Update con un lado de ca-ca: Yet. Another. Update: We have another one! Curtis Granderson's enthusiasm is so infectious in the WBC that he should take over for Bud Selig when he retires. Selig's got to be chaffing. That's a lot of hummers.
Bud must be putting out more frequently as of late because Phil's certainly returning the favor.
Boy, the new digs are quite nice here at the new Phil Watch headquarters.
Whoa, Canada
TORONTO -- Needing two more victories to advance out of the first round, Canada rolled the dice against Italy on Monday night.
Starting Vince Perkins rather than Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Scott Richmond, manager Ernie Whitt was left starting at snake eyes. An experience that had been such a pleasure in 2006, when Canada knocked off the United States in the first round of the World Baseball Classic, had turned into a staggering disappointment.
Italy jumped on Perkins in the first inning, setting the tone for a 6-2 upset that eliminated the host team in Pool C of the WBC.
Jason Grilli, a former White Sox right-hander, worked the final 3 1/3 innings to pitch the inspired Italians into a Tuesday night rematch against Venezuela. The winner will advance alongside the United States to the WBC semifinal in Miami.
Phil, you can keep using words like 'inspired' but it won't make it any more true. The game was ugly and seen by nobody.
Italy's victory was unexpected, as the Canadian lineup included the likes of Justin Morneau, Jason Bay, Joey Votto, Russell Martin and Matt Stairs. But Oakland Athletics outfielder Chris Denorfia went 4-for-4 to highlight a victory that included a series of excellent fielding plays -- including a diving catch by Denorfia in center -- to help pitchers who threw strikes.
Dan Serafini, who pitched for the Cubs in 1999 but most recently has been working in Mexico, started for Italy. He was followed by lefty Chris Cooper, one of the best pitchers in Italy's top league, and Grilli.
It even has Take Five candy bars in the vending machine. Now that's fancy. Big fan. Big. Fan!
It's too bad we couldn't roll out the new website, TV deal and merchandising to a little bigger fanfare.
Since our new launch two weeks ago, Phil has been all World Baseball Classic, all the time, just chockablock with quotes from American baseball players throwing around phases like "playoff atmosphere" and "it's real special." Somehow, this constitutes multiple columns.
I've said it once, I'll say it again. Why would I pay for this crap? I don't care if it's only $.75.
But let's do one of them, just to bridge the gap between his WBC ramblings and whenever he gets back to telling us that Sam Fuld's Spring Training statistics are a harbinger of scrappy-type goodness to come.
TORONTO -- Needing two more victories to advance out of the first round, Canada rolled the dice against Italy on Monday night.
Starting Vince Perkins rather than Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Scott Richmond, manager Ernie Whitt was left starting at snake eyes. An experience that had been such a pleasure in 2006, when Canada knocked off the United States in the first round of the World Baseball Classic, had turned into a staggering disappointment.
"Staggering the likes of which we've never seen!"
Oh, on the meatball front, Canadian fans booed the image of Ryan Dempster in a montage that played on the Jumbotron before the game with the United States.
Just want to put that out there. Meatballs are multinational.
Italy jumped on Perkins in the first inning, setting the tone for a 6-2 upset that eliminated the host team in Pool C of the WBC.
"Jumped on" is not the way to describe it. I watched the game. Yes, I've seen four WBC games, as the MLB Network plays them around the clock. Late at night, it's been either that or BC Battles: Hannibal on the History Channel. I chose baseball.
And let me tell you. Perkins blew. The entire game was like watching the 1991 Camanche Indians play the back end of a doubleheader after two straight doubleheaders in the two days previous. The pitchin's a little tttthhhhiiiinnnn!
16 walks, wild pitches, huge pitch counts, errors that weren't called errors.
And the topper? 12,411 showed up in Toronto to watch a Canada team still completely alive in the pool. They just had to beat Italy and then beat Venezuela to advance.
Canada has World Baseball Classic fever!!! Catch it!!!
On a related note, I'm typing this as Boers & Bernstein are ripping Phil a new one. Christo hearts synergy.
Perkins, a former Joliet Jackhammer who has signed a minor-league contract with the Cubs...
Dippy Chicago connection. Phil's right on schedule.
muffed a Nick Punto tapper leading off the first. It was a sign of nerves that continued throughout the long night for Canada, which almost upset the United States in the WBC opener on Saturday.
Nerves? Looked like plain old badness to me. As Grandpa Sinkey used to say, "The guy couldn't hit a dead donkey ass if it was two feet in front of him."
Nerves? Looked like plain old badness to me. As Grandpa Sinkey used to say, "The guy couldn't hit a dead donkey ass if it was two feet in front of him."
Perkins will have trouble winning a roster spot at Triple-A Iowa if his work on Monday was an indication of things to come. He allowed three runs in two innings, largely because of four walks.
The Cubs were going to bring him up but those two innings in the WBC? Cut his ass. If he can't get up for a Canada-Italy rivalry, he has no place in baseball.
Jason Grilli, a former White Sox right-hander, worked the final 3 1/3 innings to pitch the inspired Italians into a Tuesday night rematch against Venezuela. The winner will advance alongside the United States to the WBC semifinal in Miami.
Phil, you can keep using words like 'inspired' but it won't make it any more true. The game was ugly and seen by nobody.
More people were at the Timberwolves-Wizards game last night. More people thought watching bad basketball and paying four times the price to watch bad basketball was a better option in Minnesota than watching manufactured international baseball wonderfulness in Toronto.
Venezuela must like its chances. It beat Italy 7-0 in the first round on Saturday.
But unlike Saturday, it cannot go with its top pitchers. Felix Hernandez and Carlos Silva worked eight innings in that first-round game, and Armando Galarraga started against the U.S. on Sunday. That leaves either Ramon Ramirez or Enrique Gonzalez to start against the Italians.
But unlike Saturday, it cannot go with its top pitchers. Felix Hernandez and Carlos Silva worked eight innings in that first-round game, and Armando Galarraga started against the U.S. on Sunday. That leaves either Ramon Ramirez or Enrique Gonzalez to start against the Italians.
Wait...I'm checking...yep...that's the 12,411th time Phil has told us about Venezuela's pitching quandry. Coincidentally, that's the same amount of people that saw the latest edition of the historic Canada-Italy rivalry so, I guess not too many times, really.
Italy's victory was unexpected, as the Canadian lineup included the likes of Justin Morneau, Jason Bay, Joey Votto, Russell Martin and Matt Stairs. But Oakland Athletics outfielder Chris Denorfia went 4-for-4 to highlight a victory that included a series of excellent fielding plays -- including a diving catch by Denorfia in center -- to help pitchers who threw strikes.
Let me illustrate how agonizingly boring this game was with a number - 349. That's how many pitches were thrown in the game. 349!!! 201 were strikes. It was 3 1/2 hours of bad baseball.
Dan Serafini, who pitched for the Cubs in 1999 but most recently has been working in Mexico, started for Italy. He was followed by lefty Chris Cooper, one of the best pitchers in Italy's top league, and Grilli.
There. Why do I care? Essentially, most of the teams are populated with journeymen or guys well past their prime. I can go to some Independent League game and get that.
And pool play is merely cute. I don't want to hear Phil bitch about a five-game first round playoff series again when this is seen as a good way to set up an international competition.
WBC injury update: Chipper Jones has a strained right oblique and Alfredo Amezega tweaked his knee.
On another note, Mexico played South Africa yesterday in Mexico City.
Attendance? 10,311.
Catch! It!
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