Umm... US is head and shoulders above any other country in Basketball and Baseball. I don't think this is disputable.
And I still think we'd lose to Japan. Problem is the baseball season is such a marathon that many players just aren't in that "sense of urgency" mode, even to play for their country. It throws them off their routine. Just look at Oswalt so far. Japan for example looks like we're seeing their best product out on the field right now. Their pitchers are so deceiving with their delivery, it would take multiple games to get used to, and its games we don't have.
I get the premise of the WBC. Baseball was an afterthought in the Olympics because it conflicted with the MLB season (and some of Asian leagues as well I think) and there were no big names like there are in basketball. So enter the WBC where you can have a tournament that can actually use the best players in the world. The problem is that it's a very young tournament and it just doesn't command that much respect yet. I really don't think that American baseball players or fans as a whole are getting too embarrassed by not winning the tourney. Maybe somewhere down the road that will change but I don't see it in the immediate future. The WBC is like the FIBA World Championships. Who cares or even remembers that USA Basketball finished 3rd in 2006 or that they haven't won it since 1994 (Dream Team II)? If the Olympics eliminated basketball and there was only the FIBA WC, would people start caring more about the World Championships? I'm not so sure. Maybe the WBC will become a "World Cup" type tourney. But maybe it stays where it is. Time will tell. I also think it's a problem that it occurs during spring training. A lot of players are still in the process of trying to get their mojo back. It probably affects the pitchers more. They're still trying to build stamina and get in game shape. RoyO is still on a pitch count in the 65-70 range. The RoyO of Spring Training and the WBC isn't going to be the same dominant RoyO we'll see during the season when he's gotten back in game condition. It might be better to have it closer to the end of the World Series than to the beginning of the regular season. Enough time to give the players a nice little rest after a long regular season but not so long that they get a little rusty and have to try to get back in the groove. I'd also like to see double elimination in the final round like they have in the othesr round or a best 2 out of 3 series between the final two teams like the have in the College World Series.
The best "Talent" doesn't always win. Obviously, Team Japan and Team Korea had the best "TEAMS". It's all about making little to no mistakes, and playing well when it counts.
I always thought of baseball as the most individualistic team sport. The one least reliant on chemistry and familiarity. At least when compared to football, basketball, hockey, and soccer.
Are you telling me, that if the NBA switches its rules to match FIBA, that America all-star team would not be much better than any other national team? Or that if the WBC is played in the midst of the MLB season, and we sent our VERY best players, and that they actually care, that we're not much better than Japan? I'm not saying we're invincible. But in a theoretically round-robin of national baseball/basketball teams, no country would even touch the US.
I get your premise with this and the other post explaining lack of interest. Myself I just simply say whats wrong with caring? Its like its better to uphold the actual value of not caring than it is to actually put out some interest. The WBC doesnt totally have Americans as its focus, and we sense that. Does it mean cuz we're not the primary target audience that we have to devalue it? In the long run, I'm admittedly more caring of the home team Astros success than the world team's hypocritically enough. At the same time I RESPECT the Roy O's and Adam Dunn's going out there getting shellacked doing it for national pride, WAY more than the guys staying home cuz they couldnt break out the new fishing boat if they'da went
The reason USA was barely better than Spain was not because of some rule changes. That's being naive. So is the whole idea of Japan only winning because they were more mentally in it. That didn't seem to affect the US from getting to the semifinals in the first place. USA was punched in the mouth by Japan.
I don't think that "caring" equates to "mentally in it". For example, Berkman was asked to play and declined. Injuries caused the U.S. to play Mark Derosa at first base against Japan. Mark Derosa may be a good player, but he has never made an all-star team and he is the starting first baseman in an elimination game? Oswalt and Peavy are certainly two top-notch starters, but what about Lincecum, Sabathia and Hamels? Last July, Latroy Hawkins wasn't even pitching and he was one of the relievers? What about Ryan Howard and Joe Mauer? Clearly the U.S. didn't send their best players for various reasons (injuries, apathy, etc), but if the U.S. could send their best players and the tournament was held in June, I think you'd see different results.
Baseball is 90 percent pitching. If your best pitchers declined to show up, that's a major blow to the team.
I wonder why they didn't walk Ichiro with 2 outs and 2 on in the 10th? Is it some kind of Asian pride thing?
If I remember, there was only one runner in scoring position, so they might not have wanted to add another.
I would of taken my chance with the other guy. Ichiro rarely strikes out since he's a slap hitter. 2 runs scored anyways and 1 run would of been pretty much game over.
iwamura had already taken 2nd on fielder's indifference. regardless, you take the bat out of the hands of one of the best hitters in his era.
