Getting ready for the World Baseball Classic

Robert

Stay Frosty!
Jan 2, 1999
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dr1.com
Background on the World Baseball Classic

The first baseball tournament of nations will take place 3-20 March in sites in the United States, Japan and Puerto Rico. Four hundred of the world?s best players are representing 16 teams broken down into four groups. The United States, the DR, Japan and Cuba are the favorites in their respective groups.

Most people would automatically assume that the United States would be the huge favorite because of MLB (Major League Baseball) being centralized in the United States and the majority of major league players being American. However, this will in no way be David versus Goliath as the Dominican Republic has a huge representation of stars playing in Major League baseball. There are more than 75 Dominican players in the major leagues, most of which have signed on to represent their country. On paper, the Dominican team is arguably the best offensive team in the tournament.

Other teams such as Japan, Cuba and Venezuela also boast talented rosters to make for a very competitive and interesting tournament. Baseball is becoming much more of a global sport and some of the participating countries rosters reflect that.

In recent international play teams have been limited to university or minor league players due to the extensive schedule of MLB. Interestingly, the Major League Baseball-sponsored event is not named the World Cup of Baseball, as in football, because in addition to the Olympic Games baseball competition, there has already been an ongoing World Cup of Baseball. In the World Cup of Baseball held in 2005 in The Netherlands, 16 teams competed. The event is sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation, based in Switzerland, which also sanctions the new World Baseball Classic. Cuba has won the World Cup since 1976.

Stanley Javier is in charge of coordinating the Dominican team. He chose Manny Acta for manager. Acta has managed Dominican teams in recent years, including a winning spree with the Licey Tigers in 2004. He will lead the training camp for the Dominican team in a stadium that has been lucky for him, the Expos? Kissimmee club of the Florida State League. From 1998-2000, he managed that team and led it to its first ever league championship and was named Manager of the Year. Beginning in 2005, Acta has been third base for the New York Mets.

The preliminary roster of 60 players that may participate in the 2006 World Baseball Classic includes most of the Dominican stars in Major League Baseball. National League MVP Albert Pujols (STL) is there, as is the trio that made all the difference in the 2004 World Series - Pedro Martinez (NYM), David Ortiz (BOS) and Manny Ramirez (BOS). Other players are: Antonio Alfonseca (formerly with FLA), Ronnie Belliard (CLE), Adrian Beltre (SEA), Eude Brito (PHI), Juan Brito (ARI-2004), Daniel Cabrera (BAL), Robinson Cano (NYY), Alberto Castillo (WAS), Jesus Colome (Tb), Bartolo Colon (LAA), Francisco Cordero (TEX), Pedro Feliz (SF), Franklyn German (DET), Vladimir Guerrero (LAA), Pedro Martinez (NYM), Jose Mesa (COL), David Ortiz, (BOS), Wily Mo Pena (CIN), Neifi Perez (CHI), Placido Polanco (DET), Manny Ramirez (BOS), Felix Rodriguez (formerly with NYY), Duaner Sanchez (NYM), Alfonso Soriano (WSH), Julian Tavarez (formerly STL), Miguel Tejada (BAL), Robinson Tejeda (PHI), Salomon Torres (PIT), among others.

The final 30-man roster will be announced five days before the start of the Classic. The pre-selected 60 who have agreed to participate in the team if they are chosen for the 30-team roster are listed at http://www.worldbaseballclassic.com/2006/rosters/index.jsp?sid=t805

The World Baseball Classic site still includes the name of Alex Rodr?guez as playing for the DR. He announced he would play for the US, his country of birth.
 
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rellosk

Silver
Mar 18, 2002
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Robert starting a post regarding baseball? Wow, he's really becoming Dominicanized.

Good post, I never knew there was a "World Cup of Baseball". Nor did I know there is an "International Baseball Federation, based in Switzerland". I'll have to read up on it when I have time.

Never mind, I just read in another thread that Robert wasn't the impetus for the posting, it was done in the interest of DR1. Robert is still as British as ever.
 
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DRPAWA

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Sep 3, 2004
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Robert, next to A-Rod's name in the DR roster you'll see an asterisk which indicates - has declined to participate (for DR, that is).
 

Cleef

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Feb 24, 2002
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Jolly old Beisbol

rellosk said:
Robert starting a post regarding baseball? Wow, he's really becoming Dominicanized.

Good post, I never knew there was a "World Cup of Baseball". Nor did I know there is an "International Baseball Federation, based in Switzerland". I'll have to read up on it when I have time.

Wait until Robert finds out that Great Britain was the first champion of the World Cup of Baseball ? they will not however, have the opportunity to end their 68-year drought in 2006.
 

trina

Silver
Jan 3, 2002
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Robert, you really sound like you know what you're talking about (heh heh)...I think you've been a closet baseball fan all along!