Japan rules baseball world again !

[nightmare]

Tuesday 24th March, 03:28 PM JST

Members of Japan’s team hold up their manager Tatsunori Hara after they defeated South Korea in the World Baseball Classic championship game in Los Angeles on Monday night.

Ichiro delivers as Japan beats South Korea 5-3 to win WBC title

Tuesday 24th March, 02:49 PM JST

LOS ANGELES —

Seattle Mariners star Ichiro hit a two-out, two-run single in the top of the 10th inning as defending champion Japan beat reigning Olympic champion South Korea 5-3 Monday night to win its second straight World Baseball Classic title.

The Japanese won the inaugural tournament three years ago, beating Cuba 10-6 in the finals at San Diego.

Before a boisterous crowd of 54,846 at Dodger Stadium, South Korea tied the game at 3-all Monday with two outs in the bottom of the ninth on Lee Bum-ho’s run-scoring single off Japanese closer Yu Darvish (2-1), who got in trouble by issuing one-out walks to Kim Hyun-soo and Kim Tae-kyun, the 3-4 hitters in the lineup.

Darvish struck out Choo Shin-soo before Lee lined a 1-1 pitch into left field, with pinch runner Lee Jong-wook scoring easily from second.

Seiichi Uchikawa opened the 10th with a single, was sacrificed to second and took third on a single by Akinori Iwamura. After pinch hitter Munenori Kawasaki popped out, Iwamura took second on defensive interference.

Ichiro managed to foul off a pitch after it had bounced then lined the eighth pitch of the at-bat from Lim Chang-yong (1-1) to center for his fourth hit. He entered with a .211 average and three RBIs in eight previous games.

Given the lead, Darvish worked around a leadoff walk to retire South Korea in the bottom of the 10th, setting off a wild celebration when he struck out Lee Jin-young to end the four-hour game.

Daisuke Matsuzaka won the MVP award for the second straight time after going 3-0—the same record he had in the inaugural Classic. The Boston Red Sox right-hander had a 2.45 ERA in 14 2-3 innings over three starts.

The game was the latest in an intense rivalry between the Asian powerhouses—a Far East version of a Yankees-Red Sox matchup. They split four previous games in this 16-team tournament, with Japan’s 6-2 triumph in San Diego last Thursday giving it the Pool 1 title in the second round.

Two days earlier, South Korea won 4-1, and its players planted the nation’s flag on the mound afterward—not the first time that’s happened. Ichiro made sure it wouldn’t happen on this night. Ichiro is 6-for-10 in two WBC title games.

South Korea beat Japan twice last summer in the Beijing Olympics en route to the gold medal. The South Koreans also beat Japan twice in the inaugural WBC three years ago before the Japanese won their semifinal matchup. And South Korea beat Japan 3-1 to win the bronze medal in the 2000 Olympics after losing to its rival 8-0 earlier in the Games.

Japan, which outhit South Korea 15-5 and blew several scoring opportunities and stranded 14, took a 3-1 lead with single runs in the seventh and eighth. Yasuyuki Kataoka singled off Jong Hyun-wook to open the seventh, stole second, took third on Ichiro’s bunt single and scored on Hiroyuki Nakajima’s single. Japan had a chance to blow the game open, but after Ichiro took third on Norichika Aoki’s fly to deep right, Kenji Johjima grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Iwamura’s sacrifice fly off Hyunjin Ryu in the eighth gave the Japanese a two-run lead. The run was charged to Jong, who left after giving up a one-out single to Uchikawa. Atsunori Inaba followed with a ground-rule double before Iwamura’s fly to left.

South Korea got a run back in the bottom of the inning when Lee doubled, took third on an infield out and scored on pinch hitter Lee Dae-ho’s sacrifice fly. Toshiya Sugiuchi relieved after starter Hisashi Iwakuma issued a two-out walk to Park Ki-hyuk, and retired Lee Yong-kyu on a liner to left.

Iwakuma, a 27-year-old right-hander who won 21 games for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles last year, worked 7 2-3 innings, and allowed just four hits and two runs. He walked two, struck out six and threw 97 pitches—three shy of the maximum.

Japan took a 1-0 lead with an unearned run off Bong Jung-keun in the third on Michihiro Ogasawara’s RBI single, but it could have been a lot worse because Japan loaded the bases with one out before Kenta Kurihara grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Choo tied the game by hitting a 1-1 pitch from Iwakuma over the center field fence to open the fifth for his second homer in as many games. Iwakuma allowed only one baserunner in the first four innings.

Bong allowed six hits and one run in four-plus innings with three walks and one strikeout while using 94 pitches. Jong relieved with runners at first and third and nobody out in the top of the fifth and worked out of trouble, striking out two before catcher Park Kyung-oan threw out Aoki trying to steal second.

Bong, a 28-year-old left-hander who pitched in 48 big-league games with Atlanta and Cincinnati from 2002-04, beat Japan twice earlier in the WBC, giving up six hits and one run in 10 2-3 innings

An elaborate ceremony was held beforehand, with the teams entering the field in single file from their respective bullpens before lining up down the first and third baselines. Among those participating was Sadaharu Oh, the Japanese career home run leader who managed the Japanese to the WBC title three years ago.

Then after the Japanese, South Korean and United States national anthems were played, the players met in the middle of the diamond to shake hands before and Hall of Fame manager and WBC global ambassador Tom Lasorda and former Dodgers pitching star Fernando Valenzuela, a native of Mexico, threw ceremonial first pitches.

South Korea advanced to the championship game by beating Venezuela 10-2 Saturday night, and Japan earned its berth by topping the U.S. 9-4 Sunday night.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC
Familiarity breeds respect

By JASON COSKREY
Staff writer

LOS ANGELES — On a cool night in Chavez Ravine, the World Baseball Classic lived up to its name.

Team Japan celebrates WBC win
Glorious victory: Team Japan celebrates with the championship trophy after beating South Korea 5-3 in 10 innings on Monday night in Los Angeles to successfully defend its World Baseball Classic title. KYODO PHOTO

Asian rivals Japan and South Korea put on a show before a record crowd in the final of the WBC on Monday at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

A two-run double in the 10th inning by Ichiro Suzuki helped bring the latest WBC to a close after 39 games, five of those featuring Japan against South Korea.

"We first played at Tokyo Dome in the first round," Japan manager Tatsunori Hara said. "It was the second game we (Japan) played. At that time, we won. At that press conference, I said I had the feeling that we were going to meet them a number of times.

"The fact that we did actually end up playing them five times, the most number of times you can play against any team, is something that I had a feeling we would do. But I am also surprised that we did."

In front of a raucous crowd of 54,846, Japan and South Korea put a rivalry spanning two nations on display for the world to see.

"When the game started, (facing) Team Korea in the final as expected it became a very close game," Hara said. "I felt like we could have scored more but it was difficult for us to earn runs against the Korean defense."

Ichiro's hit was the deciding factor of five games between the squads, with Japan winning the impromptu series 3-2.

"I would say Japan is the best team in the world," said Lee Bum Ho, who sent the game into extra innings with a single in the ninth.

"In the first WBC Japan won and in the second Japan won again. I believe in terms of their world record, they were the best and the strongest.

"We did our best against the strongest and best team. I believe it will help us a great deal. It will be our greatest glory as our players were playing their very best against the very best team."

South Korea felt Japan's wrath in their first meeting, a 14-2 Japan victory at Tokyo Dome. The Koreans bounced back with a 1-0 victory behind 5 1/3 shutout innings from pitcher Bong Jung Keun.

Bong and South Korea topped Japan again when the tournament moved to San Diego for the second round. Bong went 5 1/3 innings again, this time allowing a run on three hits, in the 4-1 victory in the teams' third meeting.

Japan avenged the loss with a 6-2 win in the second-round finale to set up the fifth and final game.

The title game had everything a fan could ask for, a pitcher's duel, loud and passionate fans and a game-winning hit in extra innings as Japan edged the Koreans one last time.

"Japan has many major leaguers," Bong said. "Even the players who play in the Japanese league were the very best of Japan. I believe they are a great team and had great players. They did their very best until the end."

Bong said the team had no regrets after the final out of the WBC saw them on the losing end.

"I am proud they they (Japan) fought and did their best," Bong said. "Korea, itself, did not give up until the very end (either). So our players and our team and all of the coaches and our manager have no regrets about leaving anything on the field in this game."

South Korea gave the Japanese all they could handle and more, and seems poised to take its place as a baseball power.

"I believe that Korean baseball is a wonderful style," Hara said. "It's a wonderful country that has that specific style. You have organizational power and speed. They're at the world level now, I believe."

"Playing against Korea, there were three wins and two losses. In that sense Japan was able to lead somewhat. But in baseball, wins and losses are just paper-thin differences, especially in this World Baseball Classic," Hara continued. "The fact two Asian countries were able to play each other in the finals in something that we and the Koreans can be proud of."

[A4L]

GREAT game! I expected nothing less than what I got. I knew Japan couldn't win it with just 1 point. AND ICHIRO, I LOVE YOU. xD lol Got himself 2 RBIs and won it for Japan! =)

[mackey]

whooo go JAPAN!!! way to dominate an all-american sport. I remembered looking around on google earth with a friend, and we searched Japan, and in some areas we zoomed it, it was nothing but baseball fields hahaha.

[gulav]

Once again, Japan showed us how good they are if they are serious. I bet manga, anime, and drama have huge influence in their lifestyle especially in sports. I guess there are tons manga about baseball only.

So wait up guys, Japan gonna conquer the world!

[animeman]

Way to go Japan /o/ I watched it live on ESPN and I enjoyed every second. Thanks Samurai Japan, for this conquer!

[yoga_exe_rd]

GO JAPAN!!! show us thaat japanese is also good at sport , not only anime and drama!

[ranmaru111]

Congratulations to Japan!!!I wanna go and watch the match as well....
I haven't seen a proper baseball match in real life before, the Japanese Drama always show it, and it seems really interesting!!!

[akai_tsubomi]

oh man, watching that match live was great my teacher ended up stalling class and sat with the students to watch the game haha. congrats to Japan!

[clonezzz]

we always heard american names dominating in the baseball arena, japan had proved something over again, "even its your game, it doesn't mean you'll be owning"
kudos! japan! when it comes to games or sports, they sure can catch up