2006 World Baseball Classic

[bigboydan]

now with cuba being out of this event. i gotta starting really looking at this one indepth.

lets get a serious discussion going on this event.

Australia +50000
Canada +5000
China +75000
Cuba N/A (not playing)
Dominican Republic +100
Italy +25000
Japan +1000
Korea +2000
Mexico +4000
Netherlands +10000
Panama +5000
Puerto Rico +1000
South Africa +50000
Taiwan +1500
USA +125
Venezuela +800

[tacomax]

Someone (might have been you BBD) asked a question in another thread about the doping policy for the games.

The tournament was announced in May 2005. MLB had been attempting to create such a tournament for at least two years; negotiations with the players union and with the owners had held the plan back. Owners, notably Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, had been concerned about their star players being injured in professional play before even spring training begins. This was a concern for the union as well, but their primary objection was with drug testing: MLB wanted the more strenuous Olympic standards in place for the tournament, while the union wanted current MLB standards in place. Eventually the Commissioner's office won out on both issues, with a deal being reached on insurance for player contracts and a fairly tough drug testing standard. MLB teams will not be able to block their players from participating.

[Illusion]

I asked, and thanks for posting taco. I'm glad they are going with the stricter policy.

[tacomax]

Are Cuba definately out of the competition?

In any case, it's pretty pathetic that the US government are taking this stance.

[Illusion]

I take it nobody is replacing Cuba in the 16 team feild.

[tacomax]

They will have to or it will screw up the whole event. I heard that Nicaragua and Colombia are lined up as possible replacements should they finally decide to exclude Cuba.

[tacomax]

Whatever has been already said, I reckon they will be playing come the start of the competition. Also, before the USA "ban" I read that Cuba themselves were going to ban any Cuban players from the team who play for American MLB teams - not particularly helpful either.

In all honesty, it's turning into a bit of a farce with that and the problems with the Japanese. You would have thought that all this could have been ironed out before the competition was announced.

[clonecat]

Venezuala to me has good value at 8-1. Santana, Zambrano, Garcia, with Carrara to setup and Franky Rodriquez in to close. No depth in the battting lineup, but will easily be one of the final four and if they are setup right in the staff tough to go against Santana and Carlos Zambrano (don't want some smart ass thinking Victor).

Also don't know what kind of pitch count they may be on. This is something that can definitely shoot a lot of holes in my theory.

[aje]

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/wbc/rosters.jsp

Current Rosters

[tacomax]

Poor Andruw Jones.

[tacomax]

Any other thoughts on this?

I really can't see past DR for this but since the semis and the final are a one-match elimination, anything can happen.

[Illusion]

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/wbc/rosters.jsp

Current Rosters

Thanks for posting this bud.

[onlooker]

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/wbc/rosters.jsp

Current Rosters

Great link aje. Appreciate it.

I guess Andruw Jones is going to have to take his bat and glove and go home.

[onlooker]

AROD is a attention whore. He loves that crap.

JUST DECIDE ALREADY!!!

[Illusion]

I'm sure he'll wanna play with the USA tomorrow. He needs to make up his mind

[onlooker]

I'm sure he'll wanna play with the USA tomorrow. He needs to make up his mind

I see on ESPN News in the Breaking News Box in the bottom right, it says AROD will play for the US in the WBC.

This his final answer?

[tacomax]

AROD is a attention whore. He loves that crap.

JUST DECIDE ALREADY!!!

I reckon it's part that and part building up the hype before the competition.

[onlooker]

I reckon it's part that and part building up the hype before the competition.

True, but AROD loves to be center of attention it seems. And he is again in this WBC.

[Illusion]

I see on ESPN News in the Breaking News Box in the bottom right, it says AROD will play for the US in the WBC.

This his final answer?

I hope it's his final answer.

[bigboydan]

heres the latest on the cuba situation:

Castro suggests U.S. doesn't want to play Cuba in Classic

By ANNE-MARIE GARCIA, Associated Press Writer
January 18, 2006

HAVANA (AP) -- Fidel Castro suggested the United States doesn't want to play Cuba in the World Baseball Classic, which is awaiting word on whether the U.S. government will let the island's players take part.

"We aren't afraid of anything," Castro said in a wide-ranging speech late Tuesday. "It's very difficult to compete against us in any area ... not even in baseball do they want to compete with Cuba."

Castro's comments appeared to refer to the inaugural World Classic, a 16-team tournament scheduled for March 3-20 and organized by Major League Baseball and its players' union.

The U.S. Treasury Department last month denied MLB's application for Cuba to play its scheduled first-round games in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory. Later rounds are to be played on the U.S. mainland.

The license is required under 45-year-old American sanctions against Cuba aimed at preventing Castro's government from receiving U.S. currency.

After Cuba promised to donate any money it received to victims of Hurricane Katrina, MLB reapplied for a license a second time and is awaiting a response.

Tuesday was the deadline for teams to submit preliminary player lists. Each team initially will present a list of 60 names that will be reduced to 30.

The International Baseball Federation has said it will not sanction the tournament if Cuba isn't allowed to play.

MLB senior vice president Paul Archey and union lawyer Doyle Pryor visited the island last week to review plans with Cuban officials in case the second license application is approved.

[tacomax]

Is any book posting lines on whether Cuba will be in the contest? I'm sure that come day one they'll be there in the competition.

And I'd love it if they played the Yanks in the final and spanked their asses.

[Illusion]

As long as Cuba doesn't accept money, they will probably play.

[imgv94]

Even the guy on Espn made it sound like an United States Vs Dom,Rep
finals was inevitable. Lookin at the odds it sure does. U.S.A!!!!

U.S.A!!!

[aje]

Odds to win Pool

Thu 3/2 Team to win Pool A:
02:00 PM
101 Chinese Taipei +367
102 China +8000
103 Japan -230
104 Korea +500

Thu 3/2 Team to win Pool B:
02:00 PM
111 Canada +963
112 Mexico +1200
113 South Africa +10000
114 USA -1000

Thu 3/2 Team to win Pool D:
02:00 PM
131 Australia +10000
132 Dominican Republic -200
133 Italy +5000
134 Venezuela +154

[Illusion]

Looks the USA has a cupcake pool.

[aje]

Looks the USA has a cupcake pool.

On top of that, they'll get to battle it out with pool A in the second round. Should be an easy road to San Diego.

[moses millsap]

Cuba's in.

NEW YORK -- Cuba will be allowed to play in the World Baseball Classic, after all.

The U.S. Treasury Department issued a license Friday allowing the Cubans to participate in the 16-team tournament.

Major League Baseball's first application was denied in mid-December by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, but the commissioner's office and the players' association reapplied after Cuba said it would donate any profits it receives to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

U.S. laws aimed at punishing Fidel Castro's communist government prohibit certain commercial transactions with Cuba, generally attempting to deny money.

"Working closely with World Baseball Classic Inc. and the State Department, we were able to reach a licensable agreement that upholds both the legal scope and the spirit of the sanctions," Treasury spokeswoman Molly Millerwise said.

"This agreement ensures that no funding will make its way into the hands of the Castro regime. The Treasury is pleased to now be able to issue this license and looks forward to seeing all of the teams showcase their talents on the international stage."

After the initial rejection, the International Baseball Federation threatened to withdraw its sanction of the tournament if Cuba was not allowed to participate and Puerto Rico threatened to withdraw as a host.

"We were always positive," said Antonio Munoz, the promoter who paid millions of dollars to stage the first two rounds in Puerto Rico. "There were some negative people, but they were wrong in the end. I always said there was no Plan B. There was only one plan: That Cuba would come and that all efforts should be focused on obtaining approval."

U.S. Olympic Committee chairman Peter Ueberroth had called on the Bush administration to reverse its decision, saying banning Cuba could hurt future American Olympic bids.

Initial reaction to Friday's decision among Cuban fans was positive.

"Oh, magnificent! Tremendous!" exclaimed Osvaldo Herrera, who was standing on a street corner in Havana with three other sports lovers discussing Cuban baseball.

The tournament, the first in which the world's top players will participate on national teams, runs from March 3-20. The other 15 teams submitted their 60-man preliminary rosters earlier this week.

Cuba won the Olympic gold medal in 1992, 1996 and 2004, and the United States won in 2000. Olympic baseball was initially limited to amateur players, but even after professionals were allowed in for the 2000 Sydney Games, major leaguers didn't participate because baseball doesn't stop its regular season for the Olympics.

Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and Roger Clemens are among the big-name players on the U.S. roster, and Manny Ramirez, Albert Pujols and Vladimir Guerrero are on the Dominican team. Puerto Rico and Japan also are expected to be among the top teams at the tournament.

Cuba is in Group B with Panama, Puerto Rico and the Netherlands, playing its first-round games in San Juan. If they advance, the Cubans also would play their second-round games in San Juan.

Other first-round sites include Kissimmee, Fla.; Phoenix; Scottsdale, Ariz.; and Tokyo. Second-round games also will be played in Anaheim, Calif., and the semifinals and final will be in San Diego.

[tacomax]

Cuba's in.

Well bugger me, I never saw that one coming.

[Illusion]

Cuba isn't taking money so that's no big shock.

[Illusion]

I was talking about the country making money from playing in this tourny dan.

[imgv94]

U.S.A team is going to destroy the oriental teams for sure!!

[tacomax]

Current lines at Pinnacle:

1 Australia +60000
2 Canada +1635
3 China +60000
4 Chinese Taipei +2964
5 Cuba +2000
6 Dominican Republic +184
7 Italy +25000
8 Japan +1287
9 Korea +4381
10 Mexico +4067
11 Netherlands +10000
12 Panama +6000
13 Puerto Rico +1045
14 South Africa +60000
15 USA +180
16 Venezuela +787

[imgv94]

Anytime An Oriental Player Is Good he comes to the U.S..

I Love U.S.A..

[imgv94]

that happened one time. all those other times that won big
didn't they? that will always be a huge mystery how that USA
basketball team lost all those games. How bout getting blowed
out too? What do you think happened to that team?

[imgv94]

as simple as that they just believe the hype.. probably.
on paper thet were -1000 to win!