Adjustments may be needed
FULLERTON, Calif. -- Among the topics that occupied the attention of Team USA players at yesterday's workout at Cal State Fullerton while awaiting their fate -- determined by the Korea-Japan game late last night -- were future changes in the World Baseball Classic and their respect for the Korean team that trounced them, 7-3, Monday night.
While US manager Buck Martinez said he feels the tournament is being played at the right time, he said if he's involved in 2009, he would prefer players gather for a three-day camp in February, then have them go back to their teams and return in March when the pitchers have had more work.
Martinez said he's opposed to any after-season tournament because players would be more prone to injuries after sitting for a few weeks after the playoffs and World Series.
Braves third baseman Chipper Jones disagreed.
''I'd like to be in midseason form rather than spring training form," Jones said. ''I think enough guys would come out in November to play in it."
Some of the things the US players would like to see changed is the elimination of tiebreaking procedures, which left them hanging last night. The Americans needed a Korea win over Japan (which the Koreans produced, 2-1) and a US victory tonight over Mexico to qualify for the semifinals in San Diego.
''The tiebreaker is bogus," Jones said. ''Do a double-elimination thing and have the two brackets play each other for the finals. Granted, if that were the case we would have been eliminated by now, but I just think it's a better way of doing it."
Jones, like most USA teammates, said he believes being paired with Asian countries and Mexico was the toughest pool they could be in. They found that out when Korea's pitching staff mesmerized them.
Jones, in fact, saw four different pitchers in four at-bats, all from different arm slots and angles.
''We're familiar with the pitchers on the Latin teams," said Jones, who thought it would have been easier to have been in the pool with the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. ''Familiarity is important. We received film on the Koreans and we went over it and watched it, but it's awfully tough to distinguish between them. I really need to be able to see it. [Korean manager In Sik Kim] brought lefty after lefty and each one had a different delivery. That's hard this early in spring training."
The USA hitters have been appreciative of the Koreans' fundamentally sound baseball, both in pitching and defense. The Koreans and Japanese are also just into their preseasons, but both held camps.
Still, most of the US players appeared thrilled to be part of the Classic and promise to tell teammates they missed out.
''I told my dad the one thing I wanted to do was round the bases with USA across my shirt," Jones said. ''I got to hear the fans cheer 'USA! USA.' I got chills just listening to the national anthem. You're hearing a lot of encouragement from the stands where I'm used to obscenities."
