2009 Baseball World Cup (Team Summaries)

Australia

•  Australia finished fifth, their best ever and an improvement of one slot from 2007. Their record was 10-6 with a run differential of 96-64. Their top hitters were their catching tandem of Joel Naughton (.464/.500/.643) and Andrew Graham (.346/.414/.515). Providing power were 3B Luke Hughes (.371/.338/.576, 10 R, 13 RBI, 4 HR), RF Tim Kennelly (.254/.333/.542, 10 R, 10 RBI, 4 HR) and 1B Stefan Welch (.258/.277/.597, 10 R, 11 RBI, 7 2B, 4 HR). Their top pitchers were Dushan Ruzic (1-1, Sv, 3 R, 0 ER, 11 H in 21 IP), David Welch (1-0, 1.13, 3 BB, 27 K in 24 IP) and Adam Blackley (1-0, 1.69).

Canada

•  Canada won their first Medal ever at a World Cup, a Bronze. They went 12-3, only losing to #1 USA, #2 Cuba and #5 Australia. They outscored their opponents 123-45. They had a strong and balanced offensive attack, with the top hitters being 1B Jimmy Van Ostrand (.319/.407/.574, 10 R, 12 RBI), RF Rene Tosoni (.345/.457/.690, 18 R, 16 RBI) and LF Adam Loewen (.286/.434/.548, 13 R, 12 RBI, 3 SB). Despite lesser numbers than that trio, 3B Shawn Bowman (.291/.400/.491, 10 BB, 15 RBI) was their only position player to make the All-Star team. Their top pitchers were late addition Matt Kniginyzky (2-0, 1 R, 0 ER, 10 H in 18 IP), Nick Bucci (0 R, 7 H in 14 1/3 IP), Dustin Molleken (1-0, 0 R, 7 H in 11 IP), All-Star RP Trystan Magnuson (4-0, 0 R, 4 H in 9 2/3 IP) and Chris Kissock (1 R in 9 IP, 10 K). Their worse performer was veteran Chris Begg (0-1, 15.43, 7 IP in 3 starts).

China

•  People's Republic of China finished dead last among the 22 nations, a result of sending a weak team from the China Baseball League, the Henan Elephants, instead of a true national team. They were outscored 39-3, outhit .387/.496/.645 to .155/.231/.197. C Dong Wang was 3 for 8 with a double and 2 RBI as China's top hitters. 15-year-old Feng Chen turned in a 4.91 ERA as one of their best pitchers.

Croatia

•  Croatia had a respectable World Cup debut, finishing ahead of four teams with World Cup experience. They were winless with a 5-27 run differential and only had one mercy rule game. DH Slobodan Gales, the leadoff man, hit .286/.545/.286 and scored twice, to lead the offense in OPS. 1B Josip Brozinić had only one hit in 10 at-bats, but he had Croatia's first World Cup home run and 3 of their 5 RBI. Jadran Dadić, a late addition, led the staff with a 3.86 ERA and had 3 K in 2 1/3 IP. Veteran Jimmy Summers (0-1, 4.50) had the only other ERA under 8.

Cuba

•  Cuba went 12-3 to take their second straight Silver; anything other than a Gold was bound to be a disappointment, though. They outscored opponents 90-36; other than their two losses to the US, they allowed only 21 runs in 13 games. They held opponents to a .186/.266/.265 line entering the finale. Their big three batters were All-Star 2B Héctor Olivera Jr. (.409/.460/.568), All-Star RF Alfredo Despaigne (.436/.500/1.109, a tourney-best 11 HR, 17 R, 17 RBI) and 3B-DH Michel Enríquez (.345/.455/.509, 10 R, 10 BB). Their top moundsmen of a stellar group were Pedro Luis Lazo (18 K, 8 H, 3 R, 0 ER in 10 2/3 IP), Freddy Asiel Alvarez (0.49, 9 H in 18 1/3 IP), Miguel Alfredo González (3-0, 2.29, 13 H, 26 K in 19 2/3 IP), Yulieski González (3-0, 2.14, 10 H, 20 K in 21 IP) and All-Star Norge Luis Vera (3-1, 1.32, 14 H, 5 BB, 33 K in 27 1/3 IP). Their only hurler with an ERA over 2.50 was Yadier Pedroso (0-1, 6.23, 15 K in 8 2/3 IP).

Czech Republic

•  Czech Republic finished 20th of 22 clubs and did the worst of any host nation. They were outscored 36-5 but managed to avoid any mercy rule losses, a moral victory; Their run differential was comparable to their first World Cup (81:13) four years prior. Their top hitters were C Jakub Voják (2 for 4, 2B, 3B, R, RBI) and 2B Martin Schneider (2 for 8, 2 R, HR). They only hit .159/.245/.261 as a team with 33 K in 88 AB while allowing a .374/.455/.626 batting line. Their top two hurlers were Twins farmhand Jan Řeháček and Boris Bokaj, each of whom tossed 4 1/3 shutout innings. Only one other pitcher had an ERA under 9.

Germany

•  Germany had the second-best winning percentage of any of the seven host nations at .333 but was the only team to win a first-round game and fail to make round two. They were outscored only 22-16 and two of their three opponents finished in the top 7. 3B Dominik Wulf (.385/.385/.692, HR, 5 RBI) and C Kai Gronauer (.333/.500/.556) led the offense. Enorbel Márquez (1-0, 1.59) was their best pitcher to work over one inning, while André Hughes (0-1, 23.14) was the worst starter.

Italy

•  Italy did worse than in 2007 despite home field advantage, going 2-5 and getting outscored 54-32. They had four starting position players hit under .200, but other guys performed well, led by DH Jairo Ramos Gizzi (.409/.481/.636) and RF Mario Chiarini (.296/.387/.556, 8 RBI in 7 G). 1B Dean Rovinelli was just 1 for 17 at the plate. The staff was a bigger problem, as they allowed a 7.01 ERA and 909 opponent OPS. Two bright spots on the staff were relievers Yovany D'Amico (2-0, 1.80 in 5 G) and Franklin Torres (Sv, 2.08, 7 K in 4 1/3 IP in 6 G). The worst pitcher was veteran Riccardo De Santis (9 R, 8 H, 4 BB in 1 1/3 IP over 3 G).

Japan

•  Japan had a hard fall, from a Bronze Medal in 2007 to 10th this year, missing the final round. They were 4-6 despite outscoring their opponents by a 54-43 margin. One problem was four losses by one or two runs. Their top hitters were outfielders Sho Aranami (.368/.520/.474) and Yoshinobu Kotegawa (.346/.452/.654). Several pitchers performed very well, most notably Hirofumi Yamanaka (1-0, 1.17, 3 H, 16 K in 7 2/3 IP), Motoki Higa (2-0, 2.03, 6 H, 18 K in 13 1/3 IP) and Atsushi Tanaka (2.03, 7 H, 20 K in 13 1/3 IP). Not doing as good a job were Tetsu Anan (0-1, 10.12) and Eiichi Hirai (5 R, 9 H, 7 K in 3 2/3 IP).

Mexico

•  Mexico went 3-0 in the first round but peaked early and went 2-5 in the second round, including two losses to teams that they had beaten, to miss out on the third round in a disappointing finish. They placed lower than in 2007 despite sending a better team. They outscored opponents 55-47. Numerous hitters performed well, including OF Cristhian Presichi (.382/.475/.618), 1B Jesús Cota (.317/.317/.634, 4 HR, 8 RBI in 9 G, tying the Cup record for homers in a game), CF Iván Terrazas (.320/.370/.600), SS Oscar Robles (.333/.500/.364, 11 BB in 10 G, .972 fielding) and DH Edgar Quintero (.278/.308/.621, a team-high 9 runs). Less productive were their catchers and second basemen - cleanup man Saúl Soto (.133, 568 OPS) and former major leaguer Noé Muñoz (1 for 9) behind the plate and Carlos Valencia (.171, 502 OPS) and Oswaldo Morejón (2 for 14) at second. The staff was led by Arturo López (1-1, 1.12), Oscar Rivera (17 K in 11 1/3 IP, 1.59) and Héctor Navarro (3 Sv, 0 runs in 4 IP) while Enrique Quintanilla (5 R, 7 H in 2 2/3 IP) and Juan Pablo Oramas (5 R, 9 H, 6 BB in 5 IP) fared poorly on the hill.

Netherlands

•  Netherlands fell to 6th at 7-5 after a 6-0 start, their worst finish in six years after making the Bronze Medal game in both 2005 and 2007. They outscored opponents 65-53. They were the only team that didn't win a Medal to have multiple All-Stars with catcher Sidney de Jong (.371/.500/.541, 11 RBI) and shortstop Hainley Statia (.357/.400/.619, 11 RBI, 1.000 fielding percentage). A third player up the middle also did well with 2B Sharlon Schoop (.362/.375/.574, 8 RBI). The top pitcher was Tom Stuifbergen (1-0 , 1.10). Newcomer Nick Veltkamp was 1-0 with no runs in 3 2/3 innings but walked six. Reds prospect Juan Carlos Sulbaran (0-1, 16.88, 7 H, 6 BB in 5 1/3 IP) was their worst moundsman.

Netherlands Antilles

•  Netherlands Antilles went 2-1 in the first round before finishing dead last among the 16 second-round squads. They were 0-7 in that round. OF Ardley Jansen (.306/.375/.583, 3 HR, 12 RBI) and 1B Andley Simmons (.450/.500/.550) led the hitters, but as a team they batted only .225/.298/.358 and scored 46 runs. Their pitchers were worse, with 115 runs allowed in 10 games and a .393/.493/.673 opponent batting line cumulatively. The staff ERA was 11.82. Only two hurlers had ERAs under 8 - Johnny Gregorius (1-0, 5.56) and Orsendo Clemencia (0-1, 5.84).

Nicaragua

•  Nicaragua might have been the most "average" team of the tournament with a 5-5 record and 52-53 run differential. They placed 11th of 22 teams, right in the middle again. Big performers were 3B Jimy González (.410/.439/.846, 5 HR, 14 RBI), SS Edgard López (.273/.385/.636, 3 HR, 10 RBI) and 1B Sandor Guido (.343/.359/.657, 3 HR, 9 RBI). Former Olympian and minor leaguer Danilo Sotelo hit just .179/.207/.286. The top arm was that of veteran Diego Sandino (2-1, 2.04, 11 H, 2 BB in 17 2/3 IP) while Alvaro López (0-1, 8.10, 16 H in 10 IP) and former major leaguer Oswaldo Mairena (11 H, 8 R in 4 1/3 IP, 16.62) were atrocious.

Puerto Rico

•  Puerto Rico fell just shy of its first Medal in decades by finishing 4th after losing to Canada in the Bronze Medal game. They went 9-4 with a 75-45 run differential. Their top hitters were LF Miguel Abreu (.370/.407/.463, 10 R) and 3B José Valentin (.294/.429/.676, 10 RBI, 11 R). SS Angel Sanchez hit .353/.476/.473 and was named the tournament's best defensive player. The team had a staff ERA of 3.15. Standout hurlers included Mario Santiago (2-0, 0.90, .162 opponent average), Miguel Mejia (1-0, 0 R in 5 2/3 IP), Nelvin Fuentes (1.18, 10 K in 7 2/3 IP), Juan Padilla (1.35), Luis Atilano (3-0, 2.21) and R.J. Rodriguez (4 Sv, 3.68, 4 H in 7 1/3 IP; no runs allowed until the Bronze Medal game, a tourney record in saves). The few disappointing pitchers included Melvin Pizzaro (0-1, 5 runs in 1 1/3 IP) and Jose Santiago (0-1, 12.79, 13 H in 6 1/3 IP).

South Africa

•  South Africa went 0-3 and finished 21st, ahead of only China. They were outscored 37-5 and outhit .149/.213/.189 to .446/.533/.822. Their staff had a ERA of 14.81 with 45 hits and 19 walks in 20 2/3 IP. The top performer was easily Pirates farmhand Gift Ngoepe (4 for 10, BB, 2B, 2 R). Only two pitchers had ERAs in single digits - Dylan Unsworth (4.50, 5 H in 2 IP) and Darryn Smith (0-1, 5.40, 7 H, 5 BB in 5 IP). Royals signee Dylan Lindsay allowed six runs in 2/3 of an inning as the worst of the lot.

South Korea

•  South Korea finished 9th at 4-6, with a 43-41 run differential. They had a 2.86 team ERA but hit just .210/.340/.301. The better offensive performers were CF Ho-sin Lee (.257/.308/.486) and 3B-DH Yong-kyu Choi (.258/.361/.323), but Choi fielded just .429 at the hot corner. Good pitchers included Jun-heok Huh (1 R, 1 H in 6 1/3 IP), Seung-lak Son (1-1, 2.37) and Ji-woong Yoon (1-1, 2.12, .200 opponent average, 16 K in 17 IP).

Spain

•  Spain was 14th with a 3-7 record, but were outscored only 57-53. Their top two hitters were 3B Paco Figueroa (.500/.581/.676, 10 R, 4 SB in 5 attempts) and LF Luis Pérez (.313/.476/.750, 3 HR). Less effective were SS Néstor Pérez (.111/.226/.148) and 1B Richard Montiel (1 for 14). Their top pitchers were Rhiner Cruz (1-0, 1 H, 0 R in 5 1/3 IP), Fernando Gutiérrez (0 R in 4 IP) and Eric González (2-0, 2.20, .211 opponent average, 15 K in 16 1/3 IP). Their two worst pitchers were Astros farmhand Antonio Noguera (0-2, 12 H, 12 R in 4 1/3 IP) and José Cruz (10 R, 7 BB in 1 1/3 IP).

Sweden

•  Sweden finished 19th, getting outscored 34-10 in going 0-3. 2B Adam Sorgi (6 for 10, 3B, BB, R) and 1B Magnus Pilegård (2 for 9, HR, 2 BB, 2 R, 2 RBI).

Taiwan

•  Chinese Taipei was 8th for the second straight Cup, finishing first among Asian teams. They were 6-8 and were outscored 78-54. SS Han Lin (.409/.435/.477) and LF Tai-Yung Kuo (.250/.311/.500, 3 HR) led the offense, while the two primary catchers were a miserable 8 for 46 with no walks or extra-base hits. Yen-Feng Lin (1-1, 1.50, 9 H in 18 IP), Ming-Chin Lee (1.80) and Yu-Ching Lin (3-1, 3.50, 14 K, 4 H in 10 1/3 IP, only 1 run before the final game) led the pitchers. Chen-Hua Lin (16 H in 7 2/3 IP, 10.57) and Yi-Cheng Wang (17 H in 7 1/3 IP, 12.27) provided little relief.

United Kingdom

•  United Kingdom finished 1-9 and placed 15th, their only win coming in round one versus Croatia. Their hitters with US minor league experience did a poor job, and the team batted a cumulative .213/.271/.269 in getting outscored 72-25. The bright lights were two American collegians, C Chris Berset (.387/.441/.516) and RF-C Sam Wiley (.333/.366/.487). Their staff allowed a .318/.403/.493 batting line, with the top performers being Pirate farmhand Tom Boleska (Sv, 2.13, 14 K in 12 2/3 IP) and Brian Essery (1-1, 2.25).

USA

•  United States was dominant after losing their opener, winning 14 in a row to take Gold, including two wins over Cuba. They outscored opponents 110-40. Their team batting line entering the finale was .301/.390/.616 compared to .162/.250/.286 for their opponents. Numerous players hit well, with MVP 1B-DH Justin Smoak (.268/.397/.786, 12 BB, 9 HR, 15 R, 20 RBI), All-Star DH Terry Tiffee (.357/.368/.643, 20 RBI), All-Star LF Jon Weber (.413/.471/.739), CF Buck Coats (.288/.397/.615, 4 HR, 4 SB, 12 R, 10 BB), 3B Pedro Alvarez (.240/.316/.560, 5 HR, 12 RBI), C Lucas May (.407/.429/.852) and 1B Ike Davis (.308/.419/.692) all putting up great numbers. The worst performer was C Jason Castro (3 for 23, 5 BB, no extra-base hits), whose error against Venezuela helped lead to the one US loss. The strong staff featured Trevor Reckling (2-0, 0.69, 5 H, 14 K in 13 IP), Todd Redmond (2-0, 1.21), Lucas Harrell (2 H, 0 R in 10 IP) and Ehren Wassermann (1-0, 0 ER, 3 H in 9 IP). Jason Childers (9.64 ERA) was their least effective pitcher.

Venezuela

•  Venezuela finished 7th at 9-6 with a 88-71 run differential; their highlight was obviously being the only team to beat the USA. They were nearly identical with their opponents in walks (60-64), hits (132-128) and total bases (195-187). Their top three batters were RF Rene Reyes (.268/.328/.571, 5 HR, 12 R, a tournament-leading 23 RBI), LF Luis Landaeta (.278/.322/.537, 4 HR, 11 RBI) and C Yosnel García (.455/.500/.515). Leading the staff was Luis Torres (1 R, 0 ER in 10 IP). Willy Guedez (3 runs in 2/3 IP) and Jose Rojas (4 BB, 4 H, 5 R in 2 IP) pulled up the rear of the staff.