Tag: world baseball classic

Cuba Advance to Semifinals in WBC

Team Cuba is going to the semifinals for the first time since 2006. It’s the same year they went to the Championship game but lost to Japan. Cuba defeated Team Australia 4-3. Yoelkis Guibert hit an RBI single to right field, which drove in two runs in the 5th inning. It’s an exciting and emotional win for Team Cuba.

Team Dominican Republic defeated Team Israel 10-0 through 7 innings on Tuesday. The game’s memorable moment was when Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz received a standing ovation in Miami. Cano and Cruz were part of the 2013 team that went undefeated. Both veteran players got a hit in the 7th inning before Jean Segura finished the game by driving in the tenth and final run. 

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are the first players to reach 100 points this season. McDavid holds the highest single-season point total among active players with 129. 

Since joining the Vegas Golden Knights, goaltender Jonathan Quick has been playing lights out. He’s gone 4-0 with a .930 save percentage. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers have found their new quarterback. The Bucs signed quarterback Baker Mayfield to a one-year, $8.5 million deal. Mayfield now has a chance to redeem himself and prove to critics that he can be successful in Tampa. He has weapons in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. 

Sunday Sports Shorts

Team Venezuela beat Team Dominican Republic for the first time in the World Baseball Classic tournament, 5-1. 

Fourteen years ago today, Syracuse and UConn went to six overtimes in the Big East Tournament Quarterfinals.

Marquette wins the Big East Championship. The Golden Eagles defeat Xavier to capture their first Big East title. Congratulations to Marquette! Well deserved! 

Duke wins the ACC Championship. The Blue Devils defeated Virginia on Saturday night. It’s their first ACC title since 2019. Duke has now won 9 in a row—one of the hottest teams entering the NCAA tournament. 

Howard University defeated Norfolk State Spartans 65-64. The win gives Howard its first NCAA men’s basketball tournament birth since 1992, the last time before this season that the Bison won the MEAC Tournament and regular season title. 

Edmonton Oilers took on the Toronto Maple Leafs in arguably the most anticipated Saturday night game. Connor McDavid scored No. 55. Oilers had a 3-1 lead, but then the Maple Leafs rallied. They scored five unanswered goals, and they never allowed Edmonton to gain confidence. The Maple Leafs won 7-4. Maple Leafs are a tough team to beat when all their key players contribute. 

Sports Throwback Thursday: 2006 World Baseball Classic

The 2006 World Baseball Classic gave a lot of exposure to players coming from different countries. Creating the World Baseball Classic was a brilliant idea. It’s been fifteen years since we witnessed the first World Baseball Classic taken place. Team Japan won the tournament by defeating Cuba.

A lot of people thought Team USA would win it all. They had Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr, Derek Jeter, etc. But in this tournament, no one is unbeatable on any given night. Team USA along with Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Venezuela, were eliminated in the second round. The Dominican Republic lost to Cuba in the semifinals, Japan defeated South Korea in the semifinals and defeated Cuba 10-6 to win the championship.

Daisuke Matsuzaka, who wasn’t too known at the time, made sure that MLB would recognize who he is. He was phenomenal for Team Japan in the tournament. He was crowned the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. His performance led to him signing with the Boston Red Sox and capturing a World Series championship.

The first year of the World Baseball Classic turned out to be a success. A lot of merchandise and attendance crowds were higher than expected. Hiram Bithorn Stadium, which is located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was sold out for every Puerto Rico game in the first two rounds. Now that’s dope!
We are looking forward to the next World Baseball Classic, which will probably be in 2023.