WEBVTT 1 00:00:23.320 --> 00:00:26.199 Hello, and welcome to Batflips and Nerds, the Baseball Podcast 2 00:00:26.199 --> 00:00:28.679 with a British twist. I am Darius Austin and we 3 00:00:28.719 --> 00:00:33.079 are back with more hot WBC content. And who better 4 00:00:33.159 --> 00:00:35.840 to bring us that content than our man in Houston 5 00:00:36.240 --> 00:00:39.119 live in the stadium is Russell Lison. Russell, how is 6 00:00:39.159 --> 00:00:39.759 it going. 7 00:00:40.439 --> 00:00:43.679 It's going good. It is the field day to day. 8 00:00:44.079 --> 00:00:46.799 I can maybe briefly turn this around and you can 9 00:00:46.840 --> 00:00:50.359 see that Team Canada have arrived and are having their 10 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:53.240 warm ups. They're going to take the field for the 11 00:00:53.280 --> 00:00:57.439 next ninety minutes. So probably while we'll having this conversation, 12 00:00:57.520 --> 00:00:59.799 you might hear some hits, although you'll probably just hear 13 00:00:59.880 --> 00:01:03.039 the blaring music that still goes in the stadium even 14 00:01:03.079 --> 00:01:05.200 when no one is actually here to listen to it 15 00:01:05.239 --> 00:01:06.799 apart from the players. 16 00:01:07.400 --> 00:01:07.879 Yeah, I sat. 17 00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:09.959 I hadn't really thought about that, but it is quite 18 00:01:09.959 --> 00:01:13.079 incredible that they're still blaring the sound system when there's 19 00:01:13.120 --> 00:01:13.799 nobody there. 20 00:01:14.439 --> 00:01:14.640 Yeah. 21 00:01:14.680 --> 00:01:16.799 I guess the teams get to choose their music, and 22 00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:19.359 the only way for them to hear it is it's 23 00:01:19.400 --> 00:01:23.000 over the whole entire sound system. 24 00:01:23.200 --> 00:01:25.799 Incredible. Well, we should probably have an extended rant about 25 00:01:25.799 --> 00:01:27.879 how sports venues are too loud these days. But we 26 00:01:27.879 --> 00:01:30.079 won't do that because there's lots of baseball to talk about, 27 00:01:31.040 --> 00:01:34.200 and the group stages are over that they've concluded. We 28 00:01:34.239 --> 00:01:37.920 have a quarter final lineup. But I think before we 29 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:40.920 talk about all the other groups, I guess I guess 30 00:01:40.920 --> 00:01:42.680 we should start with with Paul B and we should 31 00:01:42.680 --> 00:01:46.760 start with Team GB, who have again successfully qualified for 32 00:01:46.760 --> 00:01:49.920 the next WBC. So, Russ, I imagine you've spent an 33 00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:51.840 awful lot of time with the team over the last 34 00:01:52.079 --> 00:01:55.680 few days, and I think it was a great performance 35 00:01:55.680 --> 00:01:59.079 against Brazil. I think maybe people were, you know, following along, 36 00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:02.719 almost surprised to fe relatively relaxed during that game because 37 00:02:02.959 --> 00:02:04.680 it was it was mostly under control. That's what it 38 00:02:04.719 --> 00:02:05.280 felt like to me. 39 00:02:05.400 --> 00:02:09.120 Anyway, Yeah, we'll go in reverse and we'll start with 40 00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:13.039 that game. I think that what GB had shown well 41 00:02:13.080 --> 00:02:16.080 at last periods of the entire tournament in that game 42 00:02:16.159 --> 00:02:20.000 is that they pitched well. They had a few moments 43 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:22.000 in all of the games, and even like the wm 44 00:02:22.360 --> 00:02:25.319 A game in Brazil, they did give up that first 45 00:02:25.439 --> 00:02:27.879 run and you were like, okay, GB has to score, 46 00:02:27.919 --> 00:02:29.759 which is a little bit of a we know what's 47 00:02:29.800 --> 00:02:33.199 been struggled for a bit of the tournament, but justin 48 00:02:33.280 --> 00:02:37.879 wildly hitting that home run in Lewis Junior hitting the 49 00:02:37.879 --> 00:02:40.520 home run to tie it straight back upto one and 50 00:02:40.520 --> 00:02:44.280 then getting ahead once that had happened. I think after 51 00:02:44.319 --> 00:02:47.800 watching Brazil play their games against Mexico, were playing their 52 00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:52.240 games against Italy, they hadn't really looked that strong offensively, 53 00:02:52.520 --> 00:02:55.159 but they picked up five runs against the US, including 54 00:02:55.919 --> 00:02:59.719 Lucas Schremiraz going deep twice. But they really kind of 55 00:02:59.759 --> 00:03:03.000 like ruggled offensively for most of those games, and GM 56 00:03:03.159 --> 00:03:04.719 kind of stepped it up from then and as that 57 00:03:05.120 --> 00:03:07.199 game just progressed, it did get more and more to 58 00:03:07.240 --> 00:03:08.719 the point where you were like, yeah, you know what, 59 00:03:08.960 --> 00:03:13.479 like gbre better, are better than Brazil And that result 60 00:03:14.240 --> 00:03:17.240 did show out to do that, and yeah, the qualification 61 00:03:17.919 --> 00:03:21.360 for the next tournament is massive. Repeatability is a huge 62 00:03:21.360 --> 00:03:25.520 thing with funding with sport in the UK, So getting 63 00:03:25.520 --> 00:03:29.919 that and getting that actually the chance to happen again 64 00:03:29.960 --> 00:03:32.680 it is a great thing. As next things that they'll 65 00:03:32.680 --> 00:03:34.759 move on to, which will probably talk about the points 66 00:03:34.759 --> 00:03:36.280 with the Premier sort of qualifying at the end of 67 00:03:36.319 --> 00:03:38.800 the year. But it was a great result in the end, 68 00:03:38.879 --> 00:03:41.199 and I think it was the first time they probably 69 00:03:41.240 --> 00:03:43.000 really put an entire performance together. 70 00:03:43.800 --> 00:03:48.000 The games against Mexico, Italy and the USA. 71 00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:52.719 They were strong at times, they were capable holding in 72 00:03:52.759 --> 00:03:57.439 with those teams, but each time that they let get 73 00:03:57.479 --> 00:04:00.479 away from them by they conceded like more than one 74 00:04:00.560 --> 00:04:03.000 run in basically every evening that they actually conceded runs 75 00:04:03.039 --> 00:04:05.800 in those first three games, So they really struggled to 76 00:04:05.800 --> 00:04:08.639 put out the fires once it started to go slightly wrong, 77 00:04:08.759 --> 00:04:11.319 which will be a learning point I think for how 78 00:04:11.400 --> 00:04:14.599 they come at this again in the tournament's times afterwards. 79 00:04:14.639 --> 00:04:20.199 But seeing how Italy performed against USA and Mexico afterwards, 80 00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:25.600 US having losing that game seven four is not as 81 00:04:25.639 --> 00:04:27.839 bad as it like, I think, looking at it respectively, 82 00:04:27.879 --> 00:04:32.560 it's actually a much fairer like reflection where like GBR. 83 00:04:32.839 --> 00:04:35.480 Yeah, I was wondering about that actually and being around 84 00:04:35.480 --> 00:04:39.199 the guys, what sense was there of missed opportunity in 85 00:04:39.240 --> 00:04:40.839 some of those games they did They come off the 86 00:04:40.879 --> 00:04:43.680 field thinking we could have actually won those and we 87 00:04:43.800 --> 00:04:45.720 just you know, things didn't quite break our way at 88 00:04:45.759 --> 00:04:47.879 the right moments, you know, we if we'd had a 89 00:04:47.920 --> 00:04:49.600 lucky hit or here or there earlier in the game, 90 00:04:49.639 --> 00:04:51.439 It could have been very different. Did they really feel 91 00:04:51.439 --> 00:04:53.480 like they could have come away from this tournament with 92 00:04:53.519 --> 00:04:54.120 more than one win? 93 00:04:54.759 --> 00:04:55.639 Yeah? I think so. 94 00:04:56.639 --> 00:04:58.759 I think Brad spoken the post pest customs is in 95 00:04:58.839 --> 00:05:00.920 most of the games, saying the like, we didn't execute 96 00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:03.360 one hundred percent like in all of those games. So 97 00:05:03.959 --> 00:05:08.040 GV knows that they aren't the same caliber of team. 98 00:05:08.319 --> 00:05:11.279 The USA team is an all star team. The Mexico 99 00:05:11.360 --> 00:05:15.120 team has MLB talent throughout that whole entire lineup and 100 00:05:15.319 --> 00:05:19.560 has MLB talent on the pitching. Italy has mostly MLB 101 00:05:20.040 --> 00:05:22.519 level team or a lot of Quad A players. Jimi 102 00:05:22.600 --> 00:05:27.000 doesn't quite have that same depth. But they Yeah, they 103 00:05:27.040 --> 00:05:29.199 just didn't quite take some of the moments they had. 104 00:05:29.439 --> 00:05:33.560 They left men on the bases in both the Mexico 105 00:05:33.720 --> 00:05:36.800 and Italy games that could have really kind of pushed 106 00:05:36.800 --> 00:05:39.759 the momentum back into kind of like their favor. The 107 00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:46.839 decision I think to pull Nia Victor in the USA 108 00:05:46.879 --> 00:05:48.680 game and bring in scrub I think that's one that 109 00:05:49.279 --> 00:05:53.120 Brad has has said that kind of like maybe given 110 00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:55.920 the chance to twenty twenty high sight to go back, 111 00:05:55.959 --> 00:05:57.800 he might have like led him kind of like continue 112 00:05:57.800 --> 00:05:59.279 on and see what it was going, but he wanted 113 00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:02.000 to switch from like a left right picture to a 114 00:06:02.120 --> 00:06:05.560 like a not south pitcher to kind of. 115 00:06:05.519 --> 00:06:08.720 To go with that. But like it didn't work. GB. 116 00:06:08.839 --> 00:06:11.519 We're going to have to play at like ninety nine 117 00:06:11.519 --> 00:06:14.560 percentile and hope that those other teams were playing somewhere 118 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:17.879 in their bottom quarter percentile, and I think in all 119 00:06:17.879 --> 00:06:19.839 of those games they ended up playing in seventy eighty 120 00:06:19.839 --> 00:06:21.199 percentile sort of territory. 121 00:06:21.399 --> 00:06:22.920 It just it wasn't. 122 00:06:22.800 --> 00:06:27.680 Quite there, And if we're honest, like Jazz wasn't quite there. 123 00:06:27.879 --> 00:06:31.000 Like he was added to this lineup hoping to be 124 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:34.800 like the person that could add power, add stolen bases, 125 00:06:35.279 --> 00:06:38.639 be a talent's man, but we didn't really have a 126 00:06:38.639 --> 00:06:45.959 great tournament, going over four in the game against USA, 127 00:06:46.399 --> 00:06:50.639 I think with the golden sombrero was was not what 128 00:06:50.720 --> 00:06:54.199 team GB needed in those games. But yeah, I think 129 00:06:54.199 --> 00:06:56.720 you can't underestimate the impact that he had on the 130 00:06:56.720 --> 00:06:59.319 rest of the squad and the team being pulled together. 131 00:06:59.439 --> 00:07:02.040 But when it came to when it came to the games, 132 00:07:02.040 --> 00:07:05.360 you didn't have like the got the RBI and a 133 00:07:05.439 --> 00:07:07.360 couple of singles in the end to kind of to 134 00:07:07.399 --> 00:07:09.959 help GB get through Brazil. But you didn't get that 135 00:07:10.680 --> 00:07:13.839 the any moment that Pasquentino got yesterday where after going 136 00:07:14.360 --> 00:07:17.160 over twelve wilid Ley were winning three, hitting three home 137 00:07:17.240 --> 00:07:19.240 runs to be the first person then to do that 138 00:07:19.319 --> 00:07:20.360 in the WDC game. 139 00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:21.920 Yeah. 140 00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:24.920 Well, well let's talk about Italy. Maybe the biggest shock 141 00:07:24.959 --> 00:07:27.439 of the group stage is that Italy have topped Paul 142 00:07:27.480 --> 00:07:30.560 b after beating the USA eight six, and then and 143 00:07:30.639 --> 00:07:32.120 coming back out the next night and as you say, 144 00:07:32.199 --> 00:07:34.439 Vinnie hitting three home runs to help them beat Mexico 145 00:07:34.800 --> 00:07:39.800 and fortunately let the US still advance through to the quarterfinals. 146 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:43.319 Who how did you did you were you surprised by 147 00:07:43.360 --> 00:07:45.160 that having watched them play their first two games, or 148 00:07:45.319 --> 00:07:47.879 did you think that there was that potential foreign upset 149 00:07:47.920 --> 00:07:49.519 because there is, as you say, it's still a lot 150 00:07:49.560 --> 00:07:51.160 of major league talent on this roster. 151 00:07:51.720 --> 00:07:52.160 Yeah. 152 00:07:52.279 --> 00:07:54.519 I think it's always an interesting way that like how 153 00:07:54.639 --> 00:08:01.319 teams can build up, Like Italy's schedule was Brazil, GB, USA, Mexico, 154 00:08:01.560 --> 00:08:04.839 so they kind of had the chance to build themselves 155 00:08:04.839 --> 00:08:10.319 into the tournament, get two wins against potentially the favorable matchups, 156 00:08:10.360 --> 00:08:14.600 and then really go for it in against USA and Mexico. 157 00:08:14.720 --> 00:08:17.240 It allowed them to kind of they lined up their 158 00:08:17.240 --> 00:08:21.720 best pitchers in Lorenzo and Mola in those two games, 159 00:08:21.759 --> 00:08:25.959 and to be honest, USA and Mexico made Lorenzo and 160 00:08:27.279 --> 00:08:30.639 Aaron Nola looked like Tarrek Skouble and Paul Skins like 161 00:08:30.879 --> 00:08:34.759 even though they were going pitching in different games. Yeah, 162 00:08:35.159 --> 00:08:37.360 it's still shock, still shocked that Italy kind of like 163 00:08:37.399 --> 00:08:41.240 won those games. Because if the CESSPECTUS Barbecue Boys said 164 00:08:41.240 --> 00:08:43.080 it in a tweet, which I think perfectly kind of 165 00:08:43.080 --> 00:08:45.720 signs it up. It's like the junior team beating the 166 00:08:45.799 --> 00:08:49.639 varsity team, like because all those Italian Americans could have 167 00:08:49.679 --> 00:08:52.919 been on that on that team, Roman Antony chose to 168 00:08:52.960 --> 00:08:56.000 be on the USA team instead of potentially being on 169 00:08:56.000 --> 00:08:56.840 on the Italy team. 170 00:08:57.120 --> 00:08:58.799 So yeah, it's definitely a shock. 171 00:08:58.919 --> 00:09:03.440 But I think Italy and probably Mexico to a certain 172 00:09:03.480 --> 00:09:06.399 extent of not playing within the same limitations that the 173 00:09:06.519 --> 00:09:09.039 US has. Like this is something that other people need 174 00:09:09.080 --> 00:09:12.639 to remember that although this is a great international tournament 175 00:09:13.120 --> 00:09:15.600 and it is becoming a bigger and bigger thing, all 176 00:09:15.679 --> 00:09:18.200 these players are on restrictions from their teams, and so 177 00:09:18.279 --> 00:09:21.360 these top top players are probably on the worst restrictions 178 00:09:21.360 --> 00:09:25.039 out of everybody. I think people can complain about the 179 00:09:25.159 --> 00:09:27.480 Rosi's handling of the games, but he was pretty much 180 00:09:27.480 --> 00:09:31.039 hamstrung to be like, these people can pitch on these 181 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:34.960 days and they can do this much. And he had 182 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:36.960 to basically bring people in at certain times and not 183 00:09:36.960 --> 00:09:39.080 bring other people in at certain times. 184 00:09:39.120 --> 00:09:39.679 To do that. 185 00:09:39.799 --> 00:09:43.799 It was the way of having those players available meant 186 00:09:43.799 --> 00:09:46.320 that he didn't have the ability to just pick and 187 00:09:46.399 --> 00:09:48.320 choose as he wanted. It was a lot more like 188 00:09:48.879 --> 00:09:52.000 here are my jugs or pieces, and I have to 189 00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:54.759 kind of like fit them together instead of being just 190 00:09:54.799 --> 00:09:57.399 being able to kind of like throw who he ever wanted. 191 00:09:57.440 --> 00:10:01.440 And so yeah, I think if you had lined it 192 00:10:01.519 --> 00:10:04.000 up correctly, I don't think you would have put tarik 193 00:10:04.039 --> 00:10:06.840 schouble against GB. You would probably should have pitched Tarik's 194 00:10:06.840 --> 00:10:12.480 schooble against Italy. That's what costs them kind of like 195 00:10:12.960 --> 00:10:17.720 winning that game. But they're still into the into the 196 00:10:17.840 --> 00:10:20.559 now to the knockouts. They're the game against Canada now, 197 00:10:20.759 --> 00:10:24.639 which everybody on the USA team will be thinking is 198 00:10:24.759 --> 00:10:29.159 a game that they should be winning, and given how 199 00:10:29.240 --> 00:10:32.759 the system is set up, they have a potential path 200 00:10:32.840 --> 00:10:35.759 to the to the final, where they'll well they'll play. 201 00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:37.720 Japan more than likely, but who knows. 202 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:40.320 Obviously they'll have to play either of South Korea or 203 00:10:40.320 --> 00:10:44.200 Dominican Republic first before hitting and out on that other side. 204 00:10:45.720 --> 00:10:49.200 And what was the atmosphere like in that Italy US 205 00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:52.159 game in terms of, you know, the balance inside the stadium. 206 00:10:52.279 --> 00:10:54.759 Was there a lot of shock amongst the crowd. Did 207 00:10:54.840 --> 00:10:56.720 you get a sense of that from where you were. 208 00:10:57.120 --> 00:11:00.200 Yeah, the atmosphere was pretty pretty amazing for a lot 209 00:11:00.240 --> 00:11:05.320 of these games. The the USA Itarly match was was 210 00:11:05.320 --> 00:11:07.600 was weird because obviously, like Illy got ahead and attacked 211 00:11:07.639 --> 00:11:10.360 him on and attacked more and more on. When Pta 212 00:11:10.679 --> 00:11:15.639 hit the three home run, this crowd was electric. I 213 00:11:15.679 --> 00:11:18.159 think people still thought that they were gonna this is 214 00:11:18.200 --> 00:11:19.960 like the start of like the comeback, and it was 215 00:11:19.960 --> 00:11:21.480 building up, and it was building up, and it was 216 00:11:21.480 --> 00:11:25.919 building up, and having like Judge up to bat in 217 00:11:25.960 --> 00:11:29.000 the ninth being like the tying run, I think a 218 00:11:29.000 --> 00:11:32.159 lot of people here were expecting that, like, Okay, here's 219 00:11:32.159 --> 00:11:35.399 a he's a he's a judge WBC moment, He's gonna 220 00:11:36.519 --> 00:11:38.799 take a yard and like either take this game to 221 00:11:38.840 --> 00:11:41.600 extras or kind of like help USA win it in 222 00:11:41.919 --> 00:11:44.519 the sinnings and it didn't happen. It got struck out 223 00:11:44.519 --> 00:11:47.200 by I'm trying to remember. I think it was Greg Weisser. 224 00:11:47.639 --> 00:11:50.879 It was Greg Weser. Yeah, yeah, So it's. 225 00:11:50.720 --> 00:11:53.679 Like, yeah, you know what, like relievers in Major League Baseball, 226 00:11:53.919 --> 00:11:57.440 like they're all good in a very short period of time, 227 00:11:58.240 --> 00:12:00.000 so they all have appitch or something. 228 00:12:00.039 --> 00:12:01.360 Think that it's a little bit unusual. 229 00:12:01.480 --> 00:12:05.080 That's why their major league like relievers and short sample 230 00:12:05.240 --> 00:12:08.639 it can go their way, and it did. But no, 231 00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:12.320 like the USA Mexico game was utterly phenomenal when it 232 00:12:12.320 --> 00:12:17.399 comes to atmosphere wise, just it's probably i want to say, 233 00:12:17.399 --> 00:12:19.799 like sixty forty Mexico to USA fans, but they were 234 00:12:19.840 --> 00:12:23.120 both very loud, Like you honestly like couldn't tell who 235 00:12:23.200 --> 00:12:25.320 was like the whole or the away team. It was 236 00:12:25.360 --> 00:12:27.679 like there were moments where the USA fans are massive, 237 00:12:27.720 --> 00:12:33.279 there are moments when the fans for Mexico were allowed. 238 00:12:33.480 --> 00:12:35.679 And yeah, the only difference I'll say is that like 239 00:12:35.720 --> 00:12:39.759 the Mexico fans are like constantly loud, and the USA 240 00:12:39.840 --> 00:12:43.000 fans were allowed in the moments like when like USA 241 00:12:43.240 --> 00:12:46.159 did something or when it was the time for when 242 00:12:46.200 --> 00:12:51.200 something happened for Team USA. But no, but Houston has 243 00:12:51.240 --> 00:12:55.039 hosted some pretty epic games, even like the GB versus 244 00:12:55.440 --> 00:12:58.679 USA game had great atmosphere. There was times when on 245 00:12:58.720 --> 00:13:00.840 the big screens it would like to show a British 246 00:13:00.879 --> 00:13:03.120 fan and they are like massive booze, and then it 247 00:13:03.159 --> 00:13:05.759 would show like an American fan and there are massive cheers. 248 00:13:07.840 --> 00:13:08.759 It really worked well. 249 00:13:08.799 --> 00:13:13.120 And the stadiums had the roof on for the whole 250 00:13:13.240 --> 00:13:15.600 entire time I've been here. It's actually open right now, 251 00:13:15.600 --> 00:13:18.360 which is the first time I've seen the stadium open 252 00:13:18.440 --> 00:13:22.200 because it's been a pretty pretty wet actually a week 253 00:13:22.279 --> 00:13:23.879 or so out here in Houston, so they've had the 254 00:13:23.960 --> 00:13:26.519 roof closed to make sure that we don't get any 255 00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:30.879 reinde lace. So keeping that sound in it does feel 256 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:31.799 pretty electrid. 257 00:13:33.080 --> 00:13:35.240 Yeah, I can imagine. I guess we should. We should 258 00:13:35.240 --> 00:13:37.759 talk about a pool A because that is where these teams 259 00:13:37.759 --> 00:13:41.279 are going. So Italy have earned themselves again against Puerto 260 00:13:41.360 --> 00:13:43.720 Rico in the quarterfinals and as you said, to USA 261 00:13:43.960 --> 00:13:48.919 playing Canada who won that pool. So pretty impressive performance 262 00:13:48.960 --> 00:13:52.039 from the Canadian team all around, I think, and certainly 263 00:13:52.399 --> 00:13:54.399 did well to come out of that. I think when 264 00:13:54.399 --> 00:13:57.039 we were talking about it, before this ornament, we said 265 00:13:57.039 --> 00:13:59.440 this is a group that you know, several teams could 266 00:13:59.440 --> 00:14:02.200 stake a claim to Canada there wanted and it so 267 00:14:02.279 --> 00:14:03.960 how impressive you've been with what they've done. 268 00:14:05.159 --> 00:14:07.480 Yeah, I think you do have to say the Canada 269 00:14:07.480 --> 00:14:10.279 winning that group was a shot going into the tournament. 270 00:14:10.279 --> 00:14:12.240 It's not I don't think something what we expected. Maybe 271 00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:14.960 seeing the Puerto Rican team and lineup that they eventually 272 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:19.080 managed to put together due to various insurance, injury and 273 00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:23.639 cannabis reasons means that it isn't as a standout of 274 00:14:23.639 --> 00:14:26.279 as a Puerto Rico lineup as it could be. Obviously, 275 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:28.960 still has Edwin Diaz closing when they need to, but 276 00:14:29.000 --> 00:14:32.559 you kind of need to score the runs to to 277 00:14:32.639 --> 00:14:35.799 kind of go against that. They only conceded seven runs 278 00:14:35.840 --> 00:14:38.759 in all of their games that they pitched Puerto Rico, 279 00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:42.080 but they only scored fifteen across the four So that's 280 00:14:42.120 --> 00:14:44.559 going to be their what they're going to struggle with, 281 00:14:44.840 --> 00:14:46.440 like in the games that they come up against. Of 282 00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:51.440 their game against Italy will be be amazing, but no Canada. 283 00:14:52.200 --> 00:14:53.919 They ended up with a three in one record with 284 00:14:54.120 --> 00:14:58.919 losing to Panama, who the team that finished bottom of 285 00:14:58.919 --> 00:15:01.519 the group tells you everything you need to know. I 286 00:15:01.519 --> 00:15:05.039 think about this group, it was these groups ended up 287 00:15:05.080 --> 00:15:08.720 slightly lopsided. But it's very hard to do that properly, 288 00:15:08.759 --> 00:15:11.679 like an international sport at all, not just were like baseball, 289 00:15:11.679 --> 00:15:15.159 because you do things predicting on like performances three or 290 00:15:15.159 --> 00:15:17.279 so years ago and how you kind of pull things together. 291 00:15:17.480 --> 00:15:19.960 But yeah, now this. 292 00:15:19.919 --> 00:15:23.200 Canadian team, a lot of them played in the WBC 293 00:15:23.279 --> 00:15:25.720 back in twenty twenty three, and I think that experience 294 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:29.919 shone through in some of those games, and then obviously 295 00:15:30.840 --> 00:15:33.559 getting performances out of Paxton like they did like in 296 00:15:33.600 --> 00:15:35.679 those in those final games to actually kind of get them, 297 00:15:35.799 --> 00:15:38.600 get them through, get them over the line. He got 298 00:15:38.600 --> 00:15:43.279 pulled on forty nine pitches, so he's still theoretically like 299 00:15:43.320 --> 00:15:45.559 available to pitch like in the in the rest of 300 00:15:45.639 --> 00:15:49.200 the tournament. That shows some savvy knowledge of the tournament, 301 00:15:49.240 --> 00:15:53.600 which maybe some other managers and systems have not shown 302 00:15:54.320 --> 00:15:57.679 so far to quickly highlight that. I'm not certain if 303 00:15:57.919 --> 00:15:59.879 there also ever actually thought that they were qualified. It 304 00:15:59.879 --> 00:16:03.120 was probably like a misspeak of how he kind of 305 00:16:03.159 --> 00:16:04.080 like talked about it. 306 00:16:04.120 --> 00:16:07.399 But it is kind of hilarious. 307 00:16:06.960 --> 00:16:09.840 That, like the talking point for twenty four hours was 308 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:12.679 did the US know the rules of how the tournament works? 309 00:16:13.039 --> 00:16:15.279 Yeah, that did seem to be the bulk of the 310 00:16:15.360 --> 00:16:18.120 content on social media, and that was just marked Euros 311 00:16:18.159 --> 00:16:21.120 it doesn't know the rules of the WBC. Yeah, I 312 00:16:21.159 --> 00:16:22.960 think you're probably right. It's one of those things you 313 00:16:23.080 --> 00:16:26.200 just say, and he meant to say, we've practically qualified, 314 00:16:26.279 --> 00:16:30.159 not I think that we're actually already in. But yeah, 315 00:16:30.279 --> 00:16:32.679 still still drew plenty of attention and of course could 316 00:16:32.679 --> 00:16:35.080 have gone very bad for them on them on that 317 00:16:35.120 --> 00:16:36.360 final game against Mexico. 318 00:16:36.840 --> 00:16:38.679 Yeah, to be in that scenario was not good. 319 00:16:38.720 --> 00:16:41.799 But yeah, I think going back to going back to 320 00:16:41.879 --> 00:16:46.600 pul A, Puerto Ico had to come back in extras 321 00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:51.360 to beat Panama as well. So this this group actually 322 00:16:51.440 --> 00:16:53.519 ended up being a fairly like even group across the 323 00:16:53.559 --> 00:16:56.440 board if you look at it from a selfish like 324 00:16:56.879 --> 00:17:01.799 TMGB perspective, like if they were raced Columbia, who would 325 00:17:01.799 --> 00:17:04.359 have been not in Colmbia already have been Panama probably 326 00:17:04.359 --> 00:17:08.400 the team that they would have replaced in that group. Honestly, 327 00:17:08.440 --> 00:17:10.240 there's bobly chances they could have gone out on that group, 328 00:17:10.519 --> 00:17:12.119 but there's also a chance that they could have finished 329 00:17:12.119 --> 00:17:17.359 bottom because there wasn't a clear bad team, And yeah, 330 00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:19.880 obviously you you'd probably want to be in that group 331 00:17:19.880 --> 00:17:23.039 because that gives you the opportunity to go further. But yeah, 332 00:17:23.319 --> 00:17:26.920 I think Panama will be feel a rubb to have 333 00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:30.160 to go back through the qualification process after beating team 334 00:17:30.200 --> 00:17:31.400 the top of the group eventually. 335 00:17:32.759 --> 00:17:35.039 Yeah, yeah, It's definitely could have gone a lot of 336 00:17:35.079 --> 00:17:38.640 different ways that one. I think I guess we should 337 00:17:38.680 --> 00:17:42.559 we should talk about Japan and probably talk about Andressatoria 338 00:17:42.599 --> 00:17:43.079 and church. 339 00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:43.640 Hip as well. 340 00:17:44.960 --> 00:17:48.519 The expected result in the end, but they didn't quite 341 00:17:48.920 --> 00:17:51.000 dominate all of the games throughout, did they. 342 00:17:51.720 --> 00:17:53.119 Yeah, like Japan went out. 343 00:17:54.319 --> 00:17:58.920 I think the game against South Korea was a really 344 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:03.279 entertaining game. They absolutely mash Chinese Taipei, which is something 345 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:07.319 that I don't think people really anticipated would happen. But 346 00:18:08.519 --> 00:18:12.119 with Otani getting that grand slam like in the second inning, 347 00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:13.599 I think at the end of the second inning being 348 00:18:13.720 --> 00:18:17.000 a triple away from a cycle. But in the games 349 00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:20.039 against South Korea, in the games against Australia and games 350 00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:25.200 against Chechia for eight innings, Japan didn't look as imperious 351 00:18:25.240 --> 00:18:29.559 as they didn't qualify last time. Around, So I think 352 00:18:29.559 --> 00:18:31.519 teams have got to think that, yes they are still 353 00:18:31.680 --> 00:18:33.680 one of the favorites, if not the favorite, win to 354 00:18:33.720 --> 00:18:34.480 win the tournament. 355 00:18:34.559 --> 00:18:35.359 But they are. 356 00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:39.519 Human as to say that there are some chinks in 357 00:18:39.559 --> 00:18:41.920 the armor there and we'll have to see kind of 358 00:18:41.920 --> 00:18:45.640 how they perform. Now. They did score a lot. They 359 00:18:45.759 --> 00:18:49.160 did only concede nine runs across four games, so they 360 00:18:49.200 --> 00:18:51.359 scored a lot in obviously beating in a couple of 361 00:18:51.400 --> 00:18:54.079 the games and attacked on those late runs which made 362 00:18:54.079 --> 00:18:57.000 it look better than it did. But when you have 363 00:18:58.279 --> 00:19:02.720 like Otani, you have Murakami, when you had Yashida playing 364 00:19:02.720 --> 00:19:06.039 like it's three years ago again in the WBC, seems 365 00:19:06.039 --> 00:19:08.519 to be that, Yeah, he just needs to think that 366 00:19:08.559 --> 00:19:10.160 every game that he plays in Boston is the world 367 00:19:10.160 --> 00:19:12.920 based is wearing the Japan Japanese jersey, and he might 368 00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:17.160 be a much better player than than when he is. 369 00:19:17.240 --> 00:19:21.640 But no, yeah, Japan progressed cheche It was. It was 370 00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:23.720 a tough group for Chechia to get anything out of, 371 00:19:24.079 --> 00:19:29.559 if we're honest, Like Chinese IIPEI Taiwan were unlucky to 372 00:19:29.640 --> 00:19:31.799 be relegated last time around. They were in the group 373 00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:35.799 where all five teams finished with two wins and they 374 00:19:35.839 --> 00:19:37.559 have the work conceded the most run so they had 375 00:19:37.599 --> 00:19:40.359 to go requalify, which meant that they were the qualifying 376 00:19:40.400 --> 00:19:43.000 team in this group and they're not a qualifying team 377 00:19:43.000 --> 00:19:45.599 then were near the level of the other qualifying teams 378 00:19:45.599 --> 00:19:50.200 that come through. So Cheschia definitely had a rough time 379 00:19:50.240 --> 00:19:54.519 going about that. But Australia was the game wished they 380 00:19:54.559 --> 00:19:57.559 really need to get something out of and I think 381 00:19:57.599 --> 00:20:01.640 the pitching from Australia was was a was a really 382 00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:04.680 like a pleasant surprise for what they managed to get 383 00:20:04.680 --> 00:20:08.480 out of it. They limited Japan to four runs and 384 00:20:08.519 --> 00:20:12.599 they limited South Korea to kind of like to seven 385 00:20:12.799 --> 00:20:15.000 and in the games that kind of got away with them. 386 00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:17.400 And obviously the three to zero win at the start 387 00:20:17.440 --> 00:20:20.119 of the tournaments against Taiwan to kind of to really. 388 00:20:19.960 --> 00:20:20.680 Kick it all off. 389 00:20:20.880 --> 00:20:26.160 So there's there's five teams there that will feel that 390 00:20:26.200 --> 00:20:30.759 they've done good. I think Taiwan will will be upset 391 00:20:30.759 --> 00:20:32.519 after winning the Premier twelve to not make it out 392 00:20:32.559 --> 00:20:34.039 of that group, but it was always going to be 393 00:20:34.079 --> 00:20:40.000 a very difficult task with. 394 00:20:38.079 --> 00:20:40.039 With South Korea and Japan in it. 395 00:20:40.680 --> 00:20:42.960 Yeah, and I think Australia too, I'm sure if you'd 396 00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:44.440 said this to them at the start of the tournament, 397 00:20:44.440 --> 00:20:47.000 they would have taken it. But given given the circumstances 398 00:20:47.000 --> 00:20:49.000 and how close they came, they're probably feeling a little 399 00:20:49.000 --> 00:20:51.160 bit disappointed to not make it through either, are they. 400 00:20:51.839 --> 00:20:54.480 Yeah, I think so you win two games, you kind 401 00:20:54.480 --> 00:20:57.240