Flying Yangban

IKKFL champ

I need this pic for an upcoming post at the Marmot's hole.

Good luck, Mountaineers

Appalachian State University (my undergrad school, the name roughly translates into Korean as 촌놈대) will be playing for its second 1-AA national football championship this weekend.

Good luck, boys.

UPDATE:  ASU rules!

Don't ask

The Soccer gods must be screaming

The United States is ranked fourth in the world...

...in soccer.

That is just wrong. 

Now, I am a patriotic American but fourth?  In the world?  The USA?  It is not even one of our big five sports.

I expect the Americans to get out of their group with wins over Ghana and the perennially overrated Italians, but does anyone seriously believe that our guys will make it to the final four? 

I don't.

The lowdown on Lee Seung-yeop

For those of you who can't get enough stories on Lee Seung-yeop (and who can?), Japundit has a somewhat long post on him. 

Other than the irritation of seeing his given name put in front of his family name (perhaps a sign that I have been in Korea too long), it is a good read.

UPDATE: The Marmot has even more on Lee.  It is like a Lee Seung-yeop festival.

USA out of the World Baseball Classic: Korea and Japan to go at it again

With the way things have been going at the World Baseball Classic, I can't really call America's losing to Mexico and getting knocked out a shock.  After all, they are leaving with a record of 3-3.  Maybe next time.

In the meantime, we are going to be treated to another Japanese-Korean grudge match. 

I wish the Koreans luck and hope that the Americans bring their A-game next time.

Thanks Korea, but I hope you lose in the semis

By beating Japan again 2-1, Korea made it easier for the USA to advance to the semis.

I'm calling it.  Korea is the team to beat in the Baseball World Classic.  If there were any doubts, their second victory over Japan dispelled them:

After getting a clutch two-run double in the eighth inning from Jong Beom Lee and an equally clutch relief performance from righty Seung Hwan Oh on the way to a 2-1 victory in a beautifully pitched game Wednesday night at Angel Stadium, Korea's unbeaten (6-0) squad celebrated as if it had indeed moved on to a glorious baseball afterlife.

In addition to winning exemption from conscription, the team got a telegram from President Roh.

I guess playing in front of a home crowd helped:

"We gave everything we had," said Japanese manager Sadaharu Oh. "We learned that our opponents' desire was higher than ours."

That desire paid off in front of a noisy, mostly pro-Korea crowd of 39,679, many of them incessantly banging blue versions of the omnipresent ThunderStixx that provided the cacophonous accompaniment to the 2002 Angels' World Series run here.

"I was aware of the fact that a lot of Korean-Americans lived in this area, but I didn't know there were that many," Lee said. "I was very touched by their cheering."

Korea's victory means that the USA automatically advances to the semis (and another game against Korea) if it beats Mexico.  They might still advance even if they lose and create a three-way tie at 1-2:

Classic scenarios

U.S. advances if:

It defeats Mexico

It loses to Mexico, allowing 1 run in a regulation game (8 innings in the field)

It loses to Mexico, but does not allow a 2nd run until after it has played 8 2/3 innings in the field

It loses to Mexico, but does not allow a 3rd run until after it has played 12 1/3 innings in the field

It ties with Mexico, allowing 3 runs in 14 innings

Japan advances if:

The U.S. loses to Mexico, and allows 2 runs or more before it has played 8 2/3 innings in the field

The U.S. loses to Mexico, and allows 3 runs or more before it has played 12 1/3 innings in the field

Mexico advances if:

It defeats the U.S., 3-0, in 13 innings

Let's be clear about this; Korea is my second favorite team in the classic and I hope the USA has a chance to get some revenge and move on to the finals.

Korea is the real deal; dominates the USA in the World Baseball Classic

Korea's baseball team did what its soccer team could not do; beat the United States.

Korea once again used solid pitching to stay the only unbeaten team in the World Baseball Classic:

The only unbeaten team in the World Baseball Classic powered its way to another victory Monday night as surprisingly adept-at-everything Korea defeated Team USA, 7-3, before 21,288 at Angel Stadium.

First baseman Seung-Yeop Lee hit another home run, his fifth of the tournament, Hee-Seop Choi slugged his first -- in a pinch-hit role -- and the Korea pitching staff stymied the best lineup it has seen so far in the 16-team tournament as Korea improved to 2-0 in Round 2 and 5-0 overall.

Baring a complete meltdown against Japan in its next game (something I don't think national pride will allow) Korea is basically assured of a spot in the semi-final round even if it loses. The second tie breaker is based on runs allowed per nine innings and Korea has the lowest RA in their pool.

The good news for team USA is that, if they beat Mexico, they will advance no matter who they are tied with in second place since they will have beaten both the Japanese and Mexicans head-to-head.

In the other pool Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Puerto Rico are all tied at one-at-one.

I'm not much of a baseball fan but this World Baseball Classic thing is great.  The should have done this years ago.

Somebody call VANK on the Baseball World Classic

It seems that team Korea can not get any respect at the Baseball World Classic.  First they they get stuck in some three-star dive while the Japanese live it up in a luxurious three-and-a-half star hotel.

OK, that was a little sarcastic but I was checking out the shopping section and noticed something strange.

Check out the American, Japanese and Dominican gear they have for sale.  Pretty nice, huh?

Now look at what someone who wants to get Korean gear can choose from.  Pretty much sucks, doesn't it?

Korea has a first tier team, yet the gear being offered up at the WBC website is weak compared to such baseball powerhouses as South Africa and The Netherlands.

Somebody at the Korean Embassy should file a formal complaint and.....

Oh.

I just clicked here.

Never mind.

But the Korean selection is still a little weak compared to that of those other countries.

The End is near: Canada beats the USA in baseball

This is dumbfounding:

Less than 24 hours after nearly falling to an unheralded South Africa team, Canada made some serious waves in the World Baseball Classic's Pool B by beating Team USA, 8-6, on Wednesday afternoon at Chase Field....

..."They have the most talent, I won't lie," Stern said of the United States. "But that's why we play the games. One game, you don't know what's going to happen. Over 162, I don't know if we'd fare so hot. But one game, you've just got to go out there and bust it, and that's what we did."

While losing to Canada sucks, any comparisons to the 2004 men's basketball Nightmare Team would be premature.  As I said before, baseball is among the most unpredictable of sports.  The USA team might have just rolled snake eyes on this one.  They also have lowly South Africa in the last game while Canada has to face Mexico.  Canada is 2-0 while the USA and Mexico are 1-1 each.

My guess is that the most likely outcome of the next round of games will make it a three-way tie at 2-1 each.  The first link above gives the tie-breakers:

POOL B SCENARIOS

Canada advances: • If it wins Thursday in its game against Mexico, finishing Pool play with a perfect 3-0 record. • If it loses Thursday against Mexico, but allows two runs or less.

Team USA advances: • If Canada defeats Mexico on Thursday, and USA defeats South Africa on Friday. • If Mexico defeats Canada and scores three or more runs, and USA defeats South Africa on Friday.

Mexico advances: • If it defeats Canada on Thursday. • If it loses to Canada, and USA loses to South Africa by seven or more runs.

Let's go Mexico!

Hat tip to the Lost Nomad.