世界の最もよい野球

Not Cuba, not the United States and certainly, not the Dominican Republic. If there were any doubts Japan has the best baseball in the world, they were erased when they repeated as world champions after defeating Asian arch-rival Korea in the dramatic conclusion of the WBC.

On their way they also defeated perennial international champion Cuba, twice. The Cubans are now 3-0 against Japan in the Classic. Dice-K scored also his second WBC MVP and Ichiro helped score the winning run. Sayonara my friends.

March baseball

The World Baseball Classic has had a few surprises. The semifinals start this weekend with the United States, who won in dramatic fashion, rallying in the bottom of the night to beat Puerto Rico. Just a few days earlier Puerto Rico gave the Americans their most humiliating defeat in the history of international baseball. Not so lucky with Venezuela, who seems to have the gringo's number. Hugo Chavez must be smiling. The American squad has been riddled with injuries so it'll be interesting to see how far they can make it.

Japan also seems to have Cuba's number, beating them twice to give the perennial baseball champion its earlier exit in an international baseball tournament. South Korea, on the other hand, seems to have Japan figured out. The semifinals are going to be a display of redemption, or domination.

Who said this is just an exhibition? The second Netherlands and Dominican Republic game, and the second U.S.A. and Puerto Rico game were some of the best baseball seen in years.

And the A-Rod pic? Well, it's here for comedy's sake. Dominicans need a little humor after being bumped off so early.

Dominican bats down in Nether-world

The Dutch sent the Dominicans packing in the first round of the World Baseball Classic by beating them not once, but TWICE. Dominican pitching, lead by free-agent Pedro was fine, but the bats... the bats... where were they?