kintaro 0 Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 ...and it wss good. Japan - world Champs. I thought the game was coached very well. They changed pitchers at the appropriate times, bunted when it mattered and in the end they outsmarted the Cubans. Great game! Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted March 22, 2006 Author Share Posted March 22, 2006 > Great game! Yes. I managed to enjoy it, for the first time. I thought it was also jolly sporting of the Cuban coach to praise Matsuzaka's pitching (typically, the only part of his comments the Japanese news deigned worthy of reporting...). Link to post Share on other sites
number9 0 Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 Entertaining and tense game for the final and Japan wins it all! Japan peaked at the right time in the tournament, just like Sweden did for hockey in Torino last month. US rules and Japan still wins Wonder if the Americans will take this seriously next time around in 2009, or will there even be a next time? Link to post Share on other sites
frannyo 2 Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 Why wouldn't there be a next time? Link to post Share on other sites
number9 0 Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 With the Americans crashing out in round 2, instead of winning their way through the semifinals and finals, only baseball fanatics would have been interested in the end of the tournament domestically (where most games were held and tournament finances depended upon), especially with March Madness going on. If WBC turned out to be a financial disaster, I'm not sure MLB will be willing to hold the event again, especially because this is commissioner Bud Selig's pet project, and his term is up in 2008 or some time before the next scheduled tournament. The football World Cup overcame European teams boycotting the tournament, so hopefully WBC will grow into a full fledged best on best tournament though. Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 My thoughts are that the fact that the Americans lost is a better result for the credibility of the tournament than if they had won. Had they won, then the reaction presumably would have been "Hey, we won without even sending our best team!" thus proving that it is only a novelty tournament. But the fact that they lost can only show that it isn't a joke tournament and that unless they put forward their best team they are gonna be beaten. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted March 24, 2006 Author Share Posted March 24, 2006 If Japanese media is to be trusted, it appears that US media has been paying attention. Apparently Matsuzaka goods are now selling well in the US. Link to post Share on other sites
scouser 4 Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 Big if you asking there Ocean! Link to post Share on other sites
kintaro 0 Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 Look for Matsuzaka in an MLB uniform soon. Link to post Share on other sites
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