World Baseball Classic 2026 GDT

[Spanky__99]

That L killed them.

 

[Stangstag]

5 hours ago, Spanky__99 said:

That L killed them.

 

We knew the bad/sloppy defense would bit them in the ass at some point.

Just didn’t expect it to be Naylor dropping an easy routine play

[Angrioter]

Awful game against Panama. Paxton still suck

[Laika]

Hilarious loss 

Naylor with the worst error you can make 

Why did Paxton cut the throw anyway? 

Woof 

[Stangstag]

44 minutes ago, Angrioter said:

Awful game against Panama. Paxton still suck

He still got the 3 outs needed without any runs scoring…. It was the garbage errors that fried them.

Australia also just lost/got knocked out due to bad Defense

[BTS]

Didn't get to watch the game and it sounds like the defense was shoddy but it sucks that we have to rely on someone like James Paxton in high leverage spots. We don't have any guys in the upper minors with big stuff who would be better options?

[John_Havok]

26 minutes ago, BTS said:

Didn't get to watch the game and it sounds like the defense was shoddy but it sucks that we have to rely on someone like James Paxton in high leverage spots. We don't have any guys in the upper minors with big stuff who would be better options?

Most of the the good pitchers declined to play. Pitching and D was suspect right from the get-go of rosters being announced. 

[Brownie19]

That rain delay killed the momentum Canada created in the 8th...tough one.  

[Brownie19]

54 minutes ago, BTS said:

Didn't get to watch the game and it sounds like the defense was shoddy but it sucks that we have to rely on someone like James Paxton in high leverage spots. We don't have any guys in the upper minors with big stuff who would be better options?

Like Adam Macko?  He pitched after Paxton.  

Paxton pitched fine outside of the walk.  Naylor just muffed the ball at 1st and the other hits were dribblers and squibbers.  BABIP gods were angry at us.

[John_Havok]

33 minutes ago, Brownie19 said:

Like Adam Macko?  He pitched after Paxton.  

Paxton pitched fine outside of the walk.  Naylor just muffed the ball at 1st and the other hits were dribblers and squibbers.  BABIP gods were angry at us.

Yeah thats also true. 

The Canadian squad is one that has just enough ceiling to beat any team when things go really right, but the floor isnt high enough to cruise past the nobody teams when things go wrong like they did last night. The top 4 of the lineup went 2-17 with 2 walks. 

[Spanky__99]

6 hours ago, Stangstag said:

We knew the bad/sloppy defense would bit them in the ass at some point.

Just didn’t expect it to be Naylor dropping an easy routine play

Yup, that play by Naylor was a dagger, highly unlikely Canada beats Cuba and PR.

 

[Stangstag]

5 minutes ago, Spanky__99 said:

Yup, that play by Naylor was a dagger, highly unlikely Canada beats Cuba ad PR.

 

I think they could go 1-1 and make it through, but will take some luck.

And the reward is we get to play either USA or Mexico in the quarter final lol

[Terminator]

We really need Tyler O'Neill to get going. He's exactly the type of player who could crush it in this tourney and carry us the next two games. Yesterday he hit two balls about 500 feet each but pulled them foul.

We can beat Cuba and Puerto Rico but the bats have to wake up. The bullpen has been okay so far but I don't trust it much. We need to score runs, and the best way to do that is for the MLB guys to do damage while hopefully getting some BABIP luck from the fringe guys.

[Terminator]

19 minutes ago, Stangstag said:

I think they could go 1-1 and make it through, but will take some luck.

And the reward is we get to play either USA or Mexico in the quarter final lol

Mexico has a damn good roster.

They get every single Mexican MLB player to show up, and then they get a bunch of Mexican-Americans and Randy Arozarena to play for them as well. 

[Angrioter]

RD 6 runs with just 2 hits?

[Spanky__99]

24 minutes ago, Angrioter said:

RD 6 runs with just 2 hits?

Tatis slam. Cruz bomb.

 

[sliderguy35]

correct me if i'm wrong but if colombia holds onto this game, i believe canada just needs to beat whoever loses the cuba / PR game tonight to advance right?

[Jays24]

Hopefully the interest in this tournament will make players actually want to show up next time.  Canada with their best would no doubt make the next round.  

[Orgfiller]

10 minutes ago, Jays24 said:

Hopefully the interest in this tournament will make players actually want to show up next time.  Canada with their best would no doubt make the next round.  

I mean, even the US has sent some of their best pitchers this time around, even despite some of them only scheduled to pitch once or twice. Canada has no excuse to not be sending their best, everyone else seems to care enough.

[John_Havok]

50 minutes ago, Orgfiller said:

I mean, even the US has sent some of their best pitchers this time around, even despite some of them only scheduled to pitch once or twice. Canada has no excuse to not be sending their best, everyone else seems to care enough.

THe problem is the players have to agree to attend and go. Pitchers like Pivetta, Brash, Cade Smith, Sabrowski... that's 4 arms that would make the staff immediately better, but pitching is always going to be Canada's weakness.

At their best they'd be able to snag Vlad and Freeman, but that's liekly a pipe dream since Vlad will likely always pay for the DR and Freeman, after this year's decline to play to be closer to family in ST probably won't play again next time around. 

On the position player side... the rosters is about as good as it gets for Canada right now. The best guys are there. Maybe the 3rd Naylor is ready to contribute next time around, and Cassie takes a step forward? Who else is waiting in the wings as a top tier bat for Canada?

 

[Spanky__99]

50 minutes ago, sliderguy35 said:

correct me if i'm wrong but if colombia holds onto this game, i believe canada just needs to beat whoever loses the cuba / PR game tonight to advance right?

Columbia's giving the ole college try on blowing this.

[Laika]

4 hours ago, BTS said:

Didn't get to watch the game and it sounds like the defense was shoddy but it sucks that we have to rely on someone like James Paxton in high leverage spots. We don't have any guys in the upper minors with big stuff who would be better options?

You'd think so. Guys like Mitch Bratt. Who knows how many were asked. The Aumont and Paxton things are weird. Canada should not be that desperate. I'd rather have just about any active professional. Like, Matt Wilkinson throws 90 but with good shape and he looked effective for his two batters yesterday. Paxton had enough velo but no command, just rust. 

https://www.canadianbaseballnetwork.com/canadian-baseball-network-canadians-in-the-minors

[sliderguy35]

22 minutes ago, Spanky__99 said:

Columbia's giving the ole college try on blowing this.

pedro garcia, you are a friend and hero to canadians everywhere

[Stangstag]

2 hours ago, Terminator said:

We really need Tyler O'Neill to get going. He's exactly the type of player who could crush it in this tourney and carry us the next two games. Yesterday he hit two balls about 500 feet each but pulled them foul.

We can beat Cuba and Puerto Rico but the bats have to wake up. The bullpen has been okay so far but I don't trust it much. We need to score runs, and the best way to do that is for the MLB guys to do damage while hopefully getting some BABIP luck from the fringe guys.

TBH he has been smacking the ball, a few crushed foul and a few killed by the crazy wind in game 1. He looks ok.

I think currently the path to win is we just need to beat 1 of Cuba or PR?? Since they are both 2-0 and they play each other tonight, one will be 3-1 and one will be 2-1.

We still play both, so we win 1 lose 1 and we end up 2-2, but we'd be tied with one of them and potentially have the tie-breaker.

Basically, whoever loses between PR/Cuba is the team we MUST beat to advance.

[Stangstag]

2 hours ago, Terminator said:

Mexico has a damn good roster.

They get every single Mexican MLB player to show up, and then they get a bunch of Mexican-Americans and Randy Arozarena to play for them as well. 

Duran and Randy are a huge boost to that lineup. Wish we had more semi-Canadians willing to play, but you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone pick Canada over America/other roots.

For example, I found out Dante Nori was born in Toronto but he's playing for Italy. Not that i'd expect him to pick Canada, but it would be nice lol.

[Stangstag]

So Panama and Columbia are officially out.

2 spots between Canada/Cuba/Puerto Rico. and we all still have to play each other once lol.

Cuba and PR obviously have the advantage, since whoever wins today will secure their spot.

We NEED to beat the loser of today's Cuba/PR game to advance.

 

[Terminator]

12 minutes ago, Stangstag said:

Duran and Randy are a huge boost to that lineup. Wish we had more semi-Canadians willing to play, but you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone pick Canada over America/other roots.

For example, I found out Dante Nori was born in Toronto but he's playing for Italy. Not that i'd expect him to pick Canada, but it would be nice lol.

Yeah if we got every single Canadian to show up we'd basically be fine.

But if the Pivetta's and Cade Smith's aren't going to show, it would be better if we could get some fake Canadians instead of the Brock Dykxhoorn's of the world...

[Stangstag]

12 minutes ago, Terminator said:

Yeah if we got every single Canadian to show up we'd basically be fine.

But if the Pivetta's and Cade Smith's aren't going to show, it would be better if we could get some fake Canadians instead of the Brock Dykxhoorn's of the world...

End of the day its Baseball, and even good teams can look stupid for a game or two. Team Canada wins that game last night if not for that 1 inning of terror.

We can draw comparisons here to another prominent Canadian baseball team...

[jaysblue]

Bring Rich Harden, Erik Bedard and Eric Gagne out of retirement. 

[jaysblue]

15 minutes ago, Terminator said:

Yeah if we got every single Canadian to show up we'd basically be fine.

But if the Pivetta's and Cade Smith's aren't going to show, it would be better if we could get some fake Canadians instead of the Brock Dykxhoorn's of the world...

Yeah having Pivetta and Cade Smith would have been nice.