I know it's been a couple of weeks but I wanted to write about the final game of the World Baseball Classic. I had been hoping for a really good game for the final as the two semifinal games hadn't been close and had been decided by misplays. I got what I was rooting for.
Like the previous games, Jason and I tried to predict the winners and score. I had picked the winners of the semi-finals correctly and was calling for a Korea victory against Japan. For all the baseball games I've attended during my lifetime, I had never encountered such a supportive crowd as those of the Koreans against Venezuela. Especially on a "neutral" field, I just felt that the Korean crowd would help lift them to victory in the finals.
In the early going, it seemed as if the game would become another blowout. The two pitchers - Jung Keun Bong for Korea and Hisashi Iwakuma for Japan - were having quite different experiences out there. Bong gave up an opening single to Ichiro and also issued a walk before getting out of the first inning. He also gave up a walk and single in the second. The third inning was his worst yet as he allowed a trio of singles and Korea made an error. Despite all the runners, though, he was keeping the ball down and got tons of groundouts including a huge double play to end the third. Somehow, perhaps in part due to the crowd, he managed to just allow a single run in the first three innings.
Iwakuma, on the other hand, was magnificent. He hardly threw any pitches. He was perfect through the first eleven batters he faced and believe me, I knew it. I was feeling the perfect game. I often jest about a guy throwing a no-hitter, especially if he's looking ugly. A pitcher might walk the first two batters before the next batter hits a deep fly that is caught on the warning track which will make me say "26 more outs for the no-hitter". That night, though, I wasn't saying a word. Iwakuma looked flawless and the biggest question to me was whether he would hit the pitch limit the WBC has before he could complete the perfect game.
The asshat a couple rows behind me had different ideas. After batter eleven went down he looked at the school board and said "Hey, he's got a no-hitter going". I turn around and glare at him for putting the kibosh on Iwakuma. You don't talk about no-hitters when they're happening. Sure enough, I turn back around and a single is lined to center. Damn asshat ruined the perfect game for me.
Shin-Soo Choo led off the fifth inning with a monstrous homer off Iwakuma to tie the game at one. I knew that was the turning point right there and that victory would soon be Korea's. Iwakuma continued his dominance of Korea's bats and Japan opened the seventh off reliever Hyun Wook Jong with three straight singles which gave them a 2-1 lead. Korea got another double play, their third of the game, to escape the inning without further damage.
Both teams manufactured a run in the eighth and Korea shut down Japan in the top of the ninth. Much to my excitement, Japan brought in Yu Darvish to close out the game.
As Darvish walked to the mound I turned to Jason and said "If you didn't look at the scoreboard, you would never know Korea is three outs away from losing this thing". Despite being a run down in the bottom of the ninth and facing one of the best young pitchers in the world, the Korean fans were still chanting and clapping and drumming and everything else as if they were winning by ten runs. It was amazing.
Speaking of amazing, Yu Darvish is amazing. I've seen some dominating pitches in my lifetime. Tom Gordon, in his prime, had the greatest curveball I've ever seen. The ball curved so much it seemed to defy physics. Number two was the Orioles closer Gregg Olson. Darryl Kile, when he was with the Astros, had a fantastic 12-6 curveball. In college I got to witness Billy Wagner's fastball first hand which I'm sure was just as good in the majors but against overmatched college kids looked like it was probably traveling 150 miles per hour.
Yu Darvish's slider is right there with those pitches. Darvish is a hard thrower, hitting the mid-nineties with his fastball. His slider also comes in ridiculously fast, around the mid-eighties. In other words, not too much different than an average pitcher's fastball. So you have this pitch coming at you looking like a "typical" fastball and then it just breaks insanely on you.
Darvish used it perfection on the first batter, getting him to miss the slider for the third strike. He then lost control of the pitch and walked the next two batters before getting Choo swinging. But Bum Ho Lee got a hold of a pitch and ripped it to center for a single to tie the game. Darvish then struck out his third batter of the inning swinging to end the inning.
Needless to say, the fans were going nuts. Unfortunately for them, one of the most baffling mismanagements of an inning I've seen in my life was about to take place.
Japan opened the 10th with a single, sacrificed the runner to second and then stopped the runner at third on a single to left. With runners at the corners and one out, things were looking bleak for the Korea nine. Japan brought in a pinch-hitter who hit a popout for the second out. This brought up Ichiro.
The pitcher ran a 1-2 count on Ichiro at which point I commented to Jason "They're not holding the runner on first". The runner took off but Ichiro fouled off the pitch. I figured Korea would remedy this error but sure enough, next pitch, the first baseman was off the bag and the runner took second uncontested.
Here's where my griping about the managing differs widely from the complaints in the media. Everything I heard or read after the game involved people saying "You had first base open, why would you pitch to Ichiro?". My question is why aren't you holding the runner. As I said to Jason at the time, you CANNOT let two runners be in scoring position, especially with Ichiro at the plate. A single now plates two runs. If you hold the runner at first a single just gets one run across. If you're behind with just three outs to go, do you want to make up a one-run or two-run deficit.
Even more baffling to me is why you would do that with Ichiro up. If it were some lefty pull hitter, sure, you can explain the move because having the first baseman away from the bag to cover more territory makes more sense. But against Ichiro? Ichiro doesn't pull the ball and he's not definitely not going to with a 1-2 count even if he were a pull hitter. He's going to be protecting the plate with two strikes. So just a completely inexplicable decision.
Needless to say, Ichiro singled in the two runs and then he took second on the throw home. Why was there a throw home? Because the runner on second, who was on first not too long ago, was coming around to score. So not only are you now two runs behind, you have another running in scoring position.
After one pitch, Ichiro waltzed into third for the second defensive indifference of the inning. The batter was hit by a pitch. He then went into second for the third defensive indifference of the inning. At this point I was beginning to think they could just walk on home that, by golly, Korea was going to get the batter at the plate out and the hell with who gets on base and what they do when they get there. Korea finally ended the misery with a strikeout.
Japan sent Darvish back out in the tenth and he was still looking iffy and dominant. He walked the leadoff batter, struck the next guy out swinging, induced a fly out and then got the third out on a swinging strike to give Japan the victory. Six outs, five of them strikeouts swinging.
Amazingly, the crowd noise from Japan winning was far less than that of Korea during the game. Well, maybe not so amazing. On the way to the ballpark, we heard on the radio that the only city in the world with more Koreans than Los Angeles was Seoul. It was quite an experience and I'm glad that I took the opportunity to catch the games. I hope the World Baseball Classic continues so that folks can get to see more of the world's players compete.
Showing posts with label world baseball classic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label world baseball classic. Show all posts
Monday, April 6, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
World Baseball Classic, live
I wanted to get a post in for Monday because I don't know when I'll have the chance. Saturday night I attended the World Baseball Classic semifinal between Korea and Venezuela at Dodger Stadium. Sort of nutty as I started my day at my parent's house near Philadelphia and ended it in my friend Jason's apartment in Los Angeles. Cross-country trips are a newfangled part of my life.
The game was an incredible experience and I don't know that it could have been such an experience anywhere other than LA. We made the traffic-packed drive to ballpark and as we waited in line to park (reminiscent of a disorderly Disneyworld) I looked around at the cars surrounding us and commented on how we might be the only Caucasians at the game. It wasn't too far from the truth. Both Korea and Venezuela had large contingents attend the game.
Dodger Stadium in itself is quite an experience. I haven't been to many major league games in the last many years and I didn't realize until Jason pointed out that Dodger Stadium is now the third oldest major league ballpark behind Fenway and Wrigley. It looks like it. The causeways are dungeonlike in their appearance with hardly any lighting and the restrooms use the trough-style urinal. The ballfield itself is nice. We were seated in the fifth row of loge boxes just behind third base which was a great place to view the game. We were surrounded by enthusiastic Koreans who cheered, chanted, screamed and thundersticked the entire game.
Rightfully so as the Koreans took an early lead from the sloppy Venezuelans. The leadoff batter walked and then the #2 hitter lofted a an easy fly out to rightfield which Bobby Abreu dropped for an error. A bloop single followed then a ball up the middle which Carlos Silva had trouble handling. He made an out at first but a run scored. A three-run homer ensued. The Koreans batted around and took a 5-0 lead in the first. They added a pair in the second and the game was, for all intent and purposes, over.
Jason had planned on rooting for Venezuela since a victory would mean we would get to see Felix Hernandez pitch in the final. I didn't care much either way but was bummed because I didn't think to wear my Korean Martial Arts Institute t-shirt (which I had packed) in support. Because we didn't have a solid rooting interest, we got caught up in our neighbors glee and were soon cheering for the Korean team.
Of course, an international game wouldn't be complete without an Ugly American incident. In the third inning, with the Koreans up 7-0, a pair of guys in their early 20's show up with their girlfriends. Some Koreans are sitting in their seats which leads to the one kid saying "These are our seats so you have to GO HOME". The same asshat then starts cheering for the Venezuelan team when he isn't getting up for beer or kissing his girlfriend, standing and high-fiving his buddies like he's Venezuelan. Thankfully they left in the fifth inning which to me begged the question of "Why bother"? Especially given the hassle of traffic and the cost of parking and the beers he was swilling. What was the purpose? Oh well.
We stayed to the end and watched the Koreans move on to the finals by a score of 10-2. Tonight we go to see Team USA play Japan and then the final is Monday night.
UPDATE: Saw Japan beat the US last night 9-4. Watching the U.S. team led to so many questions, the first being "Why is Derek Jeter even in the lineup?" He literally threw away the last chance the US had to comeback, turning a two run deficit into a five, he looked awful in the field and at the plate and worst of all, Jimmy Rollins, a far superior defensive shortstop, is the designated hitter meaning that if they were to sub him in defensively, they would lose the DH spot and the pitcher would have to bat. That's like tying your hands together before you start the game.
My guy, Adam Dunn, looks pretty horrific as well, and probably should be DHing. His strikeout to end the game didn't earn him any fansbut that's what you get with Dunn. His fielding is as bad as Jeter's and it was exposed with him in rightfield against a lefty-loaded Japanese team.
Japan baffled me a bit as well, throwing young superstar Yu Darvish in the 9th inning with a five run lead. I had expected him to get the start for today's game. My main WBC objective of watching him pitch was fulfilled, though, and he is spectacular. Barring injury, he should probably join the game's greats even if American fans will never hear of him.
The crowd was much quieter leading me to predict a Korean win tonight as they take over the stadium once again and turn it into their own home field. Having an American team compete led to scoreboard-induced chants which I certainly did not miss in the opener.
The most fun player to watch, for me, was Curtis Granderson. Being bookended by Dunn and Ryan Braun out there in the outfield, they really need him to cover as much ground as possible which he most certainly does. He actually made one play standing in front of Braun in leftfield. Not left-center, left. Just amazing. Plus he wears his socks high. Only guy of the U.S. starting nine to do that. It's a good look.
The game was an incredible experience and I don't know that it could have been such an experience anywhere other than LA. We made the traffic-packed drive to ballpark and as we waited in line to park (reminiscent of a disorderly Disneyworld) I looked around at the cars surrounding us and commented on how we might be the only Caucasians at the game. It wasn't too far from the truth. Both Korea and Venezuela had large contingents attend the game.
Dodger Stadium in itself is quite an experience. I haven't been to many major league games in the last many years and I didn't realize until Jason pointed out that Dodger Stadium is now the third oldest major league ballpark behind Fenway and Wrigley. It looks like it. The causeways are dungeonlike in their appearance with hardly any lighting and the restrooms use the trough-style urinal. The ballfield itself is nice. We were seated in the fifth row of loge boxes just behind third base which was a great place to view the game. We were surrounded by enthusiastic Koreans who cheered, chanted, screamed and thundersticked the entire game.
Rightfully so as the Koreans took an early lead from the sloppy Venezuelans. The leadoff batter walked and then the #2 hitter lofted a an easy fly out to rightfield which Bobby Abreu dropped for an error. A bloop single followed then a ball up the middle which Carlos Silva had trouble handling. He made an out at first but a run scored. A three-run homer ensued. The Koreans batted around and took a 5-0 lead in the first. They added a pair in the second and the game was, for all intent and purposes, over.
Jason had planned on rooting for Venezuela since a victory would mean we would get to see Felix Hernandez pitch in the final. I didn't care much either way but was bummed because I didn't think to wear my Korean Martial Arts Institute t-shirt (which I had packed) in support. Because we didn't have a solid rooting interest, we got caught up in our neighbors glee and were soon cheering for the Korean team.
Of course, an international game wouldn't be complete without an Ugly American incident. In the third inning, with the Koreans up 7-0, a pair of guys in their early 20's show up with their girlfriends. Some Koreans are sitting in their seats which leads to the one kid saying "These are our seats so you have to GO HOME". The same asshat then starts cheering for the Venezuelan team when he isn't getting up for beer or kissing his girlfriend, standing and high-fiving his buddies like he's Venezuelan. Thankfully they left in the fifth inning which to me begged the question of "Why bother"? Especially given the hassle of traffic and the cost of parking and the beers he was swilling. What was the purpose? Oh well.
We stayed to the end and watched the Koreans move on to the finals by a score of 10-2. Tonight we go to see Team USA play Japan and then the final is Monday night.
UPDATE: Saw Japan beat the US last night 9-4. Watching the U.S. team led to so many questions, the first being "Why is Derek Jeter even in the lineup?" He literally threw away the last chance the US had to comeback, turning a two run deficit into a five, he looked awful in the field and at the plate and worst of all, Jimmy Rollins, a far superior defensive shortstop, is the designated hitter meaning that if they were to sub him in defensively, they would lose the DH spot and the pitcher would have to bat. That's like tying your hands together before you start the game.
My guy, Adam Dunn, looks pretty horrific as well, and probably should be DHing. His strikeout to end the game didn't earn him any fansbut that's what you get with Dunn. His fielding is as bad as Jeter's and it was exposed with him in rightfield against a lefty-loaded Japanese team.
Japan baffled me a bit as well, throwing young superstar Yu Darvish in the 9th inning with a five run lead. I had expected him to get the start for today's game. My main WBC objective of watching him pitch was fulfilled, though, and he is spectacular. Barring injury, he should probably join the game's greats even if American fans will never hear of him.
The crowd was much quieter leading me to predict a Korean win tonight as they take over the stadium once again and turn it into their own home field. Having an American team compete led to scoreboard-induced chants which I certainly did not miss in the opener.
The most fun player to watch, for me, was Curtis Granderson. Being bookended by Dunn and Ryan Braun out there in the outfield, they really need him to cover as much ground as possible which he most certainly does. He actually made one play standing in front of Braun in leftfield. Not left-center, left. Just amazing. Plus he wears his socks high. Only guy of the U.S. starting nine to do that. It's a good look.
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