The previous posts were a result of my trying to blog from my cell phone. My daughter is going to her sophomore semi-formal tonight, so I was busy driving her to get flowers and her hair done and all those fun things that go with being a teenager.
The US made up for the loss to Canada, stomping on South Africa 17-0, invoking the 5 inning mercy rule. Griffey was particularly merciless, gathering four hits, two homers and seven RBI in those five innings. Jeter, A-Rod and Utley all added three hits each. Along with Derrek Lee’s home run, they made for a very productive infield.
Clemens just mowed down the opposition, allowing 1 hit in 4 1/3 innings while striking out 6. Yep, he’s ready to retire.
With the victory, the US earns the number 1 seed from the pool and faces Japan on Sunday afternoon. That should be a very good game. The Japanese team is made up of hitters who get the bat on the ball. The US infield defense is going to be tested.
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I believe Mexico advances as the Number 1 seed from the pool.
I was at the game. Lee’s HR was a windblown flyball that probably wouldn’t have reached the warning track on a calm day. But Griffey’s 2 HR’s were both line shots that seemed to be still rising as they went out. If he can only stay healthy….
The WBC news page (the story on the US-SA game) does say that Mexico will be the 1 seed, but the official tie-breaking rules say that head-to-head is the first tie-breaker, and the US beat Mexico.
What difference do the seedings make, anyway?
It’s a 3 team tie, so that fewest runs allowed tiebreaker applies in their head-to-head matches. This means: 1st, Mexico (3 runs against); 2nd, USA (8); 3rd, Canada (15).
Seedings affect only to Round 2 schedule, as previous results are not considered and standings start from scratch.
Any thing dreamt up by Selig(the man who ruined baseball for everyone except his pals in big markets) is gonna suck.
Leave the pros out of this thing. The real heart of baseball is on the sandlots and scruffy fields or wherever.
If there is any justice we will see the Cubans play the Japanese or Koreans for the title. Would be sweet to see the Cubans beat the US though. Trying to keep the Cubans out under the guise of lame and outdated political BS proves that the US is maybe a little nervous .
If I get your point, the US was trying to keep Cuba out
because it thought they would beat them? This is the
first I’ve heard that theory. By the way, if you’re on the
Cuban team & you get a sore throat or something, &
you have to go to the team doctor, you’ll be seeing
Dr. Tony Castro, Fidel’s son.
Actually, if there is justice, then the Cubans make the final series played in the US, and they all sneak out of their hotel rooms in the middle of the night and claim political asylum.
does anybody agree with me, that having clemens pitch against canada and not south africa would have been the smarter move
thats just my opinion
The Canadian team was full of left-handed batters. Plus, without Roger being in training camp, and coming off an injury, you couldn’t be sure how he’d perform. I can’t argue with the rotation.
If you’re the winner of your pool, you get to be the home team for the next pool for two of your three games. That might be a slight advantage, because you get the last at-bat.