WEBVTT 1 00:00:24.280 --> 00:00:27.280 Hello, and welcome to Backflips and Nerds, the Baseball Podcast 2 00:00:27.320 --> 00:00:29.960 with a British twist. It is the podcast you've all 3 00:00:29.960 --> 00:00:34.079 been waiting for, the grand World Baseball Classic preview and 4 00:00:34.159 --> 00:00:37.399 joining me to preview this what should be a tremendously 5 00:00:37.399 --> 00:00:40.560 exciting tournament. We have, of course, the statman himself, Russell 6 00:00:40.600 --> 00:00:41.719 lieson Russell, how are you. 7 00:00:42.159 --> 00:00:44.759 I'm doing good, I'm doing good. Ready to talk about 8 00:00:44.759 --> 00:00:47.200 international baseball. Got the cap on and everything. 9 00:00:48.280 --> 00:00:51.399 And obviously we couldn't talk about international baseball without the 10 00:00:51.479 --> 00:00:55.039 other member of our lauded correspondent team from the last 11 00:00:55.079 --> 00:00:59.399 WBC making his long awaited podcast return. It is Gavin 12 00:00:59.399 --> 00:01:01.000 Tramp's how's it going. 13 00:01:01.640 --> 00:01:02.960 I'm very good. How are you guys? 14 00:01:03.119 --> 00:01:04.159 Doing well? Doing well? 15 00:01:04.200 --> 00:01:06.159 Looking forward to talking about this. I think we've got 16 00:01:06.200 --> 00:01:09.159 a lot to talk about, so let's get right into it. 17 00:01:09.239 --> 00:01:11.719 And I think before we get into the details of 18 00:01:11.760 --> 00:01:15.599 this tournament itself, I wonder if Russ maybe if somebody's 19 00:01:15.640 --> 00:01:17.239 listened to this and thinking, I've heard a bit about 20 00:01:17.280 --> 00:01:19.959 this World Baseball Classic, but I don't really know what 21 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:22.560 it is, like, what's happening here? Can you tell us 22 00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:24.319 a little bit about the history of this tournament. 23 00:01:25.000 --> 00:01:28.319 Yeah, so like the World Baseball Classic is the is 24 00:01:28.400 --> 00:01:31.840 kind of potentially was like started off as an invitational 25 00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:34.799 sort of tournament, but it was effectively the first time 26 00:01:35.040 --> 00:01:40.400 that the MLB and basically what was at the time 27 00:01:40.480 --> 00:01:45.200 the International Baseball Federation which is now World Baseball Softball Confederation, 28 00:01:45.719 --> 00:01:46.799 actually agreed to put. 29 00:01:46.680 --> 00:01:47.959 A tournament on together. 30 00:01:48.439 --> 00:01:52.599 There had been historical tournaments run by the WBSC that 31 00:01:52.680 --> 00:01:55.640 were for to work out who kind of like the 32 00:01:55.680 --> 00:01:57.879 best player best teams of US countries were, but this 33 00:01:57.920 --> 00:02:01.239 is the one where actually MLB finally decided to let 34 00:02:01.239 --> 00:02:04.840 their players take part. So actually we had, in the 35 00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:07.719 truest sense, the first kind of one. So in two 36 00:02:07.719 --> 00:02:12.439 thousand and six that happened. So we managed to get 37 00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:17.560 like the first Baseball World Classic in two thousand and six. 38 00:02:17.759 --> 00:02:21.439 Since then two thousand and nine, twenty thirteen, twenty seventeen, 39 00:02:21.560 --> 00:02:25.879 twenty three, two twenty six, all on a delightful not 40 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:28.039 quite three or four year schedule, depending on. 41 00:02:28.039 --> 00:02:32.039 Various different reasons that have caused that. 42 00:02:33.560 --> 00:02:38.120 Yeah, it's basically it's a tournament which effectively has been 43 00:02:39.520 --> 00:02:42.120 it's pretty easy to say, has been dominated by Japan. 44 00:02:42.960 --> 00:02:46.879 They won the inaugural tournament in two thousand and six 45 00:02:47.719 --> 00:02:51.120 and one, and again basically like in two thousand and nine, 46 00:02:52.199 --> 00:02:55.439 but it has been basically picked up by other teams 47 00:02:55.439 --> 00:02:58.520 along the way, with the Dominican Republic and with. 48 00:03:00.199 --> 00:03:01.759 Having their Moments in the Sun as well. 49 00:03:01.960 --> 00:03:05.919 So but yeah, it is a tournament basically which we 50 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:08.879 get to see theoretically the best players in the world. 51 00:03:09.360 --> 00:03:14.120 Now that hasn't always been the case for different reasons, 52 00:03:14.800 --> 00:03:21.199 but it makes sense to kind of now hopefully see 53 00:03:21.240 --> 00:03:24.439 it with getting into as close to as an equivalent 54 00:03:24.439 --> 00:03:25.319 of the. 55 00:03:25.479 --> 00:03:27.560 Baseball World Cup, which is what it actually used to 56 00:03:27.560 --> 00:03:27.919 be called. 57 00:03:28.639 --> 00:03:31.919 Yeah, and you two were both out there last time, GAVI. 58 00:03:31.960 --> 00:03:34.159 It certainly felt watching it from Afar. I imagine it felt 59 00:03:34.159 --> 00:03:36.240 like this to you, that it sort of really took 60 00:03:36.280 --> 00:03:38.759 it to the next level of the last tournament, that 61 00:03:38.759 --> 00:03:42.159 that international appeal really spread and a lot more people 62 00:03:42.159 --> 00:03:44.800 were talking about it and we obviously had the epic 63 00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:47.800 final between the USA and Japan. Was that your experience? 64 00:03:47.800 --> 00:03:50.280 Did it feel like a proper a World Cup of Baseball? 65 00:03:50.840 --> 00:03:54.439 Well, it's really interesting because for us it was among 66 00:03:54.479 --> 00:03:58.560 the most exciting experiences we've had. But then I was 67 00:03:58.560 --> 00:04:01.400 listening to Ken Rosenthal who was also saying a very 68 00:04:01.439 --> 00:04:04.919 similar thing that he's done Super Bowls, World Series, Olympics, 69 00:04:05.039 --> 00:04:09.000 and the WBC in twenty three was the most exciting 70 00:04:09.039 --> 00:04:12.919 tournament that he's ever covered. So you know, if someone 71 00:04:13.000 --> 00:04:16.079 like that with that much experience, had that sort of 72 00:04:16.879 --> 00:04:20.519 experience with the event, then yeah, it really has taken 73 00:04:20.600 --> 00:04:22.759 on a new lease of life, I think, and it 74 00:04:22.920 --> 00:04:25.480 probably is. You can probably narrow it down to when 75 00:04:25.560 --> 00:04:29.360 Mookie Betts and Mike Trout decided they were going to participate, 76 00:04:29.800 --> 00:04:31.759 and then everyone else wanted to get involved. And the 77 00:04:31.800 --> 00:04:35.199 team that the USA put out last time was you know, 78 00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:38.319 simply immense, and so all the players who missed out, 79 00:04:38.439 --> 00:04:41.360 the Bryce Harpers of the world, then they want to 80 00:04:41.399 --> 00:04:43.800 get involved this time. And then I think there's just 81 00:04:43.839 --> 00:04:46.560 been an avalanche of talent who wants to play, who 82 00:04:46.600 --> 00:04:51.199 wants to participate, And if you took the insurance issue out, 83 00:04:51.279 --> 00:04:55.079 which we'll get to later, but there's hardly a top 84 00:04:55.120 --> 00:04:59.120 player who is not going to be performing next month. 85 00:04:59.240 --> 00:05:02.399 Yeah, it's a pretty terrific lineup of players here. I 86 00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:04.600 think certainly in the past you would have looked at 87 00:05:04.600 --> 00:05:07.680 teams from some of these countries and either gone, who 88 00:05:07.720 --> 00:05:10.279 are these people or you would have thought, you know, 89 00:05:10.319 --> 00:05:13.120 why is this guy who just got defaed by the 90 00:05:13.160 --> 00:05:16.959 Reds on the starting picture for a World Baseball Classic. 91 00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:19.199 I'm not thinking of anyone specific, but it was that 92 00:05:19.639 --> 00:05:22.839 type of vibe. You know, you certainly had a lot 93 00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:24.839 of that, even on teams that you would consider to 94 00:05:24.879 --> 00:05:28.040 have strong baseball heritage. It was not a priority for 95 00:05:28.079 --> 00:05:30.519 a lot of these players. So it is great to 96 00:05:30.600 --> 00:05:33.360 see the strength in depth that we've got this year. 97 00:05:33.959 --> 00:05:38.680 And I suppose Russ you mentioned Japan's relative dominance over 98 00:05:38.720 --> 00:05:41.040 this tournament. Are they still the team to beat here? 99 00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:41.480 Do you think? 100 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:41.759 Can you? 101 00:05:42.120 --> 00:05:45.399 Can you see them doing a repeat of their famous 102 00:05:45.480 --> 00:05:47.800 victory last time over the USA. 103 00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:52.079 It's an interesting one because I think that because the 104 00:05:52.160 --> 00:05:57.439 Japanese team plays more together. There are other international tournaments, 105 00:05:58.079 --> 00:06:01.199 the Premieer twelve being the big one, and the top 106 00:06:01.319 --> 00:06:04.160 Japanese players do play that in as well, so they 107 00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:06.680 play together as a team a lot more. Until the 108 00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:10.360 last Premier twelve final, Japan hadn't lost an international game 109 00:06:10.399 --> 00:06:13.600 in thirty games. Is a cross spran across like nearly 110 00:06:13.639 --> 00:06:17.600 fifty years when they lost the final to Taiwan or 111 00:06:17.920 --> 00:06:20.879 Chinese Taipei as we have to refer to them in 112 00:06:20.920 --> 00:06:25.040 this tournament, I think you have to honestly say that 113 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:28.079 they deserve to basically still be the favorites. I think 114 00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:31.199 the US, you could easily say have a potentially have 115 00:06:31.240 --> 00:06:35.199 a better lineup and the better players, but about playing 116 00:06:35.240 --> 00:06:37.519 in this side of format, about having a manager who 117 00:06:37.600 --> 00:06:40.759 knows how to manage well in these scenarios, I think 118 00:06:40.839 --> 00:06:43.959 Japan has that edge that pushes them a little bit 119 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:46.720 further than what you could maybe say for the USA 120 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:50.519 and the Dominican Republic, which are probably like the those 121 00:06:50.560 --> 00:06:54.360 would be the top three, with Puerto Rico probably just 122 00:06:54.399 --> 00:06:56.199 a slightly little bit below them. 123 00:06:56.639 --> 00:06:59.560 Yeah, well, let's talk about Puerto Rico because I've already 124 00:06:59.600 --> 00:07:03.120 alluded to the insurance issues. So this is a squad 125 00:07:03.120 --> 00:07:06.279 that has some pretty high profile names to draw on, 126 00:07:06.439 --> 00:07:09.879 Francis Killindoor, Carlos Carrera among them. Gav You've got a 127 00:07:09.879 --> 00:07:11.600 piece up on the website about this, but can you 128 00:07:11.639 --> 00:07:13.839 just take people through what exactly is going on with 129 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:16.480 Puerto Riki and their insurance and why we're not going 130 00:07:16.519 --> 00:07:17.920 to see some of these guys this year. 131 00:07:18.639 --> 00:07:25.319 Absolutely cannot know. It is a it's so confusing, but 132 00:07:25.519 --> 00:07:30.920 basically MLB have an agreement with an insurance company that 133 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:35.639 they will cover the salaries of the players if they 134 00:07:35.639 --> 00:07:38.000 get injured. Two years for a hitter, four years for 135 00:07:38.199 --> 00:07:42.680 a picture. But there are many get up clauses, one 136 00:07:42.680 --> 00:07:45.279 of them being the player was on the sixty day 137 00:07:45.360 --> 00:07:48.439 deal iol last year. Another one if they've had off 138 00:07:48.480 --> 00:07:53.040 season surgery, no matter how minor. And yeah, so lots 139 00:07:53.079 --> 00:07:55.399 of players and it does really seem to be so 140 00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:59.240 many of the Puerto Rican stars are now deemed ineligible. 141 00:07:59.360 --> 00:08:04.160 So we don't have Carlos Carrea, have you by biases 142 00:08:04.240 --> 00:08:10.319 for another reason, Francisco Lindor Burios the picture and then 143 00:08:10.399 --> 00:08:14.560 for Venezuela, they haven't got Jose al too they so yeah, 144 00:08:14.600 --> 00:08:17.800 it's it's put a bit of a dump knot on 145 00:08:17.879 --> 00:08:21.680 the whole tournament to begin with, but it has just 146 00:08:21.759 --> 00:08:26.879 devastated the Puerto Rican lineup, considering that they are one 147 00:08:26.879 --> 00:08:30.160 of the host countries, so there's four host countries, we've 148 00:08:30.199 --> 00:08:33.120 got four groups of five and four groups of five teams. 149 00:08:34.080 --> 00:08:36.759 It was such a big occasion for Puerto Rico, so 150 00:08:37.000 --> 00:08:40.039 the fact that they I think they've lost eight players 151 00:08:40.120 --> 00:08:44.480 who would get into any team, so yeah, it's I 152 00:08:44.519 --> 00:08:47.360 don't know what WBC and MLB are going to do 153 00:08:47.399 --> 00:08:49.200 about it. I don't think they really give a damp 154 00:08:49.279 --> 00:08:50.759 at the moment, but I don't know what they'll do 155 00:08:50.960 --> 00:08:54.320 to stop it happening again next time. But yeah, it's 156 00:08:54.399 --> 00:08:56.799 certainly I would feel very resentful if I was Puerto 157 00:08:56.840 --> 00:08:58.240 Rican Russ. 158 00:08:58.240 --> 00:08:59.879 Surely you can improve on that. 159 00:09:00.559 --> 00:09:03.000 I think there's a sliding scale here. I think that 160 00:09:03.120 --> 00:09:07.200 like saying that Carlos Career's contract is potentially too much 161 00:09:07.240 --> 00:09:10.320 for somebody to be willing to ensure, you know what, 162 00:09:10.559 --> 00:09:14.039 Like there were multiple teams that were willing to war 163 00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:16.879 from our contracts and then then take that contract back 164 00:09:16.879 --> 00:09:20.320 when they've did his medical so like not to be 165 00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:24.919 like there's something going on there, but that potentially seems reasonable. 166 00:09:25.279 --> 00:09:28.200 Lindau looks like another one. Now all there are stuff 167 00:09:28.200 --> 00:09:29.639 that has come out and said that he maybe is 168 00:09:30.039 --> 00:09:33.960 recovering from before the season, for coming from the surgery 169 00:09:33.960 --> 00:09:35.919 that he had that we didn't know about. Can never 170 00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:37.960 know whether these are smoke and mirrors or it's actually 171 00:09:37.960 --> 00:09:41.159 the case, but there does seem to be something that 172 00:09:41.240 --> 00:09:43.840 has changed here compared to what it was like last 173 00:09:43.879 --> 00:09:46.720 year around? Was it because we had Edwin Diaz, and 174 00:09:46.759 --> 00:09:48.879 there's a l two Bay get injured in the last tournament, 175 00:09:49.039 --> 00:09:53.080 which potentially has like changed some of these premiums. I 176 00:09:53.080 --> 00:09:58.279 think the fact that there has so much adverse he admit, 177 00:09:58.919 --> 00:10:01.799 impacted the Latin American teams and we basically haven't really 178 00:10:01.840 --> 00:10:06.440 had a US player not get their insurance is definitely 179 00:10:06.440 --> 00:10:08.879 does also feel a little bit odd. Have scenes of 180 00:10:08.960 --> 00:10:12.080 rumors though that suggests that actually Mike Trout might be 181 00:10:12.080 --> 00:10:17.559 playing uninsured, so they put some of that into context 182 00:10:17.559 --> 00:10:19.919 as well. I did also read a rumor that supposedly 183 00:10:19.960 --> 00:10:23.840 Bad Bunny was willing to pay the insurance for a 184 00:10:23.840 --> 00:10:28.600 load of the point Too Rican players himself, but I 185 00:10:28.600 --> 00:10:32.240 don't know how how much truth went into that or not. 186 00:10:32.399 --> 00:10:35.240 It's a sad state of affairs that you don't basically 187 00:10:35.240 --> 00:10:37.279 have the best players take place. I think, however, it 188 00:10:37.320 --> 00:10:38.960 needs to be sorted. It needs to be sorted for 189 00:10:39.440 --> 00:10:41.159 the next time around to work out what it is. 190 00:10:41.679 --> 00:10:44.519 MLB teams already have like a way of stopping teams 191 00:10:44.519 --> 00:10:46.360 really from playing this because if they didn't play a 192 00:10:46.399 --> 00:10:50.000 certain percentage of the games in the Major League last year, 193 00:10:50.039 --> 00:10:52.159 the team has the right to say no it's not 194 00:10:52.200 --> 00:10:56.559 on the player to decide, and as we'll talk across 195 00:10:56.639 --> 00:11:01.799 various teams, prospects and players going in to contract years 196 00:11:01.840 --> 00:11:04.559 also generally have the incentive to not take players in 197 00:11:04.639 --> 00:11:06.759 the tournament because they're stuff that their clubs want them 198 00:11:06.799 --> 00:11:08.200 to do or stuff that they need to do to 199 00:11:08.240 --> 00:11:11.840 make sure they actually get the best money that they can. 200 00:11:12.240 --> 00:11:15.639 So there's another little annoyance that means we don't quite 201 00:11:15.679 --> 00:11:18.200 get to see the best players. But I still think 202 00:11:18.200 --> 00:11:20.799 this tournament is going to have the best squads that 203 00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:21.720 we've seen. 204 00:11:22.639 --> 00:11:23.519 Yeah, I think that's right. 205 00:11:23.799 --> 00:11:27.679 Your bad money could afford it. 206 00:11:26.799 --> 00:11:30.679 We can be down about the players who are missing, 207 00:11:30.720 --> 00:11:34.000 and obviously is it's sad for Puerto Rico, but for 208 00:11:34.080 --> 00:11:37.399 us as mutrals or as British fans as we're going 209 00:11:37.440 --> 00:11:40.480 into this, but as a neutral fan, it is fantastic. 210 00:11:40.480 --> 00:11:43.720 We've got so many high profile players and so many 211 00:11:43.759 --> 00:11:47.519 exciting youngsters who in previous tournaments may not have been 212 00:11:47.559 --> 00:11:49.600 allowed to play. So yeah, we should look at that 213 00:11:49.679 --> 00:11:51.480 and be really optimistic that this is going to be 214 00:11:51.519 --> 00:11:52.200 a great tournament. 215 00:11:52.799 --> 00:11:53.639 Yeah, we still have. 216 00:11:54.200 --> 00:11:57.799 Nine of MLB's top one hundred, the top ten out 217 00:11:57.799 --> 00:11:59.120 of the top one hundred. 218 00:12:00.679 --> 00:12:01.559 The exception being. 219 00:12:01.480 --> 00:12:04.360 Joseier Ramirez, who seemingly didn't want to play second fiddle 220 00:12:04.360 --> 00:12:07.440 to Manny Machado Republic. 221 00:12:08.120 --> 00:12:11.240 So internal strive in the Dominican Well, we probably we 222 00:12:11.240 --> 00:12:13.879 probably should talk about some of these squads because, yeah, 223 00:12:13.879 --> 00:12:15.600 you're gonna you're going to recognize a lot of names, 224 00:12:15.639 --> 00:12:17.159 and there might be some other names you don't know 225 00:12:17.200 --> 00:12:19.559 so well, but I think you probably will in the 226 00:12:19.679 --> 00:12:22.360 very near future because there's a lot of prospects on 227 00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:23.799 this list, a lot of guys I think we're going 228 00:12:23.799 --> 00:12:26.879 to see in the majors, including including some guys on 229 00:12:26.879 --> 00:12:30.519 on TEAMGB. So I guess we'll we'll go we'll go 230 00:12:30.600 --> 00:12:33.759 group by group and run down those pools and then 231 00:12:33.840 --> 00:12:36.919 we can have a talk about a few few highlights 232 00:12:36.919 --> 00:12:38.480 from the squads and any guys you want to watch 233 00:12:38.519 --> 00:12:41.639 out for. So we'll start with paul A, the afore 234 00:12:41.639 --> 00:12:46.440 mentioned Puerto Rico leave that pool, but we've also got Cuba, Canada, Panama, 235 00:12:46.480 --> 00:12:52.200 and Columbia. So I guess given the slightly decimated Puerto 236 00:12:52.279 --> 00:12:55.840 Rico squad, we've still got some some household names on this, 237 00:12:55.919 --> 00:12:56.600 haven't we were us? 238 00:12:57.960 --> 00:13:03.080 Yeah, that Puerto Rico team is still utterly phenomenal to 239 00:13:03.480 --> 00:13:06.320 kind of go through you. Pretty Much everyone on that 240 00:13:06.919 --> 00:13:11.039 squad is an MLB player or as basically played MLB 241 00:13:11.080 --> 00:13:14.159 baseball like very very recently, So it's not like it 242 00:13:14.200 --> 00:13:18.480 is going to kind of to struggle, but it doesn't 243 00:13:18.519 --> 00:13:22.080 quite have the top class people you have like that. 244 00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:25.759 You've got Marty Maldlaldo and Christian Vasquez as your catchers. 245 00:13:26.200 --> 00:13:28.600 We have the more Some of the more interesting talking 246 00:13:28.639 --> 00:13:33.279 point is Nolan Aaronado, by his mother's heritage, switching to 247 00:13:33.399 --> 00:13:35.440 play for players to weekly at this tournament, given he 248 00:13:35.480 --> 00:13:38.960 played for the USA in the last tournament. But yeah, 249 00:13:39.039 --> 00:13:41.120 and then obviously from the pitching perspective, we have Edwin 250 00:13:41.159 --> 00:13:44.159 Diaz and let's see hopefully that he makes it through 251 00:13:44.200 --> 00:13:47.360 this tournament clean without any injuries. And I don't have 252 00:13:47.399 --> 00:13:52.559 to go insulting TV producer TV. This is how he 253 00:13:52.679 --> 00:13:54.000 rose to TV. I can't remember now for. 254 00:13:56.440 --> 00:13:56.799 Don't start. 255 00:13:56.840 --> 00:13:58.879 You're getting out of trouble again now, Russ. 256 00:14:01.240 --> 00:14:03.200 Sending it to you that everybody thought was John and 257 00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:06.360 was me drunk at like two am in Miami. 258 00:14:06.600 --> 00:14:09.519 Nolan Aaronado maybe not in the peak of his powers anymore, 259 00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:12.559 but obviously been a very good player in his lifetime, 260 00:14:14.039 --> 00:14:17.279 we get to see him out there, have anybody you're 261 00:14:17.320 --> 00:14:19.559 looking out for, and in particular on the remnants of 262 00:14:19.600 --> 00:14:20.600 the Puerto Rica squad. 263 00:14:21.679 --> 00:14:24.639 Now I see that the lineup which they're likely to 264 00:14:24.639 --> 00:14:27.759 put out, and yeah, it is. It's just it's just 265 00:14:28.399 --> 00:14:32.360 disappointing every time I see it, because Willie Castro you've 266 00:14:32.360 --> 00:14:36.960 got instead of I don't know, Carlos Correa, Edwin Arroyo, 267 00:14:37.120 --> 00:14:42.720 he's the he's the Reds short stop prospector. I believe, Yeah, 268 00:14:42.759 --> 00:14:46.000 it could be quite exciting to see him. But I 269 00:14:46.039 --> 00:14:49.720 think that this the fact that Puerto Rico has been decimated. 270 00:14:49.799 --> 00:14:52.480 I think that that this makes this group the most 271 00:14:52.519 --> 00:14:55.559 exciting group. I cannot see who is going to win. 272 00:14:55.759 --> 00:14:59.600 I cannot see who's going to come second. I think 273 00:14:59.639 --> 00:15:02.000 all five of them have a good chance to get through, 274 00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:03.879 and you can't say that with many of the groups. 275 00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:07.279 Yeah, there are definitely opportunities for everyone here. I think 276 00:15:07.320 --> 00:15:09.279 you're right about that, Russ. Is there somebody you like 277 00:15:09.360 --> 00:15:11.960 as a dark horse here? If such a thing exists 278 00:15:12.000 --> 00:15:13.399 in a more wide open group? 279 00:15:13.440 --> 00:15:17.120 Now, well, the dark horses of baseball for a long 280 00:15:17.120 --> 00:15:20.600 time have always been Cuba like because effectively, for a 281 00:15:20.600 --> 00:15:22.279 lot of these players, we don't wait to get to 282 00:15:22.320 --> 00:15:26.360 see them because to maintain their Cuban national to be 283 00:15:26.399 --> 00:15:28.120 able to play for all the Cuban national team, they 284 00:15:28.120 --> 00:15:33.080 have to effectively stay in Cuba and not play in 285 00:15:33.159 --> 00:15:37.200 any of the leagues that are affiliated. So we kind 286 00:15:37.200 --> 00:15:41.600 of don't necessarily have much of a you now we 287 00:15:41.639 --> 00:15:45.840 do this year have like some players that have made 288 00:15:45.840 --> 00:15:51.480 a name for themselves in other tournaments in other countries. 289 00:15:51.919 --> 00:15:54.480 So when you look through kind of like the list 290 00:15:54.519 --> 00:15:59.919 and you see like Levan Uenello, who's had an app 291 00:16:00.120 --> 00:16:04.240 looke like storm of a time in the MVP, MVP 292 00:16:04.879 --> 00:16:08.600 np appything else, you can then realize that actually they 293 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:12.360 actually they have a top end pitcher which can can 294 00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:16.080 give anybody like a run for their money. You don't 295 00:16:16.120 --> 00:16:19.960 really know how much of that team is going to perform, 296 00:16:20.279 --> 00:16:24.120 with the exception of maybe why Ban Moncado. When it 297 00:16:24.120 --> 00:16:29.159 comes to the actual hitting side, overlooking Cuba and international 298 00:16:29.159 --> 00:16:31.159 baseball has always been a very dangerous thing to do. 299 00:16:32.320 --> 00:16:36.000 That picture. Manelo is just incredible. Nine years in Japan 300 00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:41.279 and he has a one point eight ERA six hundred 301 00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:45.200 and thirty innings and that's seven hundred and fifty strikeouts 302 00:16:45.240 --> 00:16:51.480 over nine years, he's obviously knows what he's doing. And 303 00:16:51.519 --> 00:16:55.679 then also they've also got Alfredo Disband. I don't know 304 00:16:55.679 --> 00:16:58.240 how old he's going to be, about fifty five, so 305 00:16:58.279 --> 00:17:01.480 he's got the he's going to be in his fifth WBC. 306 00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:05.319 And he held the record for the most homers despite 307 00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:07.599 not hitting a homer at the last one. But I 308 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:10.440 think that record might go because I think it's only 309 00:17:10.480 --> 00:17:12.920 at seven so and I think Trey Turner did he 310 00:17:12.960 --> 00:17:13.839 get fired last. 311 00:17:13.680 --> 00:17:17.680 Time he did it, and a rather than good tournament. 312 00:17:17.839 --> 00:17:20.039 I think obviously when you if you were to look 313 00:17:20.079 --> 00:17:23.319 at this on on paper, like we're just not even 314 00:17:23.319 --> 00:17:25.359 seeing like what these teams would be like. He is 315 00:17:25.400 --> 00:17:29.720 like Cuba of the second round teenage ranked team Canada. 316 00:17:30.839 --> 00:17:34.640 I always am surprised, basically by how poor I end 317 00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:37.160 up thinking the Canadian lineup is because I'm just like, oh, 318 00:17:37.160 --> 00:17:38.960 they're a North American team, they should have. 319 00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:41.400 Like a lot of like good players. 320 00:17:41.680 --> 00:17:46.000 But you then realize it's actually way more fringe MLB 321 00:17:46.160 --> 00:17:49.200 than you thought it would be, Like with the exception 322 00:17:49.240 --> 00:17:53.039 of of like the Nailers, like most of the other 323 00:17:53.160 --> 00:17:55.960 and like Tyler O'Neil, most of the other hitters are 324 00:17:57.200 --> 00:18:02.960 like bench or utility players or a couple of prospects 325 00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:04.880 that haven't really made me reached the potential that you 326 00:18:05.000 --> 00:18:07.960 thought they would, and you're just like, oh, okay, so 327 00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:10.079 maybe that's not there. And again on the pitching side, 328 00:18:10.079 --> 00:18:15.359 you're like, okay, James Paxton, cal Guandrill Logan, Allen Michael Soroka, 329 00:18:15.519 --> 00:18:19.160 James Tyn. They're good, they're not amazing, but you think 330 00:18:19.200 --> 00:18:21.440 that like they should be do okay with that. But 331 00:18:22.880 --> 00:18:27.279 me and Gab watched Canada play awful baseball against TEAMGB 332 00:18:27.400 --> 00:18:31.480 who then managed to play even worse baseball in return. 333 00:18:32.039 --> 00:18:35.480 But uh, yeah, like they if it clicks, they could 334 00:18:35.519 --> 00:18:39.960 be a good team. And then Panama and Columbia have 335 00:18:40.480 --> 00:18:43.920 individual players that could could peak. 336 00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:46.799 At this moment and have an impact on the tournament. 337 00:18:46.400 --> 00:18:50.559 But you don't you expect them to really kind of 338 00:18:50.599 --> 00:18:52.039 come out as winners. 339 00:18:52.039 --> 00:18:54.839 But Columbia ba Mexico last time around. 340 00:18:56.240 --> 00:18:59.720 In the tournament, so having to have to requalify to 341 00:18:59.759 --> 00:19:04.240 kind of get back into this. It is definitely a 342 00:19:04.279 --> 00:19:06.240 pool that could end up like one of the ones 343 00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:08.319 last year that had two wins for all the teams 344 00:19:08.359 --> 00:19:08.920 across the ball. 345 00:19:09.599 --> 00:19:13.480 I think the Colombia, I mean Mexico is I think 346 00:19:13.480 --> 00:19:17.680 that epitomizes how great this tournament is. The fact that 347 00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:20.920 Columbia finished bottom of the group, they had to requalify, 348 00:19:21.039 --> 00:19:23.759 but they beat Mexico, who came within a whisker of 349 00:19:23.880 --> 00:19:26.400 getting to the final. It was only like a walk 350 00:19:26.440 --> 00:19:31.240 off by Merikami and Mexico beat the USA in the 351 00:19:31.279 --> 00:19:36.079 pool group. So with such a short tournament, just one 352 00:19:36.079 --> 00:19:39.039 off games, it really is the sort of thing that 353 00:19:39.160 --> 00:19:42.680 anyone can beat anyone else. So in paul A, yeah, 354 00:19:42.759 --> 00:19:46.039 this could it could go down to the wire, or 355 00:19:46.160 --> 00:19:48.720 one team could just end up winning four games, so 356 00:19:48.759 --> 00:19:50.920 it'll be exciting. Yeah, it's very much baseball as we 357 00:19:50.960 --> 00:19:52.880 don't see it normally, isn't it. You know, we talk 358 00:19:52.920 --> 00:19:55.880 about how random the playoffs are. We did, we did 359 00:19:55.880 --> 00:19:59.680 briefly have the one game wildcard playoffs, but it's very 360 00:19:59.759 --> 00:20:02.720 rare for us to see anything in Major League better 361 00:20:02.720 --> 00:20:06.160 will certainly get settled by one game, so it's it's 362 00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:10.640 quite exciting. And yeah, the talent gap can be severely 363 00:20:10.920 --> 00:20:16.279 eliminated by these sort of very short sample paul games. 364 00:20:16.319 --> 00:20:19.440 And yeah, as you say, anything anything can happen. We 365 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:21.319 can have seen a very different outcome last time, if 366 00:20:21.359 --> 00:20:25.640 not for a couple of those moments you mentioned. So 367 00:20:25.680 --> 00:20:28.200 I think let's let's move on to Paul B then 368 00:20:29.200 --> 00:20:33.200 featuring our beloved great Britain of course, but also the 369 00:20:33.640 --> 00:20:38.640 mighty United States of America, Mexico, Italy and Brazil. And 370 00:20:39.559 --> 00:20:41.920 is this time We're going to spend quite a lot 371 00:20:41.920 --> 00:20:44.240 more time talking about Team GB at a late stage, 372 00:20:44.319 --> 00:20:47.400 but I think probably we should step in and cover 373 00:20:47.480 --> 00:20:50.640 the amount of talent that the US have a massed 374 00:20:50.680 --> 00:20:53.599 for this tournament, because last time out, I think it's 375 00:20:53.599 --> 00:20:56.200 fair to say that the hitting lineup was pretty good 376 00:20:56.359 --> 00:20:59.000 and the pitching didn't really match it. But that's not 377 00:20:59.039 --> 00:20:59.440 the case this. 378 00:20:59.440 --> 00:21:03.359 Time, is it US? No? This time like you've got 379 00:21:03.400 --> 00:21:04.440 the two cy young winners. 380 00:21:04.559 --> 00:21:07.920 Well, I don't think you could really ask for much more, 381 00:21:09.000 --> 00:21:11.200 but it's like, okay, yeah, you've got theoretically the two 382 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:15.319 best pitchers in baseball, and then you added Logan Web, 383 00:21:15.839 --> 00:21:21.160 you added wow, trying to think of like a Clayed 384 00:21:21.200 --> 00:21:23.079 Clay homes and stuff like that to actually make this 385 00:21:23.119 --> 00:21:24.039 team like interesting. 386 00:21:24.160 --> 00:21:26.319 Joe Ryan to be like, yeah, you know what. 387 00:21:26.640 --> 00:21:30.119 The there were games being started by Miles Michaelis and 388 00:21:30.119 --> 00:21:33.960 Adam wayIn wright last time around, which they weren't great players. 389 00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:36.839 They're still great, good MLB players, but they weren't great 390 00:21:36.920 --> 00:21:40.880 MLB players three years ago. You've still like you've got 391 00:21:40.920 --> 00:21:43.759 Mason Miller, You've got David Bednar to come off the 392 00:21:43.799 --> 00:21:46.559 Griffin Jacks to kind of come off the bench as 393 00:21:46.640 --> 00:21:50.079 bullpen relief. Barrett within Lock as well, depinding how they 394 00:21:50.160 --> 00:21:52.559 choose to use him. Like that side of it is 395 00:21:52.680 --> 00:21:56.480 like it is hands above what it was before. The 396 00:21:56.599 --> 00:21:59.640 USA starters last time had a four and a half 397 00:22:00.119 --> 00:22:03.960 ya ah, So I just don't expect that to be 398 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:07.960 the case this time around. So they will probably limit 399 00:22:08.079 --> 00:22:11.319 the teams better than they did the time before. It 400 00:22:11.359 --> 00:22:14.000 wasn't necessarily USA's massive problem when they gave them too 401 00:22:14.000 --> 00:22:16.000