Not that a Final Four of Cuba/Japan, Korea, Venezuela and Puerto Rico, wouldn't have drawn ratings, but ESPN has to thank their lucky stars for David Wright this morning. Wright hit a walk-off single, which sent the U.S. onto Los Angeles for the semifinals, and subsequently gave ESPN a huge ratings boom this weekend. Here's your highlight....

The U.S. and Venezuela play tonight for seeding on the MLB Network, but the semifinals will be on ESPN this weekend. If USA wins they'll be playing Saturday night at 9pm, if they lose their game will be 8pm on Sunday. The Finals are Monday night at 9:30pm.

Team USA Walks Off to Stay Alive in the WBC (The Sporting Blog)

I'm pretty sure USA and the Netherlands aren't really rivals in a lot of things. Sure there's the whole Vegas-Red Light District comparison, and the Edam vs. Cheddar war has raged for years, but that's probably about it. Until now!

Watching the ball after a homerun is always frowned upon in Baseball, and especially if you're doing so when down seven runs. That's exactly what Netherlands player, Bryan Engelhardt, did following an 8th inning blast, and the States were none too happy about it. That's when U.S. Pitcher, Matt Lindstrom decided to almost start an international incident by throwing at the next Dutch batter.....

Thankfully (or not thankfully) cooler heads prevailed, and no punches were thrown or other batters hit. Oh and the Americans eliminated the "Darling Dutch" from the Classic, so take that Holland!

So the World Baseball Classic is underway (you'd know if you got up at 4:30am the other day to watch Korea-Chinese Taipei), and people are doing their best to get you to watch. David Letterman and Tommy Lasorda are two of those people, and while both are promoting the tournament, each has their own approach. Letterman's is of course comedy, but it's Lasorda's that you'll find hilarious.

That's right, folks! If you don't root for Team USA, you're destined for eternal damnation!!!

"We cannot allow those clubs to beat us. It's our game," the former Los Angeles Dodgers manager said Thursday. "Remember one thing: In your hearts, you better pull for the USA or you may not get into heaven."

"It's our game. Baseball is America's game. It doesn't belong to the Italians or the Cubans or the Koreans or the Japanese," he said. "It's our game, and we're not going to let them beat us."

Well then. What does it mean if I don't even watch a single game of the WBC? Purgatory??? And if he feels that way about fans, how does he feel about his nephew playing for Italy? Either way, that old man is pretty damn funny. Oh and here's Letterman's Top Ten List with Team USA on why you should watch. While they don't say you'll go to hell, they do list "seeing players from other countries scratching themselves" as one of the reasons....



If You Don't Root for Team America, You're Going to Hell (The Sporting Blog)
Top Ten Reasons To Watch The World Baseball Classic (Sports Rubbish)

I was a little bit jumpy with the whole announcer thing yesterday involving the WBC. Yesterday's list was actually just the World feed list of broadcasters, while the full set of games, that will be airing on the MLB-N and ESPN, is below. While Gary Thorne and Rick Sutcliffe won't be destroying our brains (Congratulations, World!), we will be getting our first look and listen at ESPN's new Sunday Night Baseball Crew. That's right....it's Morgan, Miller and Phillips!!!

ROUND ONE (March 5th - March 12th)

Pool A (Tokyo, Japan) - China, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Korea

March 5th- Game 1: China vs. Japan (ESPN2, 4:30am)
Announcers: Jon Sciambi, Orestes Destrade
March 6th- Game 2: Chinese Tapei vs. Korea (ESPN2, 4:30am)
Announcers: Jon Sciambi, Orestes Destrade
March 6th- Game 3: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser (ESPN2, 10:30pm)
Announcers: Jon Sciambi, Orestes Destrade
March 7th- Game 4: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner (ESPN2, 5am)
Announcers: Jon Sciambi, Orestes Destrade
March 8th- Game 5: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser (ESPN2, 5:30am)
Announcers: Jon Sciambi, Orestes Destrade
March 9th- Game 6: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner (ESPN2, 5:30am)
Announcers: Jon Sciambi, Orestes Destrade

Pool B (Mexico City, Mexico)- Australia, Cuba, Mexico, South Africa

March 8th- Game 1: South Africa vs. Cuba (MLB-N, 2pm)
Announcers: Charley Steiner and Jose Mota (World Feed)
March 8th- Game 2: Australia vs. Mexico (MLB-N, 9pm)
Announcers: Charley Steiner and Jose Mota (World Feed)
March 9th- Game 3: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser (MLB-N, 10pm)
Announcers: Charley Steiner and Jose Mota (World Feed)
March 10th- Game 4: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner (MLB-N, 10pm)
Announcers: Charley Steiner and Jose Mota (World Feed)
March 11th- Game 5: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser (MLB-N, 10pm)
Announcers: Charley Steiner and Jose Mota (World Feed)
March 12th- Game 6: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner (MLB-N, 9pm)
Announcers: Charley Steiner and Jose Mota (World Feed)

Pool C (Toronto, Canada)- Canada, Italy, United States, Mexico

March 7th- Game 1: United States vs. Canada (ESPN, 2pm)
Announcers: Dave O’Brien, Rick Sutcliffe
March 7th- Game 2: Italy vs. Venezuela (MLB-N, 9pm)
Announcers: Victor Rojas, Joe Magrane
March 8th- Game 3: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser (ESPN, 10pm)
Announcers: Dave O’Brien, Rick Sutcliffe
March 9th- Game 4: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner (MLB-N, 10pm)
Announcers: Victor Rojas, Joe Magrane
March 10th- Game 5: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser (ESPN2, 10pm)
Announcers: Dave O’Brien, Rick Sutcliffe
March 11th- Game 6: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner (MLB-N, 9pm)
Announcers: Victor Rojas, Joe Magrane

Pool D (San Juan, Puerto Rico)- Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Panama, Puerto Rico

March 7th- Game 1: Netherlands vs. Dominican Republic (ESPN2, 2pm)
Announcers: Gary Thorne, Steve Phillips, Pedro Gomez
March 7th- Game 2: Panama vs. Puerto Rico (ESPN, 9pm)
Announcers: Gary Thorne, Steve Phillips, Pedro Gomez
March 8th- Game 3: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser (ESPN, 10pm)
Announcers: Gary Thorne, Steve Phillips, Pedro Gomez
March 9th- Game 4: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner (MLB-N, 10pm)
Announcers: Rich Waltz, Jim Kaat (World Feed)
March 10th- Game 5: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser (MLB-N, 10pm)
Announcers: Rich Waltz, Jim Kaat (World Feed)
March 11th- Game 6: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner (ESPN2, 9pm)
Announcers: Gary Thorne, Steve Phillips, Pedro Gomez

ROUND TWO (March 14th - March 19th)

Pool 1 (San Diego, California)- Pool A Winner, Pool B Winner, Pool A Runner-up, Pool B Runner-up

March 15th- Game 1: Pool A Runner-up vs. Pool B Winner (ESPN2, 4pm)
Announcers: Gary Thorne, Steve Phillips, Orel Hershiser
March 15th- Game 2: Pool B Runner-up vs. Pool A Winner (ESPN2, 11pm)
Announcers: Gary Thorne, Steve Phillips, Orel Hershiser
March 16th- Game 3: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser (ESPN2, 11pm)
Announcers: Dan Shulman, Steve Phillips, Orel Hershiser
March 17th- Game 4: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner (MLB-N, 11pm)
Announcers: Gary Thorne, Jose Mota (World Feed)
March 18th- Game 5: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser (ESPN2, 11pm)
Announcers: Dan Shulman, Steve Phillips, Orel Hershiser
March 19th- Game 6: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner (ESPN, 9pm)
Announcers: Dan Shulman, Steve Phillips, Orel Hershiser

Pool 2 (Miami, Florida)- Pool C Winner, Pool D Winner, Pool C Runner-up, Pool D Runner-up

March 14th- Game 1: Pool C Winner vs. Pool D Runner-up (MLB-N, 1pm)
Announcers: Matt Vasgersian, Harold Reynolds
March 14th- Game 2: Pool C Runner-up vs. Pool D Winner (MLB-N, 8pm)
Announcers: Matt Vasgersian, Harold Reynolds
March 15th- Game 3: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser (ESPN2, 7:30pm)
Announcers: Dave O’Brien, Rick Sutcliffe
March 16th- Game 4: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner (ESPN, 8pm)
Announcers: Dave O’Brien, Rick Sutcliffe
March 17th- Game 5: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser (MLB-N, 7pm)
Announcers: Matt Vasgersian, Harold Reynolds
March 18th- Game 6: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner (MLB-N, 7pm)
Announcers: Matt Vasgersian, Harold Reynolds

FINALS (March 21 - March 24)

Los Angeles, California- Pool 1 Winner, Pool 2 Winner, Pool 1 Runner-up, Pool 2 Runner-up

March 21st- Semifinal 1: Pool 1 Runner-up vs. Pool 2 Winner (ESPN, 9pm)
March 22nd- Semifinal 2: Pool 1 Winner vs. Pool 2 Runner-up (ESPN, 8pm)
March 23rd- Finals: SF Winner 1 vs. SF Winner 2 (ESPN, 9:30pm)
Announcers: Jon Miller, Joe Morgan, Steve Phillips

There are a ton of games scheduled for the World Baseball Classic starting on March 5th, and because of that the MLB Network has worked with ESPN to pick a pretty capable set of announcers for the tournament. Unfortunately none of those people will be on the A-team that will call the Championship Game. Calling that game will be one of AA's most despised annoucers, in Gary Thorne, and the one and only Rick Sutcliffe.

Those two aside, the rest of the lineup is pretty impressive and includes ex-Yankee announcer Jim Kaat, and the great Charley Steiner! Here's you schedule....

ROUND ONE (March 5th - March 12th)

Pool A (Tokyo, Japan) - China, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Korea
Announcers: Jon Sciambi, Orestes Destrade

Pool B (Mexico City, Mexico)- Australia, Cuba, Mexico, South Africa
Announcers: Charley Steiner, Jose Mota

Pool C (Toronto, Canada)- Canada, Italy, United States, Mexico
Announcers: Dave O’Brien, Rick Sutcliffe, Victor Rojas, Joe Magrane

Pool D (San Juan, Puerto Rico)- Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Panama, Puerto Rico
Announcers: Rich Waltz, Jim Kaat

ROUND TWO (March 14th - March 19th)

Pool 1 (San Diego, California)- Pool A Winner, Pool B Winner, Pool A Runner-up, Pool B Runner-up
Announcers: Jon Sciambi, Buck Martinez

Pool 2 (Miami, Florida)- Pool C Winner, Pool D Winner, Pool C Runner-up, Pool D Runner-up
Announcers: Charley Steiner, Gary Thorne, Jose Mota

FINALS (March 21 - March 24)

Los Angeles, California- Pool 1 Winner, Pool 2 Winner, Pool 1 Runner-up, Pool 2 Runner-up
Announcers: Gary Thorne, Rick Sutcliffe

Update: This is the World feed announcers, ESPN and MLB Network will have a separate list coming tomorrow.

I have to admit that I didn't really get into to the World Baseball Classic during its debut last year, but if you did...I have some good news for you. ESPN and the newly formed MLB Network plan on getting thirty-nine games to you during the tournament this March. Via MLB-N....

World Baseball Classic, Inc. has reached agreements with ESPN and MLB Network for shared broadcast rights for the 2009 World Baseball Classic, it was announced today. The World Baseball Classic, the world’s premier international baseball tournament, will feature the world’s best players representing 16 countries and territories, and will be played in seven different venues in five nations and territories from March 5 - 23.

ESPN will televise 23 games of the tournament in the U.S., including the Semi-Final and Final Games, across ESPN and ESPN2 and on its Spanish-language platform ESPN Deportes. ESPN’s agreement includes English and Spanish radio broadcast rights as well as digital rights, including the live-streaming of games on

MLB Network, which will debut on January 1, 2009, will televise 16 World Baseball Classic games and a nightly highlight show titled World Baseball Classic Tonight, beginning in late February. The program will feature highlights, analysis, feature stories and special reports on the tournament, its teams, players and coaches. MLB Network also will air the World Baseball Classic Selection Show, a studio show reporting on the announcement of the rosters.

I'm really interested to see how this whole MLB Network thing is going to work out, but it's definitely a good first move to latch on with ESPN right away like this. When you consider the extra publicity from them during actual games, and on shows like Sports Center, it's obviously a no-brainer.

As the press release stated, the tournament gets underway March 2009, and I'll be sure to have announcers and team rosters when they get released.