Changes are being made to the 2009 World Baseball Classic from its '06 debut. One of the biggest is the format of the first round, which will feature a double-elimination format, as opposed to a round robin. The semifinals and finals will be held at Dodger Stadium.
Most were not sure what to expect at the outset of the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006, but at the end of the tournament, even the most hardcore skeptics had to admit its overwhelming success.
Chinese Taipei third baseman Yung Chi Chen hit a grand slam in the fourth inning off China's Xu Zheng, propelling Chinese Taipei to a 12-3 win over China on Sunday at Tokyo Dome, wrapping up Classic play for both teams.
All that remains for Chinese Taipei in the inaugural World Baseball Classic is the opportunity to make their most bitter rivals in sports -- and politics -- feel worse than they do.
Chinese Taipei stranded four of the five runners it had in the first two innings and eventually dropped a 14-3 decision to Japan at the Tokyo Dome on Saturday. The game was halted after seven innings because of the 10-run "mercy" rule, as Chinese Taipei fell to 0-2 in the Classic.
Chinese Taipei's pitchers nearly matched Korea's frame for frame. Starting the game with En-Yu Lin and following him with Ying-Chieh Lin, the duo allowed a combined two runs in a tight 2-0 loss to Korea in the Classic opener.
It might not be a win-or-else game, but Chinese Taipei is approaching its World Baseball Classic opener against Korea on Friday morning at the Tokyo Dome as the key game in the first round of the tournament.
If Chinese Taipei disappoints in the World Baseball Classic, there is one thing manager Hua-Wei Lin won't blame. "During the last two days, we have been practicing, and I think we are in our best condition," Lin said Thursday after Taipei's final workout before its Classic opener against Korea.
