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Many of the participants in the 2009 World Baseball Classic are setting their managers before settling on their squad.
Today, Mexico chose Vinny Castilla as its manager. Castilla said the team would be strong in pitching and would be looking at dual citizens, in particular Matt Garza.
Defending champion Japan chose Yomiuri Giants manager Tatsunori Hara to lead its squad. Hara has a slightly more dramatic view of the tournament than Castilla:
‘Japanese baseball embodies bushido (the way of the samurai),’ Tatsunori Hara said as he was formally introduced as Japan's manager, alongside his six coaches.
‘We aim to be number one in the world as Samurai Japan,’ said Hara, who guided Tokyo's Yomiuri Giants to the Japanese Central League crown last month.
Stan Javier will be the skipper for the Dominican Republic and Luis Sojo has the job for Venezuela.
Korea, which won the gold medal at the Beijing Games, can't find a manager and likely won't have Seung-Yeop Lee or Chan Ho Park for the Classic.
Taiwan, doesn't have a manager either, and might have Hong-Chih Kuo, but won't have Chien-Ming Wang.
No manager has been picked yet for the USA, Canada, Italy, Netherlands, Cuba, Australia, South Africa, Panama, and China. Or at least none that I could readily find.
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