Red Mosquito

congrats to the D.R.
way to win it even without some of your best players not on the team

congrats to Japan making it the semi finals even without your best pitcher, Darvish, not to mention Kuroda, and without 2/3rds of your OF from the last time, Ichiro and Aoki, and congrats making it the semi finals again even though your team is only just starting spring training and not prepared for such a high level of baseball.

congrats to team U.S.A. and the American fans for coming up with every excuse in the book as to why team U.S.A. failed, again, instead of admitting that other countries, are pretty damn good.

Considering 20% of all minor leaguers are Domincan born... and I believe they said 9% of big leaguers?

regular season time boys and girls

I'm tempted to wonder what the point of the WBC is, but I know that will just lead me down a road where I end up wondering what the point is about all professional sports, and I don't like when I go down that road.

The Argonaut wrote:I'm tempted to wonder what the point of the WBC is, but I know that will just lead me down a road where I end up wondering what the point is about all professional sports, and I don't like when I go down that road.

Marketing for baseball. Same as the NFL playing games in London and coming soon Mexico City.

If the sole purpose of this thing is marketing, they are doing a terrible job. The MLB Network is the only channel that even acknowledges this thing.

numbers wrote:If the sole purpose of this thing is marketing, they are doing a terrible job. The MLB Network is the only channel that even acknowledges this thing.

Less continential US marketing, more global marketing. It's HUGE right now where baseball is huge. They are interested in continuing to grow the game globally because they want those revenue streams. It's not really about the US as much, not that they would admit it publically, but it's the same reason ESPN trys so hard for the tiny extra percentage of female viewers they might get.

Globalizaton is a big theme in most major sports leagues. Everyone wants to get blood from a turnip.

Electromatic wrote:

numbers wrote:If the sole purpose of this thing is marketing, they are doing a terrible job. The MLB Network is the only channel that even acknowledges this thing.

Less continential US marketing, more global marketing. It's HUGE right now where baseball is huge. They are interested in continuing to grow the game globally because they want those revenue streams. It's not really about the US as much, not that they would admit it publically, but it's the same reason ESPN trys so hard for the tiny extra percentage of female viewers they might get.

Globalizaton is a big theme in most major sports leagues. Everyone wants to get blood from a turnip.

the ratings in the Asian markets were threw the roof... and there was well over 20,000 in San Juan's park at the university watching the game on a big screen alone (almost as many as at the actual game) not to mention all that tuned in from home, AND movie theaters in the D.R. and P.R.

Found this on youtube the other day... Im pretty sure Taiwan's stadium held under 15,000
can you imagine as this grows, and baseball grows... what it will be like when they get 40,000? just watch the first inning when Taiwan is up to bat and tell me thats not one FREAKING AWESOME crowd...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9F8eID6a_qc

Why isn't there a major league team in San Juan?

The Argonaut wrote:Why isn't there a major league team in San Juan?

stadium is too small... only seats 20,000?
but there has been talk that if they ever expand again San Juan and Mexico City could be spots.

The last thing MLB needs is expansion teams diluting the pitching league wide.

numbers wrote:The last thing MLB needs is expansion teams diluting the pitching league wide.

give it a few more WBC's, as the rest of the world catches up / more arms become available.

A lack of pitching depth is not the problem it was during the steroid era. In fact, I think you can find more premium pitchers than truly great hitters right now, especially if you factor out injuries.

Absolutely, we're in a pitching era right now.

Do you guys think thats a direct result of the steroid/offensive era?

teams / scouts put a bigger premium in finding good arms 5-10 years ago and all that work is now paying off?

Hopefully this will move the game back to guys who make contact / hit for avg becoming more of a premium and we can move away from the under .240 / 35 HRs / 150+ strike out guys

MadTIGERmaN wrote:Hopefully this will move the game back to guys who make contact / hit for avg becoming more of a premium and we can move away from the under .240 / 35 HRs / 150+ strike out guys

I think there will always be a place for those kinds of hitters as long as they can take a walk. What I like to see over the last couple years is the resurgence of the stolen base. It makes games so much more exciting.

philpritchard wrote:

MadTIGERmaN wrote:Hopefully this will move the game back to guys who make contact / hit for avg becoming more of a premium and we can move away from the under .240 / 35 HRs / 150+ strike out guys

I think there will always be a place for those kinds of hitters as long as they can take a walk.

It's unfortunate, but you're right. That has recently become my least favorite type of hitter. Oh how I hate the strikeout. (here's looking at you Curtis Granderson)

The Argonaut wrote:

philpritchard wrote:

MadTIGERmaN wrote:Hopefully this will move the game back to guys who make contact / hit for avg becoming more of a premium and we can move away from the under .240 / 35 HRs / 150+ strike out guys

I think there will always be a place for those kinds of hitters as long as they can take a walk.

It's unfortunate, but you're right. That has recently become my least favorite type of hitter. Oh how I hate the strikeout. (here's looking at you Curtis Granderson)

Who me?

3 run dingah for Jackie Jr., how can the Sox not break camp with this guy?

I can't express how excited I am that the Yankees are on the verge of acquiring Vernon Wells.

philpritchard wrote:I can't express how excited I am that the Yankees are on the verge of acquiring Vernon Wells.

Me too.

cutuphalfdead wrote:

philpritchard wrote:I can't express how excited I am that the Yankees are on the verge of acquiring Vernon Wells.

Me too.

I just read that they'll be paying $13 million of his salary over the next two years. I know they've got a lot of injury problems, but considering they've spent the offseason talking about not spending money, there has to be a better/cheaper option to fill in while they get healthy.