World Baseball Classic

Royals’ Soria Takes ‘great Pride’ In Representing Mexico At World Baseball Classic

... in the United States but can stir emotions elsewhere. “It’s an honor to represent your country, represent your family, everybody that supports you back in Mexico,” Soria said this week, sitting at his locker at Royals spring training. “There’s great pride in getting to play with Mexico.”. Soria missed the last World Baseball Classic four years ago while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He is veteran reliever entering the second season of a $25 million contract, and although his performance lagged in 2016, he does not need to risk injury in an event with little at stake but national pride. Yet, Soria said committing to play this time around was an easy decision. For Soria, there is immense pride in the opportunity to represent both his country and his sport, to don the Mexican colors and play in front of family and friends, to stand unified on a team that offers its own measure of diversity. He will join a roster that includes both native Mexicans, such as Dodgers left-hander Julio Urias and Cardinals left-hander Jaime Garcia, and Mexican-Americans such as the Dodgers’ Adrian Gonzalez and Sergio Romo. ...

A’s Won’t Be Big Participants After All

... it once appeared. When rosters were announced in February , the A’s had nine players confirmed to take part, including five major leaguers. However, most of the biggest names have withdrawn their commitments for various reasons, leaving the list much shorter (MLB players are in bold). Sonny Gray. ? Santiago Casilla, RHP, Dominican Republic. Cesar Valdez, RHP, Dominican Republic. Khris Davis. Ryan Lavarnway, C, Israel. Joey Wagman, RHP, Israel. Sonny was denied insurance coverage due to his time on the DL in 2016, causing him to pull out of the WBC. Khrush opted to focus on preparing for the MLB season , and Hendriks did the same. Axford generally cited “ personal and professional reasons.”. As for Casilla, he is officially out for at least the first round of the tournament. The reliever was delayed by travel issues and finally arrived in camp on Sunday, so he’ll wait before joining the Dominican team. Coincidentally, he will be replaced on the D. R.’s roster by Valdez , a ...

2017 World Baseball Classic Begins Monday

... will translate to more people watching," said broadcaster Al Leiter, a pitcher on the 2006 U. S. team. The tournament is run by MLB and the players' association and games will be televised in the U. S. on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes. In total, 171 countries will receive WBC broadcasts, and more than 50 sponsors have reached agreements. Revenue is forecast to top $100 million for the first time. Still, that is less than 2 percent of the $5.5 billion projected by FIFA for next year's World Cup in Russia. While the World Cup is soccer's ultimate event, many players decline to participate in the WBC, which is played while their clubs are at spring training ahead of season openers that start April 2. Japan won the initial tournament in 2006 and repeated as champion in 2009, but Houston Astros outfielder Norichika Aoki will be the only Japanese player in MLB who will be at the WBC this time. "It comes down to a personal decision, and they have all of these competing interests that they have to contend with in terms of their own preparation and length of the season," players' union senior labor counsel Ian Penny said. Major ...

Tanner Roark, Daniel Murphy Set To Join Team Usa For The World Baseball Classic

... awesome,” Nationals Manager Dusty Baker said. Next up for Roark, who has thrown seven shutout innings this spring: starting Team USA’s second game against the Dominican Republic at sold-out Marlins Park in Miami on Saturday. “It might feel like we’re the away team playing in the U. S., but it’ll definitely be loud and it’ll be crazy,” Roark said. “I’m looking forward to it.”. [ Svrluga: As Nationals defer chunks of their payroll, what happens when bill comes due? ]. Roark said he is ahead of where he usually is in early March, partly because he coincidentally decided to begin throwing earlier this winter than previous offseasons — first by just throwing a tennis ball against a wall — before accepting the invitation to pitch for the United States. A high-stress outing in mid-March will be unprecedented for Roark, who has never represented his country in an international tournament, but WBC rules stipulate that pitchers aren’t allowed to throw more than 65 pitches in ...

Serious Flaws To World Baseball Classic

... Asia. But now you see all this diversity of all these players and how they play in games, how each ball team plays their game and work together.". It is great that some like Pivetta are energetic about it. But the WBC — which got underway on Monday and has seen plenty of major leaguers leave spring training for their respective countries camps — has got some serious flaws to it. So many flaws, in fact, that it's fair to wonder why Major League Baseball keeps up the experiment at all. There is never a good time to try to hold a tournament like this. Not in November after the season is complete and pitchers have spent all of their bullets in their arms. Not in July, either- when teams are in the middle of a pennant race and stopping the clock borders on insanity. And March doesn't fit that schedule, no matter how much baseball will try and make you think that it does. People connected with the game who like the idea will point out that the tournament isn't so much for the United States, but to grow the game globally. In the Dominican Republic, ...

Eric Gagne, Ryan Dempster Are Canada's World Baseball Classic Golden Oldies

... do. “I’m just trying to enjoy the ride. “But at 41, it’s going to be a short one.’. Dempster has no illusions of a comeback after the WBC. He simply got the urge to pitch when he went on a family vacation last summer to the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California. He was there with former teammates Ted Lilly and Corey Miller and their sons when Dempster casually asked Miller if he could get in a workout by throwing to him. Dempster, in 105-degree heat, threw 60 pitches. He woke up the next day figuring he wouldn’t be able to lift his arm above his head, only to have no pain. He picked up a baseball and pitched again. Dempster finally called Greg Hamilton, the national director for Baseball Canada, letting him know that this is no prank. If they have an opening, he’s ready. Well, look who’s pitching in their first game of the tournament Thursday night at Marlins Park against the defending champion Dominican Republic. “He’s so excited right now,’ Canada hitting coach Larry Walker says, “he can’t sleep or eat.’. Says Canada manager Ernie Whitt: “I haven’t even seen him throw. I’m just taking his word for it that he’s ready.’. This will be a ...

Astros' Alex Bregman Heads To World Baseball Classic

... of the Palm Beaches, in West Palm Beach, Florida, Wednesday, February 22, 2017. Photo: Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle. Astros' Alex Bregman heads to World Baseball Classic. 1 / 3. Back to Gallery. WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - At 22 years old, Alex Bregman is the youngest member of Team USA and also its player with the least major league service time. While participating in the World Baseball Classic beginning this week, the Astros third baseman plans to pick the brains of his temporary teammates, especially the infielders like San Francisco Giants shortstop and two-time Gold Glove Award winner Brandon Crawford. "I'm looking forward to just talking to some of the infielders, figure out what they do defensively, some of the guys at the plate, ask them what helps them," he said. "Really just pick their brain and figure ...

Cuba-japan Start Time, Live Stream Info, Tv, Odds, Prediction

... As such, both teams feature a slew of high-quality players. Cuba doesn’t have any MLB or MLB-affiliated players on its roster for obvious reasons. It does, however, have some individuals worth learning about. Outfielder Yoelkis Cespedes is Yoenis’ younger half-brother, and is an exciting, well-rounded talent. Another young outfielder worth watching is Victor Mesa. Alfredo Despaigne hit.280/.361/.480 with the Chiba Lotte Marines last season. If you’ve followed international play, you know his name. Japan is without Ichiro Suzuki , leaving Nori Aoki as the lone MLB player on the roster. Another notable player absent from Japan’s roster? Shohei Otani. Replacing Otani as the de facto ace is Ayumu Ishikawa, who managed a 2.16 ERA and 4.73 strikeout-to-walk ratio, also for Chiba Lotte. Shintaro Fujinami is another well-regarded pitcher. Here are the betting lines on the game, via Sports Book.ag. Cuba: +310. ...

A Look At The Tourney's Most Unlikely Participants

... who were of Chinese decent. The 17-year major league veteran is currently with the Cleveland Indians as a Minor League cultural development coordinator. Chen has never visited China. Yoelkis Cespedes: There's no Aroldis Chapman, Yoenis Cespedes, Jose Abreu, Yulieski Gurriel or Yasmany Tomas on the Cuban roster, but there is Cespedes' half-brother Yoelkis. Is he following in the footsteps of his brother? Yoelkis, 19, is considered one of the top prospects on the island and started in right field for the Alezenes de Granma team that represented Cuba in the recent Caribbean Series. While he plays the part of his his older brother on the field, he doesn't quoie match Yoenis' stature. Yoelkis is 5-foot-9 and weighs 187 pounds while Yoenis is 5-foot-10, 220 pounds. Eric Gagne: The former All-Star closer last pitched in the majors in 2008. And now, at 41, he's hoping to use the WBC as an audition for his return to the majors. In Gagne's prime, he saved a record 83 consecutive games. In 2003, he won the NL Cy Young award ...

What To Watch For In The World Baseball Classic

... the Dodgers for Logan Forsythe. He isn't on the first-round roster. Joe Jimenez (Tigers), Puerto Rico: He struck out 78 in 53 &frac 23; innings in the minors, reaching Triple-A, and looks like a future closer. Jorge Lopez (Brewers), Puerto Rico: A top-100 prospect entering 2016, he struggled with a 5.78 ERA in Triple-A. Josh Naylor (Padres), Canada: Drafted 12 th overall by the Marlins in 2015, the bad-bodied first baseman was traded to the Padres in the Andrew Cashner deal after not hitting like a first-round pick. Brandon Nimmo (Mets), Italy: Another former first-rounder, Nimmo hit.352 in the high-octane environment of Las Vegas, but his power hasn’t developed, and he is blocked on the Mets’ depth chart. Yoelkis Cespedes, Cuba: The younger half-brother of Yoenis, the 19-year-old outfielder is considered one of the top prospects still in Cuba. Victor Mesa, Cuba: Just 20, Mesa is the son of the longtime Cuban national team manager of the same name and is a ...