'09 World Baseball Classic NEWS

YAY!!

I have Bright House Cable.

Cuba throws 2 baseball stars off top team
ANNE-MARIE GARCIA - 11/21/2008 8:33:47 PM

Ace pitcher Yadel Marti and star outfielder Yasser Gomez have been thrown off Cuba's top league team for "a grave act of indiscipline," likely ending their hopes of playing in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

The one-sentence announcement Friday in the Communist Party newspaper Granma offered no details on why Marti, picked to the all-tournament team at the 2006 WBC, and Gomez, a former Olympian, were released from Havana's Industriales.

Two people close to the team said the action came after the pair was caught trying to defect to the United States. The two people spoke on condition of anonymity and did not elaborate, fearing it could lead to problems with the Industriales.

Marti was 1-0 with two saves and a 0.00 ERA in 12 2-3 innings during four games in the inaugural WBC, when Cuba finished second to Japan.

The right-hander joined Daisuke Matsuzaka and Chan Ho Park as the all-WBC pitchers. Marti and his teammates were welcomed home as heroes after the event, climbing aboard a convoy of green military jeeps and parading through Havana's streets.

Marti talked publicly about how Cuba would seek revenge during the 2009 WBC and he was expected to again be one of the national team's stars in the tournament this spring. But Friday's announcement virtually guarantees neither he nor Gomez will play baseball for Cuba again in any capacity.

The 29-year-old Marti began his career with the island's top baseball league in 1999 with the Metropolitanos of Havana, the capital's second-tier squad. He was a short, thin prospect who scouts thought did not have the physical stature to become a star, but his excellent control and craftiness on the mound helped him win a spot on the Industriales in 2002.

The 28-year-old Gomez is a left-hander who batted third slot in the Industriales' lineup and hit .394 in 2007. He began playing in Cuba's top league as a teenager and was part of the Olympic team at the Sydney Games in 2000, which took the silver medal. He was left off Cuba's 2006 WBC squad.

Both Gomez and Marti failed to secure spots on the Cuban team that finished second at the Olympic Games in Beijing, absences that surprised many in baseball circles.

Gomez had lived in a Havana apartment building adjacent to the aging stadium where the Industriales play. The building is full of players and their families and painted in the colors of Industriales, blue and white, with a script "I" logo. He moved to a new apartment in the capital's Vedado district sometime ago, however.

Marti has a home in another part of the city, but did not answer his home or cellular phones Friday. The Industriales refused to comment.

Like many elite Cuban athletes, baseball players draw small salaries and often travel by bus, but have some perks the general population does not, including the use of a state-owned car or the right to purchase their own vehicle. The government does not consider its baseball players professionals, but the island's National Baseball League is far-and-away the most-followed in this baseball-mad country.

The Industriales are the class of the league and the closest thing Cuba has to the New York Yankees. The team wears pinstripes, has first choice of the top baseball talent born in and around Havana and vies with Santiago, the island's second-largest city, for the largest and most-devoted fan base.

It was the team of Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, who was the most famous player on Industriales and in Cuba when he defected to the United States, eventually winning a World Series with the Yankees in 1998.

Livan Hernandez, the 1997 World Series MVP for the Florida Marlins, was also a star of the team before fleeing the island. Rey Ordonez was an Industriales backup shortstop before becoming a three-time Gold Glover with the New York Mets.

come on over, guys! We'll take ya for the Tigers!

Thursday, January 8, 2009
Tigers' Granderson to play in World Baseball Classic
The Detroit News

Tigers center fielder Curtis Granderson has accepted an invitation to play for Team USA in this year's World Baseball Classic, MLB.com is reporting.

Tigers position players report to spring training in Lakeland, Fla., on Feb. 16. Team USA workouts begin March 2 and the Americans' first game is March 7 against Canada in Toronto.

Team USA is in Pool C with Canada, Italy and Venezuela. There are four pools. Two teams from each pool advance to the second round. All Pool C games are at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

Here is the Pool C schedule:

Game 1: Saturday, March 7 -- United States vs. Canada, 2 p.m.

Game 2: Saturday, March 7 -- Italy vs. Venezuela, 8 p.m.

Game 3: Sunday, March 8 -- Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 8 p.m.

Game 4: Monday, March 9 -- Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 6:30 p.m.

Game 5: Tuesday, March 10 -- Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 winner, 5 p.m.

Game 6: Wednesday, March 11 -- Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 6:30 p.m.

If the Americans advance to the double-elimination second round, they would play at Miami from March 14-18. The single-elimination finals are at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles from March 21-23.

Tigers Carlos Guillen, Magglio Ordonez and Miguel Cabrera are expected to play for Venezuela.

Go USA!

I'm sure glad that Grandy is going to play. He really wanted to play on the USA team in the Classic or the Olympics.

I still think the WBC is a sham

I just hope no one gets hurt


Especially our Tigers

gs78 wrote:

I just hope no one gets hurt.
Especially our Tigers

True!

Well, wouldnt it be something if it were USA Venezuala in the Finals...

01/09/09 12:23 PM EST
Team USA roster taking shape
Peavy, Lackey, Oswalt lining up in rotation for '09 Classic

By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com

Team USA's roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic started last month with Derek Jeter of the Yankees as the starting shortstop and Davey Johnson as the manager.

Now with provisional 45-man rosters due in a week, the remainder of the tentative roster is starting to take shape, with San Diego's Jake Peavy returning as a starting pitcher from USA's 2006 Classic team, joined on the staff by the Angels' John Lackey and Houston's Roy Oswalt. Jeter, the Angels' Brian Fuentes and Scot Shields, the Braves' Chipper Jones and the Twins' Joe Nathan are also returnees. American League MVP Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox is the starting second baseman.

On Friday, USA Baseball announced 23 players who have made commitments to play in the second running of the tournament, which begins in Tokyo Dome on March 5 and ends at Dodger Stadium on March 23. In addition, Reggie Smith will be the batting coach and Marcel Lachemann will serve as the pitching coach.
"The excitement shown by the players to participate in this event has been incredible," said Paul Seiler, the executive director and chief executive of USA Baseball. "This is still far from a completed process, but we're thrilled with the commitments to date."

Jeter said last month that early doubt changed to exhilaration as the 2006 tournament went on.

"I think when the World Baseball Classic first started there was a lot of skepticism, especially on behalf of the players," he said. "No one knew if it was going to work and no one knew if they wanted to play and if it would take away from the season and Spring Training.

"Then when we had the opportunity to get on the field, every player to a man was so excited to represent that country. Obviously, I have not had an opportunity to represent our team in the Olympics and this is the closest I'll ever get. But there is a lot of pride there."

Jeter and the rest of what could be a 28-man roster will report as a squad under Johnson on March 2 in Clearwater, Fla., the spring home of the defending World Series champion Phillies. The Americans' first game in the tournament is March 7 against Canada at Toronto's Rogers Centre. They play in Pool C along with Venezuela and Italy.

In between, the U.S. will play the Yankees in Tampa on March 3, the Blue Jays in Dunedin on March 4 and the Phillies in Clearwater on March 5.

The same 16 teams are back from 2006, when Japan went on to the win the title and Team USA was eliminated in the second round: Australia, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, South Africa, the U.S. and Venezuela.

Provisional rosters of up to 45 men per team will be announced on Jan. 19. Final rosters of 28 players -- including a mandatory 13 pitchers -- must be set by Feb. 24.

Team USA's tentative roster has Boston's Kevin Youkilis at first base, Pedroia and Cleveland's Mark DeRosa at second, Jeter and Philadelphia's Jimmy Rollins at shortstop, Jones and the Mets' David Wright at third and Brian McCann of the Braves and Chris Iannetta of the Rockies behind the plate.

In the outfield so far, it's Ryan Braun of the Brewers, Curtis Granderson of the Tigers and Grady Sizemore of the Indians.

The starters are Peavy, Lackey and Oswalt and the bullpen has Fuentes, Nathan, Shields, Jonathan Broxton of the Dodgers, B.J. Ryan of the Blue Jays, J.J. Putz of the Mets, Matt Thornton of the White Sox and Matt Lindstrom of the Marlins.

Alex Rodriguez, who played for the U.S. in 2006, said he's committed to the Dominican Republic this time around.

Taking Shape
Twenty-two players have preliminarily committed to playing for Team USA in the 2009 World Baseball Classic
Number	Name	Pos.	B/T	Height	Weight	Birthplace	Team
8	Braun, R.	OF	R/R	6-foot-1	200	Mission Hills, Calif.	MIL
51	Broxton, J.	P	R/R	6-foot-4	290	Augusta, Ga.	LAD
7	DeRosa, M.	IF/OF	R/R	6-foot-1	205	Passaic, N.J.	CLE
40	Fuentes, B.	P	L/L	6-foot-4	230	Merced, Calif.	LAA
28	Granderson, C.	OF	L/R	6-foot-1	185	Blue Island, Ill.	DET
28	Iannetta, C.	C	R/R	6-foot	225	Providence, R.I.	COL
2	Jeter, D.	IF	R/R	6-foot-3	195	Pequannock, N.J.	NYY
10	Jones, C.	IF	S/R	6-foot-4	210	DeLand, Fla.	ATL
41	Lackey, J.	P	R/R	6-foot-6	245	Abilene, Texas	LAA
22	Lindstrom, M.	P	R/R	6-foot-4	210	Rexburg, Idaho	FLA
16	McCann, B.	C	L/R	6-foot-3	230	Athens, Ga.	ATL
36	Nathan, J.	P	R/R	6-foot-4	225	Houston, Texas	MIN
44	Oswalt, R.	P	R/R	6-foot	185	Weir, Miss.	HOU
44	Peavy, J.	P	R/R	6-foot-1	193	Mobile, Ala.	SD
15	Pedroia, D.	IF	R/R	5-foot-9	180	Woodland, Calif.	BOS
40	Putz, J.J.	P	R/R	6-foot-5	250	Trenton, Mich.	NYM
11	Rollins, J.	IF	S/R	5-foot-8	175	Oakland, Calif.	PHI
52	Ryan, B.J.	P	L/L	6-foot-6	260	Bossier City, La.	TOR
62	Shields, S.	P	R/R	6-foot-1	180	Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.	LAA
24	Sizemore, G.	OF	L/L	6-foot-2	200	Seattle, Wash.	CLE
37	Thornton, M.	P	L/L	6-foot-5	245	Three Rivers, Mich.	CWS
5	Wright, D.	IF	R/R	6-foot	215	Norfolk, Va.	NYM
20	Youkilis, K.	IF	R/R	6-foot-1	220	Cincinnati, Ohio	BOS

Barry M. Bloom is a national reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

at least there's one Tiger!

Verlander also wanted to play, but I bet his bad year last year hurt his chances.

probably most of the games on MLB network

gs78 wrote:

probably most of the games on MLB network

ESPN will televise 23 games of the tournament in the U.S., including the semifinal and final games, across ESPN and ESPN2, and on its Spanish-language platform ESPN Deportes.

The MLB Network, which will launch on basic cable to a record potential audience of 50 million homes this Jan. 1, is slated to broadcast 16 of the Classic games.

01/19/09 6:00 PM EST
Tigers may send 13 players to Classic
Cabrera, Guillen, Ordonez plan to power Team Venezuela

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

DETROIT -- The Tigers will head south over the next few weeks for Spring Training in Lakeland, Fla. For quite a few of them, though, it won't take long to head back north, where a potential showdown awaits.

When the first round of the World Baseball Classic comes to Toronto's Rogers Centre, five of the biggest names on Detroit's baseball club could be on the trip. Miguel Cabrera, Carlos Guillen, Armando Galarraga and Magglio Ordonez were formally named to Team Venezuela's roster for the WBC, where they'll have a meeting with Team USA's Curtis Granderson and Justin Verlander as opponents rather than teammates. Cale Iorg, widely viewed as the Tigers' shortstop of the future, could be anchoring the infield for host country Canada.

If Venezuela or the U.S. advance, they could have a meeting with the Dominican Republic, where Placido Polanco and Fernando Rodney await.

In all, the Tigers will have as many as 13 players taking part in the event, giving them one of the highest totals among the Major League teams. Considering the Tigers made the World Series the last time the World Baseball Classic was played, back in 2006, they have no problem with the absence.

Most of the participating Tigers were already known, or at least widely expected. Granderson accepted an invitation to Team USA earlier this month, while Cabrera, Guillen and Ordonez were on a preliminary list of committed players that came out of Venezuela in November. Detroit signed left-hander Fu-Te Ni to a Minor League contract last week knowing he would miss time to represent his native Chinese Taipei, having pitched in the inaugural event.

"We are talking about representing my country," Granderson said recently. "It is an honor to be considered among the best in our nation, and to be able to represent my country on the field in an amazing event. We are trying to make the game of baseball a more globalized game, and it is humbling to be a part of that process."

Still, Polanco and Rodney were less than certain, though they made the team three years ago in a country deep in baseball talent. Polanco said near the end of the season that he wasn't sure whether he wanted to take part again entering the last year of his contract. Rodney, meanwhile, is coming off of an injury-shortened 2008 season and limited his winter ball work in the Dominican League.

Also uncertain was the case of Verlander, who won 35 games over his first two seasons but fell to 11-17 with a 4.84 ERA in an inconsistent 2008 campaign that left fans, coaches and front-office members asking themselves what went wrong with Detroit's young ace.

Now, Verlander has a chance to be part of a USA rotation that could include the likes Scott Kazmir, John Lackey, Roy Oswalt, Jake Peavy, John Danks, Joe Saunders and Ted Lilly. Teams will cut down their 45-man provisional rosters to 28 next month.

If Verlander makes the cut, depending on the matchup, he could end up facing some of his Tigers teammates in a showdown of power against power. There's no guarantee of a USA-Venezuela matchup, since the first round is a double-elimination format rather than round-robin play. Given the relative strength of the two squads, however, a showdown seems likely. If the U.S. wins its opener over host Canada and Venezuela does the same against Italy, the two would meet on Sunday, March 8.

Granderson will be out there, though where exactly remains to be seen. He's slated to be part of a four-man rotation of outfielders alongside Indians competitor Grady Sizemore, Milwaukee's Ryan Braun and Colorado's Brad Hawpe.

Depending on Venezuela's roster, Guillen and Ordonez could make up two-thirds of their nation's starting outfield, with Cabrera powering the lineup from his expected spot at first base. Guillen is listed as an outfielder on Venezuela's roster, but played a bit at shortstop during his four-game stint in the Venezuelan League this winter, and played third base in Detroit last year.

With several gifted shortstops in Venezuela, led by the great Omar Vizquel, plus Melvin Mora committed to the WBC at third, Guillen will likely be in a mix with Bobby Abreu and Juan Rivera for one of the corner outfield spots. He could also end up as a designated hitter.

While Iorg could make the first of several appearances for Team Canada, Max St. Pierre has a chance to make the roster for the second time. Tigers Minor Leaguers Andrew Graham and Brendan Wise round out the list as part of Team Australia.

The final rosters of 28 players -- including a mandatory 13 pitchers -- must be set by Feb. 24. Tickets are on sale at mlb.com.

The first round opens March 5 in Tokyo, with defending 2006 champion Japan facing China. Mexico City, Toronto and San Juan, Puerto Rico, host the other three first-round brackets, as follows:

• Tokyo (March 5-9): Japan, China, Chinese Taipei and Korea

• Toronto (March 7-11): USA, Canada, Venezuela and Italy

• San Juan, PR (March 7-11): Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Panama

• Mexico City (March 8-12): Mexico, Cuba, South Africa, Australia

It's a double-elimination format this time in the first two rounds. The winners from Toronto will meet the winners from Puerto Rico in the second round at Miami's Dolphin Stadium, while the winners from Tokyo will meet with the winners from Mexico City in San Diego's PETCO Park.

The semifinals and finals are on March 21 and 23 at Dodger Stadium.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

01/19/09 11:05 PM EST
Classic rosters stacked with star power
More big-name Major Leaguers promises more excitement

By Doug Miller / MLB.com


2009 Provisional Rosters


• All Players »
• Players by MLB Club »

• - Country Rosters- Australia, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Puerto Rico, South Africa, USA, Venezuela

• Schedule, TV info »

Carlos Beltran, Ryan Braun, Miguel Cabrera, Brad Hawpe, Felix Hernandez, Derek Jeter, Chipper Jones, Evan Longoria, Dustin Pedroia, Hanley Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, Grady Sizemore, Ichiro Suzuki, David Wright and Kevin Youkilis.

Maybe they will all be together in St. Louis next July for the 80th All-Star Game. That will be up to voters, and it will depend on how the regular season starts. For now, just imagine seeing a sweet 16 like that all together in one event featuring teams from 16 nations. It is almost too good to be true.

It is a good probability, in fact, because the 45-man provisional World Baseball Classic rosters were announced Monday night amid much anticipation.

MLB Network will televise 16 World Baseball Classic games, along with a nightly studio show dedicated to the tournament. ESPN will televise 23 games of the Classic in the U.S., including the semifinal and final games, across ESPN and ESPN2 and on its Spanish-language platform, ESPN Deportes.

Once again, this unmatched international event is dazzling in its marquee attraction. It has the pride and it has the players, which means it has the public interest.

Baseball fans who revel in the globalization of America's pastime and couldn't help but be amazed by the last Classic -- with the Ichiro- and Daisuke Matsuzaka-led Japanese team outlasting the vaunted American, Dominican, Venezuelan and Cuban teams en route to the seminal title -- will find this year's rosters loaded with star power.

So scour the rosters and project pitching staffs, batting lineups and all-world matchups of national clubs, which also include Korea, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Panama, Chinese Taipei, Italy, China and South Africa; the intrigue and possibility seems endless.

But before you start playing international GM some 45 days before showtime, here are some facts to get you started:

The final rosters of 28 players -- including a mandatory 13 pitchers -- must be set by Feb. 24.

Tickets can be bought online through MLB.com.

The first round opens in Tokyo, with defending champion Japan facing China. Mexico City, Toronto and San Juan, Puerto Rico, host the other three first-round brackets, as follows:

• Tokyo (March 5-9): Japan, China, Chinese Taipei, Korea

• Toronto (March 7-11): USA, Canada, Venezuela, Italy

• San Juan, P.R. (March 7-11): Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Panama

• Mexico City (March 8-12): Mexico, Cuba, South Africa, Australia

This time, the tournament will be run in a double-elimination format in the first two rounds, with the winners from Toronto meeting the winners from Puerto Rico in the second round at Miami's Dolphin Stadium. The winners from Tokyo will meet the winners from Mexico City in San Diego's PETCO Park.

The semifinals and final will be played March 21 and 23 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

So who's got the inside line for '09? Here are five things to look for:

They shall return: You probably don't remember the leading batter from the 2006 World Baseball Classic -- it was current free agent outfielder Adam Stern, who went 6-for-9 in three games for Canada -- but he's back. The leading home run hitter (five) and RBI man (10, tied with Ken Griffey Jr.) in the 2006 Classic, Korea's Seung-Yeop Lee, is back, too.

So is most of the core of the Cuban national team, which has made the final of the last 38 international tournaments it has played in. Even though the Cubans will be without their best pitcher from the 2006 Classic, Yadel Marti, and outfielder Yasser Gomez, who both left for Mexico in search of future Major League employment, Cuba will be tough to beat as it tries to avenge its championship game loss to Japan three years ago.

Meanwhile, the man many consider the best baseball player alive, Rodriguez, will return to the tournament looking for his first World Baseball Classic home run, but this time he'll suit up for the Dominican Republic and not the United States. When you factor in other returning Dominican big league stars such as Adrian Beltre, Jose Reyes, Alfonso Soriano and Francisco Liriano, the addition of A-Rod might just push this team over the top.

On the American side, say hello again to shortstop Jeter, infielders Derrek Lee and Jones, pitchers Jake Peavy, Joe Nathan, Brian Fuentes, Scot Shields and more.

"Playing in the [inaugural] Classic was one of the greatest thrills of my career," said Shields, the Angels' durable setup man. "I remember looking around the [clubhouse] at all those great players and thinking, `Man, what am I doing in here?' It was amazing to see all those guys, and then to go out and play with them.

"I'd love to have that experience of representing my country again. The only thing we'd like to do different this time is win it."

New kids in the brackets: The U.S. went out surprisingly early in 2006, eliminated when it lost to Mexico, 2-1, in the second round. This year, however, they've gotten noticeably younger and more powerful through the lineup.

They've added the destructive Boston Red Sox duo of 2008, American League Most Valuable Player Pedroia and All-Star first baseman Youkilis, three members of the World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies -- shortstop Jimmy Rollins, outfielder Shane Victorino and lefty ace Hamels -- plus two key cogs in the Tampa Bay Rays' march to the World Series as AL champs in third baseman Longoria and starter Scott Kazmir.

Other up-and-coming stars who have the chance to make their first World Baseball Classic team are Wright, Braun, Curtis Granderson and Sizemore.

Elsewhere in new arrivals, and looming quite boldly for the Dominican Republic, is Vladimir Guerrero of the Angels, who made the roster of the D.R. last time, but didn't appear in a game because of a family tragedy.

Other new arrivals include a group of talent that figures to improve the Canadian team significantly. Joining that club for the first time are Major League starters Joey Votto, Mark Teahen and Russell Martin, who will provide big-time pop alongside returning sluggers Justin Morneau, Jason Bay and Matt Stairs.

Already potent Venezuela adds firepower with Classic newcomers Hernandez, Jose Lopez, Melvin Mora and Dioner Navarro, joining a contender that already includes Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez, Bobby Abreu, Carlos Guillen, Francisco Rodriguez and Juan Rivera.

And as if the Dominican team needed more help, it could get it in the form of first-time Classic participants Ramirez, Jhonny Peralta, Robinson Cano, Carlos Pena, Ubaldo Jimenez, Tony Pena and others.

Teammate vs. Teammate: The media figures to have a field day with A-Rod vs. Jeter, the Tale of Two Yankees, if the United States and Dominican Republic meet up in a pivotal Classic showdown, but there will be plenty of cases of Major League teammates playing against each other in this unique tournament.

The Seattle Mariners, for example, have Ichiro and Kenji Johjima on the Japanese team, Lopez, Hernandez, Carlos Silva and Cesar Jimenez playing for Venezuela, Ryan Rowland-Smith pitching for Australia and Beltre manning the hot corner for the Dominican.

The Atlanta Braves, meanwhile, practically span the whole globe, with the following nations represented: The Netherlands (Jair Jurrjens), Puerto Rico (Javier Vazquez), Mexico (Jorge Campillo), Venezuela (Gregor Blanco) and the U.S. (Jones, Brian McCann).

The Colorado Rockies also have a nice mix of global talent on provisional rosters, with Manny Corpas (Panama), Chris Iannetta and Brad Hawpe (U.S.), Jorge De La Rosa and Omar Quintanilla (Mexico), Ubaldo Jimenez (Dominican Republic), Jeff Francis (Canada) and Jason Grilli (Italy) all selected.

The favorites: Once again, it'll be tough to leave out Japan, who came together and won it all last year, though one of its top pitchers from 2006, Koji Uehara, is not on the provisional roster after just signing with the Baltimore Orioles. The Dominican Republic team is stacked from top to bottom once again, the United States should be improved, Venezuela is always tough and Cuba can't be denied, even after losing the gold-medal game at last year's Beijing Olympics in a major upset.

The dark horses: And that's where we get to Korea, which beat Cuba at the Summer Games and brings roughly the same team that also finished a surprising third in the inaugural Classic. Meanwhile, don't forget Puerto Rico, which brings back Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Alex Rios, Yadier Molina and veteran Bernie Williams and adds Mike Lowell, Bengie Molina and Geovany Soto.

Mexico is coming to play, too, with veterans Oliver Perez, Elmer Dessens and Rodrigo Lopez making up the beginnings of a solid starting staff that turns into a potentially dominant one when you add newcomers Matt Garza and Campillo along with bullpen stud Joakim Soria. Offensively, Mexico should benefit greatly from the presence of Adrian Gonzalez, Jorge Cantu and Rod Barajas.

Doug Miller is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

I just hope no one gets injured; especially our Tigers


I am looking forward to Opening Day

Now isn't the time to act like it's the World Series, at least for team USA, anyway!

Last time the Tigers participated in the WBC... they went to the World Series. Can lightening hit twice

let it, oh let it!

2009 Tournament Schedule By Venue*
* Subject to change.

MLB Network (MLBN) will televise 16 World Baseball Classic games this Spring, along with a nightly studio show dedicated to the world's premier international baseball tournament. ALSO SHOWN ON ESPN Deportes.

ESPN will televise 23 games of the tournament in the U.S., including the Semi-Final and Final Games, across ESPN and ESPN2 and on its Spanish-language platform ESPN Deportes.

ALL games will be broadcast on the internet on MLB.TV

Round 1
Game	Date	Match-Up	Time (Local)	Time (ET)	TV
1	Thu., March 5	China vs. Japan MLB.TV	6:30 p.m.	4:30 a.m.	ESPN2, ESPN Deportes
2	Fri., March 6	Chinese Taipei vs. Korea MLB.TV	6:30 p.m.	4:30 a.m.	ESPN2, ESPN Deportes
3	Sat., March 7	Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser MLB.TV	12:30 p.m.	10:30 p.m. (Fri.)	ESPN2, ESPN Deportes
4	Sat., March 7	Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner MLB.TV	7:00 p.m.	5:00 a.m.	ESPN2, ESPN Deportes
5	Sun., March 8	Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser MLB.TV	6:30 p.m.	5:30 a.m.	ESPN2, ESPN Deportes
6	Mon., March 9	Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner MLB.TV	6:30 p.m.	5:30 a.m.	ESPN2, ESPN Deportes

Game	Date	Match-Up	Time (Local)	Time (ET)	TV
1	Sun., March 8	Cuba vs. South Africa	12:00 p.m.	2:00 p.m.	MLBN
2	Sun., March 8	Australia vs. Mexico	7:00 p.m.	9:00 p.m.	MLBN
3	Mon., March 9	Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser	8:00 p.m.	10:00 p.m.	MLBN
4	Tue., March 10	Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner	8:00 p.m.	10:00 p.m.	MLBN
5	Wed., March 11	Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser	8:00 p.m.	10:00 p.m.	MLBN
6	Thu., March 12	Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner	7:00 p.m.	9:00 p.m.	MLBN

Game	Date	Match-Up	Time (Local)	Time (ET)	TV
1	Sat., March 7	Canada vs. United States	2:00 p.m.	2:00 p.m.	ESPN
2	Sat., March 7	Italy vs. Venezuela	8:00 p.m.	8:00 p.m.	MLBN
3	Sun., March 8	Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner	8:00 p.m.	8:00 p.m.	ESPN
4	Mon., March 9	Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser	6:30 p.m.	6:30 p.m.	MLBN
5	Tue., March 10	Game 4 Winner vs. Game 3 Loser	5:00 p.m.	5:00 p.m.	ESPN2
6	Wed., March 11	Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner	6:30 p.m.	6:30 p.m.	MLBN

Game	Date	Match-Up	Time (Local)	Time (ET)	TV
1	Sat., March 7	Dominican Republic vs. Netherlands	12:00 p.m.	11:00 a.m.	ESPN2
2	Sat., March 7	Panama vs. Puerto Rico	6:00 p.m.	5:00 p.m.	ESPN
3	Sun., March 8	Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser	4:30 p.m.	4:30 p.m.	ESPN
4	Mon., March 9	Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner	6:30 p.m.	6:30 p.m.	MLBN
5	Tue., March 10	Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser	6:30 p.m.	6:30 p.m.	MLBN
6	Wed., March 11	Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner	5:00 p.m.	5:00 p.m.	ESPN2

ALL games will be broadcast on ESPN Deportes, AND ON the internet on MLB.TV

Round 2
Game	Date	Match-Up	Time (Local)	Time (ET)	TV
1	Sun., March 15	Pool A Winner vs. Pool B Runner-Up	1:00 p.m.	4:00 p.m.	ESPN2
2	Sun., March 15	Pool B Winner vs. Pool A Runner-Up	8:00 p.m.	11:00 p.m.	ESPN2
3	Mon., March 16	Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser	8:00 p.m.	11:00 p.m.	ESPN2
4	Tue., March 17	Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner	8:00 p.m.	11:00 p.m.	MLBN
5	Wed., March 18	Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser	8:00 p.m.	11:00 p.m.	ESPN2
6	Thu., March 19	Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner	6:00 p.m.	9:00 p.m.	ESPN

Game	Date	Match-Up	Time (Local)	Time (ET)	TV
1	Sat., March 14	Pool C Winner vs. Pool D Runner-Up	1:00 p.m.	1:00 p.m.	MLBN
2	Sat., March 14	Pool D Winner vs. Pool C Runner-Up	8:00 p.m.	8:00 p.m.	MLBN
3	Sun., March 15	Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser	7:30 p.m.	7:30 p.m.	ESPN2
4	Mon., March 16	Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner	8:00 p.m.	8:00 p.m.	ESPN
5	Tue., March 17	Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser	7:00 p.m.	7:00 p.m.	MLBN
6	Wed., March 18	Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner	7:00 p.m.	7:00 p.m.	MLBN

Semifinals & Finals
Game	Date	Match-Up	Time (Local)	Time (ET)	TV
1	Sat., March 21	Pool 1 Runner-Up vs. Pool 2 Winner	6:00 p.m.	9:00 p.m.	ESPN
2	Sun., March 22	Pool 2 Runner-Up vs. Pool 1 Winner	5:00 p.m.	8:00 p.m.	ESPN
3	Mon., March 23	SF1 Winner vs. SF2 Winner	6:30 p.m.	9:30 p.m.	ESPN

Good thing the regular season doesn't go so quickly!

Dat true!

At least the last three games will be on ESPN

I bet by the time the next World Baseball Classic is played

MLB Network will have exclusive rights