Nebo86

Edwin Rodríguez -- Manager, José “Tony” Valentín -- Bench Coach, Carlos Delgado -- Hitting Coach, Ricky Bones -- Pitching Coach, José ‘Cheo’ Rosado -- Bullpen Coach, Carlos Baerga -- First Base Coach, Josué Espada -- Third Base Coach

Source: Puerto Rico: Un paso más al Clásico Mundial de Beisbol :: Revista Multimedia :: Análisis

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Nebo86

New “Classic” Preparations Undercut “Classic” Cuban League Season


An opening WBC matchup with Brazil brings back memories of a dramatic Kendry Morales home run a full decade ago.

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Nebo86

Here are my preliminary WBC predictions:

Group A
1. Japan
2. Cuba
3. Brazil
4. China

Group B
1. South Korea
2. Netherlands
3. Taiwan
4. Australia

Group C
1. Venezuela
2. Dominican Republic
3. Puerto Rico
4. Spain

Group D
1. United States
2. Canada
3. Mexico
4. Italy

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bohringer9

I may have picked the exact same order of finish as you nebo, but for the sake of argument I will make different predictions (I'll comment anytime we disagree).

Group A
Cuba (I don't know too much about this team, and I know they had a rash of defections, but it still should be good)
Japan (They look like they won't have a full choice of players, which may make them vulnerable, but still favorites)
Brazil
China

Group B
South Korea
Netherlands
Austraila (They've held their own in the WBC before, and it odd to see a team with so much talent go winless)
Taiwan (I know they had a great year all around, but they lost to china in '09, and it's a tough group)

Group C
Venezuela
Puerto Rico (They still have a very good team, and if they can pitch, they can go far)
Dominican Republic (I guess I'm just betting that perhaps the best offensive team can't put it all together once again)
Spain

Group C (No disagreements)
United States
Canada
Mexico
Italy

I should be interested to see your prediction of the later rounds although I know it is somewhat silly.

Nebo86

With the information we have so far, here is how I would rate the WBC Pools in terms of competitiveness:

Pool C: Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, & Spain make up the Group of Death, with three teams that are top 8 caliber, plus a Latin infused Spain, this pool promises to be nothing short of spectacular. Just imagine the atmosphere in San Juan when Puerto Rico (quietly with two WBC 5th place finishes) take on the galaxies of stars from Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Every game will have at least one of these three heavy weights.

Pool B: South Korea, Netherlands, Australia & Taiwan make up a very interesting group. South Korea is hands down the best in the group, but the other three teams are more evenly matched. In the previous two WBCs the Netherlands (3-6), Taiwan (1-4) and Australia (1-5) have only one top eight finish and two last places finishes. Either way, one of those three is hosting a WBCQ in 2016 and another will rumble in the next round with opponents above their weight class. This group has three 3rd place caliber teams, but with only one third place available...

Pool D: United States, Mexico, Italy & Canada will be bad news for Italy. The Qualifier rounds are not where the three North American teams want to end up, so they will prepare better than before. The United States and Mexico have two top eight finishes each, Canada has a third and fourth place finish, and Italia has two third places. The Pan Am champions have a score to settle with the two time reigning European champions, will it end up the same as 2009, or will Italy be hosting a WBCQ in 2016?

Pool A: Japan, Cuba, China & Brazil, is the least competitive group with the two time WBC champions and the IBAF #1 ranked team. China has a rough road ahead with a formidable Brazil being the least difficult of their match-ups. Japan and Cuba should not have a difficult time advancing to the second round; China is a 4th place team and should start gearing up to host a WBCQ in 2016.

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Nebo86

I'll complete a bracket style post just before the WBC and see how it goes. I want to get a better idea of what the rosters will look like.

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Nebo86

Terrible news for Team Canada: Scott Diamond had elbow surgery to remove bone chip

Read @ Scott Diamond had elbow surgery to remove bone chip | HardballTalk

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Nebo86

The President of Mexico's summer league, Plinio Escalante says that if any player from LMB plays in the WBC, they will not be allowed to participate in the upcoming LMB season.

Read the article in Spanish: El Universal - Deportes - Castigos de LMB por Clásico Mundial

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Nebo86

South Korean roster for World Baseball Classic to be finalized this week

Read whole article @ S. Korean roster for World Baseball Classic to be finalized this week: KBO | YONHAP NEWS

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Nebo86

WBC Countdown: 57 days, #57 Johan Santana started 2 games for Venezuela in 2006, but lost both games despite his 2.16 ERA in 8.1 IP.

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