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WBC Game Chat: Canada vs. South Africa, 6 pm PT
2006-03-07 17:00
by Bob Timmermann

Live from Scottsdale Stadium! ESPN Deportes will start showing this at 7:30 pm PT and ESPN2 at 11:30 pm.

This is the game that Canada must win and preferably in fewer than to get ready for Wednesday's matchup against the U.S. in Pool B.

Canada manager Ernie Whitt is leaning toward Eric Bedard as his starter. South Africa manager Rick Magnante plans to call on Carl Michaels.

Since South Africa remember the mercy rule in place for the early rounds.

The game is over if:

  1. one team leads by 15 after 5 full innings OR
  2. one team leads by 10 after 7 full innings

Équipe Canada ne regarde pas au-delà du match d'ouverture

Canada's likely lineup:

  1. Pete Orr, SS
  2. Stubby Clapp, 2B
  3. Jason Bay, LF
  4. Justin Morneau, 1B
  5. Matt Stairs, DH
  6. Corey Koskie, 3B
  7. Pete LaForest, C
  8. Aaron Guiel, RF
  9. Adam Stern, CF

Final Score Canada 11, South Africa 8

WP - Chris Reitsma
LP - Jared Elario
Save - Jesse Crain

HR - Corey Koskie

Tomorrow Canada takes on the US at 1 pm PT in Phoenix while South Africa faces Mexico in Scottsdale at 6 pm PT

Comments (62)
Show/Hide Comments 1-50
2006-03-07 18:03:24
1.   Bob Timmermann
If anyone knows, is the stadium in Scottsdale really as big as Gameday indicates. 340 down one line and 360 down the other and 430 to center.

Granted, Scottsdale is slightly at altitude (about 1500 feet).

2006-03-07 18:20:10
2.   Bob Timmermann
Canada fails to score in the first. South Africa scores its first moral victory of the tournament.
2006-03-07 19:15:09
3.   Bob Timmermann
Canada scoreless through 4! Who would've thunk it?
2006-03-07 19:15:41
4.   Faramond
All this talk of the mercy rule seems to have been premature. Canada hasn't scored through 4 innings and they only have one hit.
2006-03-07 19:34:41
5.   Slikk
Good coverage of the WBC, man. I'm impressed. I've also enjoyed the tourney so far, immensely in fact!
2006-03-07 19:40:33
6.   Bob Timmermann
I meant to the mercy rule stuff in the Italy-Australia post.

Yeah, they'll believe that.

2006-03-07 19:54:06
7.   Bob Timmermann
I heard that Paul Quantrill has never had much luck against guys from South Africa.
2006-03-07 19:55:58
8.   Bob Timmermann
Holy cow! Brett Willemburg clears the bases with a double and it's 3-3 in the fifth!
2006-03-07 19:56:19
9.   Faramond
RSA ties the game on a bases clearing double off of Paul Quantrill!
2006-03-07 20:01:23
10.   Bob Timmermann
RSA! RSA! RSA! RSA!
2006-03-07 20:04:20
11.   King of the Hobos
Had Quantrill not announced his retirement already, he just would have.
2006-03-07 20:09:26
12.   Faramond
Perhaps Canada should fear the mercy rule ;)

I sure hope RSA can hang on here ... my fiance is from South Africa, plus this is such a great underdog story.

2006-03-07 20:12:12
13.   sam2175
Beware of the Springbocks.

I am actually a bit surprised at the Aussie capitulation. They should have just got their cricket team on the roster.

2006-03-07 20:15:58
14.   Griffon64
Phew! Canada left the guy at third on! I nipped for a moment there, that RSA would give up a run!

PS: This is a bona fide South African waking early in the morning to cheer on her country :-)

2006-03-07 20:17:46
15.   Faramond
Next inning Canada's bona fide big leaguers will be coming up ... that will be a crucial test.
2006-03-07 20:20:05
16.   Griffon64
Sam2175 ( I have yet to figure out the links and stuff on Baseball Toaster ) I agree with you on the cricket team assessment! BUT ... their team is currently playing South Africa, in South Africa. So they're otherwise occupied, we are leading them 2-1 in a five-game series :-D
2006-03-07 20:24:51
17.   sam2175
I am enjoying that Aussie ass-kicking as well. Now only if India beats the living hell out of the English team, that would be just perfect.

I always thought Jonty Rhodes would make all infielders in baseball look dull if he played baseball.

Back to baseball.

2006-03-07 20:30:14
18.   Sam DC
Griffon - you link to earlier comments by putting the comment number in square brackets -- [ # ] without the spaces between the brackets and the actual number.

You can bold things by putting asterix before and after the text you want bolded. But it doesn't work for more than one paragraph.

That's all I got.

2006-03-07 20:31:14
19.   sam2175
So I take it Canada does not like the prospect of losing to newbies.

6-3 Canada. HR Coskie.

2006-03-07 20:31:42
20.   Sam DC
Hmmm . . . the Canadians do not go gentle into that good night.

Meanwhile, I'm rather disappointed that Doug is not here because I've been sitting on a Bob and Doug joke all day. Alas.

2006-03-07 20:34:04
21.   Faramond
Sadly, I was right about the real big leaguers being the test. They can't all be Stubby Clapp.
2006-03-07 20:38:02
22.   Sam DC
I complained about this once before, but it baffles me that they can't get pictures of these players into the gameday application. I mean, what would it take. The gameday operator getting there an hour early with a digital camera? With all they put into this tournament, it seems like an odd place to be skimping.
2006-03-07 20:41:33
23.   Bob Timmermann
I'm shocked that there are more unique commenters for this game than there were for the US-Mexico game.
2006-03-07 20:42:27
24.   Griffon64
Yeah - I am a bit disappointed that there's no pictures, too!

18 - Thanks!

21 - Well yes, unfortunate! I did predict the inning-ending double play there, though!

2006-03-07 20:42:28
25.   Bob Timmermann
Oh, and welcome to our visitor from South Africa!
2006-03-07 20:46:52
26.   Sam DC
Ah the old number two hitter bunting in the late innings when you're down by two. Hadn't realized Frank Robinson was coaching in this tourney.
2006-03-07 20:50:37
27.   Sam DC
Who is Rick Magnante?

Sounds a little like a character from an Ayn Rand book.

2006-03-07 20:50:51
28.   Faramond
Magnante played for the almost tying run there! He bunted the runner over to third down two runs, and threw away an out. With his number two hitter. He's like Jim Tracy squared.
2006-03-07 20:52:49
29.   Sam DC
Frank Robinson just may be Jim Tracy squared.
2006-03-07 20:53:02
30.   King of the Hobos
And the number two hitter in question had RSA's big hit. I guess we can't allow him to beat up Canada for a second time
2006-03-07 20:56:00
31.   Steve
Did they score?
2006-03-07 20:56:48
32.   Faramond
The man bunted over to third did not score.
2006-03-07 20:58:33
33.   King of the Hobos
Jared Elario, the youngest member of the RSA team, struck out Jason Bay. The guy is 17 (he's almost 5 months younger than I, I'm not used to players actually being younger than me). MLB contract in his future?
2006-03-07 21:00:16
34.   King of the Hobos
33 Apparently I jinxed him. Sorry to all the RSA fans out there
2006-03-07 21:02:41
35.   Bob Timmermann
Canada still didn't score. South Africa still has a chance.

Does anyone in South Africa refer to the country as RSA?

2006-03-07 21:03:15
36.   Faramond
Never to fear, after the big leaguers all walked up came Max St. Pierre. He went out easily enough.
2006-03-07 21:04:35
37.   Faramond
35 yes
2006-03-07 21:09:13
38.   Bob Timmermann
37
Thanks. I would hate for my "RSA! RSA! RSA!" chant to not make any sense.

The fact that this game is going to go 9 innings with the result in doubt is stunning.

Mexico must think highly of its chances of advancing now.

2006-03-07 21:14:21
39.   Sam DC
Any chants of ROK go up during Pool A?
2006-03-07 21:15:21
40.   Sam DC
Oh my.
2006-03-07 21:15:46
41.   Bob Timmermann
Holy cow! Again! RSA leads 8-7 in the 8th!
2006-03-07 21:16:57
42.   Steve
This is a lot like Jim Tracy in 2004. Silly decisions topped by three-run homeruns.
2006-03-07 21:18:46
43.   Faramond
I wonder how much Canada misses Gagne and Martin?

I am in shock right now. I hope RSA has a good closer.

2006-03-07 21:18:57
44.   Griffon64
My word!!!! I'm so proud of my country now!
2006-03-07 21:19:58
45.   King of the Hobos
So Radmonovich, Stern, Orr, and possibly Stubby Clapp hold the fate of Canada baseball. At least team Canada could destroy South Africa in hockey
2006-03-07 21:20:07
46.   Griffon64
PS: 35 - I refer to my country as RSA all the time, and so do everyone else down here!
2006-03-07 21:20:38
47.   King of the Hobos
Didn't take long to lose the lead...
2006-03-07 21:20:56
48.   Bob Timmermann
Perhaps using a 17-year old as your closer isn't a good idea.
2006-03-07 21:22:42
49.   King of the Hobos
What part of 4 walks convinced the RSA to keep Elario in? I understand they don't want to waste the pitchers, but what are the chances they finish another game?
2006-03-07 21:24:09
50.   Bob Timmermann
But what are the chances that South Africa has any pitchers who are better?
Show/Hide Comments 51-100
2006-03-07 21:26:32
51.   Griffon64
What 50 said!

Regardless, this game at least shows why RSA is in this tournament, as my fiance just told me. They could make a fist of it against up-and-coming major leaguers!

2006-03-07 21:26:33
52.   Bob Timmermann
Off camera, but on MLB.TV the announcers are disputing whether the city is called Pretoria or a name they won't pronounce (Tshwane).

So, what's the name of the city?

2006-03-07 21:27:34
53.   King of the Hobos
I haven't any idea. Maybe they have a pitcher with some odd arm angles? I guess it didn't matter, as the go ahead run came on a sac bunt.
2006-03-07 21:28:14
54.   Sam DC
Well, my gameday is cocking up, so I guess baseball really is back.

g'night all. good luck canucks and springboks alike.

2006-03-07 21:28:33
55.   Griffon64
52 - For now it is Pretoria. Though the local government wants it changed to Tshwane - it is a sensitive political issue, that!

I live in Pretoria, by the way.

Tswhane is not too hard to pronounce, it is sort of like "Tttsss-WAH-ne"

Uhm, maybe that IS hard to pronounce!

2006-03-07 21:30:58
56.   Bob Timmermann
Sheesh that's not that hard. One of the cities near Vancouver where you catch the ferry to Vancouver Island is Tsawwassen.
2006-03-07 21:38:07
57.   Bob Timmermann
The announcers said it was 6 wild pitches, but Gameday has 8 in its boxscore, plus a passed ball.
2006-03-07 21:41:08
58.   Faramond
South Africa got all the well known players like Koskie, Bay and Morneau out and let the more unknown ones get hits. Strange.

I think RSA's catcher likely sucks. I don't buy that these are all wild pitches.

2006-03-07 21:44:21
59.   King of the Hobos
I'm guessing Willem Kemp is more a hitter than a catcher. At least I'm assuming that based on his position in the batting order, he sure didn't have much of a good game
2006-03-07 21:47:44
60.   Faramond
only one out left to RSA ...
2006-03-07 21:49:35
61.   Bob Timmermann
Two different boxscores say that there were 8 wild pitches by South Africa.

Since the current pitching distance was adopted in 1893, the major league high by a team in a game is a record that hasn't been recorded.

Bill Gullickson threw six in one game in 1982. Two others (JR Richard and Phil Niekro) also had six.

2006-03-08 06:27:11
62.   DXMachina
At least Niekro had an excuse.

Comment status: comments have been closed. Baseball Toaster is now out of business.