WBC game threads and catch-all

[DoUEvenShift]

Alexei due up 3rd for 9th inning

[caulfield12]

Alek Thomas/father (team athletic trainer)

Jose and Joseph Contreras in crowd

 

Sox connections

Team USA holds on

 

Mets' McLean tmrw vs. Italy

Edited 13 hours ago by caulfield12

[caulfield12]

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2026/03/04/baseball/japanese-baseball/netflix-wbc-traditions/

 

Netflix is basically trying to force all of Japan to subscribe to Netflix Japan services since WBC games have always been carried on traditional free/antenna tv.

Of course that means a rights fee of 10-15 billion yen...$63.5-$100 million USD.

(Remember all the newly-negotiate MLB tv deals only equal $550 million per year.)

"Ohtani’s performance last time really got everyone fired up, but my excitement has dropped a lot now that it seems we can’t watch,” said the 72 year-old. He usually relies on his two sons, who live near Tokyo, for tech support, but they’re too far away to help him set up his TV."

"Streaming has opened up the space for more bidders to seek sport telecasting,” said Andrew Zimbalist, a professor emeritus of economics at Smith College in Massachusetts. "But as streaming services expand, traditional broadcasters lose market share and ability to cast high bids.”

 

 

Hiroto Takahashi at 96 mph in the first inning against Czechia.

Edited 6 hours ago by caulfield12

[caulfield12]

x.com/BaseballAmerica/status/2028983764362121586&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwiJ9-iBjZWTAxVlJkQIHZzQOGIQFnoECBYQAg&usg=AOvVaw3P3HYjkZfRws3i-p0D_tvI

 

 

Edited 6 hours ago by caulfield12

[caulfield12]

Japan sitting Ohtani Kondoh Genda/Maki  and  S.Suzuki vs. Czechia   

Avoiding another Ohtani k vs. junkballer Sartoria lol?

 

Mune hitting third/Yoshida 4th/Okamoto 5th

 

Sato another opposite field double...playing RF

Mune off balance but still pulled it to deep rcf warning track

99.3 ev 382 feet 

 

Murakami 2/17 in Japan so far

 

 

Edited 6 hours ago by caulfield12

[caulfield12]

Mune GO 2/12  2/18 overall

Okamoto hit a double to LF that almost went out

Japan still scoreless after 11 outs against Shingo Takatsu's equivalent

68 mph frisbee pitch to Mune

0-0 through 4  Takahashi dominant   has given up a couple of singles but never in trouble

Mune K's on another slider

0/3  (2/13  2/19)

still 0-0

 

Satoria Czech pitcher story of this one

 

Murakami k'd again at 90 mph

0/4  2/14 2/20

Edited 4 hours ago by caulfield12

[caulfield12]

Murakami GS against lhp

9-0

was tied 0-0 going into bottom 8

 

112.1 ev   425 feet

 

3/15  200/694 ops  6 tb  5 rbi  2 bb

Edited 4 hours ago by caulfield12

[Autumn Dreamin]

[caulfield12]

Ohtani seems to be really close to Mune...genuinely happy even though game not in doubt, big smiles from both   maybe he can relax now for quarterfinals

they are almost always together in dugout along with Seiya

 

would still bench Okamoto or Kondoh for Sato next game in Miami

 

CF Shuto really had the big hit   three run homer pulled to RF to break it wide open

 

Satoria getting standing ovation from crowd

will remember that moment forever

 

 

likely Japan vs. Venezuela next Saturday 9 pm in Miami

Korea vs. DR

Edited 4 hours ago by caulfield12

[caulfield12]

https://www.mlb.com/news/ondrej-satoria-final-world-baseball-classic-start&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwiD5LKVs5WTAxW8IUQIHTTnMPAQ0PADegQICRAD&usg=AOvVaw10bL9jQ8_WQfUn5cqWXxA-

https://www.mlb.com/stories/game/788111

Kind of like the Rodriguez Grammy-winning singer story  most thought was dead for 20+ years but became famous in SAfrica without knowing about it

 

"Facing Shohei Ohtani in the Tokyo Dome three years ago, Satoria -- an electrical controller at ČEZ Group in Ostrava, a city on the border of Poland – threw his changeup, which he calls “The Worker.” But it came out of his hand wrong and was ticketed straight for the dirt.

“I thought, 'Oh no, it’s a [bad] pitch,'” Satoria said.

But for a pitcher whose fastball barely tops 80 mph, it was just strange enough to work: Ohtani swung, spinning in the box, his helmet tumbling off his head. The clip spread around the world and Satoria became a celebrity -- in Japan, at least. Back home in Czechia, baseball may be growing but it’s still small. No one is stopping Satoria on the street to pose for a photograph like they are in Tokyo.

“It’s really nice for me,” Satoria said. “It’s like a reward for my whole life playing baseball because nobody knows me in Czechia. I’m just a regular dude from Ostrava, but here they respect me and have me sign balls. It’s really nice to be back here.”

 

 

Edited 3 hours ago by caulfield12

[pcq]

3 hours ago, Autumn Dreamin said:

Looks like a quick bat. I'll take the2026 SSHitmen. 

[pcq]

Mom said we could put a bidet in the basement. Hope it comes with instructions.