When I was asking around as part of my research, I ended up asking Ludwig Glaser, one of the stars on the Germany team. Germany is, without a doubt, the biggest up-and-coming team out there. And so I asked Luda, is there any game you can remember that really proved to yourselves that you are a team to watch out for. And the response I got was one that I was expecting. See, back in 2009 I was first starting to get into international baseball. I barely even payed attention to the 06 Classic. But something happened in 2009, I got really into it, I became instant believers in the Netherlands, and now I follow tournaments carefully. Well, in 2009, I stumbled onto the website of another tournament. The 2009 World Baseball Challenge, featuring amateur teams, a few senior level teams, and somehow, the tournament featured a few professional teams. And from that tournament alone, I loved Germany. Similar to the Netherlands, they play with grit and heart and never give up. So that right there is the intro for the #11 spot on the countdown.
On July 18th, USA Collegiate pitcher Drew Pomeranz (now playing in Class-A Kingston Indians) 1-hit the Germans. But the Germans would'nt be resigned to accept defeat. Two days later, they go out and battle and shock the US team. Now, unlike #12, the game wasn't all that spectacular, but it really put Germany on the map and it was the first time that the Germans beat Team USA.
LINEUPS
USA (WITH TEAM THEIR WITH AS OF 4-16-11)
TYLER HOLT CF (KINGSTON INDIANS - CLE A)
JOEY WONG 3B (ASHEVILLE TOURISTS - COL A)
CHRISTIAN COLON SS (NORTHWESTERN ARKANSAS NATURALS - COL AA)
BLAKE FORSYTHE C (SAVANNAH SAND GNATS - NYM A)
YASMANI GRANDAL DH (BAKERSFIELD BLAZE - CIN A+)
BRYCE BRENTZ RF (GREENVILLE DRIVE - BOS A)
ANDY WILKINS 1B (WINSTON-SALEM DASH - CHW A+)
M NEWMAN LF
B MILLER 2B
TJ WALZ P1
T ZYCH P2
T BAUER P3
GER
SASCHA LUTZ LF
JENDRICK SPEER 2B
DOMINIK WULF 3B
SIMON GUEHRING C
MICHAEL FRANKE 1B
ANDREAS JANZEN SS
LUDWIG GLASER DH
CEDRIC BASSEL RF
JULIUS UELSCHEN CF
TIM HEKKENJOHANN P1
MARTIN ALMSTEDDER P2
As you can see, the USA lineup looked much stronger, but as I always say, it's about comraderie and heart and who'se comfortable playing with who.
#10, we will take a trip back in time to the 2006 World Baseball Classic
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Paulie's Games of the Decade: Game #12
Hey, everyone. I know I haven't wrote in a while, but I was researching for a new segment I got going on here. The 12 greatest games in the past decade (2000-2010) will be counted down each week. I will try to get a few players who participated to also comment.
12. 2007 Baseball World Cup Australia 26 Thailand 1 Nov 10, 2007
Now, I am merely a fan. And my favorite type of baseball games to watch, are the games where stuff out of the ordinary happen. And this game certainly had that. First of all, Australia absolutely murdered the Thai's, setting several world records along the way. No team has ever scored 26 runs in a game before in a tournament, and no team has ever scored 12 runs in an inning, which they did in the third. That in itself makes for great entertainment. The best games are either the really close ones, or games when a team loses by 20. Even more amazing, The Dutch won 16-0, Canada 18-0, South Korea 18-2, Germany 2-0, Cuba 11-1, Venezuela 17-3. Now they're all kills, but no one even beat them by 20, let alone 25. Cuba beat them by 10!
But we don't end there. Of course not. No, since the Australian pitchers werfe overworked from the game before, POSITION PLAYERS CAME IN TO PITCH! I had never seen anything like that. Gavin Fingleson came in to pitch the last 4 innings and gives up just one run. Now that's something you don't see every game.
LINEUPS
AUS
TRENT OELTJEN CF
GAVIN FINGLESON 3B
JUSTIN HUBER LF
GLENN WILLIAMS DH
MICHAEL COLLINS 1B
TOM BRICE RF
BRAD HARMAN SS
MATTHEW KENT C
LUKE HUGHES 2B
SCOTT MITCHINSON P1
GAVIN FINGLESON P2
THA
ANAKUL SADWASAR
APICHAT NGANYING
WARAPHOB SAMPAHANGSIT
TEERASAK KONGSABAI
SOMSAK SARNWIT
NUSIT PHIROMYA
ANUPONG TONGSANIT
YANNAPAT ARPORNSIRI
NIRUN JAROENKITSIRIWONG
WACHIRA TONGTHONG P1
NATTAPONG MEEBOONROD P2
In terms of line-ups, it's worth pointing out that future major leauger Luke Hughes hit 9th.
Tomorrow it's more BWC action, as we fast forward to a stellar pitching upset in 2009
12. 2007 Baseball World Cup Australia 26 Thailand 1 Nov 10, 2007
Now, I am merely a fan. And my favorite type of baseball games to watch, are the games where stuff out of the ordinary happen. And this game certainly had that. First of all, Australia absolutely murdered the Thai's, setting several world records along the way. No team has ever scored 26 runs in a game before in a tournament, and no team has ever scored 12 runs in an inning, which they did in the third. That in itself makes for great entertainment. The best games are either the really close ones, or games when a team loses by 20. Even more amazing, The Dutch won 16-0, Canada 18-0, South Korea 18-2, Germany 2-0, Cuba 11-1, Venezuela 17-3. Now they're all kills, but no one even beat them by 20, let alone 25. Cuba beat them by 10!
But we don't end there. Of course not. No, since the Australian pitchers werfe overworked from the game before, POSITION PLAYERS CAME IN TO PITCH! I had never seen anything like that. Gavin Fingleson came in to pitch the last 4 innings and gives up just one run. Now that's something you don't see every game.
LINEUPS
AUS
TRENT OELTJEN CF
GAVIN FINGLESON 3B
JUSTIN HUBER LF
GLENN WILLIAMS DH
MICHAEL COLLINS 1B
TOM BRICE RF
BRAD HARMAN SS
MATTHEW KENT C
LUKE HUGHES 2B
SCOTT MITCHINSON P1
GAVIN FINGLESON P2
THA
ANAKUL SADWASAR
APICHAT NGANYING
WARAPHOB SAMPAHANGSIT
TEERASAK KONGSABAI
SOMSAK SARNWIT
NUSIT PHIROMYA
ANUPONG TONGSANIT
YANNAPAT ARPORNSIRI
NIRUN JAROENKITSIRIWONG
WACHIRA TONGTHONG P1
NATTAPONG MEEBOONROD P2
In terms of line-ups, it's worth pointing out that future major leauger Luke Hughes hit 9th.
Tomorrow it's more BWC action, as we fast forward to a stellar pitching upset in 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)