Holy Cow! Team USA upset!

[Bluzmann57]

Canada just beat team USA in the World Baseball Classic. This is a HUGE upset, as Team USA was, and probably still is, favored to win this thing. I don't know what others may think, but I'm liking this WBC thing. I saw a guy from Canada make a terrific catch in the outfield today and he wasn't slacking at all. I'd still like to see USA win, but it is nice to see some balance. Watch the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, as well as Japan. I predict that may be the final four of the tourney.
On edit-Dominican Republic and Venezuela are in the same pool. Only one of them will be in the final four. And Japan got upset the other day as well, but they will be all right.

[erpowers]

1. Cuba

What about Cuba? Do you think they will be in the final four?

[Bluzmann57]

11. No

I know they are good in tournament situations, but they have never faced real live MLB players, or at least rarely. Those MLB guys are the best in the world.

[DelawareValleyDem]

2. It's possible for two teams

from the same pool to make the final four. Two new pools of four teams each will be formed after this round to play against one another, with the top two teams from the new pools going on to the final four.

[ClusterFreak]

3. I was loving it!!

Sorry, but I'm Canadian! We almost blew it, but we shut the door after the U.S. had it's big inning, scoring all it's runs. Just goes to show ya....even the Yankees/White Sox/Braves are usually going to lose one game in a four game series to an inferior team.

[DaveinMD]

4. I wouldn't call them favorites

The Dominican Republic may be the favorite.

[northzax]

6. yup- the DR has great hitting, great fielding and great pitching

they should win.

[DelawareValleyDem]

8. DR have won their game today

and thus already earned a spot in the next round. They've been playing very well.

[Awsi Dooger]

5. Baseball lends itself to so-called upsets

A big favorite is something like 1/2 odds. That's the equivalent of a 4 point favorite in a football game. I haven't looked at the betting lines on these games. Perhaps they are higher. But it's hardly like a 20+ plus point favorite losing in football or basketball.

[DaveinMD]

7. me thinks

you have a gambling problem :-)

[Awsi Dooger]

9. I may have some evidence for you

I spent all morning inputting NFL stats from '95 into my Excel workbooks. Yep, '95. Then running dozens of calculations.

I do love the daily puzzle with the solutions and bottom line revealed at day's end. Just that it takes so damn much time. That's why I've got to increasingly automate everything, eliminate the time requirements. College basketball is awesome in that regard since I just use preseason ratings and apply them all year. Results mean nothing. It's a system designed to hit 55-57% and it cooperates. Try to subjectively win every game and that's where the second guessing comes in, plus the 45% potential.

[DaveinMD]

10. That's a lot of time on your hands

good luck. You should run the DU NCAA tourney pool.

[Awsi Dooger]

12. Pools have ladders, not pointspreads

So I'm not interested.

But they're immeasurably more tolerable than fantasy leagues.