[Illusion]

Anything can happen, but I am pounding the US.

[aje]

SAN FRANCISCO -- Barry Bonds pulled out of the World Baseball Classic on Monday, saying he didn't want to risk an injury that could jeopardize perhaps his final season with the San Francisco Giants.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/worldc...ory?id=2303604

[onlooker]

SAN FRANCISCO -- Barry Bonds pulled out of the World Baseball Classic on Monday, saying he didn't want to risk an injury that could jeopardize perhaps his final season with the San Francisco Giants.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/worldc...ory?id=2303604

Bonds doing something smart, thats a surprise.

I wonder how many players will go down to injury durning this?

[aje]

Bonds doing something smart, thats a surprise.

I wonder how many players will go down to injury durning this?

That's a great point.

[raiders72001]

Lines are easy to move. I hit the Dominican Republic first. It moved the USA to +200 and I hit that. USA has an easy road. The Dominican Republic is the best team.

[raiders72001]

Even though the US has an easier time getting to the championship game I like the Dominica Republic. Here are their hitters with Avg, HR and RBI.

David Ortiz .300 47 148
Manny Ramirez .292 45 144
Albert Pujols .330 41 117
Vladimir Guerrero .317 32 108
Aramis Ramirez .302 31 92
Miguel Tejada .304 26 98
Alfonso Soriano .268 36 104

Pedro Martinez 15-8 2.82
Bartolo Colon 21-8 3.48

[moses millsap]

Bonds has taken himself out, because now he realizes that they are doing Olympic style testing for steroids AND masking agents. I love the fact that he's on my Giants, but it's a shame, he keeps sidestepping the truth.

[raiders72001]

Owned- You are 100% right.

[Illusion]

Bonds has taken himself out, because now he realizes that they are doing Olympic style testing for steroids AND masking agents. I love the fact that he's on my Giants, but it's a shame, he keeps sidestepping the truth.

That was the same reaction I had.

[onlooker]

Bonds doesnt knowingly do 'Roids. Come on people, dont you listen?

[imgv94]

Wow Dom REP has a good chance. They have some big bats.

[Illusion]

Interesting to say the least. I still can't believe they have a pitch count.

[bigboydan]

World Baseball Classic coming to ESPN networks

ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes will be the TV homes of the inaugural World Baseball Classic, tournament officials and ESPN announced Monday.

ESPN and ESPN2 will televise 16 games live, including the semifinals (March 18) and finals (March 20) from Petco Park in San Diego. ESPN Deportes will show all 39 games of the tournament.

In addition, ESPN Syndication will distribute games to a variety of local channels. And ESPN Radio will broadcast the semifinals and finals.

"ESPN has been a tremendous television partner and I am extremely pleased that we will be enhancing our relationship with their coverage of the inaugural World Baseball Classic," said Tim Brosnan, Executive Vice President of Business for Major League Baseball. "The magnitude of ESPN's reach will provide the broad, in-depth coverage that this event deserves."

"This is yet another exciting new chapter in ESPN's growing relationship with MLB and the MLB Players Association," said Len DeLuca, ESPN senior vice president, programming and acquisitions.

Also, ESPN International will provide coverage in Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, the Middle East and Israel. And ESPN has rights for all its new media platforms including Mobile ESPN (the company's new mobile phone), ESPN.com and ESPN360 (broadband).

[Illusion]

Thanks for reposting this.

[onlooker]

Thanks for reposting this.

There is a post on the ESPN networks covering this event already? I dont remember seeing one Ill.

[Illusion]

I will dig it up.

[onlooker]

I will dig it up.

I tried a search on it, I didnt come up with anything.

[Illusion]

I believe it was posted in the A-Rod playing in this event thread. I can't find it anywhere.

[Illusion]

I guess it wasn't posted. My bad dan, I apoigize.

[bigboydan]

I will dig it up.

find it for me ILL. because, i don't believe it was posted at all.

[onlooker]

I guess it wasn't posted. My bad dan, I apoigize.

Hey Dan, read the whole thread. He apologized.

[Illusion]

Hey Dan, read the whole thread. He apologized.

He knows I did. He's just fvcking with me now, lol.

[tacomax]

I've got this mental picture of Illusion and bigboydan being like an old married couple, quibbling at every opportunity.

[bigboydan]

Clemens picked for U.S. 30-man roster

By RONALD BLUM, AP Baseball Writer
February 14, 2006

NEW YORK (AP) -- Roger Clemens was among 30 players picked Tuesday for the U.S. roster for next month's inaugural World Baseball Classic.

The 43-year-old right-hander, who led the major leagues in ERA last year, still hasn't decided whether he will pitch in the major leagues this season. He made the decision to pitch for the United States after he spent time working out in the past month.


"I needed a couple of weeks to see where my body was going to be and get my mind right for this," Clemens said.

Clemens spent the last two seasons with his hometown Houston Astros, helping them reach the World Series for the first time last year. Under baseball's rules, he can't re-sign with Houston until May 1.

Boston, the New York Yankees and Texas also have expressed interest in signing the Rocket, and Clemens said he has met with several teams, without going into specifics.

"I had a number of teams come down once they heard I was getting ready for these world games," he said. "They positioned themselves and told me what they thought."

Clemens won't make a decision about the season until after he's done pitching in the tournament, which runs March 3-20.

"I'll see how that goes, how my body responds," he said. "I'll make my decisions accordingly, after the fact."

Clemens was among four starters selected for a 14-man U.S. pitching staff, joined by Jake Peavy, Dontrelle Willis and C.C. Sabathia. Changes to the roster can be made through March 2, five days before the U.S. opener. A 10-man bullpen was chosen partly because of pitch-count limits.

The rest of the roster:

Relievers: Chad Cordero, Brian Fuentes, Todd Jones, Brad Lidge, Joe Nathan, Scot Shields, Huston Street, Mike Timlin, Billy Wagner, Dan Wheeler.

Catchers: Mike Barrett, Brian Schneider, Jason Varitek

Infielders: Derek Jeter, Chipper Jones, Derrek Lee, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Chase Utley, Michael Young

Outfielders: Johnny Damon, Jeff Francouer, Ken Griffey Jr., Matt Holliday, Vernon Wells, Randy Winn

Twenty-two players who were on the provisional 52-man roster were dropped. Among them were pitchers Jeremy Bonderman, Roy Halladay, Dan Haren, Tim Hudson, Brett Myers, Andy Pettitte, Ben Sheets, Al Leiter and Gary Majewski; catchers Paul Lo Duca, Joe Mauer and Chad Moeller; infielders Eric Chavez, Craig Counsell, Morgan Ensberg, Bill Hall, Jimmy Rollins and David Wright; and outfielders Lance Berkman, Barry Bonds, Carl Crawford and Luis Gonzalez.

Bonds and several others had withdrawn, citing their need to rehabilitate following injuries.

[bigboydan]

Sore toe could keep Martinez out of World Baseball Classic

By MIKE FITZPATRICK, AP Baseball Writer
February 18, 2006

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) -- Pedro Martinez acknowledged Saturday that his ailing toe might prevent him from pitching for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.

"It depends on my health and how comfortable I feel here and how quickly I can get on a mound," the New York Mets' ace said after the team's first spring training workout.


"Obviously, I'm a little bit behind, but I would love to represent my country and actually be part of it -- even if it's not in the first round -- and to try to be healthy enough to try to help my country win it."

In fact, the Mets' two best pitchers were unable to throw off a mound on the first day of camp: New closer Billy Wagner got queasy during drills and went home with a stomach virus. He said his kids were sick all week.

But it's Martinez's tender toe and custom Nike shoe that have created all the buzz in camp.

Nursing an injury that has hampered him since last season, Martinez stayed inside doing cardiovascular work while the rest of New York's pitchers and catchers went through the first day of scheduled practice.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner came out just after noon to play catch and long toss in the outfield with manager Willie Randolph. As trainer Ray Ramirez, pitching coach Rick Peterson and Martinez's new wife looked on, the right-hander tried out a modified version of the special shoe that Nike designed to alleviate the persistent pain in his right big toe.

"It's improving. I'm feeling more comfortable," Martinez said. "It's going to take a little time."

One of the spikes on the custom shoe was shaved down in attempt to make it more comfortable. Another option is to reposition the spike.

"I'm not quite as comfortable yet, but we're finding the right track," Martinez said. "I'm trying to act normal, I'm just not on the mound."

The 34-year-old Martinez played catch several times during the week, but hasn't thrown off a mound since September -- and there is no timetable for when he might do so. That remains up to him.

"I think he'll probably throw off the mound soon," Randolph said. "Obviously, he's going to have to get off the mound sometime. I just can't tell you exactly when."

The injury, which makes it painful for Martinez to bend his big toe as he pushes off the pitching rubber with his right foot, caused him to miss his final two scheduled starts last year with the Mets on the brink of playoff elimination.

He said his toe first began bothering him just before the 2004 playoffs with Boston, and he received a cortisone shot. It flared up again last June, and Martinez pitched through it for the rest of the year.

Even with spring training underway, the Mets maintain they're not concerned yet.

"When you look at where he is, we've got a nice cushion of time," Peterson said, adding that he's "not the shoe coach."

"We all trust Pedro's judgment," he said.

The Mets also say they won't try to dissuade Martinez from pitching in the WBC. The Dominican Republic plays its first game March 7 against Venezuela in Kissimmee.

"If Pedro feels he wants to play, he has my blessing," Randolph said.

Martinez's health is crucial to a Mets team that expects to make the playoffs after adding Wagner, first baseman Carlos Delgado and catcher Paul Lo Duca this offseason. The starting rotation might be New York's biggest question mark.

General manager Omar Minaya said his understanding at the end of last season was that surgery wasn't an option for Martinez. Simple rest was supposed to help his toe.

"It's not that he can't pitch with this," Minaya said. "Pedro can pitch with this the way it is right now."

The real worry, of course, is that the pain in his toe could make Martinez alter his delivery and possibly hurt his arm. Minaya said major league teams are insured if players get seriously injured in the WBC.

"For Pedro, for the New York Mets, he's going to make the right decision," Minaya said. "I was hoping that by now he would be OK, but that's not the case."

Martinez, who signed a $53 million, four-year contract with the Mets in December 2004, went 15-8 with a 2.82 ERA last year. He struck out 208 batters in 217 innings spanning 31 starts.

"We want to just take him slow, that's all. Pedro does a lot of his work indoors anyway," Randolph said.

Three other members of the Mets' projected rotation, Tom Glavine, Steve Trachsel and Victor Zambrano, did throw about 40 pitches each off a mound Saturday.

[Illusion]

That team is gonna out slug everybody anyway, so I don't think it will hurt them as much as people think.

[bigboydan]

i hate laying any kind of wood at all, but this is one thing i will not hesitate to lay the wood on.

Will the USA win the World Baseball Classic ?

Yes +178
No -191

[imgv94]

What are you betting?

[bigboydan]

i'm laying the wood IMG

No -191

[Illusion]

Here's the latest odds:

Thu 3/2 Odds to win World Baseball Classic:
02:00 PM 1 Australia +40000
2 Canada +2402
3 China +64227
4 Chinese Taipei +3855
5 Cuba +1392
6 Dominican Republic +194
7 Italy +12000
8 Japan +1177
9 Korea +6833
10 Mexico +6990
11 Netherlands +10000
12 Panama +10000
13 Puerto Rico +1301
14 South Africa +40000
15 USA +177
16 Venezuela +509

[bigboydan]

Minor league umpires likely for WBC

By RONALD BLUM, AP Baseball Writer
February 22, 2006

NEW YORK (AP) -- While many of the best players are getting ready for the first World Baseball Classic, it appears the top umpires won't be calling the tournament.

Talks between Major League Baseball and its umpires' union broke down Wednesday. The commissioner's office also has been negotiating with the Association of Minor League Umpires, and minor league umps are likely to officiate the 16-nation tournament, which runs from March 3-20.


"As of today's date, at this point it does not appear that major league umpires will be working the World Cup," World Umpires Association president John Hirschbeck said.

Rob Manfred, executive vice president for labor relations in the commissioner's office, has been handling talks with the umpires.

"No matter what happens, we will have umpires working these games that are familiar to major league fans because they will be, at a minimum, guys who have worked games as part of the fill-in process," Manfred said.

The tournament is being run by the commissioner's office and the Major League Baseball Players Association.

Gene Orza, the MLBPA's chief operating officer, said 22-24 minor league umpires would be used along with about eight international umpires. The major league umpires were seeking more money than WBC organizers were willing to pay.

"The umpires were looking for far too much," Orza said.

[imgv94]

So you would recommend a $382 to win $200 bet?

[Willie Bee]

I'm sort of getting an itch for Puerto Rico and Cuba based on Illusion's chit sheet from earlier this morning.

[Illusion]

While Manny Ramirez will be showing up late on March 1 for the Boston Red Sox, he won't be showing up at all for the World Baseball Classic.

"You know, from our perspective, we'd love to ... you know, we want to support the Baseball Classic but it's actually a plus for us that he's coming here March 1st and not playing there," owner John Henry told ESPN 890 in Boston on Thursday.

Henry added that the team did not ask Ramirez to pull out of the event, The Boston Globe reported.

If Ramirez had played in the WBC for the Dominican Republic team, he would have had to report to the Dominican team on March 2, meaning he would have spent exactly one day in Sox camp before March 20, when the event ends. Instead, it appears Ramirez will spend the entire month of March with the Red Sox in Fort Myers.

[Illusion]

This is a big loss, but I still think the Dominican Republic will be fine.