World Baseball Classic
It’s begun, without too much fanfare. Korea walloped the team from Taiwan that you aren’t supposed to call Taiwan. Tomorrow before you watch MD-UVa (3:30 pm), you can tune in ESPN and watch team USA versus team Canada. Canada’s got some players – Joey Votto, Matt Stairs, Justin Morneau, Jason Bay and Russell Martin. But if Team USA loses this one, it doesn’t bode well for their prospects to move on to the next round. Venezuela’s also in the group, so there is more than one tough matchup.
Last night, the member of team USA was on Letterman and delivered the ol’ top ten list. New addition to the Nats and the WBC team Adam Dunn was there. You can watch it here. I thought it was good, I was a fan of Dunn’s and Ryan Braun’s.
Same Story, Different Guy
It’s been said, but I’ll say it too, we’re having John Patterson flashbacks. Shawn Hill, after pitching 1 exhibition inning this season, has been sent to Dr. James Andrews today due to forearm discomfort. To Hill’s credit, he was ready to pitch, but the Nats wanted him to go see the doctor. So it may be discomfort that is going to happen all the time and he’s got to pitch through it, or it may be something that needs to be fixed, or it may be discomfort that will stop him from performing well and can’t be fixed. I don’t really have any insight on this topic. I hope he gets well, figures out how to pitch without getting hurt, and recovers in time for the season. Unless I see otherwise, when I assess this team I will assume he, like Dmitri Young, isn’t a part of the the playing roster.