Pool B is a tough one. All four teams involved in it- Taipei, Korea, the Netherlands and Australia- all have the ability to win on any given day, and all four also have professional leagues of their own. While the Asian nations must be considered the favorites, the Dutch and Aussies cannot be counted out.
See the preview after the jump:
Pool A of the World Baseball Classic has two traditional powerhouses, Japan and Cuba, and two countries where baseball is a niche sport, Brazil and China.
Go below the jump for the preview:
Sorry, but the WBC Q&A’s final part has been delayed until sometime this coming week. So, for now, here’s a preview of stuff that (probably) will also be joining it:
Coming in the next seven days on the Continuum:
And don’t forget to check out Joe Connor’s WBC Guide!
In the final days of 2012 at the Baseball Continuum:
Stay tuned!
Okay, now the other two qualifying pools for the WBC don’t get started until November (as opposed to the first two, which are coming up THIS VERY WEEK), but I think it’s a good idea to do an early look at them:
The PANAMA CITY pool features Panama, Brazil, Nicaragua and Colombia. This is, by far, the best qualifying group. All four of these countries had at least one MLB player active this season, three of them have professional leagues (although admittedly the Panamanian, Nicaraguan and Colombian leagues are often in a financially fragile position), and the fact the group is in November means MLB players will be able to take part. It is also, in international sports parlance, a “group of death”. A “group of death” is a group that is so talented or evenly-matched that there is almost no margin for error. This is the group that has the best worst team (Brazil, which has produced more minor leaguers than you’d think) and a best team (Panama) that, while the favorite, is definitely beatable. I did projections for Panama earlier this year, so you can look there to get an idea of who they will be sending in. Colombia will likely have the Solano brothers of Donovan (a 2B/Utility with the Marlins this season) and Jhonathan (a catcher with the Nationals, although injuries may sideline him), as well as pitchers like Ernesto Frieri, Jose Quintana, Julio Teheran and perhaps a coming-out-of-retirement-for-his-country Edgar Renteria. Nicaragua could have young Mariners organization pitcher Erasmo Ramirez joined by the Padres’ 25-year-old SS Everth Cabrera and veteran pitchers Wilton Lopez and Vicente Padilla. Even Brazil could have a MLB-experienced player in Yan Gomes, who became the first Brazil-born MLB player earlier this year when he made his debut with the Blue Jays. It should be a highly competitive and entertaining pool, and although I think either Panama or Colombia will emerge from it, there are plenty of question marks around it and I wouldn’t be that surprised if any of the teams involved got through (okay, I would be pretty surprised if Brazil got through, but it wouldn’t be as surprising as, say, France or the Czech Republic getting through).
On the other hand, though, the TAIPEI pool of Taipei, New Zealand, Thailand and the Philippines will be the most lopsided of all of the pool. Chinese Taipei (not called Taiwan in international competition due to political considerations) will win this group. Even if New Zealand, Thailand and the Philippines were to pool their resources and throw out a combined team against Taipei, Taipei would win. The only reason Taipei is even having to qualify is because in 2009 they had a game against China in which they played their worst game and China played it’s best. However, Taipei shouldn’t have that problem against their pool, even if the other three get substantial help from passport players.
More detailed previews will be in the future.
Nothing new today, folks, as I am busy putting together new stuff for the coming weeks. Here’s a preview of what will be up this weekend:
On Saturday, tune in to read another tale of Bizarre Baseball Culture, as we will see a story involving the rather bizarre superhero known as Doll Man faces off against baseball-themed crooks.
Also on Saturday, you’ll be able to read something on the Norfolk Tides, who just may be the most star-studded sub-.500 team in AAA baseball history, thanks to a confluence of former all-stars on rehab or minor league contract. It’s not every day that you see Brian Roberts and Miguel Tejada have long toss right in front of you, but it happened a few days ago.
On Sunday, we will once again see another Great Prediction in History from an old Baseball Digest, and also some thoughts on the hyper-close races in the AL and NL Eat.
And, of course, there could always be some surprises. This is baseball, after all, so you never know what could happen. There could be a no-hitter. Or a unassisted triple play. Or a 4-HR game. And if something like that happens, expect comment on it here, at the Continuum.
The Baseball Continuum 