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WBC 2023

Memnon

Memnon

Dejazmach
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2023 World Baseball Classic is kicking off today in Taiwan & Tokyo; the once 3-year annual tournament had taken a hiatus after the 2017 season due to the 2020 C19 outbreak, but is back this Spring.

The US won the last WBC Title in 2017, but the Dominican Republic’s roster is as stacked as its been since the infamous 06 team that surprisingly didn’t win. However, they are the favorites to taking it home this year given the amount of hitting they have.

Venezuela has a really good team as well, but it’ll be interesting to see what Cuba & Japan will do with both squads having some big time talent. I’m also looking forward to seeing what Mexico does because they actually have a pretty good team for this tournament & many of the guys from the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol on their national team are legit Pros. The US plays them on Saturday.

Idk how many of you are fans or even pay attention to the WBC, but those who do, who are you interested in seeing & who ya got winning it all?
 
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- DR is the pick with that roster.

- US Squad showing deference to MLB owners on starting pitching like always.

- From my perspective NPB pitching has fallen so far (or maybe because it’s just a more global game these days there is less ambiguity as to what the talent level is and what is mystique).

- LCE, good point about Mexico, Mexican League competition really seemed ramped up last year during my box score checking.

- Curious what the Dutch do, more talent coming from Curaçao than ever.

- Hoping Miggie makes some noise with the bat, from a fan perspective.
 
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88 said:
That US lineup, wow
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Really just hair-splitting, but if you look at the metrics/analytics from 2022, the American top 9 is actually better than DR. DR has the pitching advantage though, and I don't think it's even particularly close.
 
Ajcane8 said:
Really just hair-splitting, but if you look at the metrics/analytics from 2022, the American top 9 is actually better than DR. DR has the pitching advantage though, and I don't think it's even particularly close.
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Doesn't look that close at first glance tbh
 
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88 said:
Doesn't look that close at first glance tbh
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I know where my money is going in a one-game playoff between the reigning NL Cy winner and... Brady Singer? Adam Wainwright? Clayton Kershaw?

The last start by DR's 4th best pitcher was 6 no-hit innings in the world series. We got Adam Ottavino.
 
Ajcane8 said:
I know where my money is going in a one-game playoff between the reigning NL Cy winner and... Brady Singer? Adam Wainwright? Clayton Kershaw?

The last start by DR's 4th best pitcher was 6 no-hit innings in the world series. We got Adam Ottavino.
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Ya, it's kind of a joke but why are the MLB owners Ok w one of their DR stud pitchers getting hurt vs a U.S. pitcher? I suspect because the DR cares a lot more about this pseudo Olympic baseball tournament, given that most casual U.S. fans probably don't even know it exists.

I seem to recall a pitcher getting hurt years ago and the owners likely said, ..."no mas". And who can blame them w the ridiculous amounts of money some are paid.
 
BP Joe said:
Ya, it's kind of a joke but why are the MLB owners Ok w one of their DR stud pitchers getting hurt vs a U.S. pitcher? I suspect because the DR cares a lot more about this pseudo Olympic baseball tournament, given that most casual U.S. fans probably don't even know it exists.

I seem to recall a pitcher getting hurt years ago and the owners likely said, ..."no mas". And who can blame them w the ridiculous amounts of money some are paid.
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The Caribbean Latin American pitchers also tend to have much stronger arms than the American pitchers do, so there’s probably less worry of any major injury.

There’s a lot more National pride for them, so even if the MLB owners didn’t necessarily want them to participate in the WBC, most of the DR, PR, Venezuela etc guys would still want to & probably do it anyway.

However, most of the top Cubano players from the MLB are not in the tournament but that’s due to the fact they can’t play for their National team once they leave Cuba.
 
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BP Joe said:
Ya, it's kind of a joke but why are the MLB owners Ok w one of their DR stud pitchers getting hurt vs a U.S. pitcher? I suspect because the DR cares a lot more about this pseudo Olympic baseball tournament, given that most casual U.S. fans probably don't even know it exists.

I seem to recall a pitcher getting hurt years ago and the owners likely said, ..."no mas". And who can blame them w the ridiculous amounts of money some are paid.
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I have a hard time with the injury argument. If Sandy was pitching in a "normal" spring game, would he not be trying as hard to get guys out?

And, I don't think anyone is "ok" with someone getting hurt, but if you're going to blow out your arm in March, you're going to blow out your arm in March - doesn't really matter if it happens in front of 4,000 people in Jupiter or 40,000 at Marlins Park.

Why Kershaw didn't pitch in the last two (when he was winning Cy's) and decided to pitch in this one (when he is way over the hill) is a question I hope someone asks him. And I doubt the honest answer would be "Dodgers owners said they were worried I might get hurt."
 
Ajcane8 said:
I know where my money is going in a one-game playoff between the reigning NL Cy winner and... Brady Singer? Adam Wainwright? Clayton Kershaw?

The last start by DR's 4th best pitcher was 6 no-hit innings in the world series. We got Adam Ottavino.
Click to expand...

If the Marlins are letting him actually stretch out his innings they're ******* mor... oh wait
 
Ajcane8 said:
I have a hard time with the injury argument. If Sandy was pitching in a "normal" spring game, would he not be trying as hard to get guys out?

And, I don't think anyone is "ok" with someone getting hurt, but if you're going to blow out your arm in March, you're going to blow out your arm in March - doesn't really matter if it happens in front of 4,000 people in Jupiter or 40,000 at Marlins Park.

Why Kershaw didn't pitch in the last two (when he was winning Cy's) and decided to pitch in this one (when he is way over the hill) is a question I hope someone asks him. And I doubt the honest answer would be "Dodgers owners said they were worried I might get hurt."
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No, he wouldn't IMO, and you sort of made my point w the second question - he was way more valuable when he was in his prime.
 
BP Joe said:
No, he wouldn't IMO, and you sort of made my point w the second question - he was way more valuable when he was in his prime.
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So, in your opinion, even by the time a guy's 3rd spring start rolls around, he's just going through the motions? I never pitched in Spring - but I know guys who did, and they would beg to differ. Sure, no one would be trying to go full bore for 7+, but by the middle of March they were going 100%.

Which brings me to the other point - if your arm is gonna go, it's gonna go. No use worrying about when it hypothetically might happen.
 
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