Typically I don’t like to consolidate topics too much, but in the interest of never having the time I’d like to have in order to write, as the kids say today, LFG.
So, by the time I got to stealing finding the time to write something, Korea has already been eliminated. Again. This is the third straight WBC in which Korea has crashed out in the opening round, after making it into the final four in 2006 and played in the championship game in 2009.
I’m part of a KBO group on Facebook, which has been interesting throughout the years, because after years of following MLB and being a part of baseball communities on the internet, it’s kind of like going back in time following the KBO, because there are a lot of complain-y fans there that most MLB fans usually work the kinks out of themselves before not taking everything so seriously.
But all the same, it’s been kind of refreshing to see the fanbase and fandom of baseball in Korea, and the KBO is definitely fun in its own right, and over the last few months, it’s been exciting witnessing the preparation of Team Korea as they embarked on another World Baseball Classic.
However, as much excitement there was in the build-up, the execution was completely lackluster. In a tournament as small as the WBC, losing the first game is basically the kiss of death in the round robin tournament, and that’s precisely what Korea did, by losing to Australia of all countries. Frankly, Korea should’ve been the #2 team in their group, considering they were in with the likes of Japan, China, the Czech Republic as well as Australia.
Unsurprisingly, Japan mopped the floor with Korea in the second game, because Japan takes baseball more seriously than any country on the planet and it shows, and after immediately starting the tournament 0-2, Korea’s chances were pretty much over. They took care of business by beating the Czechs, but after Australia beat them days later, Korea was mathematically eliminated.
Even this morning’s 22-run bukkake-ing of China doesn’t change the fact that Korean baseball just isn’t what it used to be in comparison to 15-20 years ago, and I feel like I’m seeing a pattern of Korean sports over the last decade or so, where they seem to save their best for when it doesn’t really matter anymore, or just fall short
- 2017 WBC: Korea defeats Taiwan after they’re eliminated
- 2018 World Cup: Korea defeats Germany after they’re eliminated
- 2020 Olympic baseball: Korea goes 3-1, loses three straight to not medal
- 2022 World Cup: Korea eliminated after getting blown out by Brazil, 5-1
Regardless, with Korea getting bounced already, that kind of frees me from having to care much more about the WBC beyond this post. But here are some other quick takes on the WBC before I proceed to go on and try to live my life without feeling obligated to care: