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JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

BASEBALL

South Korea blanks Taiwan 9-0 in WBC

Sports Mar. 07, 2009 - 02:41AM JST ( 16 )

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16 Comments

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smithinjapanMar. 07, 2009 - 09:12AM JST

Good job, SKorea!!!
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bobbafettMar. 07, 2009 - 12:58PM JST

Looks like Haras "Hello Kitty Japan" are gonna get thumped by the Koreans.
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smithinjapanMar. 07, 2009 - 03:54PM JST

It'll be a fun game to watch, for sure... unless of course Korea starts the thumping from the get-go and they stop broadcasting.
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onewrldonepplMar. 07, 2009 - 05:40PM JST

if you really want to enjoy watchin' J vs. K, then head on down to koreatown in kawasaki or tokyo. don't forget to wear your "samurai japan" replica ball cap and jersey ... he he he. enjoy the game from "behind enemy lines" if you dare ...
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some14someMar. 07, 2009 - 06:05PM JST

Hope all the players of "Samurai Japan" are perfectly well, fitness problems if any, pls tell us now not after the game.
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throwinstonesMar. 07, 2009 - 09:41PM JST

Allow me to vent. Why was this game not shown on terrestrial television like all of Japans games ? I find it shocking that the organizers of this tournement gave Japan broadcasting rights and home field advantage without clarifying how exactly Japan would promote the tournement. As it looks right now we are only going to see games when Japan is participating. That is balderdash as it promotes Japanese nationals at the expense of the other participating nations, how rude ! I am a baseball fan and am very interested in how China was able to keep Ichiro hitless and wether or not they will be able to maintain this level. I also very much wanted to see this Korean team. They are the defending Olympic champions, beat Japan twice in the last WBC, will advance to the next stage, and have a good shot at winning it all... so why the boycott of team Korea ? Now for those of you about to promote skyperfect or BS, please stop ! If team Japan is good enough for terrestrial tv then so are the other three participating nations. This is absolutely disgraceful !
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northlondonMar. 07, 2009 - 10:04PM JST

AH,HA,HA,HA ! There is going to be total silence from the old Japan baseball team haters now isn't there ? Japan smashed the Olympic champions 14-2 ? A called game at the bottom of the 7th ? Like I said, with a lineup including the likes of Iwamura/ Ogasawara/ Fukudome/ Ichiro/ Jojima and starters in Darvish and Matsuzaka, this Japan baseball team is going to be there or thereabouts in the US. There were some ridiculous statements made before this game and I'm glad this powerful lineup has silenced it's critics. Ichiro showed why he is one of the top pros in the Major Leagues. Enough said.
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smithinjapanMar. 07, 2009 - 10:09PM JST

northlondon: Not at all. SKorea played shockingly bad after the first inning. Japan definitely deserved the win. But before you get all huffy and puffy about how wonderful the Japan lineup is, note that, aside from Darvish, NONE of the players did extraordinarily well at bat. Ichiro got one single... his first of the entire tournament, and struck out yet again. Jojima DID hit an amazing homerun, but that was after the game was more or less over.

What's more, while Japan did quite well with their hitting in the latter inning of this short game, once again a good number of their runs were scored from errors (as with China).

This was less Japan doing well than SKorea doing horrible. The pitching by SKorea was the most embarrassing I've EVER seen them perform.

Japan most certainly deserved this win, but if you think it's because of amazing skill on their part you'll most certainly be in for a shocker in the near future... hopefully from SKorea if they can scrape their pride off the dirt.
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smithinjapanMar. 07, 2009 - 10:12PM JST

"Ichiro showed why he is one of the top pros in the Major Leagues."

By striking out while his teammates were getting hit after hit? In fact... I think Ichiro was one of the only people struck out in the entire game! Or was it from his bunt... or was it a bunt? Maybe from his single hit (made him 8 - 3, I think)? Whenever the guy swung at the ball he held in his breath, puffed out his cheeks, then nearly fell over because he was off balance (watch the replays). To his credit, he was successful at stealing once he got on base... but as to his performance so far in this tournament it's amazing he even DID get on base!
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northlondonMar. 07, 2009 - 10:18PM JST

I guess once you decide that you really hate a team (Japan), then nothing is going to give you a more open mind, even after a called game finishing 14-2. I'm not Japanese and I'm not a fan of Japanese baseball but I couldn't believe some of the anti-Japanese rhetoric before this game. Some of the posts here were bordering on the ridiculous. Home runs being described as last-gasp. And the usual slagging of Ichiro who just so happens to be a top pro in the Major League. Nothing is going to change the Japan-haters but a called game ending 14-2 is a pretty big statement of intent.
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Hotbox08Mar. 07, 2009 - 10:19PM JST

SKorea played shockingly bad after the first inning.

Nice point, but in baseball, as in all competitive sports, when one team is doing so well, it could make the other team look so bad. As in the errors, some of them happened because Japan's base runners were so fast that it made SKorea rush some of their throws or have one eye on the ball and the other on the baserunner tagging up on a sacrifice fly. Yes, the major leaguers (e.g. DiceK, Ichiro) haven't been doing well, but it seems the other players have been able to pull up the slack. The major leaguers will have to get it in gear if they want to do well in the next round.
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smithinjapanMar. 07, 2009 - 10:20PM JST

northlondon: Allow me to amend my post. By 'aside from Darvish' I did not mean he did extraordinary well at bat... I meant that he did extraordinary well (pitching, of course) against China. That young man I respect. Jojima I've also come to respect quite a bit, moreso for his catching, though again his home run was a good, solid hit. Matsuzaka isn't at all that great; the Koreans hit a good number of his pitches, and most of the outs were in the field after they hit the ball, and usually from absurd in-field or foul pop-ups. I don't remember him getting more than a few strike outs, and he let in a couple runs in the bottom of the first. I already touched on Ichiro (although I forgot to say he is still an excellent fielder).
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roomtemperatureMar. 07, 2009 - 10:25PM JST

"Matsuzaka isn't at all that great; the Koreans hit a good number of his pitches, and most of the outs were in the field after they hit the ball, and usually from absurd in-field or foul pop-ups. I don't remember him getting more than a few strike outs, and he let in a couple runs in the bottom of the first."

Still Japan won 14 to 2.

"...be in for a shocker in the near future... hopefully from SKorea...."

Moderator: Readers, please discuss this game on the relevant thread.
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throwinstonesMar. 07, 2009 - 10:29PM JST

If I may, No surprise to tonights game Japan vrs Korea. I see Northlondon waving the hinomaru, but really now. koreas starting pitcher Kim looked about as serious as a school boy playing hookie ! Sorry kids, this is still spring training for many of the pitchers. The advantage surely leans towards the hitters right now... just ask Matsuzaka ! I mean the dumpy tub of goo threw one wild pitch after another, and then gave up a monster home run ! And as usual I couldn't get excited about Ichiro. I mean he got a hit off a guy throwing 130-140 kphs ! hardly major league stuff... and nothing like what he will see in the playoff round, against Cuba. Nope, I see Ichiro still struggling. I had to love the way Jang pitched him. Classic ! High and tight first pitch. Junk away on the second. Third catches a corner and the Ichiro whiffs chasing the "low and away" ... Beautiful ! The future is thus, both Korea and Japan advance but both will fall to the Cubans. Look for the Dominicans or Americans to face team Cuba in the final.

Moderator: Readers, please discuss this game on the relevant thread.
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smithinjapanMar. 07, 2009 - 10:31PM JST

Hotbox: "As in the errors, some of them happened because Japan's base runners were so fast that it made SKorea rush some of their throws or have one eye on the ball and the other on the baserunner tagging up on a sacrifice fly."

In one or two cases, to be sure, but I'm talking about the third baseman turning his head away and sticking out his glove when the ball came at him (the tall, awkward looking Korean kid), and the pitcher fumbling around with the ball on the ground as the runners advanced, etc. It was quite sad, really. The Koreans almost messed up a few pop-flies towards the end, too, by almost crashing into each other. Japan, on the other hand, didn't seem to make any errors at all -- except if you count the pitching at the end when the guy seemed intent on hitting the batters and standing on the wrong part of the mound.

Moderator: Please repost this on the correct thread.