(it's early, but the qualies were just announced) The bottom 4 teams from 2009 have to go into qualifiers while the top 12 are automatically in. Automatic bids: Japan, South Korea, China, United States, Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Netherlands, Italy, Australia QUALIFYING ROUND --- FALL 2012 POOL A: Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, New Zealand - to be held in Taipei, Taiwan POOL B: Canada, Germany, Czech Republic, Great Britain - to be held in Regensburg, Germany, September 20th thru 24th POOL C: Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia, Brazil - to be held in Panama City, Panama, in November POOL D: Spain, South Africa, France, Israel --- to be held in Jupiter, Florida
-Two of the qualifier pools will play next month, the pool in Germany and the pool in Florida. The other two in Panama and Taiwan look to take place in November. -Rosters for the pools next month will be released circa September 1st. -Canada which should win their pool in Germany it looks will largely use their roster that won the gold medal in baseball at the 2011 Pan American Games. -Qualifying round draws: Qualifier 1: Jupiter, Florida - Roger Dean Stadium Game 1 Wed Sep. 19 South Africa vs. Israel 7:00 PM (ET) Game 1 Thu Sep. 20 Spain vs. France 7:00 PM (ET) Game 1 Fri Sep. 21 South Africa vs. TBD 1:00 PM (ET) Game 1 Fri Sep. 21 Israel vs. TBD 7:00 PM (ET) Game 5 Sat Sep. 22 TBD vs. TBD 7:00 PM (ET) Game 6 Sun Sep. 23 TBD vs. TBD 5:00 PM (ET) Qualifier 2: Regensburg, Germany - Armin-Wolf Baseball Arena Game 1 Thu Sep. 20 Canada vs. Great Britain 1:00 PM (ET) Game 1 Fri Sep. 21 Germany vs. Czech Republic 1:00 PM (ET) Game 1 Sat Sep. 22 Czech Republic vs. TBD 7:00 AM (ET) Game 1 Sat Sep. 22 Germany vs. TBD 1:00 PM (ET) Game 5 Sun Sep. 23 TBD vs. TBD 8:00 AM (ET) Game 6 Mon Sep. 24 TBD vs. TBD 1:00 PM (ET) Qualifier 3: Panama City, Panama - Rod Carew National Stadium Game 1 Thu Nov. 15 Panama vs. Brazil 8:00 PM (ET) Game 1 Fri Nov. 16 Colombia vs. Nicaragua 8:00 PM (ET) Game 1 Sat Nov. 17 Brazil vs. TBD 2:00 PM (ET) Game 1 Sat Nov. 17 Panama vs. TBD 8:00 PM (ET) Game 1 Sun Nov. 18 TBD vs. TBD 7:00 PM (ET) Game 2 Mon Nov. 19 TBD vs. TBD 7:00 PM (ET) Qualifier 4: New Taipei City, Taiwan - Xinzhuang Stadium Game 1 Thu Nov. 14 Philippines vs. Thailand 10:30 PM (ET) Game 1 Thu Nov. 15 Chinese Taipei vs. New Zealand 5:30 AM (ET) Game 1 Fri Nov. 15 New Zealand vs. TBD 10:30 PM (ET) Game 1 Fri Nov. 16 Chinese Taipei vs. TBD 5:30 AM (ET) Game 5 Sat Nov. 17 TBD vs. TBD 1:00 AM (ET) Game 6 Sun Nov. 18 TBD vs. TBD 1:00 AM (ET) -For the main tournament itself, the semifinals and final will be at AT&T Park in San Francisco. One of the second round pools will be at Marlins Park in Miami. One of the first round pools will take place in Phoenix using Chase Field for 3 games and Salt River Fields at Talking Stick for 3 games (a spring training facility in Scottsdale). -The Japanese league's players' union have said they won't play in the tournament over a money dispute. MLB are carrying on mentioning Japan like there's no issues at all. The Japanese union does not control non-Japan-based pros like Ichiro for example, so MLB could be playing a "there will be a Team Japan from those that makes themselves available" card. I expect a solution to be reached within the next six months before it gets to that point.
I'm just sick of reading bull like this: "You put on the uniform, and there's a 'USA' across the chest. That's a different kind of pressure." Whether it's from Torre or members of the Dream Team or whoever. It's a tired, stupid cliché -- but they all think they're so effing noble when saying stuff like that. And there isn't one ounce of pressure on Torre in the WBC. This isn't close to managing the Yankees in the World Series -- and he knows it!
Baseball America podcast where they talk about the WBC qualifiers: http://media.baseballamerica.com/mp3/free/120914.mp3Apparently games will be on MLB.tv and the finals of each pool will be on the MLB Network. If you're in Canada, they'll be on Sportsnet.
I doubt they will do that well as long as MLB players treat it like a preseason tournament. But that would be a good thing.
I agree on the Far East. It seems like the really good Caribbean teams play under their capabilities (Dominican and Puerto Rico). The Cubans try hard, as do the teams that fall short on the talent level.
The Puerto Ricans simply aren't very good. The Dominicans play with passion at we least. We look like an all star team and not in a good way.
So in a mild upset, the Spanish defeated the Israelis in the pool in Jupiter, Florida, and will be the first new entrant past the original 16 countries. A very even pool looking at results with the mercy rule never used and two extra-inning games. Israel 7, South Africa 3 Spain 8, France 0 Israel 4, Spain 2 South Africa 5, France 2 - 11 innings (France eliminated) Spain 13, South Africa 3 (South Africa eliminated) Spain 9, Israel 7 - 10 innings (Spain advances to World Baseball Classic) In Germany, it was a very stratified pool as the Canadians dominated. Canada 11, Great Britain 1 - 7 innings Germany 16, Czech Republic 1 - 6 innings Great Britain 12, Czech Republic 5 (Czech Republic eliminated) Canada 16, Germany 7 Germany 16, Great Britain 1 - 7 innings (Great Britain eliminated) Canada 11, Germany 1 - 8 innings (Canada advances to World Baseball Classic) If you want to watch any of the games or highlights, they're archived at http://web.worldbaseballclassic.com/wbc/2013/schedule_and_tickets/ They also announced the pools for next March. The opening round will be a 3-game round robin with two teams advancing followed by a double elimination. Pool A: 3/2-3/6 - Fukuoka, Japan: Japan, China, Cuba, qualifier Pool B: 3/2-3/5 - Taichung, Taiwan: South Korea, Netherlands, Australia, qualifier Pool C: 3/7-3/10 - San Juan, Puerto Rico: Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, qualifier Pool D: 3/7-3/10 - Phoenix, Arizona: United States, Mexico, Italy, qualifier 2nd Round: Pool 1: 3/7-3/10 - Tokyo, Japan Pool 2: 3/12-3/16 - Miami, Florida Championship Round: 3/17-3/19 - San Francisco, California
It's especially tired when the USA sends 12th-string rosters to this tournament, while spending the entire time leading up to the tournament saying that they will take it all seriously. Then, none of the best American players are released by their clubs and the team itself only starts practicing two or three weeks beforehand. If the US is not going to take this tournament seriously, then don't hold it. Also, it will be interesting to see how Brazil, the land of soccer, fares in its qualifiers. I suppose they will be annihilated like Nigerian Basketball vs the Dream Team last summer.
ah,, WBC's just around the corner. I still don't understand, American players take basketball and hockey seriously on international stages, but not baseball
Well that's not entirely true but, the big factor is the Olympics. American players don't take the World CHampionships in those two sports all that serious.
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=2103234 I'd say the problem isn't the players themselves.... I'd say the answer is somewhere else...
The point is that Major League Baseball's owners will not release their players for any international competitions. It isn't like soccer where there are financial mechanisms, and other forms of compensation to the teams, in place to allow their players to be there. Although MLB loudly claims to want to popularize the sport internationally, it's robbing itself of opportunities to do so by not having its best play at the Olympics and World Baseball Classic. MLB should be following basketball's example, instead.