Preview Baseball World Cup Pool D: Zagreb, Croatia

Today we’ll continue with Pool D in our preview series for the upcoming Baseball World Cup. Just a short reminder on the format: The first round in the BWC consists of five pools with four teams apiece. The top two countries of each group advance into the second round, joined by the four best third-ranked squads. More info on 2009BaseballWorldCup.com

Venue

Zagreb got added to the field of pool hosts in the 38th Baseball World Cup at the last minute, taking over for Moscow, Russia in July. The six games will be played at the ballpark of the 2008 Croatian champion BC Zagreb, starting on Thursday. All games will be day games. The opening ceremony is planned for 4pm CET also on Thursday between the first two matches.

Croatia

Croatia is replacing Russia in the tournament and is going to play their first-ever Baseball World Cup. The roster is a combination of young up-and-coming players, which also competed in the Prague Baseball Week earlier this year, and some veteran players like Jimmy Summers, Damir Karin, Grgur Marusic and Mladen Krpanec. The squad held training camp in Steinheim, Germany and played exhibition games against German all-stars and Slovenia. With Summers and Venezuelan-born Ernesto Pereira as starting pitchers in games one and three, Croatia could be dangerous for the pool favorites.

Great Britain

14 players of the 2007 European vice champion are back on the roster for the Baseball World Cup. Great Britain won the first-ever edition of the tournament, but wasn’t qualified since the 1970ies. Most of their players are playing in Europe. The German Baseball-Bundesliga is represented with Paul Waterman, Craig Pycock, Sam Whitehead, Will Lintern, Chris Falls, Richard Klijn and Raef Hobbs-Brown. Matt McGraw and Aeden McQueary played in the Dutch Hoofdklasse. MLBI’s Jason Holowaty put on the jerseys of the French club Montigny Cougars and the Belgian Namur Angels this season. Brant Ust leads some players of the American minor leagues. However due to problems with the funding, some of their professionals cannot come, including Mike Nickeas.

Japan

Despite their success in international baseball, Japan’s showing in the Baseball World Cup is not the best. They only have one silver medal and five third-place finishes on their belt. In 2007 they captured third. In March they defended their title at the 2009 World Baseball Classic. However Japan is going to play with a team full of amateur players, which won the Asian Baseball championship in July. But this was the same case two years ago in Taiwan.

Nicaragua

Nicaragua last played in the 2005 Baseball World Cup with a sixth place and they have won five silver medals. They have an overall record of 157 to 124 losses. Oswaldo Mairena is the most prominent player with 33 MLB games between 2000 and 2002. Eilvin Orozco out of the New York Yankees organization is the lone current name affiliated with a Major League club. Nicaragua should be in contention for the first two spots in the final standings of Pool D.

Schedule

September 10:
10:30 Great Britain – Japan
16:30 Croatia – Nicaragua
September 11:
10:30 Nicaragua – Great Britain
16:00 Japan – Croatia
September 12:
10:30 Japan – Nicaragua
16:00 Croatia – Great Britain