I have wanted to write a column covering the World Baseball Classic for a few weeks now. To be honest, I didn’t know where to start. I included some comments on the event a few weeks ago, but even then my opinions were based on what I knew of the teams on paper. Place those papers in the shredder, as the event, which was filled and initially highlighted with approximately 175 Major League Baseball players, had only two big-leaguers in the final championship game between Cuba and Japan.

At first you could say that this is proof that the games are indeed not played on paper, but in saying so I wouldn’t want to insult the talent on the Cuban and Japanese teams. Their teams didn’t look as good on paper quite frankly because for the most part we knew nothing of their players past Ichiro. I found it particularly fitting that the championship game came between these two countries. Cuba has long dominated international baseball, with its biggest defeat (before losing to Japan) coming at the hands of Ben Sheets and Team USA during the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Japan’s talent has long been questioned despite having a long and storied league that has started to supply more and more successful players to Major League Baseball in recent years.

For that I personally don’t feel it’s a shame that the United States did not win this event. The Dominicans shouldn’t feel bad about their team, nor should the Venezuelans or Puerto Ricans feel any shame at not leaving the inaugural World Baseball Classic victorious.

I do however think all of the players that participated can take something from the event. How can you not appreciate the playing style of the Korean team, a team that found ways to score runs by executing small ball to perfection? Japan’s entire lineup was full of hitters that seemed to take the same two-strike, opposite field approach of Ichiro. Cuba quite frankly has more talent than what people gave them credit for, and as I noted in my previous, aforementioned column, you can never underestimate a seasoned team that is accustomed to playing with one another.

With that, the inaugural World Baseball Classic was nothing but a success. I can’t understand how any true fan of the greatest game on earth could not enjoy and appreciate the entire event. Each game was played as though it were game seven of the World Series, and it was fun to watch the players and even the fans from other countries in which you could tell just how seriously they took every game on the field. There are even rumors circulating that the Olympics may re-think their decision from last summer to remove baseball from the games after 2008. The committee is probably fearful of looking foolish after the success of the World Baseball Classic, proving that international baseball is alive and well as it should be.

The only bad thing I can take from the event is the coverage that preceded it, as the World Baseball Classic suffered through its share of negative criticism before the first pitch was thrown. From questioning the player rosters, to the omission of some of the biggest names and to questioning the potential health risks of allowing certain players to play, more people seemed to find everything that could go wrong with the event beforehand than embracing the simple idea of having the best baseball countries with rosters filled with the best baseball players in the world playing against one another.

A big tip of the cap to everyone involved, particularly Major League Baseball and commissioner Bud Selig for making this event happen in the first place (not to mention going out of their way to make sure Cuba was part of it all, as they should have been, and were). As much criticism as Bud Selig receives, he certainly has made some interesting changes and additions to the game over the last 10 to 15 years, which I’ll make sure to talk about in a separate column at a different point in time.

Congratulations to Team Japan on winning the inaugural World Baseball Classic, and congratulations to all of the teams that participated.

Big-Leaguers to be

I noted that the final championship game had only two Major League Baseball players on the rosters of the Cuban and Japanese teams. However two more players that starred in the classic could easily join Ichiro and Akinori Otsuka at the big-league level. Those two players are Cuba’s Yuliesky Gourriel and Japan’s Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Gourriel’s talent is extremely evident, as he just looks like a big-leaguer. Watching him hit reminded me of a young Gary Sheffield, as his bat whips through the strike zone and everything he makes contact with goes a very long way in a very short amount of time. He played a little bit of third base and a little second base in the classic, and I don’t see why he couldn’t be tried at shortstop. If Gourriel defects, and after showcasing his stuff on the international stage I’m sure that becomes a strong possibility, look for him to sign a contract possibly surpassing the one Jose Contreras inked a few years ago.

There were rumors that WBC MVP Matsuzaka was heading to the United States this offseason as Kenji Johjima did by signing with the Seattle Mariners. Matsuzaka decided to stay in Japan, but his arrival in the United States is probably not that far away. That arrival may come with as much fanfare as it did when Ichiro arrived, as Matsuzaka is still relatively young, has a power arsenal and a flair for the dramatic. Plus, he can show the American public what the “gyroball” is all about. A warning to prospective buyers: Matsuzaka has endured a very heavy workload since his late teens, so a Fernando Valenzuela-like early burnout is a distinct possibility.

There are plenty of more players in the event that could easily be considered legitimate Major Leaguers, but Gourriel and Matsuzaka’s talents are unmistakable.

The thoughts and opinions listed here do not necessarily reflect those of Perfect Game USA. Patrick Ebert is affiliated with both Perfect Game USA and Brewerfan.net, and can be contacted via email at pebert@brewerfan.net.