Rain Delay

Korean pitcher ejected from WBC..

Korean pitcher, Myung Hwan Park pops drug test.

Korea pitcher Myung Hwan Park has tested positive for a banned substance and is disqualified from the World Baseball Classic, Major League Baseball said in a release Friday.

Park tossed two shutout innings in one appearance with Korea, striking out three and walking two.

From David Pinto over at Baseball Musings, says that this will get Park banned from International competition from 2 years. I wonder if this will get him into more hot water, with the Korean Pro League.

Ichiro brings out the boo birds..

See this is what happens, when one tries to talk trash.

Before the World Baseball Classic started, Ichiro Suzuki made a statement that South Koreans took as a declaration of war.

"I want to beat South Korea so badly," Ichiro said, "that the South Koreans won't want to play Japan for another 30 years."

During Wednesday night's WBC quarterfinal game between both teams at Angel Stadium, the decidedly pro-Korean crowd of 39,679 told the Mariners right fielder how it felt in no uncertain terms. Ichiro, loudly cheered in both of Japan's previous WBC games in Anaheim, heard boos at every at-bat.

But Lee Jong-Beom delivered the ultimate rejoinder, a two-run double in the top of the eighth inning that gave South Korea a 2-1 victory and the group championship.

Maybe Ichiro needs to attend the "Carl Everett School of Trash Talking."

See this is what I was a afraid of..

Frenchy is a grand total of 0-3 at the plate, and hasn't yet started. Much less, getting the at bats he needs to get ready for the regular season. As much as I was happy to see that he was selected to play for Team USA, I knew that him going to play would be both good and bad. The good is easy, he's on a team with some of the greats in the game today, something is bound to rub off on him.

The bad thing, he's been sitting on the bench when he could be getting spring training at bats so that he's ready to go once the regular season gets under way.

Bobby Cox of course isn't happy about Francouers lack of playing time.

"Just three at-bats aren't what you'd like," Cox said. "I thought he would get to play more. But I expect him to be fine, I really do.

"When he gets back, I'll just play him almost every day and for the whole game. When we can, we'll use him as the DH to get more at-bats."

I can understand Bobby's concern, of course he needs more at bats so his timing isn't all disjointed when the Braves schedule starts. Even Team USA manager Buck Martinez admits, that since the loss to Team Canada, things have changed with the 30 man roster and the approach to the rest of the World Baseball Classic.

"I have made a promise that I would get everybody a start, and I think Jeff understands what the challenges are here now," he said.

"I think the tone kind of changed for the entire 30-man roster when we lost to Canada. And I intend to start him. Hopefully, that will happen very soon. I think he's capable of helping us at the plate and in the field. And, you know, I hope he understands he's a younger guy who's going to have many opportunities to play in things like this — but I certainly want to give him a start."

Even though he doesn't come out and say it, Jeff's not happy. Am I the only one that it almost comes across that Buck is a Little League Coach promising the parents of players that their son would get a chance to start a game? Almost scary really...

But when discussing the actual playing part, Francoeur shifts uneasily from foot to foot and picks his words with care.

"Oh, yeah, obviously I'd love to be able to play," he said. "I don't make the lineup, so you can't do nothing about it. You work as hard as you can. If we go all the way, I'll be in camp a week from [Monday], so you look forward to getting back and getting some swings in.

"I just wanted to contribute and help the team and play. Obviously, you do the best you can. I'm looking forward to finishing this and getting back to spring training."

So here's to Frenchy getting back with the squad after this is all over.

On another note, maybe I'm just easily amused, but who would've ever thought that you'd see Junior and A-Rod on the same team, much less following each other in the batting order.

Andruw returns to camp, injured no less

Well I guess you could say that the World Baseball Classic claimed it's first injury victim: Andruw Jones. He wasn't injured on any play in the field, instead he slipped on the steps of the dugout in Puerto Rico injuring his back trying to take pictures.

Yep, you read that right. He hurt himself taking some snap shots.  He was a late scratch from the line up yesterday as the Braves teed off against the Cards. Bobby Cox thinks that's its no big deal, and he should be playing today.

"I think he's fine," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "He felt it when he took batting practice and tried to run, [but] he might be able to play tomorrow."

[..]

"Those friggin' steps in Puerto Rico," said Cox, who remembers problems there when the Montreal Expos played some games in San Juan. "Half our team fell down them the first year we were over there."

Jones, had a less than stellar outings in the WBC, going 0-6. He was sick going into the Classic, and returned still not feeling 100%. The back injury not with standing, which impacted him more.

"The next day I couldn't even walk," said Jones, who didn't play Friday in the Netherlands's seven-inning no-hitter against Panama.

Jones took the incident in stride — "Those things happen," he said — and still enjoyed playing in the WBC, although he would change some things next time.

Jones then goes on to say something, that allot of us Bloggers have been saying:

"It was a good learning experience for everybody," he said. "We all think it should be at a different time, maybe after the World Series."

Well Andruw, at least with me your preaching to the choir. Though my thoughts about the WBC have changed some what after watching some of the games. I guess seeing just how into it, other countries were was an eye opener for me. But I'm still not going to chance my stance that, it feels like it was thrown together, and they need to find a different time to play it.

If the NHL can shut down for a couple weeks, why couldn't Major League Baseball?

King Felix looks human, Beltre looks great.

In a 15 to 5 loss to the Brew Crew, King Felix looked human.(Box Score)

The 19-year-old Seattle sensation from last season allowed a two-run homer to Milwaukee's Corey Hart during a three-run second inning Tuesday in the Brewer's 15-5 exhibition win over the Mariners.

Hernandez gave up four hits, including the three runs, and struck out two during his two-inning, 35-pitch outing.

"He was so-so," Mariners manager Mike Hargrove said. "He struggled with his command and didn't throw a lot of strikes. He was behind a lot of hitters."

Just keep tell yourself that it's just a spring training game, and to steal a phrase from Douglas Adams-"Don't Panic!" Though I must say, these double digit losses. On the bright side of things, Beltre looked great yesterday, hitting 2 nasty taters and driving in a total of five runs allowing the Dominican Republic to hand Venezuela a crooked number loss - 11-5.  

Ichiro and Team Japan Stunned..

For a team slated to go 3-0 in the first round of the WBC didn't expect to take one on the chin from Team Korea. Losing 3-2 was not in the plans, and Ichiro is not a happy camper.

"I feel ashamed of this defeat," the Mariner's outfielder said Sunday after the South Koreans upset Japan 3-2 to win Group A in the first round of the inaugural World Baseball Classic.

[..]

"If I was satisfied with my performance, I should quit baseball," Ichiro said.

This is one I didn't get to watch. I watched Japan's opening game, when they took it to China 18-2 and looked very solid. The announcers for the game figured it was going to be a fluke if Japan didn't leave the first round 3-0.

Also of note: after the loss to Korea, for the first round Ichiro is hitting a very mild .231.

Ichiro still the Man in Japan

Ichiro takes on role of Leader for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic.

And, oh, how Japan manager Sadaharu Oh appreciates it.

"Even though he has been their teammates before in Japan, because he has experienced the Major Leagues and has had success in the Major Leagues, he has taken over that [leadership] responsibility," Oh said. "The players are looking at that experience to help them."

Going into the Thursday night ET Classic opener against China at Tokyo Dome, Ichiro has been a big hit with his temporary teammates. He is the brightest star on a team that consists mostly of Japan Professional League standouts.

Frenchy could start for Team USA

With injuries and pull-outs, Francoeur could get starting nod for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, which starts March 7th (scroll to the bottom).

Between earlier pullouts and recent injuries to other United States outfielders, Jeff Francoeur could possibly end become a lineup regular for the U.S. team in the World Baseball Classic, which starts March 7.

Blue Jays outfielder Vernon Wells (leg strain) is the latest question mark, at least for the opening round of the tournament.

With all these pull outs and injury's is the WBC really worth it? Someone is going to get injured you can bet on it. Though money says a pitcher goes down before a position player.

Cox worried, will Sosa start or relieve?

We're down the home stretch for the World Baseball Classic, and I'm sure this wont be the only report coming out of Spring Training Camps as the tournament draws near. Position players, they only thing to really worry about there is that they don't get injured, they'll more than likely get there at bats as they would in Spring Training.

But pitchers it's another story, a story like I said we'll see all this week. Will Pitcher X be ready to go for the start of the season? Will Pitcher X who's normally a starter, will he get enough innings in a relief role to be ready by the time the regular season starts?

So that would bring us here, Cox and company plan on having Jorge Sosa in the starting rotation once the season starts. But Team Dominican Republic may use him in a relief role, especially when you consider their roster has at the least 4 quality starters including last years American League Cy Young winner Bartolo Colon.

"If he's going to relieve for three weeks [in the WBC], he's not going to be ready to start" when the season begins, Cox said.

Sosa is scheduled to start the Grapefruit League opener Thursday against the Dodgers, then join the Dominican team Friday for training camp in nearby Kisssimmee, Fla. Cox talked to Dominican manager Manny Acta and was told Sosa would pitch in the Dominican team's second game March 9 vs. Italy.

I'd have to say that I'm with Cox on this one.  If Sosa is going to be our 4th or 5th guy in the rotation I sure as hell want him to be ready to go once regular season play starts. Not a month behind in throwing. Again, this whole thing (the WBC) stinks of bad timing.

 

Junior and Senior?

It looks like Senior could catch on with the Reds as the first base coach. He is already set to join Junior on Team USA where he will be the, get this..First-base coach in the inaugural World Baseball Classic. The Reds first base coaching job officially opened up on Thursday after the retirement of John Moses, and Griffey Senior will be interviewing for the job, along with 3 other candidates.

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) -- Ken Griffey Sr. is one of four candidates for the Cincinnati Reds' first base coaching job.

Manager Jerry Narron said Friday that he will discuss the job with Griffey, outfield and bunting instructor Ed Napoleon, minor league outfield and base running coordinator Lynn Jones and newly hired advance scout Pete Mackanin.

Really nothing else to say here, except I've always liked Senior, when he was a Brave and a Mariner.