http://www.worldbaseballclassic.com/
The first World Baseball Classic is to be held March 3-20, 2006, with 16 nations participating in the event. According to this article, the MLB, NPB, and KBO plan to hold a World Baseball Classic in 2006, 2009 and every four years after that.
And to those doubters who say MLB pros will not be able to participate in the WBC:
I believe that settles the question of whether or not MLB pros will be able to participate in the WBC.....this is the first time that Major League Baseball is clearing out a portion of the schedule -- albeit Spring Training -- to send its best players into the international arena.
SOURCE: WBC title on line, US stars confident
Now I'm not a hardcore baseball fan, but the WBC sounds interesting, since it will be the first international baseball tournament where REAL MLB pros will be able to participate in. Here are some rumored line-ups that I found from several articles from the official World Baseball Classic website:
RUMORED LINE-UPS:
AUSTRALIA:
CANADA:The tournament gives the Aussies a chance to again establish their growing baseball reputation on an international stage. Their lineup could have a Major League flavor to it, as more and more players from Australia stock the 40-man rosters of Major League teams. Trent Durrington of the Milwaukee Brewers and Justin Huber -- who was recently up for two weeks with the Kansas City Royals -- are prominent names eligible for the team.
SOURCE: Australia looks to build in WBC
CHINA:The tournament gives the Canadians a chance to again strut their stuff on the international stage with a roster that could include Major Leaguers Larry Walker of the St. Louis Cardinals, Jason Bay of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins and Rich Harden of the Oakland A's. They'll miss closer Eric Gagne of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who is out for this season and indefinite for the start of 2006 with an elbow injury.
SOURCE: Canada enters WBC hungry for more
CHINESE TAIPEI (TAIWAN):Chinese nationals haven't played the game for a generation, but the hope is that players like shortstop Zheng Yu Feng, catcher Wang Wei, center fielder Sun Ling-Feng, and pitchers Wang Chao and Zhang Jian Wang will become household names in the world's most populated country once the first World Baseball Classic and the Olympics are through.
SOURCE: China unproven, but eager for WBC
CUBA:A good showing in the World Baseball Classic would be another huge step for Chinese Taipei toward the goal of establishing themselves in their own region. The Chinese Taipei roster will not include many Major Leaguers, but will be similar to the one that finished fifth in the 2004 Summer Olympics, including Chin-Feng Chen, with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Chien-Ming Wang, a right-handed pitcher who has made a major splash this year as a rookie with the New York Yankees and was 5-3 with a 3.87 ERA through the games of July 3.
SOURCE: WBC offers Chinese Taipei world stage
Not too surprising, I guess.Cuba doesn't need Major Leaguers on its roster and won't have any. Its professional players who have left the country to seek political asylum elsewhere and play Major League ball in the U.S. are not invited back.
SOURCE: Powerful Cubans seek WBC crown
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC:
ITALY:The tournament gives the Dominicans a chance to strut their stuff for the first time on the international stage with a roster that could include such top Major Leaguer sluggers as Vladimir Guerrero of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez of the Boston Red Sox, Sammy Sosa and Miguel Tejada of the Baltimore Orioles and Adrian Beltre of the Seattle Mariners. The pitching staff could include Pedro Martinez of the New York Mets and Bartolo Colon of the Angels.
SOURCE: Dominicans highlight WBC field
JAPAN:The tournament will offer Italy a chance to continue its development on the international scene with a roster that could include a number of Italian-Americans who are able to play for Italy because it is their country of origin even though they may not be citizens. One such player Italy may rely on quite heavily is former Major Leaguer Jason Simontacchi, who last year compiled a 5.28 ERA in 13 games for the St. Louis Cardinals.
SOURCE: Italy to showcase development in WBC
MEXICO:A good showing in the World Baseball Classic would be another huge step in Japan's ascent to Major League parity. The Japanese will be able to bring with them many of their best players from the Nippon Professional League pending the July 22 vote, but for the first time in international play they will also be able to utilize former stars who have crossed over into the Major Leagues like Hideki Matsui of the New York Yankees, Kaz Matsui of the New York Mets, Hideo Nomo of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Suzuki and Hasegawa.
SOURCE: Japan a major player in WBC field
NETHERLANDS:The tournament gives Mexico a chance to cause trouble in its pool if they get the help of such Major Leaguers as Castilla, Erubiel Durazo of the Oakland A's and a pitching staff that could be stocked with great arms -- Rodrigo Lopez of the Baltimore Orioles, Oliver Perez of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Esteban Loaiza, also of the Nationals.
SOURCE: Upstart Mexico eyes WBC title
Fortunately for the Dutch team, players from the Netherlands Antilles, a group of islands in the Caribbean including Cura
. All that means is... Go Santana!