29 minutes ago, tray said:

Teel and Antonacci have some Italian heritage so they chose to play for team Italy. That was OK with me, especially when Italy needed some talent to compete with the USA All Stars. Then there is Roman Anthony who looks like an Italian actor or race car driver and is one of the best if not the best young players in the game. Italy needed outfielders and asked Roman to join. He declined and ended up playing for the USA team.  After Anthony hit the decisive home run he drew his hands across his jersey to highlight USA. He is an American (like Teel and Antonacci) and was absolutely entitled to demonstrate the pride he has in his country with that gesture. I guess because of the background, it made me wish he was on team Italy and at least for me it took something away from that moment. 

 

You always cheer for your "first country" over your secondary ones unless you don't have an opportunity to play for Team USA.

Then all bets are off.

Have a sneaking suspicion that Venezuela and USA are fated to meet right now.

Ofc Team Italy has been written off since the very beginning, so it's somehow perfect that a guy in Michael Lorenzen who became one of the first  FA pitchers to sign with Colorado in years now is pitching with Italy's fate on the line.

 

https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/boston-red-sox/world-baseball-classic-news-roman-anthony-details-unbelievable-experience-joining-team-usa

Edited March 16Mar 16 by caulfield12

Thanks for proving that we definitely need ABS. And like football, all ABS challenges in the final 2-3 innings should be up to a video assistant umpire. Teams shouldn't get jobbed to decide a game just because they ran out of challenges. 

10 hours ago, tray said:

Teel and Antonacci have some Italian heritage so they chose to play for team Italy. That was OK with me, especially when Italy needed some talent to compete with the USA All Stars. Then there is Roman Anthony who looks like an Italian actor or race car driver and is one of the best if not the best young players in the game. Italy needed outfielders and asked Roman to join. He declined and ended up playing for the USA team.  After Anthony hit the decisive home run he drew his hands across his jersey to highlight USA. He is an American (like Teel and Antonacci) and was absolutely entitled to demonstrate the pride he has in his country with that gesture. I guess because of the background, it made me wish he was on team Italy and at least for me it took something away from that moment. 

 

It is really not that deep imo.  The WBC eligibility rules are designed loose for a reason, and it is to get more talent spread around. Baseball is growing but it still has most the talent centered in the US Caribbean and Japan, so it is good to allow Italy to field a team and for Americans with Korean or Taiwan or whatever background to suite up for those nations.

1 hour ago, chitownsportsfan said:

It is really not that deep imo.  The WBC eligibility rules are designed loose for a reason, and it is to get more talent spread around. Baseball is growing but it still has most the talent centered in the US Caribbean and Japan, so it is good to allow Italy to field a team and for Americans with Korean or Taiwan or whatever background to suite up for those nations.

Shay Whitcomb and Jahmai Jones are two examples there...along with Stuart Fairchild.

Having watched all of the Asian pool games pretty closely, the biggest difference was on the pitching front.

The Asian teams had very few dynamic arms coming out of the bullpen.

Japan, for example, used Itoh in relief and had Sugano on their roster as well.

Ohtani Imai Sasaki Imanaga Senga and Darvish were all unavailable...and that made all the difference pitching to Wilyer Abreu and with a 5-2 lead when Yamamoto was removed after 4.

Compare to the US team that had Jeff Hoffman still in reserve at game's end on Sunday night...even Speier or Joe Ryan were better options than anyone Japan had.

I think the Japanese manager deferred to his veterans too much...Kondoh over Sato, and leaving one of the best young fireballing closers in the NPB off the final roster.

Decided to go with Nola over Lorenzen.

Interesting call based on 2025 results, but both were very solid their last times out.

 

https://www.si.com/mx/beisbol/corazon-azzurro-francisco-cervelli-clasico-mundial-italia-venezuela-roberto-baggio

For Francisco Cervelli, it all started on the lawn of Pasadena’s Rose Bowl on July 17, 1994. That afternoon, an eight-year-old boy in Valencia, Venezuela, watched with anguish as Roberto Baggio, the Divine Codino, sent the penalty over the crossbar and handed the World Cup to Brazil.  
You may be interested in: History of baseball in Italy: how Azzurra beat USA and Mexico at the 2026 Baseball World Classic
He shared the pain with his sister.  “Baggio put the ball on the grass in the right spot, stared at it, got up and slowly backed, one, two, three, four, five steps back; I closed my eyes, my dad squeezed his hands and Fran remained sitting still (as I have rarely seen it),” recalls Maricarmen Cervelli, Francisco’s sister, through a story she posted on her social media.

Edited March 17Mar 17 by caulfield12

Pasquantino and teammate M.Garcia meet at first...was really careful that neither got injured.

I love that this is becoming a signature play for him lol

2 minutes ago, Autumn Dreamin said:

I love that this is becoming a signature play for him lol

It’s been a lot of fun watching him at this level. He’s a dog. The energy he plays with is infectious; the seemingly newfound power is a major plus. Excited for his call up. I don’t think these lil dekes work in mlb though. Worth a shot I guess. 

1 hour ago, caulfield12 said:

Decided to go with Nola over Lorenzen.

Interesting call based on 2025 results, but both were very solid their last times out.

 

https://www.si.com/mx/beisbol/corazon-azzurro-francisco-cervelli-clasico-mundial-italia-venezuela-roberto-baggio

For Francisco Cervelli, it all started on the lawn of Pasadena’s Rose Bowl on July 17, 1994. That afternoon, an eight-year-old boy in Valencia, Venezuela, watched with anguish as Roberto Baggio, the Divine Codino, sent the penalty over the crossbar and handed the World Cup to Brazil.  
You may be interested in: History of baseball in Italy: how Azzurra beat USA and Mexico at the 2026 Baseball World Classic
He shared the pain with his sister.  “Baggio put the ball on the grass in the right spot, stared at it, got up and slowly backed, one, two, three, four, five steps back; I closed my eyes, my dad squeezed his hands and Fran remained sitting still (as I have rarely seen it),” recalls Maricarmen Cervelli, Francisco’s sister, through a story she posted on her social media.

Looks like Lorenzen will pitch out of the pen tonight. If italia wins, I suspect tomorrow will be a slugfest. 

2 minutes ago, nrockway said:

It’s been a lot of fun watching him at this level. He’s a dog. The energy he plays with is infectious; the seemingly newfound power is a major plus. Excited for his call up. I don’t think these lil dekes work in mlb though. Worth a shot I guess. 

Probably won't play SS much at the MLB level anyway, don't think it works as well from the other side of the bag

someone give antonacci a double espresso, dudes been overmatched

9 minutes ago, joejoesox said:

someone give antonacci a double espresso, dudes been overmatched

 

.118

.698

Has five runs scored, two massive Xb hits and has held his own at SS...but he's not ready yet.

Venezuela seems just a bit flat tonight after investing all their energy into taking down Japan...

33 minutes ago, nrockway said:

Looks like Lorenzen will pitch out of the pen tonight. If italia wins, I suspect tomorrow will be a slugfest. 

McLean got roughed up a bit last time.

No idea who Italy can go to...has to be a bullpen heavy game.

https://www.mlb.com/player/sam-aldegheri-691951

Weissert is the closer and he's pitched just 3 1/3, which leads ever one left in the bullpen.  This guy's essentially their third starter.

Not a good game for Antonacci

Antonacci didn't have a chance there.

 

"The Kansas City Royals traded left-handed reliever Angel Zerpa to the Milwaukee Brewers for versatile outfielder Isaac Collins and right-hander Nick Mears on Sunday."

High price but that guy has been quite impressive...

1 minute ago, Jake said:

Not a good game for Antonacci

Started out on fire in pool play, and has definitely cooled off with the increase in talent level/competition.

Edited March 17Mar 17 by caulfield12

4 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

McLean got roughed up a bit last time.

No idea who Italy can go to...has to be a bullpen heavy game.

Festa and Ottavino should be available actually. This Italy team is surprisingly talented on both sides. I wouldn’t trust McLean at this stage in his career. Too bad for team USA that Skubal dipped out. Lucky USA that their pen gets an extra day of rest. Italy or Venezuela taking the title this year would be so cool for the sport.  

3 minutes ago, nrockway said:

Festa and Ottavino should be available actually. This Italy team is surprisingly talented on both sides. I wouldn’t trust McLean at this stage in his career. Too bad for team USA that Skubal dipped out. Lucky USA that their pen gets an extra day of rest. Italy or Venezuela taking the title this year would be so cool for the sport.  

Festa has a lot more starting experience during his career.

Ofc everyone on the US team also much more familiar with these two and Weissert.

 

Venezuela starting to feel the pressure it seems...

Edited March 17Mar 17 by caulfield12

Strange not to go with Sal Perez against his former teammate when Contreras has been so cold.

 

Walk Acuna lol?

Would do it with 1B open.

Edited March 17Mar 17 by caulfield12

Wonder whether Antonacci should have been throwing to second on that game-tying play

our boy needs to grab some bench

Antonacci missing the Witt Jr/Tovar arm strength...

Same would have happened to Meidroth or Sosa on that play.

ballgame