The Spectrum

Issue date: 3/23/06 Section: Sports

Media Credit: AP Photo/Darron Cummings The WBC succeeded in showcasing many different talents from all over the world.

Over the course of the past three weeks, baseball wasn't called baseball, beisbol, honkbal or yakyuu. It was the world's game.

The World Baseball Classic debuted this year as many major league players decided to forgo their attendance to their respective team's spring training sessions in favor of playing for their native countries' title.

The Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and the United States were the three favorites before the festivities began due to the amount of all star major leaguers filling up their rosters.

The Dominican Republic had the most potent lineup, one which boasted the likes of Alfonso Soriano, Albert Pujols, and David Ortiz. Venezuela had the best pitching, sporting a rotation of perennial Cy Young candidate Johan Santana, World Champion White Sox number three starter Freddy Garica, and Cubs flamethrower Carlos Zambrano.

The United States had the most balanced squad, since their infield consisted of six all stars, and their pitching contained the best arms in the world.

However, the countries with smaller players, hardly any major leaguers, and little hope to win were the teams that pulled through and opened some eyes.

Team Canada stunned the USA in a game to force the red, white and blue to win their next game to cancel elimination.

South Africa lost in the first round, but competed in two of the three games they played in which the team's goal was according to their coach.

Mexico opened some eyes with their steady play, led by Tampa Bay Devil Rays second basemen Jorge Cantu; Italy competed with Mike Piazza as their catcher.

In the Far East, the teams have been in spring training since late January, and that might have assisted their efforts in going very far in the tournament. Korea remained as the only undefeated team throughout the entire three weeks until they fell to Japan in the semifinals last week.

Japan sealed the deal when they knocked out Cuba in the finals this past Monday 10-6. Pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka won tournament Most Valuable Player and was named to the All-tournament Team. Ichiro Suzuki seemed back to his old self, hitting for a high average and being a pest on the base paths, after a less than Ichiro-like season in 2005.

People have said baseball is America's game, but MLB Commissioner Bud Selig's greatest contribution, except for the steroid policies, was quite a hit. It brought together different cultures that possessed different playing styles and the unity over a recreation was astounding.

Spring training will flesh out with the players, who have their own stories from the World Baseball Classic, and Japan will fly back to the Far East with a trophy, while the world will remember a lesson from the inaugural WBC: that baseball is now everyone's game.

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