World Baseball Classic

Ichiro Suzuki, Japanese RF.

The 2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC) has come to a close, and Japan has once again been crowned champions.

Japan won the event by narrowly defeating South Korea in an exciting extra-innings victory. Japanese superstar and Seattle Mariners rightfielder Ichiro Suzuki hit a two-out, two-run single in the top of the 10th inning to lead Japan to a 5-3 victory over their rivals from South Korea.

The game was exciting, and 54,846 fans at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, USA, seemed to enjoy it. There are other people however, who think that the WBC needs to be improved.

Some fans complain that the tournament is too long, as it takes 18 days to complete. Others complain that the scheduling is not very good, saying it is boring to see Japan and Korea play each other five times in the same tournament. Lastly, because the WBC takes place during Major League Baseball’s (MLB) spring training, many players are not yet in mid-season condition, and some players choose not to play at all.

• What did you think of the WBC? Did you enjoy watching it? Who is your favourite team?

Post your comments below.

Glossary

♦ WBC – World Baseball Classic

♦  come to a close – finished

♦ crowned champions – won the event

♦ narrowly defeating – winning by a very close score

♦ extra-innings victory – when a game is tied after 9 innings, it goes to extra innings; victory means win

♦ two-out, two-run single – with 2 outs, a 1B base hit which scored 2 runners

♦ top of the 10th inning – the first half of the 10th inning

♦ mid-season condition – a player’s physical fitness is best during mid-season