In And Outs Of The Fifth World Baseball Classic
From the offices of Major League Baseball
About the World Baseball Classic
Globe’s Got Game: The fifth installment of the biggest international baseball tournament in the world brings many of the best players on the planet together to compete for their home countries and territories.
Japan won the first two versions of the tournament, taking home trophies in 2006 and 2009. In 2013, a dominant Dominican Republic squad won all eight of its games in winning the title. Then, in 2017, the United States won it all.
Almost 3.3 million fans from all over the world attended WBC games over the first four installments. This one-of-a-kind tournament was created to serve as a platform for increasing baseball’s worldwide exposure, attracting new fans and players to the universal game of baseball.
Since its debut, the World Baseball Classic has shown continued growth across the international stage, showcasing 16 different countries and territories in both 2006 and 2009. In 2013, a new Qualifier round was introduced. A total of 12 new countries were invited to participate in the Fall 2012 event along with four teams from the 2009 tournament that were required to re-qualify for the 2013 Classic, to fill another 16-federation field.
The Qualifying Round returned for the 2017 edition of the WBC, leading to the first-ever WBC berths for the national teams of Colombia and Israel. For the 2023 edition, the field expanded to 20 – with all 16 countries that participated in the 2017 WBC returning, along with four additional teams from the Qualifying Round. National teams of Great Britain, Nicaragua and the Czech Republic each received a first-ever WBC berth, and Panama qualified to return for the first time since 2009.
The competitive format of the 2023 World Baseball Classic will feature 10 Round Robin games per pool during the First Round, with the top two teams from each pool advancing to the single-elimination bracket, consisting of four quarterfinal games in the Second Round followed by three single-elimination games in the Championship Round.
For a complete schedule and ticket information, go to worldbaseballclassic.com.
FORMAT AND LOCATIONS
FIRST ROUND (ROUND ROBIN)
Pool A: Chinese Taipei, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Cuba, Italy, Panama at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium, Taichung, Taiwan, March 8-12
Pool B: Japan, Korea, Australia, China, Czech Republic at Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan, March 9-13
Pool C: USA, Mexico, Colombia, Canada, Great Britain at Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona, March 11-15
Pool D: Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Israel, Nicaragua at loanDepot Park, Miami, Florida, March 11-15
SECOND ROUND (SINGLE ELIMINATION)
Quarterfinal 1: Pool B Runner-up vs. Pool A Winner, at Tokyo Dome, March 15
Quarterfinal 2: Pool A Runner-up vs. Pool B Winner, at Tokyo Dome, March 16
Quarterfinal 3: Pool C Runner-up vs. Pool D Winner, at loanDepot Park, March 17
Quarterfinal 4: Pool D Runner-up vs. Pool C Winner, at loanDepot Park, March 18
CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND (SINGLE ELIMINATION)
All games at loanDepot Park, March 19-21
Semifinal 1: Quarterfinal 1 Winner vs. Quarterfinal 3 Winner
Semifinal 2: Quarterfinal 2 Winner vs. Quarterfinal 4 Winner
Title game: The two winners face off
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
All Times are Local
Wednesday, March 8
Pool A: Cuba vs. Netherlands, 12:00 p.m., Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium
Pool A: Panama vs. Chinese Taipei, 7:00 p.m., Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium
Thursday, March 9
Pool A: Panama vs. Netherlands, 12:00 p.m., Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium
Pool A: Italy vs. Cuba, 7:00 p.m., Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium
Pool B: Australia vs. Korea, 12:00 p.m., Tokyo Dome
Pool B: China vs Japan, 7:00 p.m., Tokyo Dome
Friday, March 10
Pool A: Cuba vs. Panama, 12:30 p.m., Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium
Pool A: Italy vs. Chinese Taipei, 7:00 p.m., Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium
Pool B: Czech Republic vs China, 12:00 p.m., Tokyo Dome
Pool B: Korea vs. Japan, 7:00 p.m., Tokyo Dome
Saturday, March 11
Pool A: Panama vs. Italy, 12:00 p.m., Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium
Pool A: Netherlands vs. Chinese Taipei, 7:00 p.m., Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium
Pool B: China vs Australia, 12:00 p.m., Tokyo Dome
Pool B: Czech Republic vs. Japan, 7:00 p.m., Tokyo Dome
Pool C: Colombia vs. Mexico, 12:30 p.m., Chase Field
Pool C: Great Britain vs. United States, 7:00 p.m., Chase Field
Pool D: Nicaragua vs. Puerto Rico, 12:00 p.m., loanDepot Park
Pool D: Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela, 7:00 p.m., loanDepot Park
Sunday, March 12
Pool A: Chinese Taipei vs. Cuba, 12:00 p.m., Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium
Pool A: Netherlands vs. Italy, 7:00 p.m., Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium
Pool B: Czech Republic vs. Korea, 12:00 p.m., Tokyo Dome
Pool B: Japan vs. Australia, 7:00 p.m., Tokyo Dome
Pool C: Great Britain vs. Canada, 12:00 p.m., Chase Field
Pool C: Mexico vs. United States, 7:00 p.m., Chase Field
Pool D: Nicaragua vs. Israel, 12:00 p.m., loanDepot Park
Pool D: Venezuela vs. Puerto Rico, 7:00 p.m., loanDepot Park
Monday, March 13
Pool B: Australia vs. Czech Republic, 12:00 p.m., Tokyo Dome
Pool B: Korea vs. China, 7:00 p.m., Tokyo Dome
Pool C: Colombia vs. Great Britain, 12:00 p.m., Chase Field
Pool C: Canada vs. United States, 7:00 p.m., Chase Field
Pool D: Dominican Republic vs. Nicaragua, 12:00 p.m., loanDepot Park
Pool D: Israel vs. Puerto Rico, 7:00 p.m., loanDepot Park
Tuesday, March 14
Pool C: Canada vs. Colombia, 12:00 p.m., Chase Field
Pool C: Great Britain vs. Mexico, 7:00 p.m., Chase Field
Pool D: Nicaragua vs. Venezuela, 12:00 p.m., loanDepot Park
Pool D: Israel vs. Dominican Republic, 7:00 p.m., loanDepot Park
Wednesday, March 15
Pool C: Mexico vs. Canada, 12:00 p.m., Chase Field
Pool C: United States vs. Colombia, 7:00 p.m., Chase Field
Pool D: Venezuela vs. Israel, 12:00 p.m., loanDepot Park
Pool D: Puerto Rico vs. Dominican Republic, 7:00 p.m., loanDepot Park
UPCOMING PITCHERS
Cuba vs. Netherlands: RHP Yariel Rodríguez vs. RHP Tom de Blok…Rodríguez will be making his WBC debut. Pitched in 56 games for JPCL’s Chunichi Dragons in 2022, boasting a 1.15 ERA. Began career at age 18 with Ganaderos de Camaguey of CNS in 2015-16…This will be de Blok’s first career start in the WBC but he has made two appearances out of the bullpen. He threw 2.0 scoreless innings in the 2017 WBC. Signed a professional contract in Mexico after a great start in the Olympic Qualifier in
2021 in Puebla, Mexico. Threw a perfect game in the Hoofdklasse for Amsterdam Pirates in 2021, Signed with the Detroit Tigers following the 2017 WBC (April 10). Signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners in 2013. Participated in the MLB European Academy in 2013, as well as the 2013 European Junior Championship.
Panama vs. Chinese Taipei: RHP Humberto Mejía vs. TPE RHP Chih-Wei Hu…Mejía will be making his WBC debut. Signed with the Marlins in 2013 as an amateur free agent. Made three starts for the Marlins in 2020 and five for the Diamondbacks in ’21 after an Aug. 2020 trade. Made 10 starts for Leones del Escogido in 2022-23 LIDOM, with 2.32 ERA in 50 1/3 IP…Hu, a native of Taichung, Taiwan, was signed by the Minnesota Twins as an amateur free agent in 2012 and traded to Tampa Bay Rays in 2015. Hu made his MLB debut with the Rays on April 24, 2017 and pitched a perfect 1-2-3 inning against the Orioles. Hu later was traded to Cleveland (2018) and signed with the Cubs (2019) and the Padres (2019) before returning to Taiwan in 2021. After coming back to Taiwan, Hu was drafted by the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions (1st round, 4th overall) in 2021 and signed a 2.5-yr contract. Hu made his hometown debut on Aug. 29, 2021, and went 9-13 with a 3.35 ERA in 140.2 IP in 2022. Hu previously represented Taiwan in Incheon Asian Games 2014 and WBSC Premier12 2019.
TEAM NOTES
POOL A
CHINESE TAIPEI
WBC HISTORY: Chinese Taipei has appeared in all four previous Classics, posting a 3-10 record. The team reached the second round in 2013, while it was knocked out in the first round in 2006, 2009, and 2017. Chinese Taipei lost all three games against Israel, Netherlands and Korea in 2017, the second time it went winless in the tournament (lost to Korea and China in 2009).
MEET THE MANAGER: CT manager Yueh-Ping Lin, known as “Daddy Pie,” is the CPBL all-time saves leader and one of the most celebrated and colorful players in Taiwan baseball history. Lin spent all his 13 professional seasons with the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions and retired after the 2017 season with 129 saves and a 3.88 ERA in 692 IP. Lin was named the acting manager of the Lions following the end of the 2019 season. Lin led the Lions to Taiwan Series 2020 in his first year of managerial career. With the Lions down 1-3 in the Series, Lin managed to force games 5, 6, and 7 and ultimately defeated the heavily favored CTBC Brothers. Lin became the eighth manager in CPBL history to win the title in his debut season. His record after three seasons at the helm is 166-179-9 with one title (2020) and two appearances in Taiwan Series (2020 and ‘21). Lin was a member of WBC Chinese Taipei team in 2009.
TEAM NOTES: Chinese Taipei is sporting a younger team in WBC 2023 with most of the frequent members of the national team during the past few international tournaments retiring from the national team. Only three players on this year’s roster played in the 2017 edition of the Classic (Shao-Ching Chiang, Kuan-Yu Chen and Chia-Hao Sung), while many of the players from the 2013 edition are now the members of coaching staff (Chien-Ming Wang, Cheng-Min Peng, Chien-Ming Chang, Chih-Kang Kao and Chiang-Ho Chen). On the offensive side, Chinese Taipei is expected to rely heavily on batters returned from abroad such as Yu Chang (Red Sox), Tzu-Wei Lin (former Red Sox), Tsung-Che Cheng (Pirates organization) and Nien-Ting Wu (NPB Seibu Lions). Yu Chang has been on the top of his game during the entire span of camp, while Lin and Cheng both displayed their power during the exhibition games with Wu being solid on the lineup. X-Factor: Po-Jung Wang (NPB Nippon Ham Fighters) and Li Lin (Rakuten Monkeys). As for the pitching, Chinese Taipei will also rely on a trio with former Major/Minor Leaguers: Shao-Ching Chiang (Cleveland organization), Chih-Wei Hu (Rays) and Wei-Ching Wang (Brewers/Athletics/Pirates) in addition to the local phenom Tzu-Peng Huang (Rakuten Monkeys) on the starting front. Losing Yi Chang (NPB Seibu Lions) and Jen-Ho Tseng (former Cubs) to injuries is a big blow to the pitching depth on both ends and presents more challenges to the manager. While the bullpen is filled with some of the best arms from CPBL, the task to close the game will most likely fall on the shoulder of Chia-Hao Sung (NPB Rakuten Eagles) with Yu-Shun Chen (Rakuten Monkeys) as a strong backup. X-Factor: Kai-Wei Tung (Giants organization).
NETHERLANDS
WBC HISTORY: This is the fifth World Baseball Classic for Team Kingdom of the Netherlands. In the 2006 WBC, pitcher Shairon Martis no-hit Panama to give Netherlands 10-0 win in a mercy rule shortened game (7 inn.) and lone victory of the tournament (1-2 record; 11th place finish). In the 2009 tournament, Netherlands advanced to Round Two of the WBC, defeating the Dominican Republic twice in dramatic fashion (2-4 overall record; 7th place finish. The team reached the Championship Round in each of the past two editions. Team Kingdom of the Netherlands currently is seventh in the WBSC World Rankings.
MEET THE MANAGER: Team Netherlands will be led by Field Manager Hensley Meulens again in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He enters his first season with the Colorado Rockies as hitting coach after spending the 2022 season with the New York Yankees as assistant hitting coach. Prior to joining the Yankees, he served as the bench coach for the New York Mets in 2020.. Spent 11 years with the San Francisco Giants organization, including 10 seasons with the Major League club, winning won three World Series championships (2010, ’12, ’14) with San Francisco. “Bam Bam” was the first major league player from Curaçao. He represented the Netherlands as a player at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He returned to the team as a coach for the 2004 Summer Olympics and 2009 World Baseball Classic. On July 13, 2012, he received Royal decoration of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from Consul General Bart van Bolhuis before the game. He was conferred the status of Ridder in de Orde van Oranje-Nassau – the rank of knighthood. Decoration bestowed him the title of Sir, marking the honor of being knighted by the Queen of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for service to monarch and country. Nicknamed “Bam Bam” from softball days back home in Curacao, when he was hitting home runs left-handed and friends compared his power to Flintstones cartoon character. He speaks five different languages: English, Spanish, Dutch, Papiamento and Japanese.
TEAM NOTES: Team Kingdom of the Netherlands has nine players that appeared in a Major League Baseball game (Xander Bogaerts - BOS, Didi Gregorius - PHI, Jurickson Profar – SD, Jonathan Schoop - DET and Andrelton Simmons – CHC, Kenley Jansen – ATL, Josh Palacios – WAS, Richie Palacios – CLE, Chadwick Tromp - ATL). Infielder Andrelton Simmons has played the third-most games (623) among players born in the Netherlands or a territory of the Netherlands in the Majors behind only Andruw Jones (2,196) and Bert Blyleven (699). Jonathan Schoop’s 174 career home runs are the second-most for a player born in the Netherlands or a territory of the Netherlands behind Andruw Jones (434). Wladimir Balentien owns the Nippon Professional Baseball single-season HR record (60 in 2013). He posted a .779 OPS in 40 games with the Reds in 2009. Five of 10 players who started in the 2017 semifinal are on this year’s roster.
CUBA
WBC HISTORY: Cuba was the runner-up of the 2006 World Baseball Classic, ranked sixth in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, placed fifth in the 2013 tournament and seventh in 2017. In the international arena, Cuba has won 25 World Cups in 32 appearances and three Olympic Games – Barcelona ’92, Atlanta ’96 and Athens ’04, in addition to silver medals in Sydney in 2000 and Beijing in 2008.
MEET THE MANAGER: Team Cuba has participated in every WBC from its beginning in 2006 with four different managers – the late Higinio Velez in 2006 and 2009, Victor Mesa in 2013, Carlos Martin 2017 and now Armando Johnson in 2023. Johnson played 12 seasons in the National Series, with Isla de la Juventud (1977-1989). He became the Manager of "Los Piratas," the team from his hometown, and has 19 National Series and two Super Leagues on his resume, an event that has since disappeared and which at the time brought together the best players in the country. Identified by his wisdom and responsibility towards work, the Cuban Baseball Federation assigned him the responsibility of teams attending international events like Under 15, Under 18 and Under 23 categories, with which he won medals of all kinds and increased the prestige that distinguishes him. "A task that satisfies and commits, for what our sport means for Cuba", he has said about his appointment to lead the team to the World Baseball Classic. "The key to the preparation has been in the collective work and the excellent atmosphere that reigns in the team, strengthened with the arrival of athletes who came from other leagues, like a big family, convinced that the purpose of the team is above of any personal interest", says this 63-year-old man, who dreams of making happy the millions of compatriots who are waiting for his performance.
TEAM NOTES: With MLB players eligible to play for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic for the first time, Luis Robert and his White Sox teammate Yoán Moncada are among the biggest stars on the Cuban team…For the first time since 2009, Yoenis Céspedes will suit up for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic. Now 37, the right-handed slugger was excellent in his lone Classic appearance, hitting .458 with two homers and a 1.480 OPS over six games. He began his MLB career with Oakland three years later and appeared in parts of eight seasons with the A’s, Red Sox, Tigers and Mets. The two-time Home Run Derby champion socked 165 dingers over 834 games as a Major Leaguer…Alfredo Despaigne enters ‘23 with seven career WBC home runs, most in tournament history.
ITALY
WBC HISTORY: Italy is participating in its fifth World Baseball Classic and is 5-10 all-time…Italy went 1-3 in the most recent Classic, losing a one-game playoff to Venezuela, 4-3…in 2013, Italy advanced to the Second Round for the first time in WBC history before losing a pair of one-run games to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico in Miami (both teams faced off in the championship)…Italy has never faced any of the teams in Pool A in previous WBC contests.
MEET THE MANAGER: Mike Piazza, who was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016, will manage Team Italy in his first World Baseball Classic…Piazza's grandfather, Rosario, was from Sciacca, Sicily, and immigrated to the U.S. in the early 1930s…Piazza played for Italy in the 2006 WBC and served as the team's hitting coach in 2009, '13…is a 12-time National League All-Star, won 10 Silver Slugger Awards and was named the 1993 NL Rookie of the Year…his 386 home runs as catcher are the most all-time at that position.
TEAM NOTES: Four members were born in Italy: RHP Matteo Bocchi, C Alberto Mineo, LHP Nicolò Pinazzi, RHP Claudio Scotti…only RHP Sam Gaviglio returns from Italy's 2017 World Baseball Classic team…Chris Denorfia (Third Base) played with Team Italy in the 2013 WBC and is now on the team's coaching staff…David and Dominic Fletcher represent the first pair of brothers to play on Team Italy in the WBC…the team trained in Scottsdale, Ariz., prior to departing for Taiwan and played two exhibition games at Douliu Stadium (3-3 tie on March 5 vs. Wei Chun Dragons and 10-1 win on March 6 vs. Uni Lions).
MISSION CLASSIC: Following Mike Piazza's 2019 announcement of his intention to manage Team Italy in this World Baseball Classic, he devised a plan called "Mission Classic," bringing American players with Italian heritage over to the country for a week…the players trained with local baseball teams, while also getting to travel through the country to connect with their family's roots…12 players on Italy's WBC roster took part in the trip: Matt Festa, Joey Marciano, Andre Pallante, Mitchell Stumpo, Vito Friscia, Brett Sullivan, David Fletcher, Dominic Fletcher, Nicky Lopez, Vinnie Pasquantino, Miles Mastrobouni and Ben DeLuzio.
PANAMA
WBC HISTORY: Team Panama is competing in its first World Baseball Classic since 2009, when it failed to score a run in going 0-2 and finishing in 15th place, one spot ahead of last-place South Africa. The Panamanian team qualified for one other WBC, going 0-3 in 2006…They were outscored 20-7 in those three games, finishing in 14th place that year. Panama failed to qualify for the tournament in 2013 and 2017…They went 2-2 in the qualifying round in both years, losing two games to Brazil in 2013 and two games to Colombia in 2017…Both of those qualifying rounds were held in Panama.
MEET THE MANAGER: Luis Ortiz returns to manage Team Panama after serving as a coach on the squad in the 2009 tournament…Ortiz, born in the Canal Zone, played four seasons as an infielder in the minor leagues with New York (AL), reaching as high as A-ball with Alexandria of the Carolina League…He currently serves as the Kansas City’s international scouting supervisor. Ortiz managed six seasons in the minor leagues with Atlanta, leading the organization’s rookie-level Gulf Coast League team from 2005-2010. Ortiz compiled 146-192 (.432) with the GCL Braves…He also worked as a scout with the club after his managerial stint, signing Christian Bethancourt and Randall Delgado among others…Both Bethancourt and Delgado will play for Ortiz in this year’s classic. Ortiz takes the managerial reins from Héctor López, who guided the club in the 2009 tournament.
TEAM NOTES: Panama City, the capital of Panama, is 9,766 miles away from Taichung, the farthest by miles of any visiting club’s capital in this pool. Havana (Team Cuba’s capital) is 8,818 miles away, while Rome (Team Italy) is 5,971 miles and Amsterdam (Team Netherlands) is the closest at 5,890 miles. C Ivan Herrera is set to face his teammate and batterymate RHP Andre Pallante on Friday, March 10 here in Taiwan, when Panama faces team Italy...The two played for the St. Louis Cardinals last season, with Herrera catching Pallante once on June 19 in Boston…Pallante took the loss in a 6-4 defeat at Fenway Park. Team Panama qualified for this year’s classic after winning both of its games during the qualifying round, which was held at Rod Carew National Stadium in Panama City from September 30-October 5, 2022. Panama did not allow a run during the qualifying round, first shutting out Argentina, 11-0, in a game stopped after six and half innings due to the mercy rule…Panama then beat Brazil, 4-0, to clinch a spot in the tournament. The Panamanian staff allowed five total hits over the two games, limiting Argentina to two singles before Brazil managed a double and two base hits…OF José Ramos homered in each game, while Edgar Muñoz also went deep against Brazil…Ramos hit 25 home runs last season across two levels of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ minor league system.
THE VENUES
POOL A, Taichung, Taiwan: Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium will host WBC action for the second time, having also been a first-round site in 2013. The stadium opened in 2006. The first phase of construction included 15,000 infield seats, and after the second phase was completed in 2008, seating capacity was expanded to 20,000 by adding 5,000 outfield seats. Since 2015, the park has served as the home of CTBC Brothers of the CPBL.
POOL B, Tokyo, Japan: The Tokyo Dome, nicknamed the “Big Egg,” will host WBC action in both the first and second rounds. It is the fifth time that the building has hosted WBC games. Opened on March 17, 1998, the Tokyo Dome was the first domed stadium in Japan and serves as the home of the Yomiuri Tokyo Giants of the NPB. There’s a little bit of WBC incentive inside, too – the dome is the home of the Japan Baseball Hall of Fame and the trophy from Japan’s victory in the first WBC in 2006 resides there.
POOL C, Phoenix, Arizona: Chase Field will host WBC action for the third time, having also been a first-round site in 2006 and 2013. The ballpark opened in 1998 as the home of MLB’s Arizona Diamondbacks. Two other venues in the Phoenix area have hosted games in prior WBCs: Scottsdale Stadium in ‘06 and Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in ‘13, both in Scottsdale.
POOL D, Miami, Florida: loanDepot Park is hosting WBC games for the third consecutive tournament. Miami will host WBC action in each round of the tournament. This will be Miami’s first time hosting the championship round. In addition to the 2013 and ‘17 tournament games at this ballpark, the city also hosted a WBC second round in 2009 at Dolphin Stadium, the former home of MLB’s Miami Marlins.