Let's be honest, Japan deserved the title, but the best teams in the history of MLB lost 60 games a year. To decide on a world title with one game is just plain silly. At the very least it should be a best of 3. Having said that, looking at the impact of this competition at this point in the season is ridiculous. See Diaz for reference.
What are you talking about?! World Baseball Championship (WBC) is a tournament.
Most other sports determine world champions with one game in tournaments.
Should the NCAA basketball tournament final game be best of 3 or 7 instead?
By your logic tennis matches should be one set, or why not just one game? There is a reason - mostly pitching - that the "best" baseball team can't be determined by only one game.
Japanese children play baseball year round. Little league in Japan is in the coldest months and in all parts of Japan, December - February as well. They never stop. They are cultish about it and it is quasi military (Bushido culture) with chants, orders, militaristic structure. It's waaaay too serious for kids imo but that's Japan in general. See awkward bowing at Olympics by Japanese athletes outside Japan. Seriously awkward and out of place, outside of Japan. Baseball is essentially like Japan society (obey). And it works. Same with ekiden running system (without global medals).
americans don't care about baseball. It's seasonal and mostly recreational as kids, not militaristic. If american baseball were year-round like american swimming, it could crush.
americans don't stand a chance unless they get obsessive about it, year round. But then who would really want to play as a kid if your coach is turning you into a robot.
That's not the little league of our youth.
This post was edited 13 minutes after it was posted.
Japanese children play baseball year round. Little league in Japan is in the coldest months and in all parts of Japan, December - February as well. They never stop. They are cultish about it and it is quasi military (Bushido culture) with chants, orders, militaristic structure. It's waaaay too serious for kids imo but that's Japan in general. See awkward bowing at Olympics by Japanese athletes outside Japan. Seriously awkward and out of place, outside of Japan. Baseball is essentially like Japan society (obey). And it works. Same with ekiden running system (without global medals).
americans don't care about baseball. It's seasonal and mostly recreational as kids, not militaristic. If american baseball were year-round like american swimming, it could crush.
americans don't stand a chance unless they get obsessive about it, year round. But then who would really want to play as a kid if your coach is turning you into a robot.
That's not the little league of our youth.
You obviously are not familiar with travel ball.
Look, the number of Japanese pitchers who are capable to throwing 100 mph is drastically fewer than the number of Americans who are capable. And yes, it matters.
Japanese children play baseball year round. Little league in Japan is in the coldest months and in all parts of Japan, December - February as well. They never stop. They are cultish about it and it is quasi military (Bushido culture) with chants, orders, militaristic structure. It's waaaay too serious for kids imo but that's Japan in general. See awkward bowing at Olympics by Japanese athletes outside Japan. Seriously awkward and out of place, outside of Japan. Baseball is essentially like Japan society (obey). And it works. Same with ekiden running system (without global medals).
americans don't care about baseball. It's seasonal and mostly recreational as kids, not militaristic. If american baseball were year-round like american swimming, it could crush.
americans don't stand a chance unless they get obsessive about it, year round. But then who would really want to play as a kid if your coach is turning you into a robot.
That's not the little league of our youth.
You obviously are not familiar with travel ball.
Look, the number of Japanese pitchers who are capable to throwing 100 mph is drastically fewer than the number of Americans who are capable. And yes, it matters.
Ironically your statement may be false. Ohtani throws 100 and Japan has a couple more than throw that. What American starters are throwing 100 at the moment? Name one.
What do you expect from a people who take pride in how little they train? And would you look at that, even ceccione showed up with one of his racist rants.
Look, the number of Japanese pitchers who are capable to throwing 100 mph is drastically fewer than the number of Americans who are capable. And yes, it matters.
Ironically your statement may be false. Ohtani throws 100 and Japan has a couple more than throw that. What American starters are throwing 100 at the moment? Name one.
deGrom, Cole, Spencer Strider, Shane McClanahan, Dylan Cease, Hunter Greene and Tyler Glasnow if they're healthy and probably a ton of others that I can't think of off the top of my head.
Baseball has seen a huge revolution in training over the past decade with effects probably even more pronounced than the introduction of the super shoe. There are plenty of guys who top out at 100 who aren't even getting affiliated contracts these days. Which seems crazy until you think that the average MLB fastball was 94mph in 2022, and that many of the guys bringing down the average are making a conscious decision to do so as they believe the benefit of adding velo would come at too high of a cost to their pitch profile/command to be worth it.
Japanese children play baseball year round. Little league in Japan is in the coldest months and in all parts of Japan, December - February as well. They never stop. They are cultish about it and it is quasi military (Bushido culture) with chants, orders, militaristic structure. It's waaaay too serious for kids imo but that's Japan in general. See awkward bowing at Olympics by Japanese athletes outside Japan. Seriously awkward and out of place, outside of Japan. Baseball is essentially like Japan society (obey). And it works. Same with ekiden running system (without global medals).
americans don't care about baseball. It's seasonal and mostly recreational as kids, not militaristic. If american baseball were year-round like american swimming, it could crush.
americans don't stand a chance unless they get obsessive about it, year round. But then who would really want to play as a kid if your coach is turning you into a robot.
That's not the little league of our youth.
Some truth to this but it is even worse in Korea from what I hear. Which is weird because they don't have nearly the top end talent of Japan.
Dominicans are just as obsessive, but the style at the academies is much more laid back. They put more emphasis on individual improvement rather than winning games when compared to the aforementioned Asian countries.
Am curious what other types of play we will see as baseball's popularity spreads further across the globe.
Look, the number of Japanese pitchers who are capable to throwing 100 mph is drastically fewer than the number of Americans who are capable. And yes, it matters.
Ironically your statement may be false. Ohtani throws 100 and Japan has a couple more than throw that. What American starters are throwing 100 at the moment? Name one.
Hunter Greene
Ben Joyce of Tennessee throws over 100
Dude, we're talking two guys in Japan... two guys in the whole country. Wow. Discuss something else; you're out of your element.
Japanese children play baseball year round. Little league in Japan is in the coldest months and in all parts of Japan, December - February as well. They never stop. They are cultish about it and it is quasi military (Bushido culture) with chants, orders, militaristic structure. It's waaaay too serious for kids imo but that's Japan in general. See awkward bowing at Olympics by Japanese athletes outside Japan. Seriously awkward and out of place, outside of Japan. Baseball is essentially like Japan society (obey). And it works. Same with ekiden running system (without global medals).
americans don't care about baseball. It's seasonal and mostly recreational as kids, not militaristic. If american baseball were year-round like american swimming, it could crush.
americans don't stand a chance unless they get obsessive about it, year round. But then who would really want to play as a kid if your coach is turning you into a robot.
That's not the little league of our youth.
You obviously are not familiar with travel ball.
Look, the number of Japanese pitchers who are capable to throwing 100 mph is drastically fewer than the number of Americans who are capable. And yes, it matters.
I was going to post the same thing about travel ball. I would bet that most American MLB players have played year round since at least the age of 12.
How many of them were on the US wbc roster on your list? Showing up or being selected matters.
Now you're changing your argument, and I don't have the time or inclination to engage or educate you on baseball. Throughout the last 50 years I've watched, played, coached, umpired, and done radio broadcasts. The Japanese game is inferior. They know it. Congrats on winning one game.
Look, the number of Japanese pitchers who are capable to throwing 100 mph is drastically fewer than the number of Americans who are capable. And yes, it matters.
I was going to post the same thing about travel ball. I would bet that most American MLB players have played year round since at least the age of 12.
Oddly enough, it's not always the case. Anderson on the American team began as a sophomore in high school. Nimmo played only American Legion ball and didn't even compete in high school (his school didn't have a team). If you have a great arm, wheels, and can hit and field, the scouts find you. A player that has all the tools has a much better chance at playing in the big leagues than a player with opportunity and rich parents.
Look, the number of Japanese pitchers who are capable to throwing 100 mph is drastically fewer than the number of Americans who are capable. And yes, it matters.
I was going to post the same thing about travel ball. I would bet that most American MLB players have played year round since at least the age of 12.
Travel ball? Play year-round where you live, like Japan. No need to exclude a potential pool of talent. Travel ball sounds exclusive, not inclusive.
Some truth to this but it is even worse in Korea from what I hear. Which is weird because they don't have nearly the top end talent of Japan.
Dominicans are just as obsessive, but the style at the academies is much more laid back. They put more emphasis on individual improvement rather than winning games when compared to the aforementioned Asian countries.
Am curious what other types of play we will see as baseball's popularity spreads further across the globe.
To me, the takeaway from this event is that it was an extremely exciting tournament, very well attended, with competitive and intense games that the players REALLY wanted to win. The intensity was World Series level. The U.S. roster may not have had all the best players, but there were a lot. This event was VERY good for the sport and the hype for the next one should be huge. I bet the U.S. roster will be even better.
For a sport that seems to be kinda dying compared to NFL, etc., this was a big shot in the arm.
This was in Japan, a baseball crazed country steeped in INTENSE national pride for two sports: soccer and baseball. I went to the world relays in Yokohama a couple years back. Place was empty.
This will do jack for baseball globally. It will make Japan's baseball even better. It's why kids in Japan play all year and they don't have to travel to do it.
Put this tourney in america in March and nobody will even show up. Not world series intensity because March is not baseball time in america. It's always baseball time in Japan.
This post was edited 2 minutes after it was posted.