Spain wins World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Jupiter

Spanish team stuns Israel 9-7 in ten innings to claim spot in 2013 World Baseball Classic

Jupiter, Florida.

Spain has won the World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Jupiter, Florida. They stunned the favored team from Israel by a score of 9-7 on Sunday evening at Roger Dean Stadium. An attendance of 4,463 people saw Spain deciding the outcome with Yunesky Sanchez’ two-out, two-run single in the top of the tenth inning. With the win, Spain has clinched a ticket to the 2013 World Baseball Classic, which will be held next March.

It was the expected close game after Israel had beaten Spain in the second game of the tournament. The lead changed several times and all came down to the 10th inning. Engel Beltre and Paco Figueroa opened the frame with a walk and a hit by pitch. A sac bunt by Rafael Alvarez moved them over. And after a groundout by Barbaro Canizares, Yunesky Sanchez came through. His single through the middle plated both Beltre and Figueroa to give the team of manager Mauro Mazzotti a two-run advantage. Israel had one last chance to answer. But Ivan Granados pitched around a one-out walk to close out the victory.

Yunesky Sanchez was clearly the best player on the Spanish team on Sunday. The shortstop went 4-for-6 with two runs and three RBI and was part of three double plays, as Israel only went 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position. Jesus Golindano collected three RBI. Israel managed just seven hits in the game, but also worked 11 walks to stay in the game against Spain, which had 15 hits. Nate Freiman, the big star of the first two games with four homeruns, was limited to a single, two walks, a run and a RBI. Cody Decker drove in two. Joc Pederson scored twice.

Overall 13 pitchers came into the game, handing out a combined 16 runs, 22 hits, 18 walks (four intentional) and seven hit batters. Spain’s starter Eric Gonzalez allowed five hits, three runs and a walk in two-plus innings. Eric Berger was charged with eight hits and four runs in 3 1/3 innings for Israel, as he got the starting nod by manager Brad Ausmus. Ivan Granados ended up with the win, issuing just two walks in 2 2/3 scoreless innings. Josh Zeid surrendered two runs on one hit and a base on balls in two innings to take the loss.

Spain is now the 13th qualified team for the 2013 World Baseball Classic, which will be held next March.

Complete Results WBC Qualifier in Jupiter:

Wednesday, September 19
South Africa 3 - Israel 7

Thursday, September 20
Spain 8 – France 0

Friday, September 21
Spain 2 - Israel 4
France 2 - South Africa 2 suspended due to rain.

Saturday, September 22
France 2 - South Africa 5 (France eliminated)
South Africa 3 - Spain 13 (South Africa eliminated)

Sunday, September 23
Israel 7 - Spain 9 (Israel eliminated, Spain wins WBC Qualifier)

Canada cruises to win at World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Regensburg

Seven runs in first two innings help Canada early in victory over Germany

Regensburg, Germany.

Canada has won the World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Regensburg, Germany. On Monday evening in front of an attendance of 2.720 people at the Armin-Wolf-Arena the team of manager Ernie Whitt beat Germany 11-1 in eight innings. With the victory Canada has claimed a spot in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, which will be held next March. The number five of IBAF’s Men’s Baseball World Rankings had to go through a qualifier after being winless at the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Canada didn’t want another tight ball game against Germany and started hitting right from the start. Two batters into the contest, Chris Robinson belted a two-run homerun off André Hughes down the line in left field. A RBI groundout by Adam Loewen and a fielding error by first baseman Donald Lutz made it 4-0 in the first.

The pouring continued in the second. After two groundouts, Tim Smith and Jimmy van Ostrand added a fifth run with back-to-back doubles, chasing Hughes off the mound. Eugen Heilmann took over and was greeted with a two-run homerun by pitcher turned outfielder Adam Loewen for a 7-0 lead.

Germany was able to somewhat stop the bleeding when Luke Sommer took over on the mound. Only Jimmy van Ostrand was able to do any damage with a solo shot in the fourth extending the advantage to eight runs. In the eighth Canada ended the game. Following two one-out walks Shawn Bowman doubled in two runs to make it 10-1. With runners on the corners after a single by Rene Tosoni, Germany brought in a fifth infielder with Jendrick Speer to avoid the mercy-rule ending. It looked like a great plan, when Skyler Stromsmoe popped out to Toby Gardenhire in foul territory just behind first base for the second out. Shawn Bowman tried to draw the throw on third and when the ball got dropped on the transfer he crossed the plate for the final run.

The team of manager Greg Frady couldn’t do much against Andrew Albers. After Eric Suttle broke up the perfect game with a short dribbler down the third-base line to lead off the fourth, Aaron Altherr ended the shutout bid with a solo homerun in the fifth. Donald Lutz had the third German hit with a single to right in the seventh.

Canada’s starter Andrew Albers lived up to his expectations. The left-hander pitched in the finals of the Pan American Games, had an ERA of 0.00 in 15 innings at the IBAF Baseball World Cup last year and was named player of the year 2011 by COPABE. On Monday he shut down the powerful German offense. He allowed just two hits and a run in six innings with his only blemish being Altherr’s homerun. He threw 53 of his 78 pitches for strikes to pick up the win. Mark Hardy and Tom Boleska closed it out for the Maple Leafs.

Germany’s pitcher had a difficult day. Especially André Hughes and Eugen Heilmann simply were overmatched in this game. Hughes gave up four hits, six runs (5 ER) and three walks in just 1 2/3 innings to take the loss. Heilmann followed and issued one run on three hits and a walk. After Sommer and Will Ohman combined to throw 4 2/3 innings of strong relief, Germany’s manager Greg Frady put Daniel Thieben, Adam Kudryk and Martin Dewald on to the mound to finish the game.

However in the end a fourth European team in the 2013 World Baseball Classic was denied entry, as baseball powerhouse Canada has secured its spot in the main event.

Complete Results:

Thursday, September 20:
Canada 11 – Great Britain 1

Friday, September 21:
Germany 16 – Czech Republic 1

Saturday, September 22:
Czech Republic 5 - Great Britain 12 (Czech Republic eliminated after second loss)
Germany 7 - Canada 16

Sunday, September 23:
Great Britain 1 - Germany 16 (Great Britain eliminated after second loss)

Monday, September 24:
Canada 11 - Germany 1 (Germany eliminated. Canada wins WBC Qualifier)

NPB NOTEBOOK

Race for Pacific League crown likely going down to wire

By JASON COSKREY

Staff writer

The Yomiuri Giants wrapped up the Central League pennant last week.

One giant leap: Toshiya Sugiuchi helped Yomiuri capture the CL pennant in his first year with the team. KYODO

Now the spotlight shifts to the Pacific League race, which is getting tighter by the day.

Entering this week, there are three teams — the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, Seibu Lions and Fukuoka Softbank Hawks — with realistic aspirations of winning the title.

The Fighters beat the Lions 6-2 on Sunday to take a 1½-game lead over Seibu at the top of the standings with the Hawks 3½ games further back.

With the number of remaining games dwindling, each team will need to make its push for the title quickly.

The Hawks open the week against the fourth-place Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in Sendai on Monday, before two games with the last-place Orix Buffaloes beginning Tuesday.

The Hawks host the Eagles Saturday and the Fighters Sunday, then play road games against those teams Oct. 2 and 3. Softbank, which had its game against the Eagles rained out Sunday, finishes the year with a pair of games against Orix.

The Lions face the Eagles at Seibu Dome Sept. 25-27 then travel to face the Fighters Sept. 28-29, and end the month at home against Orix.

Seibu then has home games scheduled against the Chiba Lotte Marines Oct. 1-2; a road series with the Eagles Oct. 3-4; then ends the year with a home game against Lotte and a road tilt against Orix Oct. 7.

Seibu also has more games remaining (three) than both the Fighters and Hawks.

The Fighters, meanwhile, host the Marines for three games prior to the aforementioned series against the Lions.

The team then travels to Fukuoka to face the Hawks Sept 30, and meets Softbank again Oct. 3 in Sapporo.

Nippon Ham hosts the Eagles Oct. 5 before ending the season on Oct. 9 in Chiba.

That familiar feeling: For most of the Yomiuri Giants, it had been three years since they'd celebrated winning a pennant. A few of them experienced it for the first time on Friday, when the team clinched the Central League title.

That, however, wasn't the case for pitchers Toshiya Sugiuchi and D.J. Houlton. That duo has now won a title in three consecutive years.

Sugiuchi and Houlton helped the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks win the Pacific League pennant in 2010 and 2011, before moving to Yomiuri as free agents.

"This the best feeling," Sugiuchi told Nikkan Sports during the Giants' celebration Friday night. "I want to do my best to help win during the Climax Series. This is not the ultimate goal. There is more to achieve."

All together since 2009, Sugiuchi and Houlton are a combined 74-37 and have helped win three league titles, two interleague crowns and one, so far, Japan Series championship.

Letdown: The Yomiuri Giants captured the pennant Friday night and partied hard, emptying 3,000 bottles of beer in the process.

A day game the next day smelled like a recipe for disaster. It was, and the Giants were routed 9-3 by the Yakult Swallows the next day.

New low: The Hanshin Tigers fell 2-0 to the Chunichi Dragons at home on Saturday. That loss dropped Hanshin to 50-70-14 for the season, the first time in 11 seasons that the Tigers have been 20 games below .500.

PLAYERS REPORTING

FIRST WEEK OF PRACTICE

PLAY BALL WINTER STYLE COMING SOON

<
<
<

The Korean pro baseball league has established a new single-season attendance record despite negative promotion factors such as the 2012 London Olympics, record heat waves and typhoons.

According to the Korea Baseball Organization, the attendance total for all eight teams through Tuesday this season surpassed the previous annual record set in 2011, with 35 games still remaining. Given this trend, the figure is likely to hit seven million this year for the first time since the league was launched in 1982.

High-profile signings from abroad, including Park Chan-ho and Lee Seung-yeop, propelled the attendance surge early in the season. Korea’s recent international performances also bolstered the popularity of pro baseball. The KBO saw high annual attendance for three consecutive years from 2009 to 2011.

Yahoo Dome, Tokyo Dome to host WBC rounds

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 26 (16:41) Kyodo

For the first time, Japan will host two rounds of the World
Baseball Classic, tournament organizers announced Tuesday in San
Francisco. Although Japan's players association announced Sept. 4
that it would participate, Nippon Professional Baseball has yet to
sign a final formal contract with tournament organizers.

Fukuoka's Yahoo Dome will host the 2013 WBC's first-round Pool
A, which will pit two-time defending champion Japan against
powerhouse Cuba, China and one yet-to-be-determined qualifier. Play
there will run from March 2-6, with the two top teams advancing to
second-round action at Tokyo Dome from March 8-12.

Also hosting games for the first time will be Taichung, Taiwan.
From March 2-5, Intercontinental Stadium will see Australia, two-time
semifinalist South Korea, the Netherlands and one more qualifier.

The two top teams from each of the modified double-elimination
second round pools will advance to the final round from March 17-19
at San Francisco's AT&T Park, where Tuesday's press conference was
held.

"In 2009, I was in Japan when the WBC was going on and I got to
see how another country cheered for their team and watched the
tournament go on," said the San Francisco Giants' Ryan Vogelsong, who
spent three seasons in NPB with the Hanshin Tigers and Orix
Buffaloes. "It was just like it was in 2006, when I was here playing
in the States and I saw how our country cheered for our team."

The tournament field was expanded from 16 teams in 2006 and 2009
to 28 for 2013.

Riccardo Fraccari, the president of the International Baseball
Federation, said that for the first time the winners will be known as
the world champions.

"The World Baseball Classic will now be recognized by the IBAF
as the national team world baseball cup," Fraccari said. "As such,
the IBAF Executive voted unanimously to assign the title of world
champion to the winner of the World Baseball Classic."

Two qualifiers, Canada and Spain, have already advanced to the
first round pools. Spain is playing in its first WBC. The final two
qualifying rounds will be played from Nov. 15 in Panama City, Panama,
and New Taipei, Taiwan.

On Sunday, the chairman of NPB's committee on international
relations said that despite the players' association's approval,
points remained for negotiation with WBCI.

"There's still a lot of work to do," Toshimasa Shimada told
Kyodo News, referring to interpretations in the WBC contract.

Jim Small, Major League Baseball's vice president for Asia, said
that the two parties are close to an agreement.

"There are a few minor things left to work out but nothing major
at all," he told Kyodo News by e-mail.

A season under his belt, Cespedes feels at home

By Jesse Sanchez / MLB.com | 09/27/12 3:28 PM ET

ARLINGTON --

It's 3:36 p.m. in the visiting clubhouse at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, just under 3 1/2 hours before the first pitch, and Yoenis Cespedes stretches his fingers and clasps them together, marveling at the latest pair of his pristine white batting gloves and how well they fit.

Sporting his favorite "I play for the American League" light blue T-shirt with a green-and-yellow Phiten necklace dangling from his neck, the Oakland outfielder tears the plastic wrap off of his personalized bat, holds it out in front of him from the handle, and waves it at Brandon Moss.

The conversation, part English and part Spanish, between the teammates is their own version of "Spanglish," and it's complete with head nods, simulated swings and smiles.

"I don't really speak English, but I try," Cespedes, 26, said in Spanish. "I know some words and some phrases. I'm learning little by little, but the guys here are great. It's a challenge, but it's fun, like everything else here in the United States."

The expression "¿Qué hay de nuevo?," the Spanish version of "What's new?," is a phrase Cespedes knows well and it almost always elicits a chuckle because the answer is everything. The freedom, the language, the money, the happiness -- and the loneliness -- are all new experiences for Cespedes. He's also never had things at his disposal like brand-new gloves, engraved bats, shiny shoes and high-tech undershirts -- everything many big leaguers take for granted.

In his first year in the big leagues, Cespedes has already played more regular-season games with the A's than he's ever played in one season in Cuba, so the fatigue he's feeling now is foreign, too. The Cuban star is in uncharted territory, but that's really nothing new.

Cespedes' club trails the first-place Rangers by three games in the AL West standings heading into Thursday's series finale in Texas. The A's currently hold the second AL Wild Card.

"How has my life changed? How has it not changed?," said Cespedes, who signed a four-year, $36 million deal with Oakland in February. "This is a country that is very different from where I come from. There are a lot of adjustments I've had to make to living here and I do that every day. This is the best baseball in the world. I played on a high level in Cuba, but nothing like this. You have to make and continue to make adjustments."

Although the details of his defection from Cuba remain a mystery, Cespedes left the island with his mother, Estela, a former Cuban national softball team pitcher, along with his aunt and three relatives sometime last year and landed in the Dominican Republic, where they reside. Yoenis Jr. is among the loved ones he left behind in Cuba.

If baseball is Cespedes' No. 1 passion, then goofing around on the Internet and video-chatting with his family is a close No. 2. He's described as a "homebody," a man who likes to flip through all the channels on his remote control for fun and take his Mercedes SUV for a drive to clear his head.

It was Estela who inspired a young Yoenis to be a baseball player. It was also Estela who nailed a 9-year-old Yoenis in the face with a curveball during the first and only time he tried to be his mother's personal catcher.

"Before the season, my mother asked me to hit 20 home runs and she's happy I reached that goal for her," he said. "But for me, I just want to be able to play every day at a high level. I'm not thinking about numbers. I think about winning and making my family proud."

Cespedes' interpreter, Ariel Prieto, who is also from Cuba, is the closest thing Cespedes has to family in Oakland these days. Prieto lives with Cespedes during the season and offered to let the outfielder stay at his home in Miami until he finds a place nearby.

"Everybody knows what his physical tools are, but for me, his mind is his biggest tool," Prieto said. "He's a survivor. He has a tough mind. He knows how good he can be and he believes in himself. He doesn't let anybody intimidate him and he doesn't intimidate himself with negativity. He's so positive and that's why he is where he is."

"Positive" is one way to describe Cespedes. Confident is another. He no longer admires his home runs from the batter's box or shows up opposing pitchers, but he still walks with a swagger. The rookie overcame a few nagging injuries and became an integral part of the club's playoff push, erasing the last remnants of the mysterious air around him when he joined the club during Spring Training.

It helps Cespedes that the A's are considered among the friendliest players in the league and have a reputation for welcoming new teammates into their clubhouse.

"He's been terrific the whole season," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "I have never been around a guy that has had the type of obstacles he has had like the language barrier and new country and still be able to make adjustments as quick as he has. He's very mentally tough and that allows him to get through some of the obstacles that he has gone through this season."

Cespedes said the biggest challenge this season has been the adjustment to Major League pitching, although his statistics don't always back that claim. For the season, he is hitting .288 with 21 home runs and 78 RBIs. He has struck out 100 times this year.

"I played in Cuba and all over internationally, but it does not compare to this," he said. "You have a starter going six or seven innings and then they bring in quality relievers, who are just as good and pitching just as strong. Imagine, five different pitchers trying to get you out each night. You go to a different city and a different team has five different guys doing the same. They are scouting me and I am scouting them. That's not easy."

Not surprisingly, Cespedes says the best part of his new life is the freedom and the simple luxuries that come with living in the United States, things like a leisurely walk in a new city.

"When you play with the Cuban national team, you go from the hotel to the stadium and back and maybe if you are lucky, you get a day to go eat or buy something," Cespedes said. "You can't enjoy it. I don't miss that part."

Cespedes originally burst on to the international scene during the 2009 World Baseball Classic and next March, his former teammates will compete in the 2013 version of the tournament. Cuba will play at AT&T Park in San Francisco, not far from where Cespedes plays his home games, if it advances to the semifinals.

Cespedes isn't allowed to play with Cuba because he defected and says he's not sure he would join the team even if he was eligible.

"I'll try to see them on television if I can," he said. "It won't be hard to watch them play and not be there. I'm happy where I am now. I've already done that."

If the ownership in Cleveland hadn't been so cheap and dropped out of the bidding, Cespedes could have been hitting those montrous home run shots in Cleveland. Imagine the excitement this man could have brought to a team and a town desperate for a talent like Cespedes.

The jury is still out on Puig and Soler but next season should give a little more incite as to how good these two ballplayers will be. They came cheap by Indian standards. Too bad cheap was not good enough.

Geez, do you know that any of those players wanted to play in Cleveland ? Not a large Hispanic community other then the Indians dugout.

The coach is batting instructor for Akron (Cleveland AA) | Photo: Caribbean Press

Rouglas Odor was hired as batting instructor for the Caribes Anzoantegui

With 25 seasons tied to the Cleveland Indians organization, seven of them as a player and the rest playing different roles such as manager, coach and coordinator of the development system, Odor returns to the Venezuelan League Professional baseball. "I wanted to work again and I appreciate the confidence LVBP management of the Caribes and in turn the manager Alfredo Pedrique has in me. We have had a long working relationship and are good friends.

Tiburones y Dodgers consolidan su relación

CARACAS. -

For the second year in a row, La Guaira Sharks participate in the Annual Meeting of Members of the Los Angeles Dodgers, which is taking place this week in the California city.

At this important event, the top leaders of the Dodgers analyze and evaluate all aspects of the organization, from the big league to minor league teams. Against this backdrop, the president of La Guaira Sharks, Francisco Arocha, will be presenting the progress of the alliance of the Sharks and the Dodgers, who have together a team in the Venezuelan Parallel League, along with a close relationship in terms of signing players, both Venezuelan and imported that come to play in the Caribbean Baseball.

During the last two seasons, the Dodgers have authorized a group of their prospects to participate in the LVBP with the Sharks. It was thus that in the 2011-12 season in Venezuela were Bobby Livingston, Scott Van Slyke and Jon Huber, along with veterans like Jay Gibbons and Corey Smith.

For the 2012-2013 tournament several imported players will see action in the league come from the Dodgers . Also, Sharks and Los Angeles working on signing joint Venezuelan talent for both organizations. Among them, Charlie Mirabal, Lis Meza, Jonathan Martinez, Jonathan Linares, Luis Sandoval Subero and Nelson.

Arocha Francisco is in meetings with the president of the Dodgers and CEO (Chief Excecutive Officer) Stan Kasten, general manager Ned Colletti, the Assistant general manager DeJon Watson and executive vice president Bob Wolfe.

Being involved in an exclusive meeting of partners demonstrates the importance that consolidating means to both organizations and certainly the results of these meetings will help to further improve the relations between the two teams as far as player development is concerned.

Friday, Sep. 28, 2012

Fighters clinch playoff spot

Kyodo

SAPPORO —

The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters became the first PL team to clinch a playoff berth with its 3-1 win over the Chiba Lotte Marines on Thursday, taking a two-run, first-inning lead on Yoshio Itoi's eighth homer of the year and getting five solid innings out of Kazuhito Tadano (6-5).

Satisfaction: Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters players congratulate one another after a 3-1 victory over the Chiba Lotte Marines on Thursday at Sapporo Dome. KYODO

After the visitors got a run back in the fifth, Atsunori Inaba homered off Marines ace Yoshihisa Naruse (12-11) to lead off the sixth. Fighters closer Hisashi Takeda pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to reach 30 saves for the second straight season.

Important Dates

Arizona Fall League
Opening Day 10/09/2012
AFL Rising Stars Game 11/03/2012
AFL Championship Game 11/17/2012

Dominican Winter League
Opening Day 10/14/2012
DWL All Star Game 12/11/2012
Regular season ends 12/21/2012

Mexican Pacific League
Opening Day 10/13/2012
Second half begins 11/22/2012
Regular season ends 12/30/2012

Puerto Rican League
Opening Day 11/08/2012

Venezuelan Winter League
Opening Day 10/11/2012
All-Star Game 12/02/2012
Regular Season ends 12/30/2012

Australian Baseball League
Preseason begins 10/18/2012
Preseason ends 10/28/2012
Opening Day 11/01/2012
All-Star Game 12/16/2012
Postseason begins 01/31/2013
Championship Series begins 02/08/2013

Monday, October 01, 2012

5 Teams compete for Baseball Championship in Northern Provinces of Iran

By Iran Baseball Association

The baseball league of the northern provinces of Iran was held in Tehran with the attendance of five teams. The league contains of home and away matches.

Home match was hosted by Semnan province and Semnan team is the reigning title holder at the championships.

Sport associations board of Tehran hosted this competition. Participations teams were Semnan municipality, Tehran, Gilan, Sport associations board of Qom and Khorasan Razavi festival sport.

Competition was held from 16-21 September 2012 at the Azadi complex in Tehran.

Complete Results:

Tehran 9 – Gilan 4
Semnan municipality 12 – Gilan 6
Tehran 8 - Khorasan Razavi festival sport 6
Khorasan Razavi festival sport 20 - Gilan 11
Khorasan Razavi festival sport 17 - Semnan municipality 16
Gilan 11 - Qom 5