The Crane Pool Forum

Edgy MD wrote: ↑Thu Mar 02, 2023 12:39 pm Agreed. It's beisbol played at a top level but delivered through a different cultural filter or filters with a different motivational stake for the players.

My US Cup™ tournament with teams representing each of the 50 states and US territories would be bigger than manbuns.

That would be great. An FA Cup or Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for baseball would be super cool.

The WBC would be better if it were hosted in different countries for one. A tourney held in raucous domes in Japan or in the DR would be INCREDIBLE. I don't know that there is an ideal time to hold the perfect version of this tournament. Before or after the MLB season both present preparedness/fatigue injury worries, but running next to the winter leagues once every 4 years would probably be best. MLB, Korea and Japan all end their seasons October-ish. If they ran this tourney for 3 weeks in January, it would rock.

I predict exactly zero major league pitchers would participate in an event that forces them to ramp up in January to dormant again and ramp up in March.

Well, many already do, although they are certainly not forced, and certainly something more than dormant in February, which is when camp begins.

I didn't realize games were being played in Tokyo (and Taichung) and not all just in the US. That's cool.

WBC kicks off tonight, kids! Cuba @ Netherlands at 11 PM Eastern (ugh) live from somewhere! Game is on FS1.

So who else is staying up to watch Yoenis Cespedes tonight??

Yup!

Do the Mets have any players who will be going to Asia to participate? Senga is skipping the WBC... I'm not sure if there are any others.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: ↑Tue Mar 07, 2023 11:51 am Do the Mets have any players who will be going to Asia to participate? Senga is skipping the WBC... I'm not sure if there are any others.

The only one I found is Claudio Scotti a minor leaguer who is repping Italy.

I found this great thread on all the WBC teams that I've already used a few times as a quick reference. It starts with Cuba and goes from there.

I came here to post the same tweet , excellent work by that person

Surprised to see Cespedes

Looks like I'm not getting the stream with my mlb.tv shlubscription.

Yoenis is batting fourth and walked in his first plate appearance.

Holland has shortstops all over the place, with Didi Gregorious staffing first, Andrelton Simmons at third, Xander Bogaerts as the actual shortstop, and Jurickson Profar in left. Jonathan Schoop, who has over 100 games of MLB experience at first is at second. I bet that just steams Didi.

Eight-year MLB vet and 2016 Mets AAA player Roger Bernadina is The Netherlands' 39-year-old centerfielder.

The Cubans are up 1-0 on an RBI hit by secondbaseman Yadil Mujica. Yadil is the rare bird who came to the US to play, gave it a shot, and then returned to the CNS.

Pretty sweet to be Mike Piazza I would think

Twitter was blowing up about #hornguy behind the plate, but I thought it was hilarious. I just had to turn the volume down so muh lady didn't think there was a pissed off car outside our house laying on the horn.

If there's going to be a World Cup style discovery of under-the-radar players who now maybe get a shot at MLB, my first pony is Yariel Rodriguez. If there weren't pitch count rules, it looked like he could've kept the MLB-heavy NED lineup off the board for another couple innings easy. Mid-to-high nineties, 3000K on breaking stuff, per the announcer guy. He looked hella good. Currently earning money as a reliever in Japan with Chunichi. SIGN HIM NOW METS!!!!

Second vid down on this page are Yariel's highlights (also horn guy's) --> https://www.mlb.com/news/cuba-vs-nether ... assic-2023

his BBRef page --> https://www.baseball-reference.com/regi ... drig000yar

Ben Verlander also has a crush on my crush so now I'm just not that into him

I like that delay in his motion. Send a Cuban guy to Japan and he starts turning Japanese.

Team Dominican Republic is currently pounding the Braves 5-0 behind 3 ribbies from some dude named Canó.

TV Today and Tomorrow

03/08
Korea vs. Australia
10:00pm FS2
Netherlands vs. Panama
11:00pm FS2

03/09
Japan vs. China
5:00am FS2
Cuba vs. Italy
6:00am Tubi
China vs. Czech Republic
10:00pm Tubi
Panama vs. Cuba
11:00pm FS1

Nicaragua beating the Mets 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth.

Did I say beating? I think what I meant is no-hitting.

A Ronny Mauricio infield single with two out in the seventh combined with five walks to provide all the offense the Mets were able to muster against seven allegedly Nicaraguan pitchers.

Edgy MD wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 10:47 pm A Ronny Mauricio infield single with two out in the seventh combined with five walks to provide all the offense the Mets were able to muster against seven allegedly Nicaraguan pitchers.

Mauricio was then up with two on and no outs in the 9th and hit into a DP.

Team Italy should be wearing the nation's colors of red white and green.

Or maybe they were afraid they'd look too much like pizza boxes?

Who is that doing PbP? It sounds like a cross between Tanyon Sturze and an Aussie.