WBC: TEAM USA Eliminated

I love how some sports players are Americans when it's convenient for them. Mike Piazza playing for Italy was a slap in the face of the country (U.S.) that made it possible for him to be a multi-millionaire. I love the players (sarcasm intended)that will play for another country, then come back "home" to the U.S. to live and make their living. This whole World Baseball Classic was a farce.
 
sidekick said:
I love how some sports players are Americans when it's convenient for them. Mike Piazza playing for Italy was a slap in the face of the country (U.S.) that made it possible for him to be a multi-millionaire. I love the players (sarcasm intended)that will play for another country, then come back "home" to the U.S. to live and make their living. This whole World Baseball Classic was a farce.

I agree 100%, what the hell is up with Piazza anyway? That clown was born in Pennsylvania! If they decide to continue this thing in the future there needs to be regulations about where players were born, where they actually live, etc. You shouldn't be allowed to play for Italy, just because you have an Italian last name.

In a way though, I am glad the U.S. team lost, maybe they will take it more seriously next year. I think they thought they were just going to walk all over everybody without trying. Surprise
 
BlackHitachi said:
Well thats not entirely true most did play they just play in the Caribbean league.

American League Roster 2005


C Jason Varitek, BOS
1B Mark Teixeira, TEX
2B Brian Roberts, BAL
3B Alex Rodriguez, NYY
SS Miguel Tejada, BAL
LF Manny Ramierez, BOS
CF Johnny Damon, BOS
RF Vladimir Guerrero, LAA
DH David Ortiz, BOS
Pitchers
Mark Buehrle, CWS
Bartolo Colon, LAA
Jon Garland, CWS
Roy Halladay, TOR
Kenny Rogers, TEX
Johan Santana, MIN
Danys Baez, TB
Justin Duchscherer, OAK
Joe Nathan, MIN
Mariano Rivera, NYY
BJ Ryan, BAL
Bob Wickman, CLE
Reserves
C Ivan Rodriguez, DET
1B Shea Hillenbrand, TOR
1B Paul Kornerko, CWS
1B Mike Sweeney, KC
2B Alfonso Soriano, TEX
3B Melvin Mora, BAL
SS Michael Young, TEX
OF Garret Anderson, LAA
OF Gary Sheffield, NYY
OF Ichiro Suzuki, SEA




National League
Starters
C Mike Piazza, NYM
1B Derrek Lee, CHC
2B Jeff Kent, LAD
3B Scott Rolen, STL
SS David Eckstein, STL
LF Carlos Beltran, NYM
CF Jim Edmonds, STL
RF Bobby Abreu, PHI
Pitchers
Chris Carpenter, STL
Roger Clemens, HOU
Livan Hernandez, WSH
Pedro Martinez, NYM
Jake Peavy, SD
John Smoltz, ATL
Dontrelle Willis, FLA
Chad Cordero, WSH
Brian Fuentes, COL
Jason Isringhausen, STL
Brad Lidge, HOU
Reserves
C Paul Lo Duca, FLA
1B Albert Pujols, STL
2B Luis Castillo, FLA
3B Aramis Ramirez, CHC
SS Cesar Izturis, LAD
SS Felipe Lopez, CIN
OF Moises Alou, SF
OF Jason Bay, PIT
OF Miguel Cabrera, FLA
OF Luis Gonzalez, ARI
OF Andrew Jones, ATL
OF Carlos Lee, MIL



MVP MIGUEL TEJADA
 
IF anyone watched last night game they should really be raising some eyebrows about officiating in major league sports. There is only one person in that stadium that thought the Mexican HR was a double last night. The ball clearly hit the foul pole 8 feet above the fence and bounced back in. That call made our officials look like 1970's Russian Olympic basketball officials and disgraced the entire country..


"A television replay showed Valenzuela's fly ball hit the right field foul pole at least 10 feet off the ground and bounced back onto the field. However, first base umpire Bob Davidson didn't see it that way, and Valenzuela wound up at second. It was Davidson, umpiring behind the plate, who ruled that Japan's Tsuyoshi Nishioka left third base early in the eighth inning Sunday to negate a sacrifice fly that would have snapped a 3-3 tie in a game Team USA won."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060317/...ssic_us_mexico

And after the incident the Mexicans held out the ball for the umpire to see the yellow paint on it from the foul pole. He refused to even approach the dugout to look at it. :rolleyes:
 
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Bob Davidson should never be invited to officiate any baseball team (even little league). The truth of the matter is that the other countries took lots of pride playing --- the american are just a bunch of millionaires that unless you show them the money they do not play with the same energy. Justice was served right since Japan was the one who won the previous game vs Team USA. Glad to see that Baseball around the world is not such an underdog anymore to the US.
 
"The truth of the matter is that the other countries took lots of pride playing --- the american are just a bunch of millionaires that unless you show them the money they do not play with the same energy. Justice was served right since Japan was the one who won the previous game vs Team USA. Glad to see that Baseball around the world is not such an underdog anymore to the US."

Amen!
 
sean,

just out of morbid curiosity, why are you glad of that?

and sean, pool our best players from all of our teams, no one would beat them, IMHO
 
shugo77 said:
I agree 100%, what the hell is up with Piazza anyway? That clown was born in Pennsylvania! If they decide to continue this thing in the future there needs to be regulations about where players were born, where they actually live, etc. You shouldn't be allowed to play for Italy, just because you have an Italian last name.

In a way though, I am glad the U.S. team lost, maybe they will take it more seriously next year. I think they thought they were just going to walk all over everybody without trying. Surprise

I was born in Northern Ireland but lived in US my whole life. My Mom is still an Irish citizen (Dad is US) and all my family is over there. I couldnt imagine not playing for the US. I am a US citizen first, Irish second. Its great to have direct roots but give me a break. Visiting every other year and talking to relatives on the phone isnt exactly a patriotic connection. I live with US people day in, day out. Its my homeland and I would be proud to represent this country. Now if I only could play baseball. :D
 
Brewer4 said:
I was born in Northern Ireland but lived in US my whole life. My Mom is still an Irish citizen (Dad is US) and all my family is over there. I couldnt imagine not playing for the US. I am a US citizen first, Irish second. Its great to have direct roots but give me a break. Visiting every other year and talking to relatives on the phone isnt exactly a patriotic connection. I live with US people day in, day out. Its my homeland and I would be proud to represent this country. Now if I only could play baseball. :D


if only there were more like you!!:)
 
dragon002 said:
sean,

just out of morbid curiosity, why are you glad of that?

and sean, pool our best players from all of our teams, no one would beat them, IMHO

Wrong. Send a playoff contender team and they may win. This pooling of athletes is what loses for us. Hockey, baseball, basketball, etc. We dont send "Teams" and thats the problem.
 
I believe that in many other countries, there is more of a "team" concept than what is typically demonstrated with the "I, me, mine" mentality of many sports stars here in the States. Just look at a basketball team like Argentina had in the summer olympics. They played like a team, not like spoiled starlets. Roger Clemens wouldn't even travel with his team last year during the away games when he wasn't pitching. Sure he's a great pitcher when he's on the mound, but where's the sense of support and comraderie? Fairly nonexistent here with many players in the U.S. If that sense of support and comraderie did exist, so many of the spoiled starlets that live and work in the U.S. wouldn't be playing for teams where they might have lived at one time, or where a distant relative once lived.
 
vurbano said:
Wrong. Send a playoff contender team and they may win. This pooling of athletes is what loses for us. Hockey, baseball, basketball, etc. We dont send "Teams" and thats the problem.

This is very true!! At the same time we did not play with any passion.
 
vurbano said:
Wrong. Send a playoff contender team and they may win. This pooling of athletes is what loses for us. Hockey, baseball, basketball, etc. We dont send "Teams" and thats the problem.

I agree,
Also the fact that our guy's are technically just starting spring training and other countries (not all) have been playing for quite awhile.

Have them play during the week of the all star break, when all players are in full swing would make a huge difference.

Did anyone notice Roger Clemens STILL got no run support, while pitching pretty good for this early in the year...

btw, same goes for hockey, send a TEAM not a bunch of individuals and try to make a team in a week or less....

Jimbo
 
sidekick said:
I believe that in many other countries, there is more of a "team" concept than what is typically demonstrated with the "I, me, mine" mentality of many sports stars here in the States. Just look at a basketball team like Argentina had in the summer olympics. They played like a team, not like spoiled starlets. Roger Clemens wouldn't even travel with his team last year during the away games when he wasn't pitching. Sure he's a great pitcher when he's on the mound, but where's the sense of support and comraderie? Fairly nonexistent here with many players in the U.S. If that sense of support and comraderie did exist, so many of the spoiled starlets that live and work in the U.S. wouldn't be playing for teams where they might have lived at one time, or where a distant relative once lived.

Why cant other countries be better? I think its a disgrace that we dont compete at the levels of other countries but lets face the fact that they might just be better.

We say oh if we had our best players there we would have won. But spoiled Manny Ramirez and Pedro Martinez didnt play for their country either. A spoiled athlete is a that no matter what the nationality.

People cried during the Olympics that the US team didnt get to practice as a team where other countries did. Well thats just BS..The other olympic teams had as much time as the US to bond. The US just doesnt have as many talented hockey players as other countries.

Back to the WBC, this tournament meant more to the people of other countries. This may be their only chance to see their favorite players play together. Just because MLB decided that this was a good idea doest mean the players and fans of this nation have to care about it. I think most Americans care about their home town teams.

As for the players who didnt want disrupt their lives and possibly jeapordize their careers for the FINANCIAL gains of MLB I cant fault them.
 
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