2006 World Baseball Classic - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Rk	W	L	Tiebreaker
1	2	1	1–1, 1.59 RA/9
2	2	1	1–1, 4.00 RA/9
3	2	1	1–1, 7.50 RA/9
4	0	3	–

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Pool C

Rk	W	L	Tiebreaker
1	3	0	–
2	2	1	–
3	1	2	–
4	0	3	–

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Pool D

Rk	W	L	Tiebreaker
1	3	0	–
2	2	1	–
3	1	2	–
4	0	3	–

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Pool 1

Rk	W	L	Tiebreaker
1	3	0	–
2	1	2	1–1, 2.55 RA/9
3	1	2	1–1, 2.65 RA/9
4	1	2	1–1, 3.50 RA/9

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Pool 2

Rk	W	L	Tiebreaker
1	2	1	1–0
2	2	1	0–1
3	1	2	1–0
4	1	2	0–1

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Finals

Semifinals

Final

Final standings

Rk	W	L	Tiebreaker
1	5	3	–
Lost in Final
2	5	3	–
Lost in Semifinals
3	6	1	–
4	5	2	–
Failed to qualify for Semifinals
5	4	2	–
6	3	3	2.77 RA/9
7	3	3	3.40 RA/9
8	3	3	3.75 RA/9
Failed to qualify for Round 2
9	2	1	–
10	1	2	5.48 RA/9
11	1	2	6.84 RA/9, 6.48 ERA
12	1	2	6.84 RA/9, 6.84 ERA
13	0	3	6.85 RA/9
14	0	3	6.92 RA/9
15	0	3	14.40 RA/9
16	0	3	15.55 RA/9

Round 1

326,629 (avg. 13,609; pct. 55.4%)

Pool A – 100,964 (avg. 16,827; pct. 40.1%)
Pool B – 91,205 (avg. 15,200; pct. 52.8%)
- Chase Field – 65,464 (avg. 21,821; pct. 44.5%)
- Scottsdale Stadium – 25,741 (avg. 8,580; pct. 100.9%)
Pool C – 74,472 (avg. 12,412; pct. 69.0%)
Pool D – 59,988 (avg. 9,998; pct. 105.2%)

Round 2

283,880 (avg. 23,656; pct. 75.1%)

Pool 1 – 191,717 (avg. 31,952; pct. 70.9%)
Pool 2 – 92,163 (avg. 15,360; pct. 85.3%)

Finals

126,603 (avg. 42,201; pct. 99.4%)

Semifinals – 83,907 (avg. 41,953; pct. 98.8%)
Final – 42,696 (avg. 42,696; pct. 100.6%)

All-WBC team

Position	Player
C	Tomoya Satozaki Tomoya Satozaki is a Japanese professional baseball player. He is currently with the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.-External links:*...
1B	Seung-Yeop Lee Seung-Yeop Lee Lee Seung-yeop also Lee Seung-yuop is a baseball player, currently playing for the Orix Buffaloes in Japan's Pacific League. Nicknamed "Lion King" since his days with the Samsung Lions, while being affectionately known as "Mr...
2B	Yulieski Gourriel Yulieski Gourriel Yulieski Gourriel is a Cuban baseball player. A member of Cuba's national team and Sancti Spíritus in the Cuban National Series, Gourriel is primarily a third baseman, though he has also played other positions, such as shortstop and 2nd base...
SS	Derek Jeter Derek Jeter Derek Sanderson Jeter is an American baseball shortstop who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. A twelve-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Jeter's clubhouse presence, on-field leadership, hitting ability, and baserunning have made him a central...
3B	Adrián Beltré Adrián Beltré Adrián Beltré Pérez is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Texas Rangers.The youngest player in the National League when he made his major league debut, he has also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , the Seattle Mariners , the Boston Red Sox , and the Texas Rangers . He bats and...
OF	Ken Griffey, Jr. Ken Griffey, Jr. George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey, Jr. , nicknamed "Junior" and "The Kid", is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and during his final years, designated hitter...
	Jong-Beom Lee Jong-Beom Lee Lee Jong-Beom is a South Korean professional baseball player who plays for the Kia Tigers, the franchise with the most championship victories in Korean pro baseball history.He started his career at shortstop but now plays mainly center fielder...
	Ichiro Suzuki Ichiro Suzuki , usually known simply as is a Major League Baseball right fielder for the Seattle Mariners. Ichiro has established a number of batting records, including the sport's single-season record for hits with 262...
DH	Yoandy Garlobo Yoandy Garlobo Yoandy Garlobo Romay is a baseball player who starred for Cuba at the 2006 World Baseball Classic. Garlobo was the designated hitter for Cuba at the tournament, where he had a .480 batting average—second only to Ken Griffey, Jr...
P	Yadel Martí Yadel Martí Yadel Martí Carrillo is a right-handed pitcher in the Oakland Athletics organization.-Cuba:Martí formerly played for the Cuba national baseball team and Industriales of the Cuban National Series....
	Daisuke Matsuzaka Daisuke Matsuzaka is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball in the United States. He previously played for the Seibu Lions in Japan's Pacific League. He was selected the MVP of the inaugural and the second World Baseball Classic, and is an Olympic bronze...
	Chan Ho Park

Batting

Statistic	Name	Total/Avg
Batting average Batting average Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...	Adam Stern Adam Stern Adam James Stern is a Canadian Major League Baseball outfielder who is presently a free agent.He bats left-handed, and throws right-handed. He was dubbed the "Canadian Babe Ruth" by Cleveland Indians outfielder Trot Nixon. Stern is the second Jewish player from Canada in major league history....	.667
Hit Hit (baseball) In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice.... s	Nobuhiko Matsunaka Nobuhiko Matsunaka is a left fielder and designated hitter for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.Matsunaka is the only active hitter in Japanese professional baseball to have ever led the league in all three Triple Crown categories in the same season...	13
Run Run (baseball) In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured... s	Nobuhiko Matsunaka Nobuhiko Matsunaka is a left fielder and designated hitter for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.Matsunaka is the only active hitter in Japanese professional baseball to have ever led the league in all three Triple Crown categories in the same season...	11
Home run Home run In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process... s	Seung-Yeop Lee Seung-Yeop Lee Lee Seung-yeop also Lee Seung-yuop is a baseball player, currently playing for the Orix Buffaloes in Japan's Pacific League. Nicknamed "Lion King" since his days with the Samsung Lions, while being affectionately known as "Mr...	5
RBI	Ken Griffey Jr. Seung-Yeop Lee Seung-Yeop Lee Lee Seung-yeop also Lee Seung-yuop is a baseball player, currently playing for the Orix Buffaloes in Japan's Pacific League. Nicknamed "Lion King" since his days with the Samsung Lions, while being affectionately known as "Mr...	10
Walks	David Ortiz David Ortiz David Américo Ortiz Arias , known as David Ortiz, nicknamed "Big Papi", is a Dominican American professional baseball player who is currently a free agent. Previously, Ortiz played with the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox...	8
Strikeout Strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters.... s	Hitoshi Tamura Hitoshi Tamura Hitoshi Tamura is a Japanese professional baseball player with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.-External links:...	9
Stolen base Stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate... s	Tsuyoshi Nishioka Tsuyoshi Nishioka is a professional baseball infielder who currently plays for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball. He also played in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Chiba Lotte Marines from 2003–10....	5
On base percentage On base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...	Adam Stern Adam Stern Adam James Stern is a Canadian Major League Baseball outfielder who is presently a free agent.He bats left-handed, and throws right-handed. He was dubbed the "Canadian Babe Ruth" by Cleveland Indians outfielder Trot Nixon. Stern is the second Jewish player from Canada in major league history....	.727
Slugging percentage	Adam Stern Adam Stern Adam James Stern is a Canadian Major League Baseball outfielder who is presently a free agent.He bats left-handed, and throws right-handed. He was dubbed the "Canadian Babe Ruth" by Cleveland Indians outfielder Trot Nixon. Stern is the second Jewish player from Canada in major league history....	1.333
OPS	Adam Stern Adam Stern Adam James Stern is a Canadian Major League Baseball outfielder who is presently a free agent.He bats left-handed, and throws right-handed. He was dubbed the "Canadian Babe Ruth" by Cleveland Indians outfielder Trot Nixon. Stern is the second Jewish player from Canada in major league history....	2.061

Pitching

Statistic	Name	Total/Avg
Win Win (baseball) In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only... s	Daisuke Matsuzaka Daisuke Matsuzaka is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball in the United States. He previously played for the Seibu Lions in Japan's Pacific League. He was selected the MVP of the inaugural and the second World Baseball Classic, and is an Olympic bronze...	3
Losses	Rodrigo López Johan Santana Johan Santana Johan Alexander Santana Araque is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher who is currently playing for the New York Mets. He is a native of Venezuela.... Dontrelle Willis Dontrelle Willis Dontrelle Wayne Willis , nicknamed "The D-Train", is an American professional baseball pitcher. Willis is notable for his success during his first few years in the league and for his unconventional pitching style, which includes a high leg kick and exaggerated twisting away from the batter...	2
Saves	Chan Ho Park	3
Innings pitched Innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...	Koji Uehara Koji Uehara is a Major League Baseball Japanese right-handed relief pitcher. He is currently a relief pitcher for the Texas Rangers.Uehara throws a high-80s four-seam fastball and a solid forkball as his primary pitches...	17.0
Hits allowed Hit (baseball) In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....	Koji Uehara Koji Uehara is a Major League Baseball Japanese right-handed relief pitcher. He is currently a relief pitcher for the Texas Rangers.Uehara throws a high-80s four-seam fastball and a solid forkball as his primary pitches...	17
Runs allowed Run (baseball) In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...	Carl Michaels	10
Earned runs allowed Earned run In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run...	Carl Michaels	10
ERA Earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...	Yadel Martí Yadel Martí Yadel Martí Carrillo is a right-handed pitcher in the Oakland Athletics organization.-Cuba:Martí formerly played for the Cuba national baseball team and Industriales of the Cuban National Series.... *	0.00
Walks	Dontrelle Willis Dontrelle Willis Dontrelle Wayne Willis , nicknamed "The D-Train", is an American professional baseball pitcher. Willis is notable for his success during his first few years in the league and for his unconventional pitching style, which includes a high leg kick and exaggerated twisting away from the batter...	6
Strikeout Strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters.... s	Koji Uehara Koji Uehara is a Major League Baseball Japanese right-handed relief pitcher. He is currently a relief pitcher for the Texas Rangers.Uehara throws a high-80s four-seam fastball and a solid forkball as his primary pitches...	16
WHIP Walks plus hits per inning pitched In baseball statistics, walks plus hits per inning pitched is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a pitcher has allowed per inning pitched. It is a measure of a pitcher's ability to prevent batters from reaching base...	Shairon Martis Shairon Martis Shairon B. Martis is a Dutch-Antillean professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He pitched for The Netherlands in the 2006 World Baseball Classic...	0.14

* Martí is tied with several others with a 0.00 ERA but he pitched the most innings with 12.2

Team Batting

Ordered by batting average

G Games played Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...	AB At bat In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...	R Run (baseball) In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...	H Hit (baseball) In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....	2B Double (baseball) In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....	3B Triple (baseball) In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....	HR Home run In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...	RBI Run batted in Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...	TB Total bases In baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run.Only bases attained from hits count toward this total....	BB	SO Strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....	SB Stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...	CS Caught stealing In baseball, a runner is charged, and the fielders involved are credited, with a time caught stealing when the runner attempts to advance or lead off from one base to another without the ball being batted and then is tagged out by a fielder while making the attempt...	OBP	SLG	AVG Batting average Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...	OPS On-base plus slugging On-base plus slugging is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player to both get on base and to hit for power, two important hitting skills, are represented. An OPS of .900 or higher in Major League...
8	270	60	84	9	3	10	57	129	32	39	13	2	.390	.478	.311	.868
6	197	33	57	7	2	9	32	95	19	26	1	1	.359	.482	.289	.841
6	203	32	58	9	0	8	31	91	24	34	7	3	.365	.448	.286	.813
8	279	44	79	12	1	8	41	117	24	51	3	4	.357	.419	.283	.776
3	104	20	29	10	4	2	17	53	23	24	2	2	.419	.510	.279	.928
3	102	15	27	3	0	0	11	30	11	22	0	0	.342	.294	.265	.636
3	102	15	27	9	0	1	11	39	7	21	3	1	.342	.382	.265	.724
7	23	36	61	8	0	9	28	96	33	33	6	4	.364	.412	.262	.776
3	87	12	22	3	1	0	11	27	7	34	0	2	.330	.310	.253	.640
7	218	26	53	13	1	6	26	86	16	51	2	0	.305	.394	.243	.699
6	189	23	44	11	1	5	21	72	15	36	2	0	.292	.381	.233	.673
3	95	13	19	8	2	2	13	37	11	24	0	0	.290	.389	.200	.679
6	188	22	35	6	0	7	20	62	35	40	2	1	.323	.330	.186	.653
3	92	6	17	4	0	2	5	27	9	33	0	2	.286	.293	.185	.579
3	91	7	15	3	0	1	7	21	10	16	0	1	.276	.231	.165	.507
3	80	4	9	2	0	0	3	11	7	32	3	2	.191	.138	.113	.329

Team Pitching

Ordered by ERA

W Win (baseball) In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...	L	ERA Earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...	G Games pitched In baseball statistics, games pitched is the number of games in which a player appears as a pitcher; a player who is announced as the pitcher must face at least one batter, although exceptions are made if the pitcher announced in the starting lineup is injured before facing a batter, perhaps while...	CG Complete game In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...	SHO Shutout In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....	SV	IP Innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...	H Hits allowed In Baseball statistics, hits allowed signifies the total number of hits a pitcher allowed....	R Run (baseball) In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...	ER Earned run In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run...	HR Home runs allowed In baseball statistics, home runs allowed signifies the total number of home runs a pitcher allowed.The record for the most home runs allowed by any pitcher belongs to Jamie Moyer , the oldest active pitcher in the major leagues...	HB Hit by pitch In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...	BB Base on balls A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...	SO Strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....	WHIP Walks plus hits per inning pitched In baseball statistics, walks plus hits per inning pitched is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a pitcher has allowed per inning pitched. It is a measure of a pitcher's ability to prevent batters from reaching base...	HLD Hold (baseball) A hold is awarded to a relief pitcher who meets the following three conditions:Unlike saves, wins, and losses, more than one pitcher per team can earn a hold for a game, though it is not possible for a pitcher to receive more than one hold in a given game...	GF Games finished In baseball statistics, a relief pitcher is credited with a game finished if he is the last pitcher to pitch for his team in a game. A starting pitcher is not credited with a GF for pitching a complete game...
6	1	2.00	7	0	1	4	63.0	45	14	14	7	4	18	50	1.00	8	7
4	2	2.08	6	0	0	1	52.0	33	17	12	3	5	22	28	1.06	5	6
5	3	2.49	8	0	1	2	68.2	52	21	19	7	8	11	62	0.92	3	8
5	2	2.57	7	0	0	3	63.0	56	26	18	3	4	23	53	1.25	6	7
3	3	2.77	6	0	0	1	52.0	41	16	16	4	3	17	37	1.12	4	6
3	3	3.06	6	0	3	1	53.0	39	20	18	6	0	20	55	1.11	7	6
3	3	3.75	6	0	2	1	48.0	43	20	20	4	3	17	48	1.25	4	6
5	3	4.13	8	0	0	4	72.0	66	43	33	7	6	41	51	1.49	2	8
1	2	4.30	3	0	1	0	23.0	21	14	11	4	2	8	16	1.26	0	3
0	3	5.19	3	0	0	0	26.0	33	20	15	2	5	13	17	1.77	0	3
1	2	6.48	3	1	1	0	25.0	30	19	18	5	3	8	14	1.52	0	2
1	2	6.84	3	0	0	0	25.0	31	19	19	1	2	14	22	1.80	0	3
0	3	6.85	3	0	0	0	23.2	24	18	18	3	2	26	16	2.11	0	3
2	1	7.33	3	0	0	2	27.0	32	23	22	3	3	13	18	1.67	2	3
0	3	9.72	3	0	0	0	25.0	48	40	27	6	4	10	16	2.32	0	3
0	3	13.50	3	0	0	0	22.0	42	38	33	5	2	22	13	2.91	0	3

Additional rules

There were several rule changes from normal major league play. Pitchers were held to a pitch count

Pitch count

In baseball statistics, pitch count is the number of pitches thrown by a pitcher in a game.Pitch counts are especially a concern for young pitchers, pitchers recovering from injury, or pitchers who have a history of injuries. The pitcher wants to keep the pitch count low because of his stamina...

of 65 pitches in the first round, 80 pitches in the second round, and 95 in the semifinals and championship rounds. (Netherlands pitcher Shairon Martis

Shairon Martis

Shairon B. Martis is a Dutch-Antillean professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He pitched for The Netherlands in the 2006 World Baseball Classic...

used exactly 65 pitches to throw the only no-hitter

No-hitter

A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...

of the tournament, a 10-0 win over Panama that was stopped by the mercy rule [see below].) If a pitcher reached his maximum pitch count in the middle of an at-bat, he could continue to pitch to that batter, but was required to be replaced once that at-bat ended. A 30-pitch outing needed to be followed by one day off, and a 50-pitch outing by four days off. No one would be allowed to pitch on three consecutive days.

A mercy rule

Mercy rule

A mercy rule, also well known by the slightly less polite term slaughter rule , brings a sports event to an early end when one team has a very large and presumably insurmountable lead over the other team...

came into effect when one team led by either fifteen runs after five innings, or ten runs after seven innings in the first two rounds. In addition, ties could be called after fourteen innings of play.

The designated hitter

Designated hitter

In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...

rule was in place for all games.

Controversies

Format

South Korea completed the first two rounds undefeated (6-0) but was still forced to play Japan, a team it had already beaten twice, in the semifinal round. South Korea lost the match and subsequently was placed 3rd, despite the fact that South Korea's final standings were 6-1, with the most wins. Other international sporting competitions, such as the FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...

, are formatted so as to make it impossible that teams play each other three times. They can only face twice at most - in round robin group play and then again for the championship or 3rd-place match. In addition, the regional grouping of teams was called into question, for the groups were perceived to be unevenly distributed, and the four-team pool system and subsequent three-way tiebreakers were widely seen as awkward.

Umpires

Tournament organizers were unable to reach an agreement with the MLB umpires' union and so the Classic was overseen by umpires from the minor leagues. American umpire Bob Davidson

Bob Davidson (umpire)

Robert Allan Davidson is an umpire for Major League Baseball.-Early life:Bob Davidson graduated from Duluth East High School in Duluth, Minnesota in 1970. He attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth where he played baseball for two seasons. Davidson then left to pursue a professional umpiring...

made controversial calls at critical moments in two different games that benefited the American team.

Chinese Taipei

The Chinese Taipei team was originally listed as "Taiwan" and bearing the ROC national flag

Flag of the Republic of China

The Flag of the Republic of China is red with a navy blue canton bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays. In Chinese, the flag is commonly described as Blue Sky, White Sun, and a Wholly Red Earth to reflect its attributes....

, but following pressure from the People's Republic of China

People's Republic of China

China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

the listing was later changed to Chinese Taipei

Chinese Taipei

Chinese Taipei is the designated name used by the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, to participate in some international organizations and almost all sporting events, such as the Olympics, Paralympics, Asian Games and Asian Para Games...

with the Chinese Taipei Olympic flag.

Drug Testing

The World Anti-Doping Agency

World Anti-Doping Agency

The World Anti-Doping Agency , , is an independent foundation created through a collective initiative led by the International Olympic Committee . It was set up on November 10, 1999 in Lausanne, Switzerland, as a result of what was called the "Declaration of Lausanne", to promote, coordinate and...

criticized IBAF's drug testing program and threatened to withdraw sanction of the event.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11863168/ South Korean pitcher Myung-Hwan Park tested positive for a banned substance during the event, and he was subsequently kicked out of the WBC.http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/baseball/20060404-1313-bbi-worldclassic-drugtesting.html. Venezuelan pitcher Freddy García

Freddy García

Freddy Antonio García , nicknamed "The Chief", is a Venezuelan Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who is currently a free agent...

tested positive for marijuana.

Team Cuba
In an effort to enforce the United States government's embargo on Cuba, the Cuban team was initially denied a license to play in the United States. Puerto Rico threatened to pull out as hosts, IBAF said they would rescind its sanctioning of the tournament, and the IOC

International Olympic Committee

The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...

suggested that such a development would influence the ability of American cities to successfully bid to host future Olympic Games. As a result, financing was restructured and the U.S. government withdrew their opposition.

Player participation

A number of Major League baseball players chose not to participate, some backing out at the last minute. Without players such as Barry Bonds

Barry Bonds

Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...

, Vladimir Guerrero

Vladimir Guerrero

Vladimir Alvino Guerrero is a free agent Major League Baseball right fielder and designated hitter.In , he was voted the American League MVP...

(who pulled out because 3 cousins died in a car accident right before World Baseball Classic), Manny Ramírez

Manny Ramírez

Manuel "Manny" Arístides Ramírez Onelcida is a retired Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder. He was recognized for great batting skill and power, a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of 25 players to hit 500 career home runs. Ramirez's 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 28...

, Hideki Matsui

Hideki Matsui

is a Japanese Major League Baseball designated hitter and outfielder. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed.After playing the first ten seasons of his career for the Yomiuri Giants of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, he played the next seven seasons, from 2003–2009, for the New York...

, and José Vidro

José Vidro

José Angel Vidro is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. Though he never officially retired, Vidro has not played since .-Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals:...

, some questioned whether the event would be credible. Cuba barred players such as Orlando Hernández

Orlando Hernández

Orlando Hernández Pedroso , nicknamed "El Duque", is a former Cuban right-handed baseball pitcher....

, his half-brother Liván Hernández

Liván Hernández

Eisler Liván Hernández Carrera is a Cuban professional baseball pitcher. He is the half-brother of pitcher Orlando "El Duque" Hernández.-Playing career:...

, and José Contreras

José Contreras

José Ariel Contreras Camejo is a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who is currently with the Philadelphia Phillies...

, from its team, Cubans who had previously defected. Italy was criticized for a roster made up almost entirely of second-generation Italian American

Italian American

An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...

s such as Mike Piazza

Mike Piazza

Michael Joseph "Mike" Piazza ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. He played in his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and the Oakland Athletics....

Success of tournament

Many members of the United States press were skeptical of the Classic since its inception. The event proved to be quite popular, however, providing many memorable moments including a first round game between Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Attendance was higher than expected at several sites, including the 18,000-seat Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, which was sold out for every Puerto Rico game in the first two rounds. Though international ratings figures are not yet available, viewership is expected to be high, ESPN

ESPN

Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....

spokeswoman Diane Lamb said. In addition, there were 4,000 media credentials issued — more than the World Series

World Series

The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...

— which bodes well for the stated goal of internationalizing the sport. Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...

writer Tom Verducci reported that "more merchandise was sold in the first round than organizers projected for the entire 17-day event." http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/tom_verducci/03/14/wbc.classic/1.html He also reported that, at one point, jerseys for the Venezuelan team were selling at the rate of one every six seconds.

The U.S. television ratings

Nielsen Ratings

Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...

on ESPN were stronger than initially expected, drawing in more than one million television sets for some games, more than almost any other ESPN program in the month of March. This occurred despite less than stellar airing times for the games. Most were not aired live but taped, and sometimes with innings cut, as the WBC was organized well after ESPN had committed to much of its programming.

Outside the U.S. the tournament was very successful. In Latin America

Latin America

Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...

, a first round game between the United States and Mexico, was the third most watched game in the history of ESPN Dos

ESPN Dos

ESPN Dos, best known as ESPN2 , is a cable television network operated by ESPN International broadcasting in Mexico, Venezuela, Central America and Dominican Republic....

, one of the three Spanish-language channels of ESPN in Latin America.

The allocation of earnings

The total earnings of the World Baseball Classic is divided into net profit (53%) and prize money (47%).http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?bicode=070000&biid=2006030606428

Net profit (53%)

World Baseball Classic Inc.: 17.5%
Baseball Players Union: 17.5%
Japanese Baseball Organization: 7%
Korean Baseball Organization: 5%
International Baseball Federation: 5%
Miscellaneous expenses: 1%

Prize money (47%)

Japan (Champions): 10%
Cuba (Runners-up): 7%
South Korea and Dominican Republic (Semifinalists): 5% each
The 4 teams that drop out of the Round 2: 3% each
The 8 teams that drop out of the Round 1: 1% each

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Pool C

Pool D

Pool 1

Pool 2

Finals

Semifinals

Final

Final standings

Round 1

Round 2

Finals

All-WBC team

Batting

Pitching

Team Batting

Team Pitching

Additional rules

Controversies

Success of tournament

The allocation of earnings

Net profit (53%)

Prize money (47%)

See also

External links