0, on Saturday afternoon at Bright House Networks Field.
Kelvim Escobar, Giovanni Carrara, Rafael Betancourt, Jorge Julio, Victor Moreno and Francisco Rodriguez combined on the blanking. Rodriguez pitched a hitless ninth for the save, and only one Phils baserunner made it as far as third base.
Rodriguez pumped his fist and spun around when he fanned Josh Kroeger for the final out of the game.
"Everybody was fired up," Escobar said. "To see all the fans there was very exciting. You know you have to relax and get your work in but at the same time it's very exciting."
A Venezuela starting lineup that included eight players who have made at least one Major League All-Star appearance managed only eight hits, but the pitching staff made further runs unnecessary.
"That's an All-Star team out there," Myers said. "There's definitely no No. 87s over there."
Escobar (1-0) went three innings and gave up two hits. He struck out three and walked one.
"This was like my second game, and you're always looking to get to 40-45 pitches, and that's what I did," Escobar said. "It's been a while for me since I've been out there and thrown that many pitches, so I'm very pleased with the way things went today."
Miguel Cabrera drove in Carlos Guillen with the game's only run with a single in the first.
A tight game and a vocal crowd of 3,633 -- many of them Venezuela fans -- gave the game a charged atmosphere that even the players noticed.
"It was kind of crazy," Venezuela center fielder/Phillies right fielder Bobby Abreu said. "That's the way that we play in Venezuela. For us, this was normal. I know for over here this was not typical.
"It's exciting. [The fans] expect you to do some damage. I think you'll see them even more [excited] when our games start on Tuesday [in Pool D of the World Baseball Classic at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex]."
Venezuela manager Luis Sojo called the fan reaction "unbelievable."
"In Venezuela, it's worse. These people, they never shut up," Sojo said. "That's nice. Now we've got the [World Baseball Classic], eveybody is from Venezuela. We're having the best time ever. I'm excited to be the manager and I can't wait for the first day to see what these guys are going to do."
Box Score
Venezuela----1 Philadelphia----0
Italy versus Detroit
- "WBC"
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LAKELAND, Fla. -- The Tigers taught Team Italy a valuable lesson here on Saturday afternoon: Don't give an opponent extra outs. The Tigers turned a dropped ball in center field into a four-run rally in the sixth inning. They wiped out a 5-1 deficit that inning and then pushed across the winning run in the ninth for a 6-5 win in front of 1,331 fans at Joker Marchant Stadium.
The winning run came off right-hander Dan Miceli, whose inability to find the strike zone put the Tigers in position to win. Miceli walked two hitters before giving an RBI double to Koby Kirkland with two outs.
In a game that had been a duel of pitchers, Italy broke a scoreless tie when it scored four runs in the fifth against right-handers Franklyn German and Humberto Sanchez.
After the Tigers scored a run in the bottom of the fifth on Kevin Hooper's single to center, Italy got that run back on Vince Sinisi's homer over the right-field wall.
The Tigers responded, thanks to Dustin Delucchi's dropped ball in center, with four runs to tie the ballgame, and the scored stayed tied until Kirkland's double won the ballgame.
Box Score
Italy----5 Detroit----6
South Africa versus Oakland

- "WBC"
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PHOENIX -- Ouch. After 2 1/2 blissful innings Saturday, the afternoon fell apart for the South African entry in the World Baseball Classic.
South Africa lost a game against the Oakland Athletics' split squad, 13-1, as 3,094 fans watched at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
But the South Africans took a 1-0 lead into the third inning.
"We should have cut if off then," said pitching coach Lee Smith.
The A's were shut out in one inning each by South Africa's top two pitchers, Barry Armitage and Carl Michaels.
"If this wasn't an exhibition game, we'd have extended both of them," manager Rick Magnante said.
South Africa scored its only run in the first inning after leadoff batter Paul Bell doubled, moved up on Brett Willemburg's bunt and crossed the plate on Willem Kemp's ground-out.
But that was it. The A's scored three times in the bottom of the third and were on their way.
The A's, using just two regulars with Nick Swisher and Bobby Crosby, accumulated 14 hits including Swisher's two-run homer in the sixth inning against Robert Verschuren.
"We pitched behind and you can't do that against big league hitters," Smith said.
The A's benefited from 11 bases on balls and two errors.
South Africa had eight hits, including two by Bell and two by Jon Phillips.
"We just never bunched our hits," Michaels said.
Velocity down: Armitage, a right-hander in the Kansas City organization, drew Royals assistant general manager Muzzy Jackson and special assistant Art Stewart to the game.
"His velocity was down from what it normally is," Jackson noted. "It was 83 to 87 mph where he usually works at 93 to 94."
Armitage has tendinitis in his left knee which could be a factor.
"Mostly I felt good but the ball was up," Armitage said. "It felt really good in the bullpen. I don't know what it was."
Despite taking the early lead, the South Africans had some shaky moments.
"A lot of the guys were nervous as hell," Armitage said. "Most had never even played against international competition and they come up against these guys here. We missed some ground balls and stuff that's usually routine."
Memories: Swisher appreciated what the World Classic club was going through but saw a bright side.
"I'm sure there are doubts about how they'll do, but that's not the point," said the A's outfielder.
"They're here to represent their country. It's going to be a thrill for them, that's the biggest thing. They're going to go home and have some great stories for the rest of their lives."
Day of rest: Magnante will give his team a day off on Sunday, then hold a workout Monday in preparation for its Classic opener Tuesday against Canada.
The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT Tuesday at Scottsdale Stadium.
South Africa will meet Mexico at 7 p.m. Wednesday and the USA at 1 p.m. Friday, also at Scottsdale.
Box Score
South Africa----1 Oakland----13
Mexico versus Arizona

- "WBC"
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TUCSON -- The early word on Team Mexico has been that they can go as far as their pitching will take them in the inaugural World Baseball Classic. In their first exhibition game of the spring, their pitching took them farther than they could hope for, holding the Diamondbacks to one run as Saturday's starter Esteban Loaiza retired the first eight Diamondbacks batters he faced, sparking his team to a 6-1 victory and establishing the dominant pitching presence his team hopes can key them on when tournament play begins next week.
But just in case they needed it, Mexico brought their bats with them, unleashing 11 hits on their hosts and capping the night with a grand slam statement that their lumber was perfectly capable of taking the team where even their celebrated pitching might not go.
Loaiza faced a split squad from the Snakes, but at least four of Saturday's starters are projected to be in the Opening Day lineup for Arizona come April. He struck out two and induced a trio of groundouts and a matching set of fly outs.
"I had in mind going three innings, four innings," Loaiza said after his 36-pitch outing. "I wanted to throw 50 pitches, but I just shut down myself after 2 2/3 innings."
An early exit like that can quickly raise eyebrows amid concern for what prompted Loaiza to shut himself down, but the veteran right-hander emphasized that it was simply a case of prudent self-regulation in an early spring start.
"I felt great," Loaiza stressed. "I didn't want to overthrow and overdo myself. I threw 36 pitches, I got myself out of the game, and I didn't want to go longer than that. I've just been throwing bullpens and throwing BPs, and this is my first time facing live hitting in a regular game."
Loaiza certainly set the tone for his teammates, as a half dozen pitchers followed him from the bullpen, scattering seven hits and allowing only one run.
But it was the balanced, patient approach of a team already firing on all cylinders that made Mexico look like a formidable opponent in their upcoming pool play with Teams USA, South Africa, and Canada.
Luis Carlos Garcia's game-changing round-tripper came in the eighth inning, and up until then, pitching had prevailed on both sides. D-Backs starter Claudio Vargas pitched a pair of shut out innings before giving way to Kevin Jarvis.
With Jarvis on the hill, Mexico showed the ability to offer some offensive explosives to complement their pitching as Karim Garcia hit a two-out double to deep right field, advancing to third when Carlos Quentin bobbled the ball in right. Jorge Cantu drew a walk before Vinny Castilla slugged an RBI single to right, giving Mexico a one-run advantage that would hold through the first five innings.
Mexico padded its lead in the top of the sixth, scrapping together a string of singles from Luis Alfonso Garcia, Adrian Gonzalez, and Mario Valenzuela.
The insurance run proved timely, as Mexico's Dennys Reyes gave up the lone run to the D-Backs in the bottom of the inning, yielding a pair of singles to Chad Tracy and Jesus Cota and loading the bases with a walk to Jeff DaVanon. Quentin put the Snakes on the board with a sacrifice fly, scoring pinch-runner Robby Hammock.
Still holding a precarious one-run lead in the eighth inning, manager Paquin Estrada remained comfortable, knowing he had a game plan built to withstand the elevated intensity of the final frames.
"I let the game run its course, but I already have my design in my head," Estrada explained. "I know that in the late innings there's going to be more pressure, but it was designed for the pressure and knowing my people can do it. When you have these kinds of people, you can't let the pressure get to you. Use intelligence."
Among the men Estrada was referring to are familiar faces from around the big leagues, men like Castilla, Karim Garcia, Jorge Cantu, and Erubiel Durazo -- the kind of players trusted to come through in the clutch. At the heart of his game plan is a confidence that he has built a team of versatile players capable of changing the game in the field, on the mound, and at the plate.
"That's why as a manager I keep the game close," Estrada said. "Because we have people that can turn the game around in one swing."
Saturday night it was Luis Carlos Garcia stepping to the plate after Miguel Ojeda, Mario Valenzuela, and Alfredo Amezaga put together a double, a single, and a walk, respectively to load the bases for a moment of metamorphosis.
Garcia took an 0-1 pitch from D-Backs prospect Adam Bass and turned it around in a hurry, sending it into the right-field bullpen for a grand slam that set the fans in the stands into a frenzy and brought Team Mexico out of the dugout to greet Garcia.
"That's why he's here," Castilla said of the 11-year veteran of the Minor Leagues and Mexican Leagues who has amassed only three big league at bats with the Orioles in 2002. "He's a great player, and that's why he's with us and the National team."
It was all the fireworks the standing-room crowd of 11,834 could ask for, and the post game pyrotechnic display put on in honor of the game was mere icing for a sumptuous cake the fans feasted on in a festive night celebrating Mexico's baseball legacy.
The players couldn't help but feel the unique vibe in the park, pushing them to a level of competitive spirit rarely seen in Spring Training exhibition games.
"This was the first time we put the team together," observed Castilla. "There was a lot of adrenaline flowing. It wasn't like any Spring Training game. This was different. This was the first game as a team, and we were very excited."
Box Score
Mexico----6 Arizona----1
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Later on, I'll do reports on the final round of the Pool A fixtures.
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Tealey 
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)
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Tealey
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Mar 5 2006, 03:50 PM
Post #29
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Mali 'Till I Die (Or Become Inactive)
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Matches (5th March)
So today saw the conclusion of Pool A, with Korea playing Japan and China playing Chinese Taipei.
Pool A
Chinese Taipei versus China

- "WBC"
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TOKYO -- On the other side of its first World Baseball Classic, Chinese Taipei will always remember its win against China.
Winless heading into the Classic's final day, Taipei rode Yung Chi Chen's monster day to a 12-3 win over the rival Chinese, saving face and keeping Asian baseball's pecking order somewhat intact.
Chen's main contribution was a third-inning grand slam, his first from his days in the sandlots all the way up to now. Taipei had a 1-0 lead after three innings, and Chen's left-field shot blew the game open.
"Today I didn't think too much before I went to the batters' box," Chen said. "I just wanted to do something good."
Chen has a gift for understatement, and apparently, he can swing the bat. Chen was Chinese pitching's kryptonite, going 4-for-6 with the homer and three doubles, one each to left, right and center field. He drove in five runs and scored four times.
"I just hope I can have a good season in 2006 like I did in the last half of last season," said Chen, a Mariners prospect who led Class-A Wisconsin with 147 hits while posting 80 RBIs and 15 stolen bases in 2005.
Both China and Chinese Taipei were charged up heading into the game, but Taipei was the stronger team, and the win against mainland China was meaningful for Taiwanese players who played in the WBC under the banner of Chinese Taipei because Taiwan's sovereignty is not recognized by China.
"Of course it was meaningful for us," Taiwan manager Hua-Wei Lin said of going up against China. "This was a historic win and it was our only win."
China manager Jim Lefebvre said the tension surrounding the battle of the Taiwan Strait may have affected his players.
"I think that nerves were a factor today," Lefebvre said. "This was a big game for us."
Both China and Taipei came into Sunday's game thinking they could win, but Chen's hitting took China out of the picture long before Wang Wei's two-RBI double in the bottom of the sixth.
Wang scored Liu Guangbiao, who led off the sixth with the double, and Zhang Yufeng, who walked.
Chen, Taipei's leadoff hitter, had bases loaded in the fourth after Chin-Lung Hu doubled, Chia-Hsien Hsieh singled and Feng-Ming Chen walked.
Between Hsieh and Chen, Xu came in relief of starter Wang Nan, but after walking the first Chen and giving up the grand slam to the second Chen two batters later, Xu was a relief to no one but the Taiwanese.
Taipei added to its lead in the sixth, scoring on the second of Yung-Chi Chen's doubles, and Chen came around on a throwing error by China pitcher Bu Tao.
Taipei poured on the pain in the eighth, rallying for another four runs to go up 11-2, sitting on the cusp of what would have been China's second mercy-rule loss in the Classic.
Taipei turned its lead up another notch in the ninth, but the mercy-rule lead was no good because China had to bat in the bottom of the ninth. Even so, the Chinese plated a run after a passed ball and wild pitch brought pinch-hitter Li Lei, who doubled, around to score.
Taipei's Wei-Lun Pan was strong for four innings, striking out five Chinese and giving up two hits in picking up Chinese Taipei's lone World Baseball Classic win.
Taipei's Hu was 3-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored. Chien-Ming Chang and Feng-Ming Chen also had multiple hits.
Taipei's plate numbers Sunday were strong as the team racked up 15 hits to go with its 12 runs, but Lin said his team knew that improvements for the next World Baseball Classic would have to begin at the plate. Taipei went scoreless against Korea on Friday and just three runs in its mercy-rule loss to Japan on Saturday.
"In terms of batting, we had problems," Lin said. "We should be more powerful. We faced good pitchers, and our batters couldn't handle it, especially when they saw breaking balls.
"We will try hard to have our batters ready for the challenge next time."
Lin said that the World Baseball Classic could stand to benefit from a few changes, beginning with tweaking the rule about pitch counts, but overall, he said the Classic was good for baseball.
"If we didn't have the (pitching) regulation, maybe some of the games would have been different and maybe we would have won," Lin said. "Obviously it affected our pitchers, but it was something every manager had to think about. Maybe they will learn from this and it will improve the whole tournament."
Box Score
Chinese Taipei----12 China----3
Japan versus Korea

- "WBC"
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TOKYO -- Team Korea was getting a taste of its own medicine Sunday and it wasn't delicious.
They were having as much trouble scoring runs against Team Japan's pitchers as two other teams in the World Baseball Classic had scoring against their own Major League-dominated staff.
And then, like a bolt of lightning delivered from Seoul, two swings in the eighth inning produced two runs and a stunning turn of events that resulted in a 3-2 victory over Japan and top-seed status heading into the second round of the inaugural Classic.
The largest crowd of the series -- 40,553 -- included Crown Prince Naruhito and his wife.
First baseman Seung Yeop Lee, who will be playing his home games inside the Tokyo Dome this season, spoiled the night for his future fans when he sent a 3-and-1 pitch from left-handed reliever Hirotoshi Ishii into the right-field seats, turning a one-run deficit into a one-run lead -- and a noisy crowd into almost complete silence.
Familiarity served Seung Yeop well in the decisive at-bat of the game.
"In that situation (3-and-1 count), Japanese pitchers will throw a breaking ball," he said. "I was lucky because I could use my experience."
Ishii threw a slider that stayed up in the strike zone and rested right in the middle of Seung Yeop's wheelhouse and just as he did twice Saturday night against China, Lee drove it into the seats.
But this one was a whole lot larger than those others.
Japan manager Sadaharu Oh thought he had the final two innings of the game set up perfectly, starting with Ishii. Lefty against lefty usually is a good thing.
"I think the batter was too good for Ishii," Oh said. "It was the eighth inning and the batter came up with a big home run. If I knew he was going to do that, I wouldn't have (put Ishii into the game)."
Ishii struck out the first batter he faced, but Jong Beom Lee lined a single into center field. That set up Seung Yeop's decisive, smooth swing, resulting in a home run probably heard all the way to Seoul.
The Koreans wanted to win the Pool A series finale and gain Far East bragging rights from the inaugural Classic. But they seemed destined for the consolation prize -- a trip to the United States on Monday morning to prepare for the second round of the 16-team tournament, which will be played March 12-16 in Anaheim, as the number two seed from Pool A.
Now, as the top seed, Korea plays three exhibition games in Arizona -- Wednesday night against the Kansas City Royals in Surprise and Friday night against the San Diego Padres in Peoria. A date with the second seed from Pool B (United States, Canada, Mexico or South Africa) awaits Korea in Anaheim on Sunday, followed by two other games -- including a rematch against Japan.
Pool B teams begin play Tuesday afternoon with the U.S. playing Mexico at Chase Field in Phoenix and Canada taking on South Africa later that night in Scottsdale. The top two seeds from Pool B advance to Anaheim.
If pitching is the key to reaching the semifinals in San Diego, then Korea has an excellent shot of getting there.
"Our pitchers pitched so well," Korea manager In Sik Kim said. "(Japan) had good batters, but we had great pitchers who wouldn't let them hit."
A pitching staff that includes six Major Leaguers surrendered just one run in wins over Chinese Taipei (2-0) and China (10-1), but wobbled a bit in the first two innings on Sunday, surrendering a run in each inning.
A terrific, diving catch by right fielder Jin Young Lee that ended the fourth inning deprived Tsuyoshi Nishioka of what could have been a bases-loaded double or triple. It basically saved Korea's bacon.
"I knew he was capable of being a good fielder," In Sik said of his right fielder.
Oh admitted that the huge home run and super defensive play were, "The reasons we could not win. They had two heroes."
Well, maybe three.
Right-hander Chan Ho Park, the most famous pitcher in Korea history, pitched a perfect ninth inning for the save.
"He is a great veteran pitcher and I thought he as the best man for the job," In Sik said.
Oh credited the Korean pitchers for a job well done in shutting down an offense that scored 18 runs in its opening game victory over China and 14 against Chinese Taipei.
But it was a completely different story in the finale.
And Korea gets the honor of being number one in the Far East. For now, that definitely is enough to whet their appetite.
Box Score
Korea----3 Japan----2
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So Pool A has reached a conclusion. Korea and Chinese Taipei won their matches. Here are the standings:
Pool A Standings
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- "TC Admin"
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Tealey 
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)
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Tealey
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Mar 5 2006, 03:55 PM
Post #30
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Mali 'Till I Die (Or Become Inactive)
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Matches (5th March)
So today saw the conclusion of Pool A, with Korea playing Japan and China playing Chinese Taipei.
Pool A
Chinese Taipei versus China

- "WBC"
-
TOKYO -- On the other side of its first World Baseball Classic, Chinese Taipei will always remember its win against China.
Winless heading into the Classic's final day, Taipei rode Yung Chi Chen's monster day to a 12-3 win over the rival Chinese, saving face and keeping Asian baseball's pecking order somewhat intact.
Chen's main contribution was a third-inning grand slam, his first from his days in the sandlots all the way up to now. Taipei had a 1-0 lead after three innings, and Chen's left-field shot blew the game open.
"Today I didn't think too much before I went to the batters' box," Chen said. "I just wanted to do something good."
Chen has a gift for understatement, and apparently, he can swing the bat. Chen was Chinese pitching's kryptonite, going 4-for-6 with the homer and three doubles, one each to left, right and center field. He drove in five runs and scored four times.
"I just hope I can have a good season in 2006 like I did in the last half of last season," said Chen, a Mariners prospect who led Class-A Wisconsin with 147 hits while posting 80 RBIs and 15 stolen bases in 2005.
Both China and Chinese Taipei were charged up heading into the game, but Taipei was the stronger team, and the win against mainland China was meaningful for Taiwanese players who played in the WBC under the banner of Chinese Taipei because Taiwan's sovereignty is not recognized by China.
"Of course it was meaningful for us," Taiwan manager Hua-Wei Lin said of going up against China. "This was a historic win and it was our only win."
China manager Jim Lefebvre said the tension surrounding the battle of the Taiwan Strait may have affected his players.
"I think that nerves were a factor today," Lefebvre said. "This was a big game for us."
Both China and Taipei came into Sunday's game thinking they could win, but Chen's hitting took China out of the picture long before Wang Wei's two-RBI double in the bottom of the sixth.
Wang scored Liu Guangbiao, who led off the sixth with the double, and Zhang Yufeng, who walked.
Chen, Taipei's leadoff hitter, had bases loaded in the fourth after Chin-Lung Hu doubled, Chia-Hsien Hsieh singled and Feng-Ming Chen walked.
Between Hsieh and Chen, Xu came in relief of starter Wang Nan, but after walking the first Chen and giving up the grand slam to the second Chen two batters later, Xu was a relief to no one but the Taiwanese.
Taipei added to its lead in the sixth, scoring on the second of Yung-Chi Chen's doubles, and Chen came around on a throwing error by China pitcher Bu Tao.
Taipei poured on the pain in the eighth, rallying for another four runs to go up 11-2, sitting on the cusp of what would have been China's second mercy-rule loss in the Classic.
Taipei turned its lead up another notch in the ninth, but the mercy-rule lead was no good because China had to bat in the bottom of the ninth. Even so, the Chinese plated a run after a passed ball and wild pitch brought pinch-hitter Li Lei, who doubled, around to score.
Taipei's Wei-Lun Pan was strong for four innings, striking out five Chinese and giving up two hits in picking up Chinese Taipei's lone World Baseball Classic win.
Taipei's Hu was 3-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored. Chien-Ming Chang and Feng-Ming Chen also had multiple hits.
Taipei's plate numbers Sunday were strong as the team racked up 15 hits to go with its 12 runs, but Lin said his team knew that improvements for the next World Baseball Classic would have to begin at the plate. Taipei went scoreless against Korea on Friday and just three runs in its mercy-rule loss to Japan on Saturday.
"In terms of batting, we had problems," Lin said. "We should be more powerful. We faced good pitchers, and our batters couldn't handle it, especially when they saw breaking balls.
"We will try hard to have our batters ready for the challenge next time."
Lin said that the World Baseball Classic could stand to benefit from a few changes, beginning with tweaking the rule about pitch counts, but overall, he said the Classic was good for baseball.
"If we didn't have the (pitching) regulation, maybe some of the games would have been different and maybe we would have won," Lin said. "Obviously it affected our pitchers, but it was something every manager had to think about. Maybe they will learn from this and it will improve the whole tournament."
Box Score
Chinese Taipei----12 China----3
Japan versus Korea

- "WBC"
-
TOKYO -- Team Korea was getting a taste of its own medicine Sunday and it wasn't delicious.
They were having as much trouble scoring runs against Team Japan's pitchers as two other teams in the World Baseball Classic had scoring against their own Major League-dominated staff.
And then, like a bolt of lightning delivered from Seoul, two swings in the eighth inning produced two runs and a stunning turn of events that resulted in a 3-2 victory over Japan and top-seed status heading into the second round of the inaugural Classic.
The largest crowd of the series -- 40,553 -- included Crown Prince Naruhito and his wife.
First baseman Seung Yeop Lee, who will be playing his home games inside the Tokyo Dome this season, spoiled the night for his future fans when he sent a 3-and-1 pitch from left-handed reliever Hirotoshi Ishii into the right-field seats, turning a one-run deficit into a one-run lead -- and a noisy crowd into almost complete silence.
Familiarity served Seung Yeop well in the decisive at-bat of the game.
"In that situation (3-and-1 count), Japanese pitchers will throw a breaking ball," he said. "I was lucky because I could use my experience."
Ishii threw a slider that stayed up in the strike zone and rested right in the middle of Seung Yeop's wheelhouse and just as he did twice Saturday night against China, Lee drove it into the seats.
But this one was a whole lot larger than those others.
Japan manager Sadaharu Oh thought he had the final two innings of the game set up perfectly, starting with Ishii. Lefty against lefty usually is a good thing.
"I think the batter was too good for Ishii," Oh said. "It was the eighth inning and the batter came up with a big home run. If I knew he was going to do that, I wouldn't have (put Ishii into the game)."
Ishii struck out the first batter he faced, but Jong Beom Lee lined a single into center field. That set up Seung Yeop's decisive, smooth swing, resulting in a home run probably heard all the way to Seoul.
The Koreans wanted to win the Pool A series finale and gain Far East bragging rights from the inaugural Classic. But they seemed destined for the consolation prize -- a trip to the United States on Monday morning to prepare for the second round of the 16-team tournament, which will be played March 12-16 in Anaheim, as the number two seed from Pool A.
Now, as the top seed, Korea plays three exhibition games in Arizona -- Wednesday night against the Kansas City Royals in Surprise and Friday night against the San Diego Padres in Peoria. A date with the second seed from Pool B (United States, Canada, Mexico or South Africa) awaits Korea in Anaheim on Sunday, followed by two other games -- including a rematch against Japan.
Pool B teams begin play Tuesday afternoon with the U.S. playing Mexico at Chase Field in Phoenix and Canada taking on South Africa later that night in Scottsdale. The top two seeds from Pool B advance to Anaheim.
If pitching is the key to reaching the semifinals in San Diego, then Korea has an excellent shot of getting there.
"Our pitchers pitched so well," Korea manager In Sik Kim said. "(Japan) had good batters, but we had great pitchers who wouldn't let them hit."
A pitching staff that includes six Major Leaguers surrendered just one run in wins over Chinese Taipei (2-0) and China (10-1), but wobbled a bit in the first two innings on Sunday, surrendering a run in each inning.
A terrific, diving catch by right fielder Jin Young Lee that ended the fourth inning deprived Tsuyoshi Nishioka of what could have been a bases-loaded double or triple. It basically saved Korea's bacon.
"I knew he was capable of being a good fielder," In Sik said of his right fielder.
Oh admitted that the huge home run and super defensive play were, "The reasons we could not win. They had two heroes."
Well, maybe three.
Right-hander Chan Ho Park, the most famous pitcher in Korea history, pitched a perfect ninth inning for the save.
"He is a great veteran pitcher and I thought he as the best man for the job," In Sik said.
Oh credited the Korean pitchers for a job well done in shutting down an offense that scored 18 runs in its opening game victory over China and 14 against Chinese Taipei.
But it was a completely different story in the finale.
And Korea gets the honor of being number one in the Far East. For now, that definitely is enough to whet their appetite.
Box Score
Korea----3 Japan----2
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So Pool A has reached a conclusion. Korea and Chinese Taipei won their matches. Here are the standings:
Pool A Standings
Korea----3-0-0 Japan----2-1-0 Chinese Taipei----1-2-0 China----0-3-0
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So Korea and Japan go through to Round 2. For China, it has been a disappointing tournament, as it was for Chinese Taipei. Korea and Japan hold baseball with very high regard. It is one of their national sports, so it was no surprise that they went through.
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Fixtures
5th March
Holland versus Atlanta Dominican Republic versus Houston Puerto Rico versus NY Mets USA versus San Francisco
Thanks for reading.
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- "TC Admin"
-
Tealey 
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)
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