WBC: Day 2

I didn't see any of today's games from Japan, because the first was only on ESPN Deportes, and the second started at 4 a.m. In order to get score updates of the Japan-Taiwan test, I was forced to endure Friday Night Fights which irritated me to no end. I found it terribly ironic that the boxing match, which featured two Hispanic youngsters, was not on the Spanish-language channel, because who's watching boxing except for Hispanics?

I ought to be ESPN's programming director. Poker? Pshaw! Figure skating? Pshaw! Bass fishing? Pshaw! Replays of the 1975 World Series? Now, that's more like it!

I'd contemplated staying up to watch the late contest between Korea and China, but a few too many Fat Tires (two at my brother's apartment, four at the Local Option, for a grand total of six--a new record) and a blacked-out, passed-out cutie named Ellen convinced me otherwise.

The games tonight, Japan-Korea and China-Taiwan, will have no effect on the forthcoming rounds, since Japan and Korea each secured the two wins necessary to advance. Political rift aside, China and Chinese Taipei (Taiwan to the rest of us) are finally united by the fact that they are completely incompetent in terms of baseball aptitude. As I commented the other night, Korea has a very strong pitching staff and thus deserves to make it to the next round, though I doubt they'll advance to later rounds. Japan could be the sleeper of the tournament. Their team is loaded with seasoned professionals, and the players are motivated by a desire to prove that the Japan league is, in fact, a major league. I don't necessarily agree with that position, but it should make for a very interesting story line going forward.