Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
Email me at btimmermann@gmail.com
Select a date:
Live from Scottsdale, Arizona!
In what was supposed to be a warmup game before the second round has turned into a must win game for Team USA. Not many people would expect that the almost entirely amateur team from South Africa would have the slightest chance of beating the millionaires of Team USA, but the game is on the schedule and the USA has to win or else they're out of the tournament.
Roger Clemens will get the start for the American side. No starter for South Africa had been named, but South Africa manager Rick Magnante will be taking applications.
The U.S. defeated Mexico in its opener 2-0, but then lost to Canada 8-6. But Mexico's 9-1 pounding of Canada Friday sent Mexico on to the Anaheim Regional second round. South Africa almost pulled off an upset of Canada, but lost in the 9th, 11-8. Mexico defeated South Africa 10-4.
Most would think that the best South Africa can hope for is to avoid having the game shortened by the mercy rule. The US team isn't going to take South African lightly. But you still have to play the game.
Interestingly despite a few apparent mismatches in the tournament, only three games have ended early. Japan had two shortened wins over China and Taiwan and Italy had a surprisingly short 10-0 win over Australia. Two days later, Australia fell to Venezuela, 2-0.
U.S. lineup
Damon, LF
Jeter, SS
Griffey, CF
Rodriguez, 3B
Jones, DH
Lee, 1B
Utley, 2B
Barrett, C
Winn, RF
Clemens, P
RSA lineup
Bell, 2B
Willemburg, SS
Naude, DH
Dempsey, 1B
Phillips, 3B
Cook, CF
Kemp, C
Ekermans, LF
Butcher, RF
Michaels, P
FINAL SCORE
MERCY! United States 17, South Africa 0 in 5 innings.
WP - Roger Clemens
LP - Carl Michaels
HR - Ken Griffey Jr. 2, Derrek Lee
South Africa did manage two hits off of the US pitchers (one off of Clemens and the second off of Mike Timlim). This put them ahead of Panama which got no hits in 7 innings today against Shairon Martis. And Australia has just two hits in two games!
The U.S. moves on to the Anaheim Regional and will play Sunday at 1 pm PT against Japan. Jake Peavy expected to start for the U.S. Japan will likely start Koji Uehara if they stick to their rotation from the first round.
Greg Papa was quite surprised to see Bonds there, but Steve Stone speculated that Bonds was just there for his reality TV show.
The Papa/Stone combo in the booth has been FANTASTIC.
I have learned not to tempt fate with our South African visitors with such statements anymore.
And so it begins....
I agree, they should at least have in on ESPN 8 or something. Out here in the West some of the games have been on the local PBS stations.
And a game that will determine if the U.S. makes it into the next round isn't a major game? How so? Even if they do mercy rule the South Africans in the end, you just never know (Japan vs. Australia in the olympics, for example).
I hate being old and remembering the good ol' days.
Bonds says he would like to play for the US team now.
Buck Martinez says there is no place for him.
The U.S. won 5-0.
The South Africans have more hits today than the Panamanians got against the Dutch today.
Clemens could get a CG SHO, the way he's going....at least, a 5 inning CG, for what that's worth.
I went to go to lunch and now they won't let me back in!
I hope it doesn't affect his concentration.
He's better with a runner on I suppose.
"The World Baseball Classic telecast of Team Canada's upset victory of Team USA on Wednesday, March 8, (4:00 PM EST, ESPN2) delivered a 1.5 cable HH rating with 1,736,000 viewers tuning in, according to Nielsen Media Research. This game ranks as both the most watched telecast of any kind on ESPN2 in 2006 and the third most watched non-Division Series professional baseball game in ESPN2 history, topping Tuesday's USA - Mexico match up (1.4 cable HH rating). The World Baseball Classic has now provided ESPN2 with its top two telecasts in 2006."
Personally, I think it proves only that there are a lot of baseball fans who are starved for the gazme.
Comment status: comments have been closed. Baseball Toaster is now out of business.