World Baseball Classic 2009

[TBGKon]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?i...ce=MLBHeadlines

First round host sites have been announced:

Foro Sol Stadium - Mexico City

Hiram Bithorn Stadium - San Juan

Rogers Centre - Toronto

Tokyo Dome - Tokyo

The breakdown of pool play:

? China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan will play in Group A at Tokyo from March 5-9.

? Australia, Cuba, Mexico and South Africa will play in Group B at Mexico City from March 8-12.

? Canada, Italy, United States and Venezuela will play in Group C at Toronto from March 8-12.

? Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Panama and Puerto Rico will play in Group D at San Juan from March 7-11.

Second and Final Round sites, to be played on the East and West coasts of the US will be released in April. Dodger Stadium is said to be the front runner for the finals.

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Personally for the 2nd Round, they're going to have to go in the south (only an assumption based on potential weather issues). I could see either San Francisco or Phoenix hosting in the West and either Miami, St. Petersburg, or potentially Atlanta in the East.

[CC97]

Excellent

[Don]

Nationals Park would be the perfect place, April weather in DC is pretty mild normally. i personally liked the idea, altho the USA chumped it, but i liked that the world was exposed to how good the Canadian baseball program is. we already knew Japan had a great ball program too.

[CC97]

Nationals Park would be the perfect place, April weather in DC is pretty mild normally.

Heads up, this tournament is held in March, not April... I'm thinking the playoff rounds will be held in California much like they were in 2006.

[NJTank]

Heres an idea World Baseball Classic Final at the Trop

[McCall]

Heres an idea World Baseball Classic Final at the Trop

Everybody already thinks we have a bad enough foreign policy as it is. If this happened, we'd have the likes of Tajikistan laughing at us. That's like the school jock being teased by a Special Ed kid.

[jkrdevil]

Nice to see them play at bigger stadiums this time (smallest capacity is 18,000) and not little spring training sites like last time. Makes the event seem more more like a big event.

As for second round site remember they can host them at retractable dome sites like they are doing with Toronto in the first round.

[TBGKon]

Nice to see them play at bigger stadiums this time (smallest capacity is 18,000) and not little spring training sites like last time. Makes the event seem more more like a big event.

As for second round site remember they can host them at retractable dome sites like they are doing with Toronto in the first round.

The only spring venues they used were Orlando (Champion Stadium) for all 4 teams and Scottsdale Stadium in Arizona for the lower-tier matchups over there.

Good point on the retractable roofs, I guess that adds in Houston, Milwaukee, Seattle, and a stretch with Minneapolis.

[BaltimoreFan]

Nationals Park would be the perfect place, April weather in DC is pretty mild normally. i personally liked the idea, altho the USA chumped it, but i liked that the world was exposed to how good the Canadian baseball program is. we already knew Japan had a great ball program too.

The weather is too unpredictable around here this time of year. The chances of a nice 70 degree day are about equal with the chances of a crappy 30-40 degree day. Heck I've experience both within a week a short time ago.

I'm glad the WBC will be coming back. I went to the first in Orlando to see Italy play. Unfortunately both the U.S. and Italy will be in Toronto so I probably won't get to go. Hopefully I can see some of the second round, I just wish they'd do it in Florida. It was great last time.