Friday, March 24, 2006
Sekai ichi
For the first time ever, the title world champion has some meaning to it.
Japan topped a field of 16 invited nations to capture the inaugural 2006 World Baseball Classic by beating Cuba 10-6 in the final in front of 42,696 at San Diego's PETCO Park.
Japan on top of the world
The Yomiuri, 22 March, 2006
O-K... baseball may be a bit of a closed book to me, but I'd still be prepared to dispute that first part.
Just like Rugby, there are a very limited number of nations that can play the sport at a high enough level to compete in the World Championship.
Inevitably, vast areas of the World are unrepresented in these "World Championships" while other areas are over-represented.
(I was going to do this by continents, but I thought my divisions were better.)
Japan topped a field of 16 invited nations to capture the inaugural 2006 World Baseball Classic by beating Cuba 10-6 in the final in front of 42,696 at San Diego's PETCO Park.
Japan on top of the world
The Yomiuri, 22 March, 2006
O-K... baseball may be a bit of a closed book to me, but I'd still be prepared to dispute that first part.
Just like Rugby, there are a very limited number of nations that can play the sport at a high enough level to compete in the World Championship.
Inevitably, vast areas of the World are unrepresented in these "World Championships" while other areas are over-represented.
(I was going to do this by continents, but I thought my divisions were better.)
| Rugby "World Cup" | "World" Baseball Classic | |
| Americans or as near as dammit | 2: USA, Canada | 2: USA, Canada |
| Countries in the iron grip of U.S. foreign policy | 2: Puerto Rico, Panama | |
| Token African representation | 2: Namibia, South Africa | 1: and it's South Africa |
| Malnourished Eastern Europeans | 2: Georgia, Romania | Come off it! |
| Assorted untrustworthy bounders | 6: Argentina, France, Fiji, Western Samoa, Uruguay, Tonga | 1: Mexico |
| Bag-snatchers on mopeds | 1: Italy | 1: Italy |
| Home nations | The lot: England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland | Bugger all |
| Always bitching about Kim Jong Il, but too fanny to do anything about it | Japan | Japan, South Korea |
| Antipodean tosspots | New Zealand, Australia | Just Australia, mercifully |
| Undistinguished, other than being in the coalition of the willing | Netherlands, Dominican Republic | |
| Shady pinkos | None at all- this is a sport born in Public Schools, after all | 3 :Cuba, China, Chinese Taipei (probably) |
| Not quite reds, but definitely worth keeping an eye on | none | 1: Venezuela |
| Shady Muslims | nope | nope |
Labels: NEWS
