Cuba in the World Baseball Classic - Let Them Play!

[spin]

Cuba offers to donate any money it would recieve to Katrina victims

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2269713

Wow, it's hard not to be a little impressed with this move. I'm going to get myself a Team Cuba cap.

 

[EagerBeaver]

A Rod Decides to Play for USA

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2280183

I guess A-Rod discovered that his loyalty to the USA is more important than whatever fleeting loyalty he felt towards the Dominican Republic.

He's a true patriot, IMHO. Now the USA team will feature 3 Yankees, Jeter, A-Rod and Damon.

 

[voyageur11]

He was born in N.Y. live in Florida for most of is his life He is American and not Dominican

 

[HonestAbe]

Government flip flops on Cuba's participation in Tourney.

Anonymous sources out of Washington this morning are reporting that the US goverment has buckled under pressure and decided to allow the Cuba National team to play in the tournament after all. Halle-freakin-lujah.

 

[EagerBeaver]

USA 2 Mexico 0

Chipper Jones and Derrek Lee homers acounted for the runs.

Go Team USA! Bring on Cuba!

 

[spin]

I didn't get to see any of the game, what position is Chipper playing? I'm glad to hear he homered yesterday (he's my favorite player), I have been wondering what they were going to do with him seeing as you guys have an All Star Yankee shortstop playing 3rd.

Canada came back to beat South Africa by the way, so far we're doing just as good as the Canadian Men's Olympic Hockey team (they won they're first game too)

 

[Doc Holliday]

\Canada came back to beat South Africa by the way, so far we're doing just as good as the Canadian Men's Olympic Hockey team (they won they're first game too)

Until last night, i didn't even realize that they played baseball in South Africa. Now, losing to South Africa would have been as bad as the hockey team losing to Switzerland!

 

[EagerBeaver]

Spin,

Chipper and A-Rod are alternating at third base for Team USA. I believe A-Rod started and Chipper spelled him later in the game.

 

[spin]

Thanks EagerBeaver,

Anyone know who's got the rights to this in Canada, I can't find anyone carrying the games???

I guess now I know what it feels like to be a Hockey fan in New Mexico.

It's too bad I was looking forward to this, if done the right way I think this will be good for baseball every sport needs a World Championship of some kind, I love the atmosphere it brings to the game.

I really like the flag waving and the fans chanting their countries name, it just seems t mean more when you are playing/cheering for your country opposed to your employer.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Anyone know who's got the rights to this in Canada, I can't find anyone carrying the games???

The games are being showed on Rogers Sportsnet. By the way, great game going on right now....Canada is leading the USA by a score of 8-6. It was 8-0 earlier in the game, but Varitek hit a grandslam a couple of innings ago. Could it be? Could it happen? What would we call it? The Miracle on Turf?

 

[picasso]

Andruw Jones

playing for the Netherlands? How weird! I had no idea the guy is a Dutch citizen.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Canada 8, USA 6

What an embarassment! The USA pitching shelled, Adam Stern of the Red Sox hit an in-the-park homer (lucky carom off the wall). A total disaster.

Worst of all and most infuriating was Chase Utley's pseudo-imitation of Reggie Jackson after hitting a ball to the center field fence, which was caught. Chase Utley IS NOT REGGIE JACKSON! Reggie Jackson earned the right to admire his home runs, and he only admired them when they were long gone. For Chase Utley to do what he did, is to me the most embarassing moment in baseball in recent memory. To stand there and admire a fly ball to the warning track, was just 100% pure shameful behavior.

 

[Special K]

All in all a pretty disgusting display by Team USA minus Varitek of course. This team of USA all stars couldn't hit a pitcher who was playing single A ball last year, not even double a, but SINGLE F'N A BALL! That's what happens when you have a team full of egos. We'll see if they can make it to the 2nd round now.

As for the Canadian team, thanks to RED SOX alum Adam Stern for an amazing performance! Maybe he'll be able to crack the roster as a back up outfielder this year...he sure did seem to look alot bigger than last year though

 

[Doc Holliday]

As for the Canadian team, thanks to RED SOX alum Adam Stern for an amazing performance! Maybe he'll be able to crack the roster as a back up outfielder this year...he sure did seem to look alot bigger than last year though

I agree! Stern was absolutely amazing and it would have been great if he could have ended the game with that diving catch in the 9th, where the ball scooted out as he hit the turf. Too bad Canada doesn't have it's top guns on the hill, such as Gagne, Dempster and Harden. I thought Larry Walker would have played for Canada, but i guess his knees didn't cooperate. Too bad....

 

[eastender]

What an embarassment!

What an embarassment! The USA pitching shelled, Adam Stern of the Red Sox hit an in-the-park homer (lucky carom off the wall). A total disaster.

Worst of all and most infuriating was Chase Utley's pseudo-imitation of Reggie Jackson after hitting a ball to the center field fence, which was caught. Chase Utley IS NOT REGGIE JACKSON! Reggie Jackson earned the right to admire his home runs, and he only admired them when they were long gone. For Chase Utley to do what he did, is to me the most embarassing moment in baseball in recent memory. To stand there and admire a fly ball to the warning track, was just 100% pure shameful behavior.

Yes giving up six runs after building a nice lead was embarassing.

Truth of the matter is the format works against the major leaguers.The lack of a full spring training is a great equalizer.

 

[HonestAbe]

Figures

Two of the most important figures in the game were both Red Sox. Must be a pride, guts, and determination thing.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Two of the most important figures in the game were both Red Sox. Must be a pride, guts, and determination thing.

I was wondering the same thing....or maybe it's because the Americans have too many overpaid egos (Jeter, Pay-Rod, Damon, etc) on their roster.

 

[spin]

Adam Stern of the Red Sox hit an in-the-park homer (lucky carom off the wall)

C'mon EagerBeaver give the kid a break, an inside-the-park homer is not something you see everyday lucky bounce or not.

Maybe the Baseball Gods are punishing Team USA for putting A-Rod on the team after his nonsense about not knowing who to play for.

I do agree with you 100% on Chase Utley there was no excuse for that. The US still has a better baseball team than we do, no question, but it felt good to be on the other side of an upset for a change - Takes a little bit of the sting away from our 2-0 loss to the Swiss in the Olympics.

Lets hope we don't meet them again in the next round, we won't beat them twice.

 

[Doc Holliday]

How can Puerto Rico have it's own team? PR is part of the United States. If they want their own team, let them separate from the US.

Well, you have a point. But it's a US territory (colony?), not a State. The same could be said about Iraq....why was it allowed to participate on its own in the Olympics or other competition?

 

[Doc Holliday]

The US still has a better baseball team than we do, no question, but it felt good to be on the other side of an upset for a change - Takes a little bit of the sting away from our 2-0 loss to the Swiss in the Olympics.

Lets hope we don't meet them again in the next round, we won't beat them twice.

The more i reflect upon this, the more i'm convinced that this is bigger than the US hockey team beating the Soviets in the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. Think about it....Canada beat a bunch of selfish & overpaid baseball superstars.....on their own soil! This fact alone will increase Ernie Whitt's stake in the world of MLB. Now, if they could beat them again...that would be absolutely fantastic!