March 'Classic' Madness
Harold McIlvain II
Issue date: 3/4/09 Section: Sports
It's a good time to be a baseball fan.
Spring training is in full force, and the No. 21 Arkansas Razorback baseball team ends a midweek series against Valparaiso today at 3 p.m.
And in March, it's a good time to be a college basketball fan, too.
With selection Sunday rapidly approaching, the majority of students will minor in 'bracketology' for the month. And after weeks of research, your girlfriend will still have a better bracket by solely picking which team has a better mascot.
But with the World Baseball Classic starting Thursday with a showdown between China and Japan, baseball fans will have an opportunity to fill out a different tournament bracket.
After the inaugural tournament in 2006, the baseball world was a little skeptical. However, the event showed success with strong television ratings. Merchandise sales were high, too. Sports Illustrated reported Venezuelan jerseys were selling at a rate of one every six seconds.
It's an interesting premise. An international baseball tournament played in March while fielding teams from South Africa and Australia doesn't sound too enticing. But it is.
The event just will never live up to its full potential because of the timing of the event. As MLB teams are just now preparing for a new season, star players are leaving camp to play in the tournament. That doesn't bode well for owners who want to make money - and win championships.
And I hear there is a basketball tournament soon.
It just cannot be penciled into a better time slot. But that doesn't mean it shouldn't take place. It will happen every four years now, and it isn't too much of a burden for teams.
And if you watched last year, it was very entertaining.
The U.S. team will look for a better showing Saturday against Canada after being ousted from the first round.
Not having Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeria and Chase Utley from the 2006 squad will hurt. But the American roster still looks to be a leading contender.
Young standouts in David Wright, Ryan Braun, Dustin Pedroia and Brian McCann bring a wealth of talent. A rock solid pitching staff includes Jake Peavy, Roy Oswalt, Jonathan Broxton and Brian Fuentes.
United States manager Davey Johnson said he has noticed a more serious and passionate team this year.
"Everybody I've talked to - some guys like the first-timers - they're real pumped up," Johnson said in an MLB.com article. "They saw what happened a couple of years ago, and they don't want that to happen again. Nobody wants to go back early."
And to do that, the team will have to get past pool C, which includes our neighbor to the north, Italy and Venezuela in a double-elimination format.
With a roster including Magglio Ordonez, Bobby Abreu and Carlos Zambrano, the Venezuelan team could be a 'bracket buster' to watch out for.
And for you fantasy owners out there, keeping an eye on players in the classic is a pretty good idea. Research by Baseball Prospectus showed that starting pitchers who were in the tournament didn't fare too well during the regular season.
But with a March filled with plenty of baseball and basketball, it will be another memorable month for sports fans. But the classic won't live up to its true potential.
Harold McIlvain II is a senior staff writer for The Arkansas Traveler.
Spring training is in full force, and the No. 21 Arkansas Razorback baseball team ends a midweek series against Valparaiso today at 3 p.m.
And in March, it's a good time to be a college basketball fan, too.
With selection Sunday rapidly approaching, the majority of students will minor in 'bracketology' for the month. And after weeks of research, your girlfriend will still have a better bracket by solely picking which team has a better mascot.
But with the World Baseball Classic starting Thursday with a showdown between China and Japan, baseball fans will have an opportunity to fill out a different tournament bracket.
After the inaugural tournament in 2006, the baseball world was a little skeptical. However, the event showed success with strong television ratings. Merchandise sales were high, too. Sports Illustrated reported Venezuelan jerseys were selling at a rate of one every six seconds.
It's an interesting premise. An international baseball tournament played in March while fielding teams from South Africa and Australia doesn't sound too enticing. But it is.
The event just will never live up to its full potential because of the timing of the event. As MLB teams are just now preparing for a new season, star players are leaving camp to play in the tournament. That doesn't bode well for owners who want to make money - and win championships.
And I hear there is a basketball tournament soon.
It just cannot be penciled into a better time slot. But that doesn't mean it shouldn't take place. It will happen every four years now, and it isn't too much of a burden for teams.
And if you watched last year, it was very entertaining.
The U.S. team will look for a better showing Saturday against Canada after being ousted from the first round.
Not having Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeria and Chase Utley from the 2006 squad will hurt. But the American roster still looks to be a leading contender.
Young standouts in David Wright, Ryan Braun, Dustin Pedroia and Brian McCann bring a wealth of talent. A rock solid pitching staff includes Jake Peavy, Roy Oswalt, Jonathan Broxton and Brian Fuentes.
United States manager Davey Johnson said he has noticed a more serious and passionate team this year.
"Everybody I've talked to - some guys like the first-timers - they're real pumped up," Johnson said in an MLB.com article. "They saw what happened a couple of years ago, and they don't want that to happen again. Nobody wants to go back early."
And to do that, the team will have to get past pool C, which includes our neighbor to the north, Italy and Venezuela in a double-elimination format.
With a roster including Magglio Ordonez, Bobby Abreu and Carlos Zambrano, the Venezuelan team could be a 'bracket buster' to watch out for.
And for you fantasy owners out there, keeping an eye on players in the classic is a pretty good idea. Research by Baseball Prospectus showed that starting pitchers who were in the tournament didn't fare too well during the regular season.
But with a March filled with plenty of baseball and basketball, it will be another memorable month for sports fans. But the classic won't live up to its true potential.
Harold McIlvain II is a senior staff writer for The Arkansas Traveler.
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