Wbc

Players competing for roster spots shined for the Chicago White Sox in a 4-4 tie against the Cubs on Friday at Camelback Ranch. Infielder/outfielder Romy Gonzalez went 1-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs. Reliever Gregory Santos struck out all four batters he faced. Santos has not allowed a run and has eight strikeouts in five relief appearances this spring (5⅓ innings). Here are three more takeaways from Sox camp. 1. Eloy Jiménez reflects on ‘one of the best games’ he’s ever played in at the WBC. Jiménez hoped for a different result. But one of the Sox outfielder/designated hitter’s favorite moments participating for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic came Wednesday against Puerto Rico. “That was a fun game,” Jiménez said Friday morning. “Hate to lose but they played well too. Credit to them. That was a really good game, one of the best games I’ve played in.” Jiménez returned to the Sox and was in the starting lineup Friday against the Cubs two days … [Read more...] about 3 takeaways from Chicago White Sox camp, including Eloy Jiménez picking up where he left off in return from the WBC

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The World Baseball Classic ended with a dramatic Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani confrontation Tuesday that seemed like a perfect ending regardless of the outcome. It resulted in Ohtani striking out Trout to give Japan the title and capped a stretch of a few weeks that saw various debates about the value of playing such an event in the midst of spring training. The debate intensified last week when Mets’ closer Edwin Diaz injured his knee in a celebration of Puerto Rico’s 5-2 win over Dominican Republic. Diaz wound up with a season-ending injury and a few days Jose Altuve broke his thumb and will be out two months. The Yankee presence at the event was minimal as they opted not to let Luis Severino pitch for the Dominican Republic citing his recent injury and an early hamstring injury prevented Nestor Cortes from suiting up for the United States. Without two prominent pitchers taking part, the Yankee contingent … [Read more...] about Francisco Lindor And Gleyber Torres Illustrate Significance Of World Baseball Classic

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The 2023 World Baseball Classic was a rousing success on a host of levels including attendance, television viewership, and more. When looking inside the numbers, it wasn’t just in North America that the tournament excelled; it was worldwide. When baseball historians look back at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, it will show that Japan beat USA 3-2, but it was truly baseball that was elevated worldwide. At a time when college basketball dominates the sports headlines in the U.S., and spring training games signal that the Major League Baseball regular season is upon us, the WBC was an electric atmosphere that had all the earmarks of the MLB postseason. Here are the numbers that show how successful the event was. And why the World Baseball Classic is already announced to return in 2026, just three years from now as MLB and the MLBPA end their current labor agreement. Record Attendance Attendance for the tournament totaled … [Read more...] about From Record-Breaking Television, Attendance, And Merchandise Sales, 2023 World Baseball Classic Was A Home Run

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin New York Mets right handed reliever Edwin Diaz, 28, is one of the best closers in Major League Baseball. Pitching for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic March 15, Diaz closed out a tremendously meaningful victory over the Dominican Republic. Diaz struck out Seattle Mariners outfielder Teoscar Hernandez to end the game. Ready to celebrate their monumental victory, Diaz’ Puerto Rican teammates ran out of their dugout and stormed the area near the mound. Then Diaz went down to the ground, clutching his knee. His teammates lifted Diaz from the ground and placed him on a wheelchair to be taken from the field in pain. It has been disclosed that Diaz suffered a tear of the patellar tendon in his right knee. Diaz required surgery to repair the tendon, with a recovery time estimated to be “around” eight months. The team has not indicated a specific timetable for recovery. If Diaz requires a full eight … [Read more...] about New York Mets’ Edwin Diaz Has Surgery For Torn Knee Tendon Suffered In World Baseball Classic Victory Celebration

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Jasson Dominguez was never going to head north to Yankee Stadium to be on the opening day roster when the Yankees open the season in two weeks. It did not matter how well Dominguez performed in spring training. It was just reality of it being unrealistic for a player who rarely played above Single-A making the jump to the majors. The Yankees made it official late Thursday night when they announced Dominguez was being reassigned to the minor league side of spring training. It occurred nearly four weeks after spring training games began and before the move was announced, Dominguez made enough of an impression to make you think his debut with the Yankees might be closer than initially anticipated. Even though spring training numbers get ignored, it is hard not to notice anyone hitting .455 (10-for-22) with four homers and nine RBIs in the short span of 11 games even if those at-bats are in spring training. “He’s a … [Read more...] about Jasson Dominguez’s Productive Spring Leaves Strong Impression On The New York Yankees

Cody Bellinger finally hit his first spring home run — at least the first one that counted. Bellinger’s homer last week against Team Canada is not applied to Cactus League totals because it was an exhibition matchup. His home run Thursday, though, prevented the Cubs from getting shut out in a 3-1 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Left-hander Drew Smyly went 4⅓ innings, giving up two runs on three hits. He walked one and struck out four batters. Jameson Taillon threw 72 pitches in a minor-league game against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday after his sim game was rained out Wednesday. He surrendered four runs and seven hits, walked one and struck out seven in five innings. Sox manager Pedro Grifol saw some positives from the rain that canceled Wednesday’s game against the San Francisco Giants. “I didn’t plan the weather but when I saw it (in the forecast) a few days ago it was something that we thought would be good for us,” Grifol said Thursday. “Get another day (off), … [Read more...] about Cactus League report: Cubs catchers’ big-picture approach to competitions — and Oscar Colás tries out center field for Sox

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Even the World Champion Houston Astros aren’t immune from the injury wave rampaging through the ranks of players who skipped spring training for the World Baseball Classic. Star second baseman José Altuve is the latest to suffer a serious injury during the past week, joining Edwin Diaz of the New York Mets and Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Altuve, playing for Venezuela, suffered a broken hand when hit by a pitch Saturday night and will be out indefinitely. Diaz will miss the season after hurting his knee while celebrating a win in the WBC, while Freeman took himself out of the tournament after injuring his hamstring while playing for Canada. He’s hoping to be ready by Opening Day March 30. As a result of these and lesser mishaps, the timing of the 20-team tournament is under fire because it takes players away from their teams during spring training. Even though it is played once every three years … [Read more...] about World Champion Astros Lose Leadoff Man Jose Altuve With Fractured Hand

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin One of the original brains behind the World Baseball Classic says he and the organizers of the global tournament never intended the event to be a one-and-done showcase of elite baseball talent. “This was not expected to be a one-off,” says Bob DuPuy, the former Major League Baseball president and chief operating officer. “(The 2006 WBC) was the inaugural version that would evolve as we learned about it, and learned what worked.” Now, almost two decades after the 2006 version — which ended with Japan winning the championship game against Cuba — the 2023 World Baseball Classic is generating plenty of excitement and patriotic fervor, not to mention renewed criticism. From Team TISI USA’s dramatic come-from-behind victory over Venezuela to propel the Americans into the ‘23 semifinals against Cuba, to the public outcry over injuries to stars like Edwin Diaz and Jose Altuve, there is no shortage of debate as to the … [Read more...] about Despite Critics And Detractors, World Baseball Classic Endures And Continues To Grow Sport

Well, this is one way to get it done. The San Diego Toreros and Pacific Tigers squared off in an NCAA college baseball game Saturday, with home team San Diego getting the 16-9 win . Nothing out of the ordinary at first glance, but the Toreros pulled out that win makes for one of the strangest games I’ve ever seen. For most of the name, Pacific had a solid lead. In the top of the fourth inning, they were up 6-1, which they extended to 8-2 in the top of the sixth. Sounds like it should be an easy win from there, right? Sure. Unless of course you get completely outplayed by pure small-ball while making a load of mistakes. Unfortunately for Pacific, that’s exactly what happened. They gave up 10 runs in the bottom of the eighth alone, giving the Toreros a 16-8 lead. And here’s the kicker: the ball didn’t leave the infield a single time. Here’s three minutes and 50 seconds of pure chaos from one of the wildest eighth innings you’ll ever see. #GoToreros … [Read more...] about San Diego Scores A Whopping 10 Runs In A Single Inning (And The Ball Never Left The Infield)

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The Japan national baseball team got a dreamlike win in the World Baseball Classic final game on Tuesday. The WBC also gave Miami International Airport new hope for an old dream. The baseball tournament enabled the first ever nonstop flight to Tokyo, something the airport has long sought. A 13-hour charter flight by Japan Airlines on a Boeing 787 arrived just before 3 a.m. on March 17. It carried more than 100 passengers, including players and staff from the eventual WBC 2023 championship team. That plane departed Miami the following day. On Monday, JAL flew a 787 into Miami, ready to depart whenever the team’s run ended. The Dreamliner departed Wednesday after Japan won the championship game on Tuesday. “It was wonderful to welcome our first nonstop flight from Japan to Miami-Dade County, and to see the Japan Airlines aircraft parked at MIA, basking in the Miami sunshine,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor, Daniella … [Read more...] about After World Baseball Classic, Miami Airport Dreams Of Nonstop To Tokyo