The Ninth in the World Classic: DOM-USA, a final before the Grand Final

ByDavid Mitchell
The Ninth in the World Classic: DOM-USA, a final before the Grand Final

A final before the Grand Final of the World Classic: Dominican vs Team USA, who ends with glory and who as a failure?

1. A semi-final with “The Game” on the table

MIAMI– DID YOU WANT TO SEE a confrontation between the two countries with the most players in the Major Leagues? Well, the table is set for March 15 at the loanDepot in Miami. There was no surprise on the first day of the quarterfinals. The Dominican Republic, the foreign country with the most representation in MLB, will compete for a place in the final of the World Baseball Classic against the inventors of the sport and owners of the best league in the world. Faced with such a combination, the million-dollar questions emerge: who has the most powerful alignment? And who comes out as the favorite? Breaking it down name by name, there is parity. If the Dominican Republic boasts of having Fernando Tatis Jr, Ketel Marte, Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Manny Machado, Junior Caminero and Julio Rodríguez in line, the United States does not look out of place by presenting its cards: Bobby Witt Jr., Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, Kyle Schwarber, Alex Bregman, Roman Anthony and Cal Raleigh. In a short tournament in the month of March, it is illogical that hitters are in the sweet spot of their performance, but the Classic is now the rule and not the exception in the MLB program, so those who are better conditioned should prosper. So far, the Dominican Republic has the advantage. It dominates Team USA in most offensive departments: most runs scored 51 x 40, most RBIs 50 x36, most home runs 14 x 7. The offensive line in general is .312 AVE/.453 OBP/.637 SLUG plus 1.090 OPS. By .283/.415/.468 and .883 from the northerners.

2. Paul Skenes, the big difference

THE OPENER American for the semifinal match, Paul Skenes, marks distances in relation to his Quisqueyan counterpart Luis Severino. If the current Cy Young Award of the National League handcuffed MLB hitters in full power, do not be surprised if he is capable of stopping the Caribbean power. Don’t forget that pitchers usually train before position players, which apparently gives them an advantage in set-up. Especially when it comes to the ace of a team (Pittsburgh Pirates) that will start on Opening Day, which is just 11 days away. But where I said I say, I say Diego. The interest that the Dominican players put in each play shows the obvious: only victory is useful to them. Those who have played a team sport at a certain level know that when a team puts in that much effort and is also loaded to the teeth with talent, it is very difficult to beat them. What will happen? I think Skenes and the Team USA bullpen have the upper hand. They have the tools to control Dominican power. I don’t think the same about Severino, a 10-year veteran in the Majors who had his prime in the league between 2017 and 2018.

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Is Dominican-United States the early final?

Two of the favorite teams in the World Classic will meet in one of the semifinals.

3. The million dollar question for Dominicans and Americans

LOSE IN SEMIS Would it be a failure for the Dominican Republic or the United States? There I put the question for you to answer. I’m just reminding you that someone once said that “second place is a loser’s first place.”

4. Banana vs. “conflé”

AFTER THE VICTORY of the Dominican Republic against South Korea on Friday, the euphoric Dominican public outside the loanDepot Park in Miami, in addition to enjoying the victory, clearly pointed out the next opponent they wanted: the United States. The celebratory slogans of “we love the USA” were heard everywhere outside the stadium and shortly after finishing the Dominican game, the United States did the same and qualified for the semifinals, completing the long-awaited clash between baseball powers. The Dominicans also shouted another slogan: “we want conflé (corn flakes),” referring to the fact that this is the food most consumed by Americans and although that is not necessarily true, the clash between “banana and conflé” is called to be the best game of this World Baseball Classic.

5. Pujols’ leadership eliminated the ghosts of 2023

REGARDLESS Given the enormous amount of talent that the Dominican Republic has in the World Classic, the way in which the tournament has been developed has shown that the choice of Albert Pujols as team leader has been one of the most correct. It is not necessary to mention the number of achievements of Pujols as a player to understand why Dominican players respect their manager so much; However, it is “The Machine’s” direct form of communication that pleases baseball players. They know that they are dealing with a man who, in addition to knowing the game, does not mince words, is direct in what he wants and does not mince words. Without wanting to add fuel to the fallen tree, what the Dominicans are experiencing is a very important change compared to the previous incumbent, whose lack of leadership in a locker room of superstars became evident from the moment it was announced.

6. Austin Wells, “the cousin” of the tigueres

YES FOR SOME If you happen to doubt the atmosphere in the Dominicana clubhouse, I invite you to watch the video that accompanies this entry. ‘El Primo’, as they call Austin Wells, seems to have played with this group all his life. Adaptation and integration. If you’re wondering why the nickname is, well, some colleagues from that Caribbean nation explained to me that there everyone has a cousin who lives in New York and Wells, who plays for the New York Yankees, became the cousin of all the Tigueres.

7. “Better to have gas fall on you than for a Dominican to fall on you”

IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC There is an expression that says that it is better to have gas fall on you than to have a Dominican fall on you, which basically explains that it is better to have something unpleasant happen to you than to have to confront a Dominican. José Ramírez, third baseman for the Cleveland Guardians, is learning that the hard way. A little context: Ramírez was scheduled to play for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, but for “personal reasons” that were never really explained, Ramírez left the team shortly after the final roster was announced. The response of the Dominican public? Nothing positive. Ramírez has been the victim of personal attacks on his networks, a gigantic number of memes and being related to everything negative that has to do with the team.

8. DeRosa denies goodbye to Clayton Kershaw

PROBABLY He doesn’t lose sleep. It doesn’t even bother him. But at some point Mark DeRosa, the manager of Team USA, will have to deal with his conscience. It’s almost criminal to take Clayton Kershaw to the World Classic and not use him. Kershaw announced his retirement at the end of last September and the Classic was his last dance. Literally, he was left dressed and without dancing. Five games and nothing at all. DeRosa did not find the opportunity for him to make the farewell walk wearing his country’s shirt and applauded by the fans. He denied it. Joe Ryan, as the helmsman himself revealed, would replace Kershaw from now on. It turned out that Ryan would not join Team USA and that opens an opportunity. Whether or not, a legend is not treated like that. The most experienced people – like my editors – say that karma exists.

Cal Raleigh once again refuses to greet his teammate

9. CAL RALEIGH He once again refused to greet a professional colleague! A couple of days ago, his disagreement with Randy Arozarena, who plays alongside him on the Seattle Mariners, went viral. The Cuban-Mexican tried to greet him and he denied the greeting. Then, a dazed Arozarena recited a “poem” to him that, as expected, exploded on social media. The conflict apparently did not escalate. Raleigh publicly apologized. I don’t know if Randy accepted them willingly. But we hadn’t even turned the page when Raleigh messed it up again. He denied greeting his Mariners teammate, Josh Naylor, in the United States vs. Canada in the quarterfinals. Why did he do it again? Are you really not interested in socializing with the Sailors? Is it a message to Seattle management? No, nothing like that. This time it was all a joke. Naylor took advantage of all the heat generated to joke with Raleigh. In the mixed zone, the first baseman who extended his contract with Seattle for five years and $92.5 million explained that the day before he had called Raleigh to notify him of the joke. What a relief!

David Mitchell
David Mitchell

As a passionate sports journalist with over a decade of experience, I strive to uncover the heart and soul behind every game. Supported by a dedicated team of fellow enthusiasts and storytellers, I am committed to delivering insightful and engaging content that connects fans worldwide. Together, we celebrate the victories, challenges, and unifying spirit of sports through every article we craft.