[foolinc]

http://www.tsn.ca/mlb/news_story/?ID=232648&hubname=mlb

TOKYO - Canada will enjoy home-field advantage at the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Toronto was selected on Monday as one of four cities to host first-round games at the second running of the tournament.

Mexico City, San Juan and Tokyo were also selected.

The 16-nation tournament will switch from a round-robin to a double-elimination format during the first two rounds. Japan won the inaugural WBC in 2006, beating Cuba 10-6 in the final at San Diego.

Officials think the selection of four venues outside the continental United States to host the first round provides an opportunity to show baseball's global appeal and help return the sport to the Olympics after it is eliminated following the 2008 Games in Beijing.



"Absolutely, it will help," said Paul J. Archey, senior vice president of international business operations for Major League Baseball. "I don't think there's any doubt that the success of the WBC in 2006 and again in 2009 demonstrates the interest in the game."

Sites for the later rounds have not yet been announced. Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles is the leading candidate to host the semifinals and final.

"The 2009 World Baseball Classic will further demonstrate the remarkable global growth of our game," Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig said. "There has been incredible demand to host the games of the second World Baseball Classic."

-China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan will play in Group A at the Tokyo Dome from March 5-9.

-Australia, Cuba, Mexico and South Africa will play in Group B at Mexico City's Foro Sol Stadium from March 8-12.

-Canada, Italy, United States and Venezuela will play in Group C at Toronto's Rogers Centre from March 8-12.

-Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Panama and Puerto Rico will play in Group D at San Juan's Hiram Bithorn Stadium from March 7-11.

Unlike 2006, teams that advance from the second round will cross over for the semifinals and face opponents from the other side of the bracket.

In the first WBC, Japan's Daisuke Matsuzaka was chosen Most Valuable Player before spending his final season with the Seibu Lions. He joined the Boston Red Sox in 2007, went 15-12 with a 4.40 ERA and is scheduled to start the opening game of the regular season Tuesday against the Oakland Athletics.

The tournament could present some interesting matchups between major league teammates. Matsuzaka could end up trying to strike out Jason Varitek, his batterymate with Boston. The catcher joked that he would bunt and try to steal second.

For Red Sox utility infielder Alex Cora, having a first-round pool in Puerto Rico provides a chance to spur interest in baseball in his homeland.

"Baseball in Puerto Rico has been fading," he said. "We didn't have a winter ball league this year for the first time in 70 years."

Harvey W. Schiller, president of the International Baseball Federation, said efforts are being made to restore baseball to the Olympics. The sport can apply to the IOC in 2009 for readmission to the 2016 games.

Varitek played in the first Olympic baseball tournament in 1992.

"I'd hate to have it taken away from other people," he said.

The United States, Canada, and the Detroit Tigers in the same group?

[Flyin Ryan]

Originally Posted by foolinc

http://www.tsn.ca/mlb/news_story/?ID=232648&hubname=mlb


The United States, Canada, and the Detroit Tigers in the same group?

Props to MLB for agreeing to have the USA play on the road, even just for the opening round.

Handicapping:

Group A: Japan and South Korea to advance
Group B: Mexico and Cuba to advance (would Cubans defect to Mexico?)
Group C: harsh to the homestanding Canadians, but I'll back the USA and Venezuela to advance, although any 2 of those 3 could pull through
Group D: Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico to advance, although the Panamanians could spring a surprise

[ThreeApples]

The good:

- Double elimination is a great change, particularly compared to the group stages with bizarre tiebreakers that they used last time. I wish they would use double elimination for the final stage as well.
- Spreading games to Canada and Mexico is good.
- Crossover semifinals. Not having that was the silliest part of the format in 2006.

Still lacking:

- Random draw
- A qualification process instead of inviting the same 16 teams every time

[MNAFETSC]

Originally Posted by ThreeApples

Still lacking:

- Random draw
- A qualification process instead of inviting the same 16 teams every time

Do you really want one group featuring USA, Japan, Venezuela, and Dominican Republic and another with S. Africa, Netherlands, Italy, and Australia?

I don't think baseball has enough worldwide depth for qualification. I can't think of any teams not involved in this as being baseball countries, some of these teams don't seem like they come from baseball loving countries.

I really wish they would switch the tournament from March to about 2 weeks after the world series, Players are in form and any players inured with have the off season to heal. Other that I can't wait, with the success of the first WBC I've heard coverage will be much better this time around.

[ThreeApples]

Originally Posted by MNAFETSC

Do you really want one group featuring USA, Japan, Venezuela, and Dominican Republic and another with S. Africa, Netherlands, Italy, and Australia?

You can have a random draw with seeds, so the best teams are spread out. I would prefer that to sticking all the Asian countries in the same group every time, just because it's convenient.

I don't think baseball has enough worldwide depth for qualification. I can't think of any teams not involved in this as being baseball countries, some of these teams don't seem like they come from baseball loving countries.

Nicaragua is the most obvious excluded country. They would put on a much better showing than South Africa. Colombia also could field a decent team. If the field is going to include teams of the level of China or South Africa, why not bring together a whole group of fledgling national teams and have them compete for those spots? The IBAF has 112 members and holds qualifying competitions for the Olympics and the Baseball World Cup.

There has been some indications from the organizers that there will be qualifying for 2013. Most likely the top 8 from 2009 would qualify automatically, while the bottom 8 and 8 more invitees would compete for the remaining 8 places in the final tournament.

[Flyin Ryan]

Originally Posted by ThreeApples

You can have a random draw with seeds, so the best teams are spread out. I would prefer that to sticking all the Asian countries in the same group every time, just because it's convenient.

Nicaragua is the most obvious excluded country. They would put on a much better showing than South Africa. Colombia also could field a decent team. If the field is going to include teams of the level of China or South Africa, why not bring together a whole group of fledgling national teams and have them compete for those spots?

Because China and South Africa have far more money, potential for baseball, and people than Nicaragua.

I agree there should be qualifying, but that's the reason.

[devioustrevor]

Nicaragua might've been a decent team, they did finish ahead of Dominican Republic in Olympic Qualifying in American Qualifying Tournament Preliminary Round A.

I don't think South Africa has ever won a game against a non-African team. Among European teams Britain and Spain are traditionally the equal to or superior of Italy, I think the reason Italy was in the WBC was a chance to give some more Italian-American players not good enough to play for the U.S. a chance to play.

China lost each of it's games by 9 or more runs last time, they shouldn't even be competing in the WBC. There shouldn't be an entirely Asian group unless Australia is the 4th team along with Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

Certain Nations (USA, Cuba, Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Japan, Australia, Netherlands, and perhaps South Korea) deserve automatic entry in the WBC based on previous history in various international competitions. The other 6 nations participating should have to qualify through regional tournaments (1 extra guaranteed qualifier from Aisa and Europe, 2 from America and two others from an international group play-in tournament to be held at a neutral site).

[Real Corona]

South Africa and Italy for example are just being brought in to an attempt to expand baseball into their respective continents. And by that thinking, to have countries from every continent. The reason the Asian teams are in the same group is simple, in order to have home matches in Asia, the teams need time to travel and acclimate to the change in time zone. In my opinion baseball is the first American sport to realize that it has become global and to go out of its way to create a world cup. It is a huge step and I am really happy about. I just wish the NHL would realize that the World Cup or some sort of REAL world competition is good for sports. It pains me to say this, but Bug Selig and co had made the right decision.

[Master O]

I just hope the US takes this edition of the WBC seriously and doesn't lose to Mexico and Canada again.

[PsychedelicCeltic]

Italy has some baseball tradition. Not a lot but their teams and the Dutch usually fight it out for European club champions, so it's not like they've invited some schmos. It's just that Italy has some of the loosest citizenship laws in the world (basically anybody of Italian descent can be an Italian citizen) so every paisan in the majors who isn't good enough for the US team plays for Italy because they can, and a lot of the decent Italian players get left off the team.

Actually this is a major bitching point for me, as it's an unfair rule which MLB should really correct with the grandparent rule like FIFA and the IRB use. David Aardsma has Dutch parents but can't play for the Netherlands because the Dutch have really restrictive citizenship laws, while Mike Piazza's family emigrated from Italy a century ago yet he played for Italy.