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| 2011 Baseball World Cup http://i-baseballcontent.com/show_image_3000.phpfilename=/2011/07/b aseball-world-cup-ibaf-2011_opt_opt.jpg&cat=95&pid=3335&cache=false |
When you think of international baseball you think of the US, Japan, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Cuba. Only Cuba and the US made it to the knockout stage. In Pool 1 there were Canada, Chinese Taipei, Greece, Japan, Netherlands, Panama, Puerto Rico, and USA. Australia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Germany, Italy, Nicaragua, South Korea, and Venezuela were the countries in Pool 2. The top 4 teams from each pool make the next round
In a packed Pool 1, Germany didn't win 1 game. The top teams were Canada and the Netherlands, both with a record of 6-1. Japan, which usually doesn't play it's best baseball in the World Cup, underperformed with a record of 2-5. Chinese Taipei also didn't play it's best with a 2-5 record to show for it. The US, Panama, and Puerto Rico had to fight for the last 2 spots in Pool A. Panama and the USA got it with a 5-2 and a 4-3 record respectively.
Pool 2 was head by IBAF's (International Baseball Federation) number 1 ranked team, Cuba. Cuba posted a spotless 7-0 record. Germany was the exact opposite of Cuba, going a winless 0-7. Nicaragua didn't do much better, going 1-6 with it's only win against Germany. Venezuela and South Korea clinched their spot in the next round by both going 5-2. The Dominican Republic, Italy, and Australia all were fighting for the final spot. Australia ended up beating out the other two for the spot.
Round 2 placed all 8 teams that made it to the next round, Australia, Canada, Cuba, Netherlands, Panama, South Korea, USA, and Venezuela, were placed in 1 group. Each team places each other once. Top 2 teams make the finals, next 2 make the 3rd Place Game, and so on. Gaining way into the championship game were Cuba and Netherlands who both had 6-1. At 4-3, both Canada and USA got entry to the 3rd place game. Australia and South Korea won their way into the 5th place game. The 7th place game ended up being a between Venezuela and Panama
In the 7th place match, Venezuela beat Panama 8-3. In the 5th place match, Australia defeated South Korea 3-2. The 3rd place game between neighboring countries, the US and Canada, was cancelled due to rain.
The final was an intense match-up. The number #1 team in Cuba, who has won 3 Gold Olympic Medals, 2 Silver Olympic Medals, 25 World Cup Titles, and 11 International Cup titles vs. the 6th ranked team in Netherlands, which has come in 2nd for the International Cup twice. The two met in the 2010 International Cup finals with Cuba winning 4-1. The first runner to cross the plate was Cuba's Frederich Cepeda on a sac fly in the top of the 4th. Netherlands quickly struck back in the bottom of the 4th, with two RBI singles by Bryan Englehardt and Jonathan Schoop, to make it 2-1. It stayed like that for 4 more innings. Then, in the top of the 9th, Cuba started to rally and got runners on 1st and 2nd with two outs. They couldn't score and the Netherlands won their first Baseball World Cup. They were led by INF Curt Smith, who won the World Cup's MVP award. Smith played the 2011 season for the Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball.
In a packed Pool 1, Germany didn't win 1 game. The top teams were Canada and the Netherlands, both with a record of 6-1. Japan, which usually doesn't play it's best baseball in the World Cup, underperformed with a record of 2-5. Chinese Taipei also didn't play it's best with a 2-5 record to show for it. The US, Panama, and Puerto Rico had to fight for the last 2 spots in Pool A. Panama and the USA got it with a 5-2 and a 4-3 record respectively.
Pool 2 was head by IBAF's (International Baseball Federation) number 1 ranked team, Cuba. Cuba posted a spotless 7-0 record. Germany was the exact opposite of Cuba, going a winless 0-7. Nicaragua didn't do much better, going 1-6 with it's only win against Germany. Venezuela and South Korea clinched their spot in the next round by both going 5-2. The Dominican Republic, Italy, and Australia all were fighting for the final spot. Australia ended up beating out the other two for the spot.
Round 2 placed all 8 teams that made it to the next round, Australia, Canada, Cuba, Netherlands, Panama, South Korea, USA, and Venezuela, were placed in 1 group. Each team places each other once. Top 2 teams make the finals, next 2 make the 3rd Place Game, and so on. Gaining way into the championship game were Cuba and Netherlands who both had 6-1. At 4-3, both Canada and USA got entry to the 3rd place game. Australia and South Korea won their way into the 5th place game. The 7th place game ended up being a between Venezuela and Panama
In the 7th place match, Venezuela beat Panama 8-3. In the 5th place match, Australia defeated South Korea 3-2. The 3rd place game between neighboring countries, the US and Canada, was cancelled due to rain.
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| Netherlands celebrates after winning the championship Ratti/IBAF |
