Giants, D-Backs to host inaugural WBC
11/14/2005
PHOENIX -- The venue field for next year's inaugural World Baseball Classic was nearly completed on Monday, when it was announced that first-round games, which include the U.S., Canada, Mexico and South Africa, are scheduled to be played at Chase Field (the former Bank One Ballpark) and Scottsdale Stadium on March 9-11.
The other first-round pools are scheduled for the Tokyo Dome (March 3-6), Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan and most probably the Disney complex in Orlando, Fla. Both the latter pools will be played concurrently with the pool in Arizona.
The second round is scheduled for March 13-15 in Puerto Rico and Angel Stadium in Anaheim with the semifinals and finals at San Diego's PETCO Park on March 18-20. Only the first-round games in Florida have yet to be formalized. Scottsdale Stadium is the Spring Training home of the San Francisco Giants, and Chase Field is the regular-season home of the Diamondbacks.
"The continued cooperation of the Diamondbacks and the Giants is another example of the great support from our clubs for the World Baseball Classic," Commissioner Bud Selig said in a release. "Chase Field and Scottsdale Stadium are fine facilities in prime locations, and we thank both clubs for their enthusiasm."
MLB International officials are at organizational meetings in Florida this week to be followed by the owners meetings on Wednesday and Thursday in Milwaukee. Last week in Indian Wells, Calif., Paul Archey, MLB's vice president of international business operations, addressed general managers about their WBC concerns.
A technical committee is expected to review pitch counts, roster size, eligibility and a number of other issues regarding the tournament, which includes 15 nations and the territory of Puerto Rico and will feature Major League players in international competition for the first time. Sixty-man rosters have to be submitted 45 days before the WBC begins. An estimated 270 Major League-affiliated players are expected to be involved in the tournament.
Bob Watson, MLB's vice president of on-field baseball operations and Team USA general manager, said this past weekend that his search for a U.S. manager is narrowing and could be completed shortly.
Buck Martinez, Don Baylor, Davey Johnson and Lou Piniella are among the top contenders, with Piniella being a late addition. Johnson is in the Phoenix area this week as manager of the U.S. team that will compete in an Olympic qualifier scheduled to be played from Tuesday to Saturday. Team USA, Mexico, Canada, Panama, Nicaragua and Guatemala are the participants.
"I need to have one more conference call," said Watson, who is in town for this week's Olympic qualifier. "Then we'll see what happens."
As far as the WBC is concerned, the U.S., Japan, Korea, Chinese Taipei, China, Canada, South Africa, the Netherlands, Italy, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Panama and Australia have all accepted invitations. Cuba is still working out logistics, but will join the first-round pool in San Juan.
Don Fehr, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, said the tournament couldn't have better Western first-round venues than the two in Arizona. The retractable-domed Chase Field opened in 1998 for the Diamondbacks' first season and the new and improved Scottsdale Stadium opened in 1992 and began a wave of retro Spring Training parks that have now sprouted throughout the Phoenix area. The Scottsdale facility is currently under renovation and will be ready in time for Spring Training.
"We are pleased to have Chase Field and Scottsdale Stadium, two first-class baseball venues, play host to the inaugural games of the World Baseball Classic," Fehr said. "Launching the Classic in Arizona, which has long supported the sport on every level, will provide fans and players with a memorable experience."
Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/
PHOENIX -- The venue field for next year's inaugural World Baseball Classic was nearly completed on Monday, when it was announced that first-round games, which include the U.S., Canada, Mexico and South Africa, are scheduled to be played at Chase Field (the former Bank One Ballpark) and Scottsdale Stadium on March 9-11.
The other first-round pools are scheduled for the Tokyo Dome (March 3-6), Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan and most probably the Disney complex in Orlando, Fla. Both the latter pools will be played concurrently with the pool in Arizona.
The second round is scheduled for March 13-15 in Puerto Rico and Angel Stadium in Anaheim with the semifinals and finals at San Diego's PETCO Park on March 18-20. Only the first-round games in Florida have yet to be formalized. Scottsdale Stadium is the Spring Training home of the San Francisco Giants, and Chase Field is the regular-season home of the Diamondbacks.
"The continued cooperation of the Diamondbacks and the Giants is another example of the great support from our clubs for the World Baseball Classic," Commissioner Bud Selig said in a release. "Chase Field and Scottsdale Stadium are fine facilities in prime locations, and we thank both clubs for their enthusiasm."
MLB International officials are at organizational meetings in Florida this week to be followed by the owners meetings on Wednesday and Thursday in Milwaukee. Last week in Indian Wells, Calif., Paul Archey, MLB's vice president of international business operations, addressed general managers about their WBC concerns.
A technical committee is expected to review pitch counts, roster size, eligibility and a number of other issues regarding the tournament, which includes 15 nations and the territory of Puerto Rico and will feature Major League players in international competition for the first time. Sixty-man rosters have to be submitted 45 days before the WBC begins. An estimated 270 Major League-affiliated players are expected to be involved in the tournament.
Bob Watson, MLB's vice president of on-field baseball operations and Team USA general manager, said this past weekend that his search for a U.S. manager is narrowing and could be completed shortly.
Buck Martinez, Don Baylor, Davey Johnson and Lou Piniella are among the top contenders, with Piniella being a late addition. Johnson is in the Phoenix area this week as manager of the U.S. team that will compete in an Olympic qualifier scheduled to be played from Tuesday to Saturday. Team USA, Mexico, Canada, Panama, Nicaragua and Guatemala are the participants.
"I need to have one more conference call," said Watson, who is in town for this week's Olympic qualifier. "Then we'll see what happens."
As far as the WBC is concerned, the U.S., Japan, Korea, Chinese Taipei, China, Canada, South Africa, the Netherlands, Italy, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Panama and Australia have all accepted invitations. Cuba is still working out logistics, but will join the first-round pool in San Juan.
Don Fehr, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, said the tournament couldn't have better Western first-round venues than the two in Arizona. The retractable-domed Chase Field opened in 1998 for the Diamondbacks' first season and the new and improved Scottsdale Stadium opened in 1992 and began a wave of retro Spring Training parks that have now sprouted throughout the Phoenix area. The Scottsdale facility is currently under renovation and will be ready in time for Spring Training.
"We are pleased to have Chase Field and Scottsdale Stadium, two first-class baseball venues, play host to the inaugural games of the World Baseball Classic," Fehr said. "Launching the Classic in Arizona, which has long supported the sport on every level, will provide fans and players with a memorable experience."
Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/
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