World Cup of Baseball 2009: Championship Story

Video at the link

The Cubans opened the door, and the Americans charged right through.

Team USA took advantage of a critical error by Cuba with two outs in the seventh inning Sunday on its way to a 10-5 win in the gold medal game of the World Cup in Nettuno, Italy.

After the Cubans rallied back to tie the game at 4 with two runs in the bottom of the sixth, the Americans had two on and two out in the seventh when an error by Cuba first baseman Ariel Borrero allowed the U.S. to score the go-ahead run. From there, the Americans came through with one clutch hit after another on their way to a six-run frame that assured them of a second consecutive World Cup title against the powerhouse Cubans.

Jutin Smoak and John Weber hit back-to-back RBI singles to knock legendary Cuban reliever Pedro Lazo out of the game. Terry Tiffee, Josh Kroeger and Lucas May continued the onslaught with three straight RBI hits. In all, 11 batters came to the plate, and the Cubans needed four pitchers to get through the frame.

Smoak, a Clinton LumberKing for 14 games in 2008, was named MVP of the tournament after he hit nine homers and drove in 22 runs.

USA! USA!

The Americans win the World Cup of Baseball by beating Cuba 10-5 today in Italy.

Boxscore

I'll update this post after the Packer game with any stories that roll in to the inbox.

2009 World Cup of Baseball Championship Game

Game tracker here

The US just snapped a 4-4 tie with six unearned runs in the top of the seventh and have a 10-4 lead on Cuba.

The Americans had nobody on and two out in the seventh but put two runners on with a walk and a double.

This would appear to be the key play of the inning. Former Beloit Snapper Trevor Plouffe sent a grounder to second, but --if I am interpreting the play-by-play correctly --the first baseman dropped the throw and was charged with an error. That allowed two runs to score and the US went on to score four more in the inning.

As I was writing this, Brad Lincoln, who had let Cuba tie the game 4-4 with two run in the bottom of the sixth, pitched a scoreless seventh. The US is batting in the top of the eighth with that six run lead.

Final Stats for Rattler Alums @ 2009 World Cup of Baseball

Australia:
Chris Snelling ('00):
.240 (12-for-40), 9R, 2 2Bs, 2 HRs, 9RBI, 10 BBs, 4Ks

Canada:
Brett Lawrie ('09):
.250 (15-for-60), 13R, 3 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 4 BBs, 15 Ks

Jimmy Henderson ('09):
2-1, 2.00ERA, 6 games, 9IP, 6H, 6R, 2ER, 3BB, 9K, 1 save

Puerto Rico:
Efrain Nieves ('09):
1-1, 2.52ERA, 3 starts, 14.1IP, 10 H, 4R, 4ER, 6BB, 17K

Venezuela:
Jose Escalona ('08):
1-1, 3.18, 4 games, 1 start, 17IP, 17H, 9R, 6ER, 14BB, 12K

Highlights from the World Cup of Baseball

Canada's Third Place Game

Jimmy Henderson ('09) is on the mound for the final out of the win over Puerto Rico.



The camera angle clearly showed that the runner for PR left early. You'll know of what I write when you see the play.

Also, a littler better freeze frame next time. It's looks like the kids are in prison.

World Cup of Baseball -- Place games

Third place game:

Canada 6, Puerto Rico 2

CAN:
Brett Lawrie ('09): 1-for-5
Jimmy Henderson ('09): IP, H, 0R

Fifth place game:

Australia 4, Netherlands 1

AUS:
Chris Snelling ('00): 0-for-3

Third place game:

Venezuela 6, Taiwan 3

VEN:
Jose Escalona ('08): IP, 2H, R, BB

USA v. Canada for the Gold Medal on Sunday @ 8:00am CDT

World Cup of Baseball - Round Three; Day 4

Final day of round robin play...

Games with Rattlers in action:

Cuba 5, Canada 1

CAN:
Brett Lawrie ('09): 0-for-4

Puerto Rico 4, Australia 2

AUS:
Chris Snelling ('00): 0-for-4

Other games:

Venezuela 6, Taiwan 4

USA 8, Netherlands 2

Saturday's Schedule:

3rd Place Game
Puerto Rico v. Canada

5th Place Game
Netherlands v. Australia

7th Place Game
Venezuela v. Taiwan

All games begin at 2000 Italy time...1300 CDT

Championship Game is on Sunday in Nettuno at 1500 Italy time. That means the US will meet up with Cuba at 0800 CDT.

World Cup of Baseball - Round Three; Day 3

First, the games involving the team with Ex-Rattlers in action:

Canada 11, Netherlands 5

CAN:
Brett Lawrie ('09): 1-for-5, RUN, 3B
Jimmy Henderson ('09): IP, 0H, 0R

Venezuela 9, Australia 4

AUS:
Chris Snelling ('00): 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI

Next, a team with an ex-Rattler on the roster, but there was no action for Efrain Nieves in
Puerto Rico's 8-2 win over Taiwan.

Next, USA! USA! USA!

USA 5, Cuba 3


The final part of the round robin is Friday. Here is the schedule:

Cuba v. Canada
Venezuela v. Taiwan
Australia v. Puerto Rico
USA v. Netherlands

All games are at 1900 in Italy....12:00pm CDT.

If I am reading the standings page correctly...

The US has clinched a appearance in the Gold Medal game. Cuba needs to win or have Netherlands lose to get a rematch with the Americans on Sunday.

Nope.

Read it wrong...or half right.

With only two losses, one being today vs. the US, Cuba has already clinched a spot in the championship game Sunday versus the United States.

Canada is in the third place game on Saturday and could play either Puerto Rico, or Netherlands.

World Cup of Baseball - Round Three; Day 2

Efrain Nieves ('09) got the start for Puerto Rico against the US, but he took the loss.

USA 3, Puerto Rico 0

PR:
Nieves: 4.1IP, 3H, 2R, 4BB, 5K

Canada 9, Venezuela 2

CAN:
Brett Lawrie ('09): 1-for-4, 3B, RUN

Australia 5, Netherlands 2

AUS:
Chris Snelling ('00): 0-for-1, 3BBs, 2 RUNS

Thursday's Schedule:
Venezuela v. Taiwan
Australia v. Puerto Rico
Canada v. Netherlands
USA v. Cuba

All times are 2000 Italian local time...1300 CDT.

World Cup of Baseball -- Round 3, Day 1

Cuba 2, Australia 1

AUS:
Chris Snelling ('00): 0-for-4

Canada 3, Puerto Rico 0

CAN:
Brett Lawrie ('09): 1-for-3, RUN, RBI, HR #3
Jimmy Henderson ('09): IP, 0H, 0R, K, SAVE

USA 6, Venezuela 3

VEN:
Jose Escalona ('08): 3IP, 4H, 2R, ER, 4BB, K

Today's Schedule involving teams with Ex-Rattlers:
Canada v. Venezuela
Australia v. Netherlands
Puerto Rico v. USA

All games start at 2000 (Italy time). That makes it 1300 (1:00pm) CDT

World Cup of Baseball - Day 13

USA 4, Australia 3

AUS:
Chris Snelling ('00): 0-for-4

US wins it with a home run by Trevor Plouffe (Beloit, '05) in the bottom of the ninth.

Round three begins today with all games starting in four different Italian cities at 20:00...1:00pm CDT

Games involving teams with Rattler Alums today:

Australia v. Cuba in Grosseto
Puerto Rico v. Canada in Nettuno
USA v. Venezuela in Firenze

If you are so inclined...

USA and Australia have started their game to -- I guess decide which team will be the top seed in their pool for the third round -- moments ago.

The Game Tracker is here.

Scoreless early. Former Fort Wayne Wizard Cory Luebke is starting to the Americans. Current Brewers farmhand David Welch is starting for the Aussies. Rattler Alumn Chris Snelling ('00) is hitting third and playing left field for Australia.

World Cup of Baseball -- Day 12

Before wrapping up the day of games in Europe, how about a little video highlight package of Canada's 16-7 win over Italy from Saturday's action.



Look for Brett Lawrie ('09) in his familiar #13. His triple and his ground rule double are both included in the package.

Also included...Loony Tunes The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down be heard in the backrgound during a crowd shot.

SUNDAY:
Australia 6, Mexico 5

AUS:
Chris Snelling ('00): 1-for-4, RUN, RBI

Canada 5, Taiwan 3 (7 innings)

CAN:
Lawrie: 0-for-2, RUN

USA 12, Italy 3

The boxscore is not available yet, but I am guessing that this is the link.

There are two games on Monday's schedule. One is the makeup game for the rainout between the US and Australia. Game time is 1700 in Bologna, Italy....Um, 1000 in the CDT. That game -- along with Italy v. Netherlands Antilles in Vicenza -- will wrap up the second round.

Looking at the top of this page here...and doing some quick calculations....The US and the Aussies are through to the next round. If America wins they will be unbeaten in the second round and have the top spot in their pool for round three.

Also through to the next round are Puerto Rico (w/ Efrain Nieves), Venezuela (w/Jose Escalona), Cuba, and the Netherlands in one pool. On the other side, Taiwan and Canada join the US and Australia.

World Cup of Baseball -- Day 11

Photo by Junko Kimura/Getty Images AsiaPac

Saturday's Finals...with a picture of Chris Snelling ('00) to kick it off.

Australia 5, Japan 0

AUS:
Snelling: 2-for-3, 2 RUNS, RBI, HR #2

Puerto Rico 5, Venezulea 2

VEN:
Jose Escalona ('08): 3.1IP, 2H, R, 2BB, 3K

Canada 16, Italy 7

CAN:
Brett Lawrie ('09): 2-for-6, RUN, 2RBI, 2B, 3B
Jimmy Henderson ('09): IP, 3H, R, K

USA 7, Mexico 3

USA v. Italy @ 20:00 in Turin

Sunday's schedule for teams with Ex-Rattlers:
Venezuela v. Great Britain @ 13:00 in Haarlem
Nicaragua v. Puerto Rico @ 19:00 in Haarlem
Australia v. Mexico @ 20:00 in Macerata
Canada v. Taiwan @ 20:00 in Parma

That USA v. Australia game that was rained out the other day will be made up on Monday as the last game of round two.

World Cup of Baseball -- Day 10

Games involving Rattler Alums from World Cup action yesterday:

Puerto Rico 5, Cuba 2:

PR:
Efrain Nieves ('09): 4.2IP, 5H, 2R, 2BB, 6K, No decision

Canada 19, Netherlands Antilles 2:

CAN:
Brett Lawrie ('09): 3-for-4, 3 RUNS, 3RBI, 2B, HR

USA vs. Australia: PPD

Today's schedule:
Japan v. Australia
Venezuela v. Puerto Rico
Canada v. Italy
Mexico v. USA

Wait a minute? I was right?

Efrain Nieves, is indeed starting for Puerto Rico against Cuba. The game is going on right now and here is the link to game tracker.

World Cup of Baseball: Video of Australia's win over Italy

The main highlight is at the end and that swing looks so familiar. But, check out the stadium. It's pretty sweet.

Chris Snelling ('00), who had that game winning hit, briefly flashes through the shot at the end. He looks almost the same as he did nine years ago when he wrapped up his season with the Rattlers.

World Cup of Baseball -- Day 9

USA 14, Taiwan 3 (7 innings)

Australia 5, Italy 4

Ex-Rattler for Australia:
Chris Snelling ('00): 3-for-4, RUN, RBI

Snelling drove in the winning run for Australia in the bottom of the ninth.

Aussie!Aussie!Aussie!
Oy!Oy!Oy!

Canada 3, Japan 2 (11 innings)

Ex-Rattlers for Canada:
Brett Lawrie ('09): 1-for-5
Jimmy Henderson ('09): 3IP, H, R, 0ER, 2K, WIN

Lawrie had the only hit for Canada in the first 10 innings of the game. Henderson allowed a run in the top of the eleventh, but got the win. Lawrie scored the tying run on Emerson Frostad's game-winning two-run single in the bottom of the eleventh.

Day 10 schedule for teams with ex-Rattlers:
Puerto Rico* v. Cuba
Venezuela v. South Korea
Netherlands Antilles v. Canada
USA v. Australia

*-Wild Speculation Alert! Efrain Nieves gets the start v. Cuba? Maybe?

Supporting facts leading to this conclusion:
He last pitched on September 12
He hasn't pitched in the second round

Game time is at 1900 in Amsterdam....Noon CDT? Maybe?

World Cup of Baseball - Day 8 Finals

Here are the games involving Rattler alums:

Canada 4, Mexico 2

CAN:
Brett Lawrie ('09): 0-for-3, RBI

Cuba 10, Venezuela 0 (8 innings)

VEN:
Jose Escalona ('08): 5.2IP, 8H, 4R, 4ER, 5BB, 5K, WP, HB, Loss

Escalona was the starter for Venezuela in the game.

Puerto Rico beat South Korea 3-2, but Erfain Nieves did not pitch for PR.

The US team was off today.

Schedule for 9/17:
Puerto Rico v. Great Britain
Netherlands v. Venezuela
Taiwan v. USA
Canada v. Japan
Australia v. Italy.

World Cup of Baseball 2009 -- Day 7 Finals

Canada vs. Mexico got rained out.

USA 4, Japan 2

Australia lost 5-4 in extra innings to Taiwan.

AUS:
Chris Snelling ('00): 3-for-5, 2 RBI

Busy day on Wednesday.