World Baseball Classic '09

The World Baseball Classic is modeled after the Soccer World Cup and gives baseball fans the opportunity to get a taste of talent around the world. Many of the teams who come and play in the MLB are now filling up the rosters of their national team. I was very impressed when I looked at the team rosters for each nation and see how many play in the MLB. The WBC gives different leagues the opportunity to compete. For example there is a strong league in Japan, Nippon Professional Baseball League, where many players are recruited from around Asia. The roster for the Japan team and the Taiwanese team in the WBC are filled with players from the Nippon league. It is equally competitive in leagues across Latin America and the Carribean. The last WBC was held in 2006 and starting this year in 2009 will be held every 4 years.
The teams that will be in this years WBC are (click on the name to see team roster):

Australia
Canada
China
Taiwan
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Italy
Japan
Korea
Mexico
Netherlands
Panama
Puerto Rico
South Africa
USA
Venezuela

To view the different pools and how this years bracket is set up click on the link below. Within each pool a team is eliminated once they lose two games. There are 6 games that will be played in each pool. Two from each pool will advance to the next round which will operate the same way with teams eliminated with two losses. The rest of the games will be single elimination games till a champion is determined.

Brackets and Pools Link


This year the Japanese National team is the favorite with a hot pitching staff and are the WBC defending champions. The USA team is strong with experienced bullpen relievers. As far as talent the Dominican Republic team is as good as it gets with a roster full of power sluggers. This year's WBC will not disappoint!

NHL Season Extrodinaire

Hockey is in full swing and this years season has not disappointed. There are some good teams this year and rivalries are starting to renew. For those of you who like to get into hockey during the second half of the season, here is a quick update on some of the big news going on on ice.

Players on fire this season:

Alex Ovechkin

1. Left Winger Alex Ovechkin on the Washington capitals leads the NHL in goals and is second on the list for points. He is the leader in the race for the Hart Trophy. He has more 3rd period goals than anyone else and is tied for the most game winning shots at 9. Ovechkin may become the second NHL player to win back-to-back NHL MVP awards if he gets it this year again.
   
2. Tim Thomas is officially a brick wall! Nobody can score on this guy and he is the reason the Bruins are looking at a run at the Cup this season. He leads the league in save percentage and goals against average.
   
3. Left winger Daniel Carcillo from the Phoenix Coyotes is a very exciting player to watch this year and is an anger outlet for fans who believe their team may be soon sold to an owner from Ontario and moved. He currently leads the NHL in penalty minutes and seems to scuffle more than your average high school bully. He plays very agressively and often frustrates other teams out of their game.

Carcillo on the right decking an Blackhawk on the night he logged 23 penalty minutes.

News you might have missed:

1. 98 Olympic Gold medalist Mathieu Schneider and 20 year veteran was traded from the Thrashers to the Montreal Canadiens.
   
2. The East won the 2009 NHL All-Star Game, 12-11 in a shootout.
3. The 2nd annual Winter Classic was held outdoors at Wrigley field between the Blackhawks and Red Wings. Obama dropped the puck to begin the match. (final score Hawks 4, Wings 6)

Games to watch this week and next:

1. Saturday February 21st @ 7:00pm: NY Rangers vs. Boston Bruins San Jose leads the Western Conference and has the best record in the NHL. The Rangers are fighting for playoff position in a very competitive Eastern Conference.
   
2. Tuesday, February 24th @ 7:00pm: Anaheim at Buffalo Both teams working at the #8 playoff position in their respective conferences
   
3. Wednesday February 25th @ 7:30pm: San Jose at Detroit The very likely Western Conf Championship match-up.
   

The Pre-Madness Assessment

This years NCAA Men's basketball season has not disappointed. There is a lot of talent out there and a lot of players are getting recognition for exceptional play. This post will take a look at some of the players who have been making waves and look to take their team to the "Big Dance". If you haven't been following college ball this season, hopefully this will help get you back up to speed.

Players you should get to know:

1. Jeff Adrien (UConn)

Jeff Adrien is God's gift to basketball. Adrien is in his 4th year at #1 ranked Connecticut. He currently leads the best team in the nation in points and rebounds. So that makes him the best player in the league right? Adrien had an exceptional game against Notre Dame this year when he ripped down 5 offensive rebounds and 14 defensive boards. He also dropped 12 points. In the other games he has played this season, he has done about the same amount of damage. Other teams that play Uconn have yet to figure out a strategy to shut down Adrien. The only loss UConn has on the season was against Georgetown at home.

1. Stephen Curry (Davidson)

Stephen Curry is raw talent and that is all there is to it. He is a star league player who plays for an underdog team in a competitive conference. Curry currently leads the nation in scoring and has single handedly dismantled some pretty talented teams. Curry is a pick for player of the year this season and is expected to take his team far into the tournament. last year he led the team to the elite 8 as a Cinderella team. If you just want to watch a game to be entertained and to see pure talent, watch this guy.

1. Blake Griffin (Oklahoma)

Basketball is a power sport. Blake griffin is powerful. Therefore Blake Griffin is basketball. Even though the logic might not add up, Blake Griffin brings to the game something not seen since Tim Duncan at Wake. Blake is a big inside man who controls the boards as well as explodes through the paint on offense. He both averages 14 rebounds a game and 22 points. Blake is the most potent player on the #2 Oklahoma Sooners and will play a huge role in the teams success in the Dance.

Basketball Mode

It's that time of year when the NBA and college basketball come out of obscurity. The Superbowl has now finished and sports fans are concentrating their full attention to the NBA and college ball. For those of you who haven't been paying attention or need a refresher, this post should help you catch up a little. Let's take a look at some of the things that have happened the past few months on the wood.

NBA

Players on fire this season:

1. Lets talk a little bit about LeBron James because who can talk about those playing at the top of their game without mentioning the King? LeBron keeps getting better and better, and just when you thought it wasn't possible to get any better, LeBron gets better! His shot has seemed to improve a little more and he is not missing as much as in previous seasons. His field goal percentage, and overall shooting percentage has seen improvement. Actually he is seeing slight improvement in ALL areas. Teams fear playing the Cavs because of what LeBron can do and seem to have trouble covering big men Ben Wallace, Varejao and James. Look for the Cavs to have another great post-season run.
   
2. OJ Mayo has been a favorite for Memphis fans. As a rookie out of USC this year, Mayo has stepped up into the role of team leader and often finds himself fighting for limelight with 2 year man Rudy Gay. OJ currently leads the team in points and puts on a show with his quick moves and skill to get by defenders. Look to OJ to get the 09 Rook Award.
   
3. Dwyane Wade has fully recovered from last season's knee injury and has taken his team back to where they should be, a + .500 team. Dwayne Wade had a great olympic showing over the Summer and has brought some of the energy back with him to Miami. He currently leads the league in scoring percentage per game and is right up there on all the other stat lists. His defense continues to impress also as he leads the East in steals.
   

Some News:

1. In case you didn't know, the Seattle Supersonics were hijacked by their owner Clay Bennett and David Stern and moved to Oklahoma City as the Thunder.
   
2. All-Star team announced: All-Stars
   
3. LeBron hasn't decided whether to re-sign with the Cavs or move to New York.
   

Impress your friends:

1. Fans voted in Spaniard Rudy Fernandez into the Sprite NBA slam dunk contest, as the first international player to participate.
2. Celtics had the best start ever of any team in NBA history with a 27-2 record.
3. Currently, the Toronto raptors have the most amount of international players on their roster.