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The ''' FORMAT The first World Baseball Classic featured 16 teams in a Round-robin style tournament. Each team played the other three teams in their pool once. The top two teams of each letter-pool moved onto the second round, where the top two teams of Pools A and B (Pool 1) and the top two teams of Pools C and D (Pool 2) competed against each other in another round-robin. The top two teams from each pool entered a four-team Single Elimination bracket, with the pool champions and runners-up facing each other in the semi-finals. The winners of the semi-final games then met to determine a champion. TEAMS The teams selected for the inaugural World Baseball Classic were chosen because they were judged to be the "best baseball-playing nations in the world and provide global representation for the event." {Link without Title} There was no official qualifying competition. VENUES
RESULTS See Also: Results of the 2006 World Baseball Classic Round one Korea (3-0) won Pool A, and Japan (2-1) finished second, enabling both to move into Pool 1. Chinese Taipei (1-2) and China (0-3) were eliminated after Pool A play. Mexico (2-1) won Pool B, and the United States (2-1) finished second, placing both into Pool 1 as well. Canada (2-1), despite an upset victory over the United States team, was eliminated based on a runs-allowed tiebreaker. South Africa (0-3) was eliminated but surprised many by posting respectable scores against Canada and Mexico. Puerto Rico (3-0) and Cuba (2-1) attained spots in Pool 2. The Netherlands (1-2) and Panama (0-3) were eliminated after Pool C play. Included in this pool was a seven-inning no-hitter (shortened due to the Mercy Rule described below) by Dutch pitcher Shairon Martis in a 10-0 victory over Panama. The Dominican Republic (3-0) won Pool D and Venezuela (2-1) was Pool D runner-up, putting both teams into Pool 2. Italy (1-2) and Australia (0-3) were eliminated. Round two Korea (3-0, 6-0 Overall) beat USA, Mexico and Japan en route to winning Pool 1, advancing into the semifinals at Petco Park in San Diego, California. Japan (1-2, 3-3 overall) was the surprise runner-up after losing to USA and Korea, qualifying for semi-final play after USA lost to Mexico. Included in this pool was a 3-run Pinch Hit Home Run by Korea's Hee-Seop Choi vs. the U.S. The Dominican Republic (2-1, 5-1 Overall) won Pool 2 following a win over Cuba and Venezuela and a loss to Puerto Rico, and advanced into the semifinals. Cuba was runner-up. Bracket Cuba upset the Dominican Republic and Japan beat Korea, after losing to them twice in earlier rounds, to reach the final. Although leading by only one run entering the ninth inning, Japan defeated Cuba, 10 - 6, to win the inaugural WBC tournament. Pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka of Japan was named the first WBC Most Valuable Player.
Final standings All-WBC team STATISTICS Team batting ''Ordered by batting average {Link without Title} '' Batting Leaders (minimum 2.7 plate appearances/game, 4 games unless noted {Link without Title} ) Batting Average
Hits
Runs
Doubles
Triples
Home Runs
Grand Slams
Runs Batted In
Total Bases
Walks
Strikeouts
Stolen Bases
On-Base Percentage
Slugging Percentage
OPS
Pitching Leaders (minimum 0.8 innings pitched/game) {Link without Title} Wins
Losses
Saves
Innings Pitched
Hits Allowed
Runs Allowed
Earned Runs Allowed
ERA
Walks
Strikeouts
WHIP
CONTROVERSIES See Also: Controversies at the 2006 World Baseball Classic Team Cuba In an effort to enforce the United States Government's suggested that such a development would influence the ability of American cities to successfully bid to host future Olympic Games.[http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/story/9099373/2] Financing was restructured and the U.S. government relented.[http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/worldclassic2006/news/story?id=2299485] Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) The Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) baseball team was originally listed as "Taiwan" and bearing the National Flag (), but according to the '' One China Policy '' of People's Republic Of China , was later changed to Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) and bearing the Chinese Taipei Olympic Flag (). Participation A number of Major League baseball players chose not to participate, some backing out at the last minute. Without players such as Barry Bonds , Vladimir Guerrero (who pulled out because 3 cousins died in a car accident right before World Baseball Classic), Manny Ramirez , Hideki Matsui , and Jose Vidro , some questioned whether the event would be credible. Cuba barred from its team players such as Orlando Hernandez and Jose Contreras , Cubans who had previously defected. Italy was criticized for a roster made up almost entirely of second-generation Italian American s such as Mike Piazza . Format Korea completed the first two rounds undefeated (6-0) but was still forced to play Japan, a team it had already beaten twice, in the semifinal round. Other international sporting competitions, such as the FIFA World Cup , are formatted so as to make it impossible that teams play each other three times. They can only face twice at most - in round robin group play and then again for the championship or 3rd-place match. In addition, the regional grouping of teams was called into question, for the groups were perceived to be unevenly distributed. Drug Testing The World Anti-Doping Agency criticized IBAF's drug testing program and threatened to withdraw sanction of the event.[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11863168/] One athlete, a Korean pitcher, tested positive for a banned substance during the event, and he was subsequently kicked out of the WBC.[http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/baseball/20060404-1313-bbi-worldclassic-drugtesting.html] Umpires WBC organizers were unable to reach an agreement with the MLB umpires' union and so the tournament was overseen by umpires from the minor leagues. American umpire Bob Davidson made two questionable calls at critical moments in two different games that each directly benefited the American team. ADDITIONAL RULES There were several rule changes from normal major league play. Pitchers were held to a Pitch Count of 65 pitches in the first round, 80 pitches in the second round, and 95 in the semifinals and championship rounds. If a pitcher reached his maximum pitch count in the middle of an at-bat, he could continue to pitch to that batter, but was required to be replaced once that at-bat ended. A 30-pitch outing needed to be followed by one day off, and a 50-pitch outing by four days off. No one would be allowed to pitch on three consecutive days. A Mercy Rule would come into effect with one team leading by either fifteen runs after five innings, or ten runs after seven innings in the first two rounds of play. In addition, ties could be called after fourteen innings of play. The Designated Hitter rule was in place for all games. SUCCESS OF TOURNAMENT Many members of the United States press were skeptical of the Classic since its inception. The event proved to be quite popular, however, providing many memorable moments including a first round game between Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Attendance was higher than expected at several sites, including the 19,000-seat Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, which was sold out for every Puerto Rico game in the first two rounds. Though international ratings figures are not yet available, viewership is expected to be high, ESPN spokeswoman Diane Lamb said. In addition, there were 4,000 media credentials issued — more than the World Series and the Olympic Games — which bodes well for the stated goal of internationalizing the sport. '' Sports Illustrated '' writer Tom Verducci reported that " merchandise was sold in the first round than organizers projected for the entire 17-day event." [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/tom_verducci/03/14/wbc.classic/1.html He also reported that, at one point, jerseys for the Venezuelan team were selling at the rate of one every six seconds. The US Television Ratings on ESPN were stronger than initially expected, drawing in more than one million television sets for some games, more than almost any other ESPN program in the month of March. This occurred despite less than stellar airing times for the games. Most were not aired live but Taped , and sometimes with innings cut, as the WBC was organized well after ESPN had committed to much of its programming. These ratings all but assure the next WBC, in 2009, will be awarded more live broadcasts during Prime Time . THE ALLOCATION OF EARNINGS The total earnings of WBC is divided into net profit (53%) and prize money (47%). {Link without Title} U.S. Hurricane Katrina victims will receive the 7% of money earned by the Cuban team. Net profit (53%)
Prize money (47%)
EXTERNAL LINKS
Official site
News and media
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