2017 world baseball classic

Kodai Senga Looked Like The Real Deal

In the top of the eighth inning of the World Baseball Classic semi-final Tuesday night between Japan and the U.S., Japanese relief pitcher Kodai Senga gave up an RBI fielder’s choice to Adam Jones that plated Brandon Crawford and put the Americans up 2-1. Third baseman Nobuhiro Matsuda bobbled the ball on the wet…

The WBC Knows Baseball Is Supposed To Be Fun

If nothing else, the swag level at the World Baseball Classic is off the charts:

Edwin Díaz's Slider Is So, So, So Ridiculous

Edwin Díaz’s ninth inning last night was the sort of performance that seems to stretch the reasonable connotation of striking out the side when correctly described with the technical definition of the term. All three outs came via strikeout, sure; in between those were two runs that nearly squandered Puerto Rico’s…

Yadier Molina Criticizes WBC Security After Team Puerto Rico Clears Dugout To Investigate Fight In Stands

After Team Puerto Rico cleared its dugout and bullpen to investigate a fan fight the stands of their World Baseball Classic game last night, catcher Yadier Molina has been pointed with his criticism of security.

Salvador Pérez Injured In WBC Home-Plate Collision

The Royals’ backup catcher crushed the Royals’ starting catcher in a play at the plate tonight. In the bottom of the 9th of the World Baseball Classic game in Mexico, Drew Butera, playing for team Italy, collided with Salvador Pérez, guarding home for Team Venezuela, as he tried to score the winning run.

Italy Gets Walk-Off Win Versus Mexico With Five Runs In The Bottom Of The Ninth

Losing to Mexico by four runs in the bottom of the ninth, Italy didn’t come to mess around. In their first game of the World Baseball Classic, the Italians roughed up Toronto Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna by opening their half of the final inning with two runs off of three straight doubles. Then came a costly error…

Ryan Dempster Performs Act Of Valor By Facing Fearsome Dominican Republic Lineup In Return To Baseball

Ryan Dempster last pitched in a professional baseball game in 2013. He then decided to walk away and leave money on the table rather than keep playing, wrapping up a very respectable career at age 36 after 16 years in the majors. But now, nearing his 40th birthday, he decided to give the game a try one more time by…

The First Team To Advance At The WBC Will Be…Israel?!

Barely more than 24 hours into the World Baseball Classic and we’ve got our first team set to advance, and it’s one no one would have expected: Team Israel, which upset South Korea yesterday, walloped Chinese Taipei 15-7 today and is sitting pretty.

Look, Baseball!

I know I’m warmer than most on the World Baseball Classic, but I think it can only be a good thing that there’s actual, competitive baseball being played right now, after a long cold winter. (My enthusiasm will wane by May, when I’ll be wishing they could just skip ahead to September already. But let’s enjoy this!)