For what seems like the thirteenth time in the last two weeks, Japan and Korea will duke it out in the WBC. This time it’s for all the marbles, as Japan’s Iwakuma Hisashi takes the hill against Korea’s Bong Jung-keun in the title match. Bong is shooting for his third straight victory against the Japanese.
It’s just a gut feeling, but something tells me Korea is going to well once too often by throwing Bong again and that Japan gets its second straight WBC title. Regardless of the outcome, one thing is certain–no one in their right mind doubts that Asia’s baseball talent is for real anymore. The best is yet to come.
Reader predictions, let’s go….
22 responses so far ↓
1 Matt // Mar 23, 2009 at 8:42 pm
5-3, Korea.
I have no idea what I’m talking about.
2 JW // Mar 23, 2009 at 10:45 pm
SCUSE ME SIR, the picture you have up for Korea is NOT Bong.
You’re not as bad as Joe Morgan, but dammit can you show the Koreans some minimal level of respect. Preciate it.
3 hansioux // Mar 23, 2009 at 10:55 pm
this one is hard….. i thought Korea and Japan can win against US and Venezuela, simply because they have more complete teams, where as team USA has holes on the pitching side, and Caribbean hitters traditionally had great trouble hitting against unfamiliar Asian pitchers.
But Korea and Japan is a tough one…. I am going to have to go with Korea if both side’s pitching staff are at their usual level…. Maybe 3-2 Korea.
4 Jackson // Mar 23, 2009 at 11:12 pm
JW
Thanks for the heads up. No disrespect to the Koreans. I was sick all day today and in my haste put the wrong photo up in the publisher. Apologies to all for the mix up, but no disrespect intended to bong or korea.
5 JW // Mar 23, 2009 at 11:25 pm
NP, thank you!!!!
6 bigdaub // Mar 24, 2009 at 12:45 am
as much as i’m bummed about the US losing the game, i’m somewhat glad that two asian teams made it to the championship game.
Korea 4 – Japan 2.
7 Jackson // Mar 24, 2009 at 12:49 am
3 for Korea, 1 for Japan (myself). By the way JW you forgot to leave a prediction…let’s hear it…
8 bigdaub // Mar 24, 2009 at 12:49 am
btw, joe morgan is an ignorant dumb f*ck. he claimed that the players for team usa are getting themselves ready for the season, implying that the wbc is just part of spring training, and the asian players don’t have the same issue… bs. asian players are in the same boat. most asian players have their professional season ahead as well, just like our players. we lost to the japanese because they out played us, don’t come up with some lame ass excuse.
9 JW // Mar 24, 2009 at 12:59 am
KOREA ALL THE WAY!!!! (4 – 3)
Seriously…Bong for the 3rd time does worry me. If and when he runs into trouble, when you do decide to pull him out? Cuz I don’t feel any more comfortable with Ryu or the others.
10 Jackson // Mar 24, 2009 at 12:59 am
It takes a special kind of announcer to have a blog title calling for him to get fired. I’m sure you’ve seen this since retired blog but….
http://www.firejoemorgan.com/
At least Miller kinda sorta finds a way to neutralize him most of the time.
11 JW // Mar 24, 2009 at 1:00 am
Did you notice Steve Phillips giving Yoon props for his wicked off speed stuff and how it’s MLB level stuff? Morgan then has to be a dick and go “Oh uhh, I dunno”
What a dick.
12 FRED KNOWS BEST // Mar 24, 2009 at 1:27 am
Sadly it appears the FireJoeMorgan has closed up shop for the time being. Personally I learned so much about baseball, a strange game indeed when compared to its predecessor “cricket”, and so he will be missed.
Just as sadly, he holds himself to the idea that MLB is the pinnacle of the game, which indeed it is money-wise, and is seemingly too proud to give credit where credit is due.
Strange in ways that can only be explained as “blindness.”
13 simon // Mar 24, 2009 at 1:34 am
It’ll be decided by the magical pixie fairy dust unicorn rule, which will be dice rolling sans Dice-K.
14 Dan // Mar 24, 2009 at 3:05 am
Korea wins 4-3.
we are sitting in the LF pavillion. Section 311. i’ll be wearing a Doosan Bears jersey.
Go Korea!
15 Korea Beat › Korea to Play Japan For WBC Championship // Mar 24, 2009 at 6:54 am
[...] two teams have beaten each other twice heading into the game. Jackson at the East Wind-up Chronicle thinks Japan will win as Korea throws as starting pitcher one time too many. Of the top Korean newspapers the Chosun Ilbo [...]
16 Shinsano // Mar 24, 2009 at 7:43 am
I’m hesitant to make a pick, just because it’s a one game deal, but I’ll go with my heart and say Korea. They’re hungrier, mostly because Japan won it last time. I like the way Bong matches up with their lineup and Korea has the better bullpen. They’ll also have massive fan support.
But most of all I’d like to see a good game.
17 Christopher // Mar 24, 2009 at 3:00 pm
5-3 Japan was the result in a great game. As I said in another post if the Japanese were as hungry as the Koreans their quality would show through and it did.
18 brendan // Mar 24, 2009 at 3:03 pm
what a game…would have liked to see korea win, but japan definitely outplayed korea. korea, despite the loss, has established itself as another baseball powerhouse in asia and the world
19 baekgom84 // Mar 24, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Argh. That was so hard to watch. Japan played an outstanding game, probably their best for the tournament. Korea played very well too but were clearly outclassed by the Japanese. I can’t believe they held on for as long as they did – what a gutsy effort. It’s just frustrating when you root for a side that is giving 110% and they still can’t come up with the goods.
This was easily one of the best games I’ve ever seen. Kudos to Japan – if Korea had managed to win it in that 9th inning, you would have had to say that it was a stolen victory. I have to agree with the commentators that it was suicide to pitch to Ichiro in that situation though. Sigh.
20 Jackson // Mar 24, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Baekgom-
Yeah, that must have been tough to watch if you were rooting for Korea. I thought a couple of the calls at second base went Japan’s way and those might have cost them scoring chances. But you also really have to scratch your head as to why Korea pitched to Ichiro with first base open and two outs when he was 3 for 5 in the game and clearly dialed in.
Still, it took Japan 15 hits to get those 3 runs and it seemed like Korea was always on the verge of busting it open but couldn’t. Hats off to the Japanese pitching, that trio of Iwakuma, Darvish, and Matsuzaka is really something special.
21 simon // Mar 25, 2009 at 5:15 pm
I got the extra innings part right, though it lacked pixies and unicorns fortunately.
22 Shinsano // Mar 25, 2009 at 9:23 pm
“…and Matsuzaka is really something special.”
Sounds like someone has Matsuzaka in a fantasy league.
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