Here is the opening to my Monday column about the WBC semifinal between Japan and Puerto Rico:
SAN FRANCISCO — Let’s end the suspense right at the top. Puerto Rico defeated Japan 3-1 in the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic Sunday night at AT&T Park.
OK, that’s out of the way. Breathe easy now.
What the teams played was baseball, definitely baseball. And the game, to its credit, was a tense, tight affair involving players many in the crowd seemed to be familiar with. Angel Pagan played center field and hit lead-off for Puerto Rico just as he does for the San Francisco Giants who usually inhabit the real estate at Third and King Streets.
It hardly mattered that the players, except for a few exceptions like Pagan and Carlos Beltran, are pretty much at the Triple-A level.
To read the full column click here.
mbabco
Nice column, Lowell.
March 18th, 2013 10:43 am
Stan
See? your getting into it. You cant deny it.
I like how Japanese is pronounced in Spanish. Hah-pahn-nes. Or Hah-pahn-nez-see. One way or the other is colorful,rolls off the tongue.
March 18th, 2013 12:12 pm
Streetglide
You really need to go to Japan Lowell-san. Baseball is soooo much better there on all levels. More fun, better food,just more. And I understood exactly what the coach was saying because I spent countless hot, humid summer hours in some izakaiya or yakitori-ya drinking Yebisu biru, eating great snacks and watching a Sony in the corner. Gambatte Kyojin (Do your best Tokyo Giants).
Go to Japan, maybe we’ll go together and catch the Natsu Basho (summer Sumo tourney), catch a few baseball games and have a great time in the best of sports towns — Tokyo.
March 19th, 2013 4:31 pm