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Japan look to underline Asian dominance in baseball

Posted on: Monday, 27 February 2006, 00:51 CST

By Dan Sloan

TOKYO (Reuters) - Ichiro Suzuki, Park Chan-ho and Chien-Ming Wang are among the Major League Baseball players in Tokyo this week for the Asian leg of the World Baseball Classic.

Even without New York Yankee Hideki Matsui, Japan begin as favourites to finish top of an Asian group also featuring South Korea, China and Taiwan.

The top two teams advance from Pool A of the inaugural 16-team tournament, with the Koreans expected to join Japan in the second round.

Traditional baseball powers the U.S., Dominican Republic and Venezuela are all highly fancied to win baseball's first World Cup-style international competition.

South Korea open the Asian round-robin round against Taiwan and face hosts Japan in the final game at Tokyo Dome on Sunday.

As ever in a region where political tensions run high, national pride will also be at stake.

It has been 11 years since Japanese pitcher Hideo Nomo blazed a trail for Asian exports across the Pacific but more could follow after the World Baseball Classic.

Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka and Sun Lingfeng, dubbed the "Ichiro of China," will be among those looking to showcase their talents to prospective MLB scouts.

REGIONAL DOMINANCE

Japan, still smarting after taking only bronze at the 2004 Athens Olympics despite selecting a so-called "Dream Team" squad, will be looking to underline their regional dominance.

"Japan will have a number of all-stars but whether or not it's the best selection...anyone can advance in an elimination format," said Bobby Valentine, manager of the Japan champion Chiba Lotte Marines and a former MLB head coach.

"The Korean team is big and plays an American style of baseball."

The Korean squad may have even more at stake.

The Korean Baseball Organization, which boasts the largest MLB contingent, including the Los Angeles Dodgers' Jae Seo and Choi Hee-seop , has asked the government to exempt players from military service if Korea makes the WBC's final four.

That would mean advancing through to the WBC's second round, when Asia's best two teams take on the winners of Pool B, which groups the U.S., Mexico, Canada and South Africa.

The next stage will take place in the U.S. in mid-March, followed by the semi-finals on March 18 with the final in San Diego on March 20. (Additional reporting by Jack Kim in Seoul)

Source: REUTERS

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