WBC Top 10 Prospects
Apr. 7, 2009
For one weekend in March, scouts could sit in one place and watch prospects come to them. When South Korea, Japan and Cuba gathered to play the second round of the World Baseball Classic in San Diego, it was a virtual all-you-can-scout buffet of top talents. [...] Continue Reading »

World Baseball Classic Schedule/Results
Mar. 20, 2009
The complete schedule for the 2009 World Baseball Classic. [...] Continue Reading »

China Shocks Taiwan Again
Mar. 7, 2009
Pittsburgh Pirates farm hand Ray Chang had a single, double and a home run, and starting pitcher Lu Jiangang threw five shutout innings as underdog China shocked rival Taiwan with a 4-1 victory in Game 3 of the World Baseball Classic Pool A, Asia Round, at the Tokyo Dome on Saturday. [...] Continue Reading »

Leaning Left
Mar. 4, 2009
Canadian big leaguers, in general, simply don't bat righthanded. Sure, there are exceptions like Bay and Martin, who could end up going down as the two best righthanded-hitting Canadians of all time, but that's a list that's just slightly longer than the list of people who have landed on the moon. [...] Continue Reading »

Here We Go Again
Mar. 3, 2009
The second World Baseball Classic, the global showcase that ultimately received plaudits from inaugural cynics in 2006, will begin in March with Japan trying to repeat as champion and the U.S. seeking redemption for its early elimination. If redemption seems an overstatement considering U.S. players are still in the early to mid-phase of spring training with the goal of winning the World Series as opposed to the World Classic, manager Davey Johnson says the "sour taste" of '06 should provide motivation amid favorable changes in the format. [...] Continue Reading »

World Baseball Classic Rosters
Feb. 24, 2009
Final rosters for the World Baseball Classic [...] Continue Reading »

WBC Rosters Firming Up
Dec. 29, 2008
The rosters for the second World Baseball Classic are starting to shape up. [...] Continue Reading »

Planning For 2009 Classic Begins
Apr. 20, 2007
The official countdown to the 2009 World Baseball Classic can begin, with organizers inviting the eight nations that advanced to the second round of the 2006 event to make up half of the 2009 field. [...] Continue Reading »

Selig, WBC Succeed Despite Critics
Apr. 5, 2006
Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig continues to succeed in the face of critics, with the World Baseball Classic's popularity the latest master stroke. [...] Continue Reading »

World Baseball Classic: Ranking The Top 10 Prospects
Mar. 23, 2006
Though just two ended up playing for the title, it was the inclusion of big leaguers that made the World Baseball Classic such an enormous event. However, like international baseball events of the past, prospects still got a chance to shine. [...] Continue Reading »

World Baseball Classic
Mar. 23, 2006
Take a look back at the World Baseball Classic from pool play to the championship game through our slideshow. [...] Continue Reading »

World Baseball Classic Notebook
Mar. 23, 2006
Top 10 World Baseball Classic Prospects. Though just two ended up playing for the title, it was the inclusion of big leaguers that made the World Baseball Classic such an enormous event. However, like international baseball events of the past, prospects still got a chance to shine. Three prospects who raised their profile as much as anyone at the Classic were Italy's Tony Giarratano, Australia's Brad Harman and Taiwan's Chin-Lung Hu. [...] Continue Reading »

Will Classic Resurrect Olympic Baseball?
Mar. 19, 2006
The Players Association's Gene Orza and Major League Baseball's Paul Archey, the two main architects of the Classic, both said this weekend that the success of the inaugural WBC could cause the International Olympic Committee to reconsider its decision last summer to drop baseball from the Olympics following the 2008 Games in Beijing. [...] Continue Reading »

Memo For MLB
Mar. 19, 2006
Lost in the hoopla, forgotten in the waning skepticism and mounting excitement of each of its 39 games, was the fact that the inaugural World Baseball Classic was just that—the first attempt at what will surely be an even better event in 2009 and beyond. It was a dry run, a hastily planned experiment that as much as anything became a learning experience for all. Here are the Top 10 things everyone involved — the players, the organizers, the press and the fans — learned from the first World Baseball Classic. [...] Continue Reading »

Matsuzaka's Pitching, Ichiro's Hitting Lead Japan
Mar. 19, 2006
Ichiro Suzuki scored three runs and drove in the back-breaker in the top of the ninth inning as Japan defeated Cuba 10-6 in front of 42,696 at Petco Park. [...] Continue Reading »

Cuba, Japan Set For Monday's Classic Finale
Mar. 19, 2006
Throughout Cuba's generation-long dominance of international baseball, from every win at the World Cup and Pan American Games to several Olympic golds, detractors have always harrumphed a grudging reminder: The Cubans still hadn't beaten the best players in the world. Now they have. [...] Continue Reading »

WBC Semifinals Preview
Mar. 17, 2006
Breakdowns of the final four teams in the World Baseball Classic. [...] Continue Reading »

Major Leaguers Fail To Live Up To Classic Challenge
Mar. 16, 2006
Major League Baseball is well on its way to pulling off a successful first run of the World Baseball Classic and has learned some lessons in doing so. [...] Continue Reading »

Breaking Down The Classic's Final Four
Mar. 16, 2006
World Baseball Classic final round preview. Tournament records, history and analysis for Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Japan and Korea. [...] Continue Reading »

Cuba Holds Off Puerto Rico To Reach Semifinals
Mar. 15, 2006
Cuba's big red mystique grew even larger on Wednesday night. The reigning kings of international baseball proved they belong on the biggest stage, avenging their second-ever knockout loss by scoring an improbable 4-3 victory over Puerto Rico at the inaugural World Baseball Classic, assuring their passage into the final four of this 16-country tournament. [...] Continue Reading »

World Baseball Classic Notebook
Mar. 14, 2006
Albert Pujols said he is already looking forward to representing the Dominican Republic at the next World Baseball Classic in 2009. Dominican manager Manny Acta would like to see the spring exhibition season moved up so the players would have a more game experience before the tournament begins. Yuliesky Gourriel practiced with Cuba on Tuesday and will be in the lineup against Puerto Rico. Bob DuPuy, President and Chief Operating Officer of Major League Baseball said that he discussed with officials from MB Sports the prospect of bringing more games to San Juan, either this season, or beyond. [...] Continue Reading »

Dominican Edges Venezuela To Reach Semifinals
Mar. 14, 2006
This one had been hard to handicap all along. Venezuela had the edge in pitching, the Dominican Republic the advantage at the plate. The Venezuelans were overpowered in a first-round meeting between the two teams 11-5, but had since recorded three shutout victories and were looking for revenge. [...] Continue Reading »

Matsuzaka Keeps Japan Alive, Beats Mexico
Mar. 14, 2006
In what was a life-or-death situation for both the Mexican and Japanese teams in the World Baseball Classic, Japan lived to fight another day. [...] Continue Reading »

World Baseball Classic Notebook
Mar. 13, 2006
orea has built its undefeated run through the World Baseball Classic on the power of its star first baseman, Seung Yeop Lee, and its core of major league pitchers. Big league hitters are less familiar with Tae Hyun Chong, but Chong starred for Korea's 2000 Olympic team and has faced Team USA on multiple occassions. [...] Continue Reading »

Korean Pitching Makes Lee's First-inning Homer Stand
Mar. 13, 2006
Who knew? The juggernaut of the inaugural World Baseball Classic just might be . . . Korea? [...] Continue Reading »

Vazquez, Bullpen Pitch Puerto Rico Past Dominican
Mar. 13, 2006
Knocking out Cuba on Friday was nice, but it doesn't compare to the wire-to-wire win Puerto Rico scored over arch rival Dominican Republic on Sunday. [...] Continue Reading »

Cuba's Rally Falls Short Against Dominican Republic
Mar. 13, 2006
Cuba's up-and-down ride through the inaugural World Baseball Classic hit another valley on Monday against a powerhouse Dominican team. [...] Continue Reading »

Venezuela Ends Puerto Rico's Unbeaten Run
Mar. 13, 2006
Home field had been good to Puerto Rico. But Hiram Bithorn Stadium has been home to Venezuela's Endy Chavez, too, and the former Montreal Expos leadoff man rode its familiar jet stream Monday night to get Venezuela back into race at the World Baseball Classic. [...] Continue Reading »

Korea Beats U.S. To Stay Undefeated
Mar. 13, 2006
The heavyweight champion of the inaugural World Baseball Classic so far isn't the juggernaut United States, the mighty Dominican Republic, or even the mysterious Cuba. It's Korea. [...] Continue Reading »

Cuba Stuns A Listless Venezuela
Mar. 12, 2006
Two days after getting pulverized by Puerto Rico, the Cuban national team did likewise to one of the pre-tournament favorites, pounding Venezuela, 7-2 Sunday at Hiram Bithorn Stadium to break quickly from the gate in Round Two of the World Baseball Classic. [...] Continue Reading »