The US is out. Who can beat us now?

[SKY]

Bookmakers have D.R. favorite to win.


World Baseball Classic Baseball - Sat 3/18
Game Run Line Money Line Total Runs More
Sat 3/18 975 Cuba +214 OVER 9 +105
12:00 PM 976 Dominican Republic -240 UNDER 9 -115
Sat 3/18 977 Japan -160 OVER 7.5 +102
07:00 PM 978 Korea +145 UNDER 7.5 -112

 

[Marilyn]

MLB writer now lists Cuba as the favorite to win the tournament.

See http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/...t_id=1353118&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

I don't doubt Cuba can win, they have a great team, they play very aggressively and are very disciplined, but forecasts are meaningless at this point, the favorites to reach the finals were US and Venezuela, and where are they now? many people thought DR didn't have a chance after Pedro, Many, Alex and Vladimir opted out, and here we are; also, we already beat Cuba in PR, why couldn't we beat them again?

Of course, after seeing the performance of the Cuban throughout the classic we all know that they have "finals" written all over them, but so do the other teams, we are in for a great showdown tomorrow.

For those living in DR the Cuba-DR game will be televised live at 4PM local time on channel 37 CDN and ESPN2 and the Korea-Japan game will be at 11PM local time.

 

[DRPAWA]

World Baseball Classic Champions?????????????

Good points Marilyn. The only team I don't think should be feared by the other 3 is Japan. They just have been underwhelming.

So, whatever team wins this tournament will be known as the World Baseball Classic Champions. Is that not right? If so, do you all believe it should be World Champions of Baseball?

Also, shouldn't MLB change the name of the world series to the MLB Series Champs or something like that that does not contain the word World? The game may have been invented in the US but they sure AIN'T champions of the world!
Who cares if they didn't have all of their best players representing their team - that's their internal affair. Other teams, as pointed out by Marilyn (like DR) didn't have some of their best players either!

Cleef, I don't know if this should just be a new thread. If so, feel free.

Thanks

 

[Marilyn]

...shouldn't MLB change the name of the world series to the MLB Series Champs or something like that that does not contain the word World? The game may have been invented in the US but they sure AIN'T champions of the world!

That's a good point, I always wondered why it was called the World Series when only national teams played. Since both events are backed (or owned) by MLB, they will have to rethink the names, because "they sure ain't the world champions no more, no siree"...

I don't think this worked out as they expected... will there be another World Baseball Classic?

 

[baseballfan_01]

defitly it is korea IMO, they havent lose yet, and they were against everyone... Japan came as one of the favorites in the asian group, why? simply, they have the best baseball league after MLB... korea won 2 matches against 'em, and also against USA, the "BIG" favorite... they didnt lose in the 2nd round, a hard one, cuz USA, Japan and Mexico, arent easy teams, yeah... i bet no one knew mexico was that strong uh? (they gave fight against korea, maybe not against japan, but it still a great team, someday near the future, it will be the favorite to win)... but thats not the point... korea didnt have an easy road... (except for china and taipei or whatever)...

so, i'd like to see cuba and korea in the finals, that would be great...

 

[baseballfan_01]

almost forgot it, it would be great also if DR wins, to shut alex rodriguez mouth (i dont hate him, in fact, i love this player it is awesome)... and yeah, he was born in new york, but his parents are from DR and he also moved to DR when we was 4 and moved back 4 years later... he is so latin... i bet he played for the USA cuz he tought he would win...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latino_Legends_Team

alex rodriguez, shortstop in the latino legends team

 

[Musicqueen]

Marilyn: At the beginning, everyone was saying that 'it didn't work out as planned'...but after seeing the fans response all over the world to this event, Bud Selig is smiling from ear to ear...

The next WBC is gonna be in 2009...they have to figure out WHEN during the year they're gonna have it...but they will have it...

And Alex who??? Oh, you mean Me-Rod? Yeah, he sure is sorry now that he didn't play for the DR...but I'm glad he didn't...he got what he deserved!!!

MQ

 

[THE GAME]

almost forgot it, it would be great also if DR wins, to shut alex rodriguez mouth (i dont hate him, in fact, i love this player it is awesome)... and yeah, he was born in new york, but his parents are from DR and he also moved to DR when we was 4 and moved back 4 years later... he is so latin... i bet he played for the USA cuz he tought he would win...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latino_Legends_Team

alex rodriguez, shortstop in the latino legends team

i would love dr to win but in a way i want cuba to win... why?
so the players can come to play in US soil and escape from the team
and ask for asylum and join a mlb team. :ninja:

 

[Marilyn]

You're right MQ, the fans respon$e ha$ been overwhelming... will there be a full house on Saturday? that's the big question. There's not many Dominicans and Cubans in San Diego and the American fans are too disappointed, they might watch it on TV, but spend money on a ticket. I think many non-latin fans will come to the games to see David Ortiz and to watch the Cubans play, just because of the mystic surrounding them.

 

[Don Juan]

Difficult call, but I'll go with DR.

Not necessarily because I'm biased (which I am) but because when you measured up our boys against theirs, they come up short.

Consider this: Cuba has good pitching but no "proven" power hitter. We gots power galore!
Anybody can beat anybody at any time regardless of how good or bad your roster may be. Just look what happened when the mighty US played lowly Mexico last night.
So it's very possible Cuba may get lucky, but odds are that they won't. We're gonna throw our weight around in the form of Ortiz, Pujols, Beltre, Polanco and, most importantly, our Cy young winner and that other 6' 4" whatshisname.

Cuba brought along that all-important "nationalistic fervor" with them. But so did we. They're gonna play us hard and they're gonna play us with intensity. They'll give everything they have. They came to win..... Perhaps the US didn't care enough to win and that's why they let less talented teams beat them...... But, we care greatly AND we have the better team.
Cuba can certainly beat us, but it's gonna take a mighty effort to do so.

My prediction: DR 6, Cuba 4.

 

[El_cubano]

Like they did this past week? That ball Ortiz hit, could have carried a few of the Cubans to freedom had they hopped on board.

Yes! the same way!!!!!!! Jaaaaaaaaaaajajajaajajajajajajajajajaja. More respect to my team, please.

 

[El_cubano]

I heard the ball landed on a fishing vessell in the South Pacific after re-entered the atmosphere, a melted core was all that was left...


Joke aside, the Cubans are tough, we need to bring out heavy artillery to beat them, after all, like we say: "la pelota es redonda y viene en caja cuadrada", meaning "the ball is round and comes in a square box" anything can happen, I think both teams have great possibility of winning, there's no David against Goliath here, may the best team win.

And that fat guy (what's his name, Ortiz?) was 0-4? or was it 0-5? jaaaajejejejejejejejea.

A Cuba se respeta!

 

[Marilyn]

You don't earn respect this way...

And that fat guy (what's his name, Ortiz?) was 0-4? or was it 0-5? jaaaajejejejejejejejea.

A Cuba se respeta!

Hey Cubano, when DR lost I said I would cheer for Cuba on the finals, don't make me change my mind, don't be a sore winner...

Just because the semifinals was set up wrong and you win one game against DR doesn't make Cuba better, didn't we beat you 7-2 before? IT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE FROM A 3-1 WIN. After all, we came to the semifinals having won 5-1 and you came 4-2, you barely made it. Winning yesterday's game doesn't make you better, look at Korea and Japan, Japan barely made it and just based on that one game they knocked Korea out the competition, a team that has been unbeaten from the beginning, in my opinion, the weakest team of the 4 will be in the finals.

 

[El_cubano]

A llorar a maternidad, fact is Cuba sent home DR team and is in the finals!

 

[NY1]

Indeed they did. Why not go back and celebrate in your homeland?

 

[El_cubano]

I will on my next trip in July! Cuba campion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[toneloc24]

How many people were wrong on this thread alone? LOL!!!

That being said, Cuba, fittingly, will win tonight.

How funny would it have been if Cuba and China made it to the finals of "America's Game"?

 

[Marilyn]

How many people were wrong on this thread alone? LOL!!!

That being said, Cuba, fittingly, will win tonight.

How funny would it have been if Cuba and China made it to the finals of "America's Game"?

Talk about being wrong...

All said, I wanted Cuba to win

 

[toneloc24]

Talk about being wrong...

All said, I wanted Cuba to win

Yeah, me too (about Cuba). Something to be said about the little guy (island situation).

I don't think ANYBODY predicted Japan would have won when this all started. It was fun, but nothing like the World Cup this summer. Now that will be a party!!!

 

[Marilyn]

...I don't think ANYBODY predicted Japan would have won when this all started. It was fun, but nothing like the World Cup this summer. Now that will be a party!!!

Yes, now we have to let the Baseball Classic 2006 rest in peace, hard as it is to let go, but I'm already looking forward to the World Series and winter baseball in DR, which is very exciting, of course, before all that happens, there's the world cup in the summer, this is great!!!