Survive the Pool: WBC Pool Play Breakdown

Pool play for the World Baseball Classic has finished and we have a breakdown of which teams are looking strong and who has been eliminated. We talk about the biggest surprises, standout performances, and key matchups that could decide who advances. We also highlight players making a major impact for their countries and what it means moving forward in the tournament. Tune in as we recap the action and preview what’s next as the WBC heats up.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:06

Hello and welcome back to episode number 25 of Two Average Guys. I know it's been a while since we've posted guys, and I want to apologize for that. Uh it's been very hectic. Me and Sawyer have been running around with college life. Sawyer is adjusting to a new college that he's been at. And unfortunately, right now he is in Montreal on spring break. So we wish Sawyer a fun time and all that. But instead of just being me, I brought on one of our friends, uh Matt, if you want to say hi.

SPEAKER_00 0:38

Hello, guys. How are we doing?

SPEAKER_01 0:40

So Matt will be replacing Sawyer for this episode. And episode 25, it's been a long time. We're gonna recap the world baseball classic. So the entire pool play has happened. The United States did advance to the quarterfinals, which start tonight. Um, it was a bumpy road, but they did end up getting through, and they take on Team Canada tonight at 8 o'clock. So I don't know, Matt, what was your first thought about Team USA's kind of cool play round?

SPEAKER_00 1:16

Well, first of all, the first game was against Italy, if I'm not wrong. Was it against Italy?

SPEAKER_01 1:25

When was our first? Our first game was against Brazil.

SPEAKER_00 1:29

First game was against Brazil. I mean, that was a pretty easy game. Aaron Judge with that bomb in the first inning, kind of just like pushed momentum toward us. That game was fairly simple. Then Mexico. I mean, they're a really good team. You got Randy Rosarina.

SPEAKER_01 1:42

We played Great Britain second.

SPEAKER_00 1:44

We played Great Britain second. They also suck, so that was a pretty easy win, you know. And then Mexico. I mean, that was the only true opponent we had. Um, but you know, they got Randy Rosarena, you know, he's a great player, you know. What's his name? Uh Cal Riley didn't shake his hand.

SPEAKER_01 2:01

So um Yeah, that was very interesting. I want to go back, you're running through the games really quickly. I want to start with the Brazil game. So the final score of that was 15-5. The United States won.

SPEAKER_02 2:12

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 2:13

We had Logan Webb start the game. I thought he looked good. Four innings, one hit, six strikeouts. Um, I was very impressed. You're right. Judge came up first AB in a USA uniform, goes yard. Um, I was watching that, I was on a 3-0 count. If he didn't go yard, he was gonna be in trouble because he was swinging at a 3-0 count, so he definitely should have murdered that baseball.

SPEAKER_02 2:36

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 2:36

Um, I was listening to the broadcast, and they were like, you know, it was probably supposed to be uh a kind of competitive slider, and and the pitcher left it right down the middle and judge didn't miss it.

SPEAKER_00 2:47

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 2:49

Um, but the United States, that was a fairly close game until the ninth inning. It was it was eight to five. It was seven to four, then it was eight to four, and then it was eight to five, and then in the ninth inning, the USA explodes for seven runs to make it 15-5. And I know that the USA is the team that's kind of reliant on those big innings to propel them to a victory, but to not get that big inning until the ninth, that was scary to me that they could only hold a three-run lead over Brazil and until their one big inning. I don't know. I was expecting more of uh a fairly easy win, and I don't I I didn't see it.

SPEAKER_00 3:36

I mean, yeah, to piggyback what you just said, like the next game is Great Britain. It was what 1-0 Great Britain for the first five or six innings.

SPEAKER_01 3:43

Yeah, Great Britain was winning one to nothing until the fifth inning.

SPEAKER_00 3:47

Yeah, fifth inning, and then well, that's when you have the big inning. You know, you had Roman Anthony, that two-run single PCA coming up clutch, and then Kyle Schrober hit like a moonshot to right field. I mean, that game should not have been close at all. I mean, me and Sora watching it together, and we were like stressing about it like the first five innings, and then after that, and then we watched Ted too. Um but um and the next game was against Mexico. I mean, what was that score of the game? I didn't even see it.

SPEAKER_01 4:15

Mexico, we beat Mexico five to three. I remember that because it was I I mean, I watched that game. I watched that was not Jaron Duran had a had a great game, two solo home runs. Um but that was once again, that was just another big inning. We scored all five runs in the third inning. Judge hit a two-run home run, and Roman Anthony hit a three-run home run, and that was it.

SPEAKER_02 4:39

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 4:40

Um Mexico's not no hate to Mexico, it's a great team, but they're not they're throwing MLB level guys, but they're not throwing the best MLB level guys. And we're we're home run reliant, we're big inning reliant, and I mean, yeah, you look at our lineup, you look at you look at Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, Kyle Schwarber, Cal Raleigh, and not Roman Anthony as much, but those four guys, they're they're really home run reliant. I guess Harper not as much, but those three in Judge Schwarber and Raleigh, of course, they led the MLB in home runs last year, they're super home run reliant. And I just don't you get into these big games, and I've talked about this on on past episodes. I'm not sure that home run talent wins you games.

SPEAKER_00 5:32

It doesn't. I mean, you can really see it in some teams. I mean, like if you're not if you're not hitting home runs for like three or four days, I mean you're not you're not winning games, and at some point it could have could happen at any time. Like if you can't hit home runs during these these quarterfinals and semifinals, you know, teams are good enough where they can beat you. I mean, you saw it, I mean, you said not the Met Philly didn't beat teams, but like the Phillies couldn't hit in the 2024 playoffs. I mean, the Mets had no business of beating them in a couple of things. Right.

SPEAKER_01 6:03

So that's the prime example to me is the 2022 Phillies. Not last year, but the 2022 Phillies.

SPEAKER_02 6:09

World Series Phillies?

SPEAKER_01 6:10

Yeah, when they made the World Series, because they in smashing balls in the wild card and the NLCS and the NLDS, all those divisions, they were smashing home runs, hitting home runs, Orber's hitting home runs, Reese Hoskins is hitting home runs. They get the World Series, they get no hit, they get like shut out because they're not they're not getting those bombs anymore because the Astros pitching was good.

SPEAKER_00 6:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:33

And I I think that's a prime example of like a home run lineup doesn't win playoff games, especially that was a best of seven. This is one game. You got one if you're cold for one game, you're gonna play home.

SPEAKER_00 6:50

Exactly. You're back to spring training for the week and a half you have left.

SPEAKER_01 6:54

Right, you're back to spring training, and that's why when we get in when we get into the matchups coming up, I want to talk lineups because I don't want them to stick with the lineup that they've been using as their like starters, I'll say. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 7:09

What do you think of Mark DeRosa?

SPEAKER_01 7:12

That's another thing I want to touch upon because I've not had a good year um managing, but we'll we'll stick with the rest of the pool play games first before we transition. So after that, the US was three and oh, and they were going to this matchup with Italy. Well, I guess this ties in Mark DeRosa, but we're going in this matchup with Italy, where Italy's 2-0, Mexico's 2-1, and the USA is 3-0. And you go into this game and you're thinking, all right, USA wins 4-0, and they'll clinch a spot in the quarterfinals. But up until this point, it was not clinched. However, in an interview before the game with Italy, the head coach of Team USA, Mark DeRossa, said that he's gonna play some guys that don't normally play to get them experience, to get them at bats, stuff like that, you know, get them experience in the world baseball classic because he thought their ticket was already punch. Yeah, he thought the US had already secured a spot in the quarterfinals, and they had not. If they won, they had secured, but if they lost, it came down to Italy playing Mexico on Wednesday. And for our head coach to not know that, that was when I saw the interview, I was very taken aback. I'm I'm sure you were too, Matt.

SPEAKER_00 8:40

Yeah, I was. I was like, what's this guy talking about?

SPEAKER_01 8:43

Right, and he and I will say he owned it. He came out the next day and apologized. Um, he said, you know, I thought our ticket was already punched, that's on me. Like I looked at it wrong, which I can respect. You know, you made a mistake, you owned it.

SPEAKER_00 8:58

But if that level of yeah, right, you're at that level, you're at that level of leadership and you don't know something simple.

SPEAKER_01 9:07

Right. You're the you're the manager on team USA who's filming or who's attempting to make this historic run. Like, you gotta know all the facts.

SPEAKER_00 9:24

Yeah, exactly. You have to know you have to know all the facts. You're the manager, you're the leader of this team. I mean, it's like a captain or a head coach, you mean a head coach of a football team saying, like, like at the end of the season, like, yeah, if we lose, we're out, even though that's not true. Like, that's a very bad look.

SPEAKER_01 9:44

I feel like the head coach of any team, especially on the world stage. This is the international stage. Like, all right, sure. If you're a little league coach and you think you've clinched playoffs or something, whatever. Whatever. Even if you're like college or something like that, I guess, but you're the manager of the the team representing the United States.

SPEAKER_00 10:07

Exactly. I mean, I I there's just no no answer, no excuse, no excuse, no excuse for that to happen.

SPEAKER_01 10:16

He owned it 100%. I get it, but like so, anyways, after that, the circumstance for the Italy-Mexico game was if Italy won, then USA advanced. If Mexico won and scored less than five runs, the USA advanced. So it ended up Italy beat Mexico nine to one. Vinny Pasquantino hit three solo home runs, um, made a really funny comment in his post-game interview directed at the United States. But basically, uh, so it doesn't even matter. USA won was three and one in advance to the quarterfinals. But it was definitely the the whole country, or at least the part that cares about the world baseball classic, was on their edge of was on the edge of their seat. Like, what is our manager doing?

SPEAKER_00 11:17

Exactly, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 11:19

Um, did you see what Vinny Pasquatino said after the game?

SPEAKER_00 11:22

I think he said, like, you're welcome, America, or you're right.

SPEAKER_01 11:25

Right, he was like, You're welcome, and then he was like, he was like, Bobby Witt Jr. better have a spare hotel room key for me when I get back to the complex.

SPEAKER_00 11:33

Like, all right, Vinny Pasquatino calling out um Bobby Witt is low-key kind of insane. Well, that's his teammates.

SPEAKER_01 11:42

You're Royals teammates, like that's his boy. That's true, but those are the two stars on the Royals. It wasn't like he was calling him out, he's making a joke with his boy on national TV.

SPEAKER_00 11:52

I mean, hey, I mean, just like what Toby Keith said, you don't mess with America, so they're about to see what is gonna happen.

SPEAKER_01 11:59

You know, I'll tell you what though. Speaking of teammates having an interaction, Randy Rosarina and Cal Raleigh, that was yeah, I mentioned it and uh Yeah, you wanna like uh you want to explain what happened there? I'll just you know kind of give my opinion after you're done.

SPEAKER_00 12:16

Um I mean, I get the competitiveness, like explain what happened.

SPEAKER_01 12:22

A lot of people probably didn't see it.

SPEAKER_00 12:23

Oh, um, so Randy Rosarena was leading off. This was the first epithet game, Cal Radi, obviously catching Rosie. Randy Rosarena's uh coming out to the plate, went to shake Cal Radi's hand, and he basically just said no, F off, basically. And um Yeah, they didn't shake hands, you know. I mean, I don't know like how to take it from it. I mean, I think if you're teammates, it's good to like shake hands, but if you're not teammates on like the in the MLB, then I get it. But I feel like if your teammates like um like if Noel McLean and Juan Soto like were matched up against each other, like you know, like a little uh right uh tip of the cap. I mean, I mean, yeah, like same thing with Harper and Sanchez, if that ever happens.

SPEAKER_01 13:07

So to put this into context, guys, Matt Matt's a Mets fan, as you hadn't been able to tell. He his references will always be about the Mets or hating on the Phillies. And for some reason me and Sora are still friends with him, but we move past that. He's actually a semi-decent kid if you get to know him. Um but a lot of his analogies that he uses will be about Mets players, uh, at least going forward.

SPEAKER_00 13:34

I'm sure players I know who are teammates, though. Like I knew Harper and Sanchez.

SPEAKER_01 13:38

No, I'm sure he'll appear on more episodes later. You'll you'll hear from Matt talk about the Mets all the time.

SPEAKER_00 13:44

Logan Webb and or if we can go Paul uh Paul Steen doesn't have another teammate in there.

SPEAKER_01 13:48

Uh the pirates do not have any teams.

SPEAKER_00 13:50

Yeah, exactly. The only one is Paul Steens. I don't know why I thought of Brian Reynolds.

SPEAKER_01 13:53

If you go like Logan Webb and Luisa Rise, well, but Luisa Rise just signed with the Giants, so they're probably not boys like that. I don't know. I personally I'm a nice guy, I don't see anything wrong. Whenever my team that I'm playing against plays someone that I know from high school or like travelable or something, I always make sure I say what's up to them. Uh, whether pregame, post-game, honestly, even during the game, I'll say what's up. Like, uh, I don't think that really affects the level that I play at, if I'm friendly or not. I understand Cal Raleigh's catching in the world baseball classic. I understand the stakes are a little bit different in playing for your country than playing for you know a high school state championship or whatever. But uh, I thought that it was a little I don't know. I I wasn't I don't think saying hi to your teammate Randy Rose Reyna means anything. Uh it was disappointing for me to see Cal Raleigh react like that, but at the same time, I do understand he's trying to win. I get the competitive nature, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:55

You know, I definitely get it, but I mean I think if it's your teammate who you like blood and sweat with for what six months, seven months out of the year, no pun in the game.

SPEAKER_01 15:04

Right, 160 games, and you can't even shake the dude's hand. Exactly. In the post-game interview, he's like, Oh yeah, like we're boys, like it wasn't like any ill nature. But you really think you're gonna go back and and it's gonna be the same.

SPEAKER_00 15:20

I don't know what to tell you, dude. I mean, it's kind of I don't know. I mean, it's like typically caps your boys on a different little league team, like to be honest, right? Like we mean you didn't me and you did that. We had conversations while you were batting and I was pitching, dude.

SPEAKER_01 15:35

Right. I know I there's at least one where I got hit in the face by baseball because I was sitting there chatting to the guy that I was on first with. Yeah, it wasn't my brightest moment. Probably shouldn't admit that, but like, yeah, that's my boy, that's my boy. I'm gonna say what's up. Like, exactly. I mean, but maybe Cal Raleigh doesn't like him. Maybe Cal Raleigh doesn't want to be in Seattle. I don't know. That's there's a lot of. I don't think he doesn't want to be.

SPEAKER_00 16:02

I think he loves Seattle. He loves Seattle, dude.

SPEAKER_01 16:04

Yeah, but maybe he doesn't like Randy. I don't know. I don't know. There was there was a little bit to unpack there, but so, anyways, we'll move on. The quarterfinals start tonight. Right now, as we're recording this episode, it's March 13th. The quarterfinals start tonight. The first game is Korea versus the Dominican Republic, and the second game is the United States.

SPEAKER_00 16:28

Give me the DR.

SPEAKER_01 16:29

The United States versus Canada. So for the DR, they have had one of the most impressive world baseball classics, in my opinion.

SPEAKER_00 16:40

Yeah, it's it's literally like I've been watching their highlights because I don't have much time to watch the games, but I watch the highlights before I go to bed, and just like it's just like a group of friends making an AAU team and just having fun.

SPEAKER_02 16:57

They're out there messing around.

SPEAKER_00 16:59

They're having a black black.

SPEAKER_01 17:01

Yeah, absolutely. I'm on the same page. If you were to if you were to give me a team that would win it right now, I would tell you the DR.

SPEAKER_00 17:09

I'm telling I'm saying it's the DR for sure.

SPEAKER_01 17:11

I think they are one of obviously their top three in talent, and I think they're top one in fun and atmosphere and all that. I think the USA is too serious. They're trying to be like all business, and that's not gonna win you games. This is a game, it's fun, and the DR is having fun, and the US, but isn't you gotta have fun? I mean so, anyways, the way it works, I guess I'll explain the whole thing. So for World Baseball Classic, there's four groups, four brackets of pool play, the top two advance. So the winner from group A plays the second place team from group B, and the winner from group B plays second second place team for group A, and same with C and D. So the US is playing Canada, Korea is playing the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico is playing Italy, and then Venezuela is playing Japan.

SPEAKER_00 18:08

Japan's an advance for sure.

SPEAKER_01 18:10

Should be some interesting games. So Korea, DR, I don't think there's any debate. Definitely the DR. Christopher Sanchez, shout out to Phillies. Christopher Sanchez is pitching for the DR.

SPEAKER_00 18:21

Christopher Sanchez, second Cy Young, dog.

SPEAKER_01 18:24

Um, and I don't the Korea's probably pitching an MLB guy, but it does nothing that Korea has lines up with what the DR has.

SPEAKER_00 18:33

No shot.

SPEAKER_01 18:34

I think the DR should win that easily, probably by five runs or more. Uh, do you move to the USA game? We're starting Logan.

SPEAKER_00 18:44

I still think it's gonna be the US, dude. Like it's can't it's Canada, dude. We own them in everything, you know.

SPEAKER_02 18:50

The U.S. does beat them in their own sport. We beat them in their own sport twice.

SPEAKER_00 18:56

Twice.

SPEAKER_01 18:56

Twice. We beat them in men's and women's hockey.

SPEAKER_00 18:59

Men's and women's hockey.

SPEAKER_01 19:00

I mean Canada can get a get back in what is considered America's game, but the US should win. The U.S. should win.

SPEAKER_00 19:08

Yes, they should 100% win, and then they should win by five or more runs.

SPEAKER_01 19:13

Yeah, uh this is another where the game shouldn't be closed. It should be a fairly easy.

SPEAKER_00 19:18

This is a game where you do not throw your best.

unknown 19:21

Right.

SPEAKER_00 19:22

Unless you absolutely have to.

SPEAKER_01 19:24

Logan Webb's on the mound, not our best pitcher. One-ups, but not our best. But however, get through the the pitch limit goes up to 90 now. Yeah, so in round one, they could only throw 65 pitches. Now pitchers can throw up to 90, which gives Logan Webb more innings to go through. He looked really good. Once again, he looked really good in his start against Brazil.

SPEAKER_00 19:47

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 19:48

Um, so I would have the DR and the United States moving forward. I'm pretty sure you would agree.

SPEAKER_00 19:53

Yeah. Is that the matchup, DR America?

SPEAKER_01 19:56

That would be the semifinals matchup, but we're gonna look at the other quarterfinals.

SPEAKER_00 19:59

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 20:00

So the other quarterfinals matchup was Puerto Rico and Italy. This one to me is a toss-up.

SPEAKER_00 20:09

This is in this is an interesting one. Like I thought about it a lot when you said it initially, and when you were listing them, I thought about it for a second. I forgot the fourth one just because I was thinking about it. Um I don't know these really interesting. Because I was I would go I would go, I would go Puerto Rico if they had Ledore and Correa, but they don't.

SPEAKER_01 20:31

Right. Like Puerto Rico, their big three basically isn't able to play.

SPEAKER_00 20:37

Exactly. So I just don't know, dude. That theme is a toss-up.

SPEAKER_01 20:43

So the person that started Italy's first game, the pitcher, yeah, went four and two thirds, one hit, two walks, and eight strikeouts. That's really good. Very good against Brazil. Not a good team.

SPEAKER_00 20:57

Not a good team. Nope.

SPEAKER_01 20:59

So Brazil went 0-4. Assuming they were. Yeah, they're eliminated. Assuming that Italy starts that guy, uh-huh. Puerto Rico starting Seth Lugo, decent arm. Decent. Nothing crazy. We'll look at where we look at Puerto Rico. I want to look at Puerto Rico's lineup. We'll look at their game against Canada. They lost to Canada 3-2. Um the big names that stand out Heliot Ramos, Nolan Arenado, Eddie Rosario. I think Italy wins.

SPEAKER_00 21:41

Yeah, I mean, I don't know. I really don't know.

SPEAKER_01 21:43

I the the Puerto Rico's always had like Puerto Rico's always had the stigma of being very good, but their big name guys aren't on the roster.

SPEAKER_02 21:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:55

And I think I I think Italy, I think Italy wins this. I think it's close. Uh huh. I think Italy probably wins from anywhere from two to four. Runs. I could see it being like a like a 7-5 game or like a 6-4 game, something like that in that range. But I think Italy pulls it out and wins this one and moves on to the semis. I don't know if you disagree or not. You can give your take.

SPEAKER_00 22:23

I like that take, to be honest.

SPEAKER_01 22:25

I mean that's just what it's like. I got nothing really to add. And I think Italy's hot. I think Italy's very, very hot.

SPEAKER_00 22:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:33

They're playing, they're they're playing good ball. I mean, they beat they beat up on the US 8-6. They beat up on uh Mexico 9-1.

SPEAKER_00 22:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:46

I think they're swinging a really good bat right now. So I mean, I think they kind of they can carry that in and beat up, beat Puerto Rico. Nah, I'm gonna say it's a closer game. Uh I'm gonna say like max they win is by four, but I think Italy advances. And then the fourth game, Japan and Venezuela.

SPEAKER_00 23:07

Do we even have to talk about it?

SPEAKER_01 23:09

We do. I like Venezuela. I do. And not to be a biased Phillies fan, but they're starting Ranger Suarez. It's Japan. No, no, I'm not saying they're gonna win. I'm not saying they're gonna win, but hear me out. Venezuela's got a good roster, and they're starting Ranger Suarez, who has a good track record of performing in big games.

SPEAKER_00 23:36

Well, not really, then all DS came for last year, but yeah. Okay, yeah, keep going.

SPEAKER_01 23:40

He has a track record of performing in big games. Let's look at Venezuela's roster. Ronald Acunya, Michael Garcia, Luis Ariz, Wilson Contreras, Salvador Perez, William Contreras, William Brayu, Jackson Churio, those are all really good big league guys. Those are all really good big league guys. I think people are overlooking this game a little bit because Japan's Japan. They got Shohei, they got Yamamoto who's pitching this game. This game is a matchup of Ranger Suarez versus Yoshinobu Yamamoto. You have uh Munataka Murakami in the lineup. You have, you know, Japan just everyone expected them to go 4-0 in pool play. They went 4-0. I'm not even sure they really had that close of a game. They kind of just eased their way through it.

SPEAKER_00 24:32

I mean, yeah, their their pool was all the teams not based in Japan, but like based around Japan. So they had what Chinese to pie is what they are. Right.

SPEAKER_01 24:41

The Chinese Taipei, Korea, Australia, and then Czechia.

SPEAKER_00 24:45

Yeah, exactly. Those are teams that whatever.

SPEAKER_01 24:50

You're right. None of those teams were supposed to be all that good. Japan won, so they get the easiest pool play bracket. That's how it works. They won 2023, so they get the easiest bracket.

SPEAKER_00 24:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:59

Um, but people just kind of write them off as all the way to the championship. And in my book, it's not that easy.

SPEAKER_00 25:07

Not that hard. It's it's it's a hard game, dude. You're gonna have one bad game, and then you're I mean, some are flying home to Japan, some are going to spring training.

SPEAKER_01 25:15

Right. I I'm thinking about it. The the two best games for me are gonna be Puerto Rico, Italy, number one, and Venezuela-Japan number two. I think that game's gonna be closer than people realize.

SPEAKER_00 25:28

You think?

SPEAKER_01 25:30

I do, I really do. I I think I think Venezuela puts up a fight. Honest, I'm gonna take Japan. I'm not gonna be stupid. I think Japan wins.

SPEAKER_00 25:39

Yes, 100%. They're going to win.

SPEAKER_01 25:41

But I'm not ruling them out.

SPEAKER_00 25:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:44

I'm not saying that I would be super surprised if Venezuela wins that game. They they got a good lineup, they got a good pitcher on the mound, and they might be outmatched in most aspects, but I don't think they're outmatched in every aspect, and I'm not gonna count Venezuela out. That is one of the harder first-round games for Japan. Yeah. But we'll move forward. The winner of Korea and the DR plays the winner in the United States and Canada. Uh we have that as the DR versus the US. A lot of people have that as the DR versus US. And that will probably be the most watched game of the WB's world baseball class.

SPEAKER_00 26:28

110%. That game will be so fun to watch.

SPEAKER_01 26:32

And I have no clue who I think would win.

SPEAKER_00 26:37

Neither do I, dude, because I'm multi.

SPEAKER_01 26:41

I'm such an American in like time as Team USA.

SPEAKER_00 26:46

The power of friendship.

SPEAKER_01 26:48

Right. A team USA, but like I'm such a I'm such a realist that like I think the DR is better. Is that crazy?

SPEAKER_00 26:59

If you just gotta look at the pitching matchups, I mean the United States is throwing Paul Skeens, right?

SPEAKER_01 27:05

Which is fantastic.

SPEAKER_00 27:06

He's either he's either one or two, best pitchers in the league, however you put it. He's one or two. He's not three or four, he's one or two. The thing is, the DR is throwing. You said they're throwing Christopher Sanchez for their first game.

SPEAKER_01 27:19

Right. I don't know who their game is.

SPEAKER_00 27:21

They'll be throwing Sandy Alcantra, their second game.

SPEAKER_01 27:23

Is that who their game two is?

SPEAKER_00 27:24

That's their two. That is their two.

SPEAKER_01 27:27

See, but Sandy Alcantra's coming off a terrible game. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 27:31

I mean, he's traded to the cubs, he's got traded to the Cubs.

SPEAKER_01 27:34

So, I mean, you don't think they would throw Luis Severino?

SPEAKER_00 27:38

You got Sandy, Sandy Alcantra is a former Saiyan. You gotta throw the former Saiyan.

SPEAKER_01 27:43

I thought that he just threw. He did just throw. He threw he threw for them on Wednesday. He's not gonna come back and pitch on Sunday.

SPEAKER_00 27:57

I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 27:59

That's not enough rest. Uh, I guess he only threw 40 pitches. But they have they have Brian Bello and Luis Severino. I think if they get to the chip, it's Sandy. I don't think they start him in the semis. I think they would probably go with Brian Bello. He's a great pitcher. His outing was fantastic. I mean, his outing against Israel, but his outing was fantastic. He went five innings, one hit, seven K's, 54 pitches. Uh I think that's who they would start in the semis. You look at Paul Skins versus Brian Bellow, Paul Skins has the advantage. But you look at the lineups, and I don't know that lineup could hit Paul Skins.

SPEAKER_02 28:41

Lineups are insane.

SPEAKER_01 28:44

I'll be biased. I'll take USA over the DR. Yeah. I'll be by, but if they win so one or two runs, maybe. Oh yeah. Might see an extra innings.

SPEAKER_00 29:00

It's gonna be like four to three.

SPEAKER_01 29:02

Right. You might see an extra innings game. I don't even watch that. I don't even know. And then you move forward. We would have we had Italy winning and Japan. Italy, Japan! That would be a good game. It would be, but I think Japan has an easier time beating Italy than Venezuela.

SPEAKER_00 29:30

Interesting.

SPEAKER_01 29:31

I'm not I don't know if that's crazy. I don't know if I'm way too high on Venezuela. Um I mean they went they went 3-1. Their only loss was to the DR, and they put up a good fight. It was 7-5.

SPEAKER_00 29:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:45

Um I think the j I think that Japan has a harder time with Venezuela than they do with Italy. I'm not sure it. Italy's was impressive. They went four and oh, but I'm not sure Italy's that scary.

SPEAKER_00 30:03

Yeah. I just don't know, dude.

SPEAKER_01 30:06

That's I would go Japan over Italy, Japan, USA, the matchup everyone wants to see in the championship. I hope USA can win.

SPEAKER_00 30:17

I don't know if not GR Japan, it will still be a great game.

SPEAKER_01 30:21

Right. I would tune in. Honestly, I would tune in. I mean, I'm gonna watch all these games to be fair. It doesn't really matter. I'm just a ball fan, so I'm gonna watch all these games. But USA or DR, I don't really care. I would watch both of those. And Japan, I think comes out of the other bracket. But yeah, for sure. I Japan, DR, and Japan, USA would I would be there for all nine. Um, and I would thoroughly enjoy maybe get a snack, some chips, maybe some buffalo chicken dip.

SPEAKER_00 30:56

Of course, you're thinking of food.

SPEAKER_01 30:58

Get a couple beverages, some water, something like that. You sit down, you watch yourself a ball game, you have some fun. Exactly. That sounds like a hell of an evening. So let's see, the semi, or the quarterfinals are today and tomorrow. Semis are one game Sunday, one game Monday, and the championship is March 17th. So it's all back to back to back. And we'll get to we'll get to watch some good ball, man. Uh I'm really excited. I think the USA needs to switch up their lineup. I don't want to see let me tell you, I don't want to see Cal Raleigh in the lineup. I he's hitless. He's hitless. He doesn't hit. I don't want to see Bryce Harper in the top five. I think he needs, if he's if he stays in the lineup, he needs to be moved down to six to nine. He's not performing very well.

SPEAKER_00 31:56

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 31:57

Um so let's see. I think Will Smith should be the catcher. I think Bryce Harper should play first. I think it should be Bryce Tarang in second. I think he's had a very good world baseball classic.

SPEAKER_02 32:08

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 32:08

Bobby Witt should be short. He's had a very good world baseball classic. I'm playing Gunnar Henderson over Alex Bregman at third.

SPEAKER_00 32:15

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 32:15

I'm putting Roman Anthony in left. I'm playing PCA over Byron Buxton in center. And of course, you're not taking out Judge and No.

SPEAKER_00 32:24

You're never taking out Judge.

SPEAKER_01 32:26

I would be very happy with that as the lineup. I don't think they'll I think Cal Raleigh's gonna play. Um, and I think Bregman's gonna play, which might kick Bryce Strang to the curb, which is really unfortunate because I'm pretty sure he's hitting over 450. Um Gunner Henderson's hitting 500. I know that. Um I you got a lot of the guys that aren't the starters are performing the best, and I don't think that you can leave them out. So with the lineup that I had, I'd love to see Bobby Witt lead off Gunner bad second, Judge bad third, Schwarber bat fourth, and the five slot. I think I want to see Roman Anthony or Will Smith, Will Smith. Will Smith and the five, Roman Anthony and the six.

SPEAKER_00 33:12

He's crazy for that one. I was about to call you crazy, I'm like, whoa.

SPEAKER_01 33:15

Well, but Roman Anthony and the five, just so you go lefty, righty, lefty. But you're following up Schwarber.

SPEAKER_00 33:22

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 33:23

So you'd go Will Smith and the five, Roman Anthony and the six, or I guess Harper and the six, Roman Anthony and the seven. I'd kind of be okay swipping swapping those whichever way. Um, I don't know if you have any preference about Harper. You're probably just gonna crap on Harper and put him in the seven because you're a Mass. But you're a team USA guy, so would you rather Harper in the six or the seven? I don't I don't know what difference it makes.

SPEAKER_00 33:50

Six, seven. I really don't know.

SPEAKER_01 33:54

I don't know. I I there's a reason.

SPEAKER_00 33:56

There's a reason why I'm not the manager. I'll say that.

SPEAKER_01 33:58

Harper in the six, in my opinion, he's got experience. Roman Anthony's been hitting very well in the seven hole. I might as well I'd leave him there. If the guy's hot, I like to leave him where he is. Um, and then PCA in the eight, and Bryce Strang in the nine. That would be my lineup that I want to see out of Team USA, but I don't know if he'll actually do it. Yeah, I mean we'll probably just roll with the team that I feel like it's been a different lineup every game. So yeah, it has because they're trying to get guys in, see who's hot and who's not. Exactly. We'll probably just see the same lineup as game one, and you know, we'll probably lose to Canada. So think about it. Team USA all the way. Hopefully, they get a good lineup together, and they start mashing the ball. Pitching looks dominant. We got a great bullpen. Oh, there's a bunch of pitchers that are getting relieved. Do you see Joe Ryan's coming back?

SPEAKER_00 34:51

Joe Ryan's coming back, and Clayton Kershaw is Clayton Kershaw's unfortunately departing.

SPEAKER_01 34:56

Sucks to see him leave. That's really the goat, but like Joe Ryan's a better pitcher than right now, right now, right now. Let me backtrack. Clayton Kershaw is one of the best pitchers of all time. But right now, Joe Ryan is playing the pitch.

SPEAKER_02 35:11

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 35:11

Um you also get some bullpen help. Uh uh uh Tyler Rogers, and there's a couple other bullpen guys coming that I can't remember off the top of my head.

SPEAKER_00 35:23

Good. We need the bullpen help.

SPEAKER_01 35:25

Yeah, there's some bullpen help coming up coming to help Team USA. So no, we're I'm excited. I'm excited to see how it unfolds. Uh, you got any any last comments?

SPEAKER_00 35:39

I do not.

SPEAKER_01 35:40

All right. Well, Matt, thank you for filling in for Sawyer.

SPEAKER_00 35:43

Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_01 35:44

Uh, hopefully he's having fun in Montreal. And I promise it won't become months between uploads. The world baseball classic is underway. The MLB season is gonna be opening days in a couple weeks.

SPEAKER_00 35:58

There's gonna be a lot of 13 days from today. Opening days, baby.

SPEAKER_01 36:03

There's a lot of baseball upcoming. We'll we'll definitely have episodes dropping soon, keeping you updated with what happens in the world baseball classic. Um, Matt might be on to talk about this. I don't know what Sawyer's gonna how long he's in Montreal for. So we'll we'll keep you guys updated with everything. And yeah, thanks for listening.

SPEAKER_00 36:23

Yep.