WBC: Japan vs. China

Just a few quick thoughts on the opening game of the World Baseball Classic:

Japan started a 22-year-old pitcher named Yu Darvish. In four innings of work, he struck out three, walked one, and held China hitless, earning the eventual win. This kid is totally legit and I believe it is only a matter of time until he is making headlines as a frontline starter here in the United States. Dice-K is good. But Darvish can be better. He may already be better. He throws hard (topping out at about 96-97mph at times), and has a good, tight slider. And his 6'5" frame atop the mound, along with his long arms and legs, give him the look of a prototypical ace.

Overall, Japan did what they should have done, which was to win the game. But they had some trouble scoring. They missed multiple opportunities with men in scoring position to get the big hit. I don't think that they'll repeat as WBC champions, but I'm not counting them out either. They have a tremendous amount of pride, and they know how to play the game. They will definitely be in the mix, and if they don't take the championship, whoever does, will likely have to beat them head to head.

Lastly, I don't know what it was, but I really liked their batting helmets. Nicely shaped, with a matte finish, almost like a hard version of their ball caps. It also looked like the team logo was stitched, a la the Chicago Cubs.

Today I'm going to watch the replay of the game that took place early this morning, and if I have any thoughts, I'll share them.

First Day of Spring Training Games

I have recently noticed a few signs of Spring: the weather has been warming up; the trees in my yard are budding; and birds have begun their migration back to their summer homes (as evident by the increased amounts of white globs streaking down various surfaces of our car). But for me, today marks Spring's most powerful promise: the first day of Spring Training games.

If you have been following your team in the off-season, today is a very big day. Teams have made trades, signed free agents, released and promoted ball players, and today we finally get to see the new version of the Royals, Cubs, Red Sox, Yankees, Angels, or whomever else on display. For my team, the Royals, I'm excited to see if Mark Teahen can actually handle second base. I'm excited to see how the additions of Mike Jacobs and Coco Crisp can bolster the lineup. I'm excited to learn if Alex Gordon and Billy Butler finally break out and become the Major League hitters the experts have always said they will be.

Another exciting aspect of this season's Spring Training is the second installment of the World Baseball Classic (baseball's version of the World Cup). Many stars will soon be leaving their respective training camps to represent their countries in this international baseball tournament. I cannot understand why I hear so many "baseball fans" disparage the WBC. I love the idea, and the drama that played out on the field in 2006 was incredible.

I just saw that all WBC games will be streamed on ESPN360.com, for those of you fortunate enough to have it (having access depends entirely on who your internet provider is; my provider, at&t, does participate, which means I'll be able to watch). Play begins March 5 when Japan and China meet in round one. Team USA's first contest is against our neighbors to the north on March 7, at 2:00pm EST.

So between Spring Training and the World Baseball Classic, it looks like their will be plenty of baseball to keep us occupied.