Expect the unexpected at World Baseball Classic

“It was good to show the world that we can play baseball” Dutch player Sidney de Jong says after catching the classic’s first no-hitter. news@theheraldnewspapers.com The Critics were wrong. Fans and players alike have been taken aback by the World Baseball Classic. One of the many tidbits given for a player on the back of a baseball card is the place where they were born. Never has this small, many times overlooked factoid been more pertinent. The inaugural World Baseball Classic (WBC) began on March 3rd, pitting 16 teams from the same number of countries against one another for, more than anything, pride of the places that made them who they are. “They are playing for the pride of their countries and (the real world) championship,” states the official phrase of the invitational. This classic has brought out different emotions from it’s players. The kind that you can only get in battle with your countrymen. Ivan ‘Pudge’ Rodriguez is known throughout clubhouses in the big leagues as a quiet guy. He was everything but quiet in a motivating speech he gave to his fellow Puerto Ricans before their first game. The originators of the event seem to have modeled the contest after soccer’s World Cup. The competition has been divided into four pools, each with four teams. Of the teams expected to do well are Venezuela, Dominican Republic, and the birthplace of baseball, the United States. Also expected to make noise are Japan and Puerto Rico. One of the first-round games between Venezuela and the Dominican Republic exemplified the tournament perfectly. The sunny fan friendly ballparks present the perfect atmosphere for baseball. Roughly 11,000 fans from the other side of the gulf packed the stands in Orlando with horns, whistles, and of course, flags from their respected countries. “This is what baseball is all about,” stated Harold Reynolds, a former Mariners big-leaguer during the game. If you thought the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry was intense, you should have seen this game. During the preliminary hype and forecasts of the event, many were critical of the WBC, scoffing at it’s pertinence. They questioned the interest level of spectators and audiences, also pondering the possibility of injury. ESPN2 aired the United State’s second game on March 9th. The game which featured an unthinkable upset at the hands of team Canada drew an audience of over 1,736,000 viewers, accounting for the station’s most watched telecast of any kind this year. Along with the USA/Mexico game, “the classic” has accounted for the two highest rated programs for ESPN2 in 2006. As for the concern of MLB owners and coaches involving injuries, the medical staff has been top-notch to this point. They have pounced on the slightest possibility of anything detrimental to these players’ precious careers. Yet another interesting, somewhat unexpected angle that has presented itself is the quality of play throughout the competition. Surprisingly enough, the Netherlands has a team, and even more surprisingly, they have competed. Eighteen year old Shairon Martis made his first impression on televison by throwing a no hitter against Panama. Their only well-known player in the states, Atlanta Braves center fielder Andruw Jones, had this to say, “It’s still baseball, you still have to go out there and do the right things.” And do the right things they did. Even with the stellar 10-0 shutout performance, the Dutch record stood at 1-2, which was not enough to qualify for the next round. They finished third in their pool behind Puerto Rico and Cuba. They had nothing to hang their heads about though. “It was good to show the world that we can play baseball,” said catcher Sidney de Jong. Along with the newest member of the no-hit club, several other players have made an impact against MLB competition. Many of these “hometown heroes” have hopes to one day play baseball professionally in the states. A few of team Canada’s players in particular have heightened awareness of their skill with hope to some day soon play in the Majors. When farm-league pitcher Adam Loewen took the mound for team Canada, the ferocious US lineup must have been salivating. Little did US coach Buck Martinez know that Loewen, a Class A pitcher last season, would lead the Canadians to victory against the star-studded American order. “He showed a lot of poise for a guy who hasn’t pitched above A ball.” The story thus far has been the unfathomable efforts given from the countries not known for their skill on the diamond. Now with the field cut in half, the US focuses on Japan, Korea, and Mexico and hopes for no more surprises. By most assessments, the US has the easier path to the semi-final round. The other pool includes Cuba, perhaps the most intriguing team in ‘the classic’; Venezuela, who has the best pitching rotation; The Dominican Republic, who have been labeled the ‘favorite;’ and Puerto Rico, a country which has produced 120 MLB players. It’s anyone’s ballgame at this point, but the US players have put all their focus on making arrangements on March 20th to be in San Diego for the World Baseball Classic Championship.