Cuba is in...

[JW]

Cuba is now going to be allowed to play in the World Baseball classis. Now this tournament has some legitimacy. I can't wait till this thing starts, it is going to be exciting.

[Sonny]

Tournament having legitimacy?

This is a lot more exhibition baseball then real baseball. MLB and the MLB teams won't let their star players get hurt playing in this exhibition event. Pitch counts will be limited and the event will be a glorified spring training for 98% of the MLB players involved.

[James Foote]

I'm a skeptic until I see something good. MLB season is too long to get its superstars involved in something like this and play 100%. I think it'll be fun to watch teams from the Carribean play, but they'll be romping on all the MLB-er's.

By the way, which team is A-Rod playing for? I heard yesterday he said he wanted to play for USA, but that's it.

[KnoxVegas]

Cigars for everyone! The over/under on Cuban defections is three. Any takers?

This is a sham dreamed up bythe likes of Lasorda and Selig. Who cares? If you thought the All-Star game was boring, this oughtta put people into comas. You have native born American MLB "stars" opting to play for the foreign countries of their heritage. Whoopppeee!!!! Can't wait to see Piazza suit up for Italy or Nomar in Mexican red, white and green. I know that they are using the Olympic guidelines, but this is ridiculous.

Everyone now: Let's Go South Africa!!!!!

[JW]

Boring,

You don't think the US team has something to play for. They have the Obligation of defending the titile of America's Pasttime.

You don't think the Cubans want to defeat the US team at all costs.

You don't think that Japan, with all the talent that has come over in the past couple of years, doesn't have something to prove.

Is the World Cup boring, no, that is the only soccer I watch.

Every team in this tournament has something similar to play for, PRIDE.

In the NHL every 4 years they suspend their season for a couple of weeks to allow their players to play for their countries. Do you think that the NHL players don't give 100%. I seriously doubt that anyone of those guys that is playing for that team is worried about getting hurt. They all want to win the Gold Medal. To NHL players, winning the Gold Medal For your country is almost as important to winning a Stanley Cup. One could debate that winning the Olympic Gold Medal in Hockey is a lot harder than winning a Stanley Cup.

If I am Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, I am going to this tournament and giving it everything I have. I would want to be able to say that my country is the best baseball country in the World.

This is the real World Series. Not the Self Proclaimed world series promoted by MLB.

[KnoxVegas]

Defend the national pastime?

The US did not even qualify for the 2004 Olympic in Athens.

As for hockey, obviously the US teams performance on and off the ice in Nagano is but a distant memory now.

[DanGenck]

As for hockey, obviously the US teams performance on and off the ice in Nagano is but a distant memory now.

That's funny, I remember it pretty well. About as well as I remember the United States losing to Iran in soccer 1-0 that same year. Rough year for U.S. sports...

[KnoxVegas]

Dan,
It is called "Irish Amnesia." '98 was a rough one internatinally for the US. Who knew that one year forward from the '98 World Cup the biggest story in sports that summer would be the exposure of a sport bra.

Here's a good one:
Who was the opening musical act of the '99 Women's World Cup?

[DanGenck]

My grand father calls it "Irish Selective Thought" and it only turns on whenever Grandma is around.

I am going to guess Ricky Martin. Though that would not do justice to what was one of the greatest world cup games (men or women) of all time.

[Sonny]

John - We will have to agree to disagree. You can't manufacture drama & passion artificially. Especially in a sport like pro baseball. I maybe wrong, but I don't think they will be able to do it in early-mid March (before the traditional season starts). Especially when MLB and MLB teams have a large vested interest in keeping their star players healthy for the upcoming 162-game regular season.

[KnoxVegas]

Dan,
Close. It was Jennifer Lopez in a Vegas style revue. Very bizarre for an event that showed women in such a strong sporting role.

I agree with Sonny. The days of drama between countries in International competition went out with the end of the Cold War.

[Sonny]

There will be several rule changes from normal MLB play. Pitchers will be held to a pitch count of 65 pitches in the first round, 80 pitches in the second round, and 95 in the semifinals and championship rounds. A 30-pitch outing must be followed by one day off, and a 50-pitch outing must be followed by four days off. No one will be allowed to pitch on three consecutive days. A mercy rule will come into effect with one team leading by either fifteen runs after five innings, or ten runs after seven innings.

Mercy rules and pitch counts.... Some competition, huh?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Baseball_Classic

[CyLaxKeeper00]

did they just copy the little league rule book??