Month: March 2023

Japan wins World Baseball Classic

March 22, 2023

Congratulations to Japan on winning the World Baseball Classic championship! And congrats, as well, to Shohei Ohtani on earning MVP honors. As a United States citizen and resident, I was naturally rooting for the USA to repeat, but I certainly can’t be mad about Japan taking the title. The whole nation is so passionate about baseball, and they produce some amazing ballplayers.

Quote of the day

March 20, 2023

This is pretty much a postseason atmosphere, and we’re getting it right in the middle of Spring Training. It’s a great team over there, and it almost makes me kind of want to go play in winter ball a little bit and see how rowdy these fans get. It looks really fun, and I was glad to be a part of it.

~Trea Turner, on the experience of playing in the World Baseball Classic

Trea_Turner_steps_to_the_plate_from_Nationals_vs._Braves_at_Nationals_Park,_April_6th,_2021_(All-Pro_Reels_Photography)_(51101638044)_(cropped)
Trea Turner, 2021 (All-Pro Reels Photography / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic)

The 1899 Phillies wore green for St. Patrick’s Day

March 17, 2023

I haven’t done the research to determine just how far back the tradition of baseball teams wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day truly goes, but some believe that it may go back quite a ways. The 1899 Philadelphia Phillies introduced their new, green-trimmed uniforms on March 17th, a move that garnered headlines. Considering the Phillies wore these uniforms for the rest of the season, there remains some debate as to whether this could truly be considered a nod to St. Patrick’s Day. The modern tradition of wearing green on this day wouldn’t emerge until 1978, beginning with the Cincinnati Reds.

This day in baseball: The Cincinnati Red Stockings go pro

March 15, 2023

On March 15, 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stockings became the baseball’s first professional team when the National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP) agreed to allow compensated players to participate. Harry Wright assembled a ten-man team, all of whom were given a salary through November. The Red Stockings finished the season with a 57โ€“0 record, marking the only perfect season in professional baseball history.

1863_Harry_Wright
Harry Wright, 1863 (public domain)

Quote of the day

March 13, 2023

A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results.

~Wade Boggs

Wade Boggs
Wade Boggs, August 1989. (Photo by Chuck Rydlewski/WireImage)

The 2023 World Baseball Classic has begun

March 8, 2023

Insomnia has struck tonight, but the plus side of it is that I was able to listen to the last 3.5 innings of the first official game of the World Baseball Classic. The Netherlands has defeated Cuba to kick things off, and in just a few short hours, Chinese Taipei will be taking on Panama.

If you’re interested in following along, the list of teams and the intended schedule for the tournament can be found here.

If you want to know who from each Major League team is participating in the Classic and which country they will be representing, those lists can be found here.

And you can find the complete roster for each country here.