Japan and Cuba play for respect in Classic finale

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Japan and Cuba will be playing for more than a title when they meet in the final of the World Baseball Classic on Monday.

Respect will be the big reward for the winner, which has come slowly, particularly from American baseball fans, who have long considered the game they invented their own and Major League Baseball the best in the world.

But when the two teams line up along the baselines for introductions at Petco Park on Monday evening, only two Major League Players will be on the field and both for Japan; Seattle Mariners all-star outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and Texas Rangers pitcher Akinori Otsuka.

"I feel really proud that I'm the only one of two Major League Baseball players to play in the final game," Suzuki told reporters. "Of course, I sense that MLB is hurting a little bit."

And so are U.S. pride and television ratings with no American rooting interest in the final.

While the Cubans and Japanese have long played baseball with the same passion as Americans they have demonstrated throughout the two-week, 16-nation tournament that they are also capable of playing with the same high level of skill.

Isolated by decades of sanctions imposed on Fidel Castro's Communist regime, baseball-mad Cubans have long been left to speculate how they would match up against top major league opposition.

That question was answered on Sunday when Cuba's amateurs beat a Dominican Republic team, loaded from top to bottom with all-star major league talent, 3-1 to book their place in the final.

Japan, displayed no less grit and determination pounding unbeaten South Korea 6-0 in their semifinal, avenging two earlier painful defeats to their bitter rivals.

JAPANESE STYLE

As a result, the final will be an intriguing showdown of 'Japanese style' baseball.

"Nowadays, the style of baseball between Cuba and Japan are very similar," said Japan manager and home run king Sadaharu Oh. "I saw their play in the day game today here in San Diego, and the way they played the game was more like the Japanese style than American style.

The tournament, run by the MLB and baseball players' union, was designed to showcase the best of sport to the world beyond the U.S. borders, where it already holds the exalted status of being the national pastime.

But the tournament has been no less an eye opener for Americans.

Major League Baseball and Americans have generally dismissed international events, confident their own domestic league provides the highest caliber of competition in the world.

Even the winner on Monday will not be crowned world champion since that honor goes to the winner of the World Series.

"The tournament, I think, exceeded my expectations dramatically with the competitive balance of all the pools," said U.S. manager Buck Martinez. "I think it exceeded the fans' expectations for the level of excitement that we have seen.

"I have many people that were baseball fans several years ago, had kind of lost interest, that their interest rekindled because of the World Baseball Classic.

"I don't think it's a stretch to think that we have expanded the boundaries of baseball.

"I think we recognize that there are a lot of Major League talents in other countries."