Lead Story - 11/16/2024

World Baseball Classic Information

The first and second rounds of the tournament are played in round-robin format, with each team playing each other team in their pool once, similar to formats used in real life throughout the tournament. The way the games are scheduled allow for one "off day" per team in the first round. Days off will be given to all remaining teams after Day 7 and Day 12.

In theory, you should have four starters lined up in the first round, then three in each round afterwards. Some teams may have more than four starters currently. Please message me if you would like to change someone from a starter to a reliever (it will be a simple SP to RP, not using the converter as used for (SAR)MLB). Reliever to starter will only be allowed if the reliever has more than 150 IP (real stat).

The top two in each pool will move on to the second round. The winners of Pool A and Pool B will play in Pool E, while the winners of Pool C and Pool D will play in Pool F. The top two in Pool E and F each after each has played six games will move to the championship round. Any head-to-head ties will be broken statistically by head-to-head record, but multi-way ties will be broken in the following order:

1. Run differential
2. Runs scored
3. Runs per game scored-runs

Venues

Pool A: Newmont Goldcorp Park (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)
Pool B: Es Con Field Hokkaido (Kitahiroshima, Hokkaido, Japan)
Pool C: Estadio Quisqueya (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)
Pool D: Miami Park (Miami, FL, USA)

Pool E: Es Con Field Hokkaido (Kitahiroshima, Hokkaido, Japan)
Pool F: Chase Field (Phoenix, AZ, USA)

Semifinals/Finals: Petco Park (San Diego, CA, USA)

Schedule (Times EDT/EST) (Sim Times next to days)

First Round (4 games Tues., 3 games Wed.)

Day 1 (Tues. 10am)
Africa Nations @ Australia (11pm)
Italy @ Japan (6am)
Serbia @ Russia Federation (9am)
Germany @ Greece (1pm)

Day 2 (Tues. 2pm)
Italy @ South Korea (11pm)
Australia @ Japan (6am)
Serbia @ Germany (9am)
Russia Federation @ Great Britain (1pm)

Day 3 (Tues. 5pm)
South Korea @ Australia (11pm)
Africa Nations @ Japan (6am)
Serbia @ Greece (9am)
Peru @ Cuba (12pm)
Germany @ Great Britain (1pm)
Venezuela @ Puerto Rico (4pm)
Trinidad @ Canada (7pm)
Dominican Republic @ United States (9:30pm)

Day 4 (Tues. 8pm)
Australia @ Italy (11pm)
South Korea @ African Nations (6am)
Russia Federation @ Germany (9am)
Trinidad @ France (12pm)
Greece @ Great Britain (1pm)
Venezuela @ United States (4pm)
Peru @ Canada (7pm)
Dominican Republic @ Mexico (9:30pm)

Day 5 (Wed. 10am)
Africa Nations @ Italy (11pm)
Japan @ South Korea (6am)
Greece @ Russia Federation (9am)
France @ Peru (12pm)
Great Britain @ Serbia (1pm)
Mexico @ Venezuela (4pm)
Cuba @ Canada (7pm)
United States @ Puerto Rico (9:30pm)

Day 6 (Wed. 3pm)
France @ Cuba (12pm)
Puerto Rico @ Mexico (4pm)
Trinidad @ Peru (7pm)
Venezuela @ Dominican Republic (9:30pm)

Day 7 (Wed 8pm)
Canada @ France (12pm)
Puerto Rico @ Dominican Republic (4pm)
Cuba @ Trinidad (7pm)
Mexico @ United States (9pm)

Second Round (Two sims Thu., Two sims Fri.)

Day 8 (Thurs. 2pm)
Japan @ Germany (10pm)
South Korea @ Great Britain (6am)

Day 9 (Thurs. 8pm)
Great Britain @ Germany (10pm)
Japan @ South Korea (6am)
Dominican Republic @ Canada (1pm)
France @ Mexico (8pm)

Day 10 (Fri. 2pm)
Great Britain @ Japan (10pm)
Germany @ South Korea (6am)
France @ Dominican Republic (1pm)
Mexico @ Canada (8pm)

Day 11 (Fri. 8pm)
Canada @ France (1pm)
Mexico @ Dominican Republic (8pm)

Day Off

Championship Round

Day 12 (Sat. 3pm)
South Korea @ Dominican Republic (7:30pm)

Day 13 (Sat. 8pm)
France @ Japan (7:30pm)

Day 14 (Championship) (Sun. 4pm)
Day 12 winner vs. Day 13 winner (8pm)

Auxiliary Information

Commentators

Pool A: Joe Vasile, Ian Cretella (PBS/World); Avery Hamel, Pat Burkhart, Pablo Childs (TSN/Canada)
Pool B: Brian Schlosser, TBD (PBS/World)
Pool C: Thomas Gamba, TBD (PBS/World)
Pool D: Miguel Escobar II, Sean Macelroy, Curtis Granderson (NBC); Mike Monaco, Versailles Ellison (PBS/World)

Pool E: Joe Vasile, Ian Cretella (PBS/World); Avery Hamel, Pat Burkhart, Pablo Childs (TSN/Canada)
Pool F: Miguel Escobar II, Sean Macelroy, Curtis Granderson (NBC); Mike Monaco, Versailles Ellison (PBS/World)

Championship: Miguel Escobar II, Sean Macelroy, Curtis Granderson (NBC); Mike Monaco, Versailles Ellison (PBS/World); Avery Hamel, Pat Burkhart, Pablo Childs (TSN/Canada, if applicable)