Yesterday I accused team Cuba of slowing the game to an agonizing pace. Today I would like to offer my apologies, for it seems this disappointment sandwich features more than one ingredient. Last night's distinctly non-Cuban baseball game lasted three hours and forty-two minutes, something like 45 or 50 minutes longer than the Major League average. In all, this year's WBC has had 32 games end so far without a mercy rule, with an average length of 3:13. The six games played at Petco had an average length of 3:29. That's a lot of time. Thank goodness for the fun, lively crowds, because if I were forced to watch Petco's other residents play baseball for that long, I'd strongly consider trying to end the game myself by throwing so much shit on the field that the home team has to forfeit.
Korea had a strong fan showing last night, coming out in greater numbers than the Cubans the day before. Like the Cubans, the Korean fans mostly gathered behind the Korean dugout, but there was one renegade group that collected in the upper deck and made a lot of noise before deciding to join the rest of the pack in the lower level a few innings in. The powder blue Korean Thunderstix, by the way, were only available for purchase, while the orange Thunderstix adopted by the Japanese were given out for free at the gates.
Obligatory videos:
Akinori Iwamura brings home Japan's fourth and fifth runs. (direct link)
Japan wins and fans inseminate the sky. (direct link)
The amount of coordination on display with both the Japanese and Korean fan bases was pretty impressive. It wasn't like an Angels game, where people just bang their Thunderstix together all willy-nilly and forget that they also have lungs; both groups last night chanted and Thundersticked in sync as part of what felt like a near-constant routine. Sitting on the third base side, it was actually a little intimidating to stare across the infield and watch a sea of powder blue shout and gesture forward with their Thunderstix (I'm trying desperately to come up with a synonym for Thunderstix). Despite the countless delays and pitching changes, the atmosphere was wild from the first pitch to the last, and the only shame is that in the end the game didn't really mean anything.
The way Thunderstix are engineered is ingenious. You just blow into them and they close automatically, with no leaking. Science! Of course the downside is that they develop holes rather easily and also oh yeah they make a really annoying noise. But I'll be honest with you, as soon as you get two of them in your hands, it's instinct to smack them together. There's no preceding thought process. You just look down every few minutes and you're like "why am I doing this?"
This is a game I like to call Who Doesn't Belong? Alternate title: Spot The Sex Cauldron
One thing that struck me as somewhat unusual: when making pitching changes (or at least when making this one), the Korean manager stood by the new reliever while he warmed up. Gun to my head, I'd guess it's less about observing (what's he going to do, change pitchers again if he doesn't like what he sees?) and more about talking and giving advice. Suggestions on how to calm down and face the next few batters. Because if there's one way for a superior to make someone feel easy and comfortable, it's by standing directly behind him.
Shin-soo Choo's one at bat last night was a hope-destroying double play. I didn't see Ben Broussard ground into any hope-destroying double plays. Based on a sample size of this evidence, Bill Bavasi was amazing.
The Koreans and Japanese cheer the whole game (even if it is 7-0 in the ninth). The manager always stands behind the pitcher when they warm up, but they never switch the pitcher, they are just watching the pitch break (otherwise they would have to be behind the plate).
That's a really nice sweater.
Aaron Campeau - March 20, 2009
I came from work
Jeff Sullivan - March 20, 2009
I thought they shut that place down years ago.
JI - March 20, 2009
I was being serious.
Aaron Campeau - March 20, 2009
So was I
Now you see where your donation money goes.
Jeff Sullivan - March 20, 2009
I thought it went toward taquitos?
You’re just a barrel of mistruths, Sullivan.
Matthew - March 20, 2009
Taquitos are cheap
Jeff Sullivan - March 20, 2009
Like hell they are.
JI - March 20, 2009
It is not unreasonable to assume that you require a lot of taquitos in order to feel satiated.
Matthew - March 20, 2009
I'm working my way up to twenty at a time
Jeff Sullivan - March 20, 2009
Just close your eyes and think of Ben Broussard.
Matthew - March 20, 2009
I don't think you're talking about taquitos at all
Jeff Sullivan - March 20, 2009
California burritos?
You’d know better than I.
Matthew - March 20, 2009
And I prefer a washboard of mistruths
Jeff Sullivan - March 20, 2009
That was for the retard walk.
Robert - March 20, 2009
If my donation money goes to nice clothes and good beer I could not be hapier.
Aaron Campeau - March 20, 2009
I have good news!
Jeff Sullivan - March 20, 2009
I have that sweater!!
.Taylor - March 20, 2009
"Suggestions on how to calm down and face the next few batters."
You know, that doesn’t sound like a bad idea to me. Are there MLB rules prohibiting a manager from doing this?
Matthew - March 20, 2009
We could hire Lee Elia back for that role.
waldo rojas - March 20, 2009
If i were a pitcher, I would feel unstoppable if Tony Robbins were behing me giving me a motivational speech
d0nkey - March 20, 2009
I apologize for the "I" again :(
d0nkey - March 20, 2009
You really need to be doing the double peace-sign thing in that picture.
waldo rojas - March 20, 2009
or throw some fake-ironic gang signs, that's always awesome
pdb - March 20, 2009
Don't forget to go to Puerto Rico
Jeff Sullivan - March 20, 2009
It's not just Petco FWIW, they were playing a PR commercial on TV incessantly.
Matthew - March 20, 2009
Maybe they sponsored the whole thing.
The Puerto Rico World Baseball Classic!
Matthew - March 20, 2009
I guess our original 50 states aren't good enough
Jeff Sullivan - March 20, 2009
My favorite original state is New Mexico
JI - March 20, 2009
49.
I’ll be deep in the cold, cold ground before I recognize Mizsura
Matthew - March 20, 2009
That's an interesting way of spelling a Simpsons quote
Jeff Sullivan - March 20, 2009
I tried to go with how he pronounces it.
It was admittedly difficult to come up with the phonetics on it.
Matthew - March 20, 2009
It looks like Meszaros
‘Missoura’ wasn’t good enough for you?
Jeff Sullivan - March 20, 2009
Did you know that Mike Green was taken about 4 picks after Mez?
There’s definitely a ‘z’ in the way he said it.
Shut up.
Matthew - March 20, 2009
The weathercaster for channel 69 news pronounced it "Misery" when I lived there.
Faux - March 20, 2009
If you've ever visited the state
you’d realize how apt that pronunciation truly is.
ningwers - March 22, 2009
Which makes it all the more amusing/sad
that folks from the state believe the phonetic spelling you’re looking for is “Missouri”.
ningwers - March 22, 2009
The best part was how they would feature other countries and end the ad with go to Peurto Rico
seattlebruin - March 23, 2009
I always thought the parts about the other countries were just being sarcastic
Japan….Tsunamis, earthquakes, monkeys that attack you, fuck that go to Puerto Rico.
OlSalty - March 23, 2009
Who's the sexy white guy?
Slurvey - March 20, 2009
That's NOLA.
.Taylor - March 20, 2009
NOLA is a girl dumbshit
Robert - March 21, 2009
Oh wait you're making a joke never minds
Robert - March 21, 2009
Dude, you're already on my shit list.
Kirsten Schlewitz - March 21, 2009
This comment sounded better in my head.
Kirsten Schlewitz - March 21, 2009
Jeff, Im not going to lie
If I saw you in that sweater, I would do you!
RED29 - March 20, 2009
I was waiting for someone to make fun of Jeff's sweater
Thank god it was someone with more clout than me.
OlSalty - March 20, 2009
I think he looks fabulous
If I had his figure I’d totally want one.
JI - March 20, 2009
Tis a shame that it doesn't come in hilariously small
Robert - March 20, 2009
I wear a large you pillowbiter
JI - March 20, 2009
So would I.
royalcurve - March 21, 2009
I think it would be extremely funny if Jeff were unintentionally holding those thunder sticks a few inches lower
Scrupio - March 21, 2009
Right.
The Koreans and Japanese cheer the whole game (even if it is 7-0 in the ninth). The manager always stands behind the pitcher when they warm up, but they never switch the pitcher, they are just watching the pitch break (otherwise they would have to be behind the plate).
brent in Korea - March 22, 2009
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