The USA was favored to win the second WBC. However, the team was only capable of making it into the semi finals before bowing to Japan. It should also be noted that Japan and Korea who played in the finals, have lost only to each other.
Because they have beaten all the teams that they played, it can be said that Japan and Korea dominate baseball. This is sad if not ironic since baseball has been considered the American game.
Sports writers present different reasons why the US does so poorly, but none address what is probably the most important factor; what do Japan and Korea do to produce such high-level players and great team play? In contrast, what does the US do to produce high level players, especially in view of the high number of foreign athletes being brought in every year who appear to dominate the teams?
When I was invited to Japan and Korea in the 1980s to address their sports science training centers and to consult with their coaches in various sports, including baseball, I saw very quickly that they were very interested in how they could improve in order to compete better on a world level.
They were already doing basic sports science research to improve player performance. They were doing biomechanical analyses of sports technique as for example, in baseball batting and pitching. I was asked to evaluate some of this research and to provide more information on the latest in training high-level athletes, in order to make them even better.
Both Japan and Korea were very interested in the latest information especially what the Soviets were doing at that time to produce such great athletes. They were already familiar with the Soviet Sports Review (the only journal devoted to reporting Soviet coaching research and practice) and wanted more information on application of the research and practices that were most often used, especially in the area of strength training.
They had a keen interest in the concept of specialized exercises that duplicated what the athlete did in his technique execution and combined it with strength development in the same neuromuscular pathway. This is a concept that still eludes most American coaches.
Prominent among the reasons given for the USA loss was that most players are not in shape to be playing this early in the season. Also that the Asian teams play “small ball” (singles, doubles, etc.) as opposed to the “big ball” (home runs) preferred by American players.
That this type of play paid off for Japan is obvious if you look at the number of hits and the number of runs scored. In trying for the long ball the American team had seven strikeouts that occurred with runners in scoring position while Japan had one. The answer to what it takes to win becomes very obvious from this comparison.
To state that most American players are not in shape to be playing this early in the season is perhaps most indicative of the effort put in by US players. The players should be ashamed to say that they were not ready to play on a world level in a game in which they are considered to be elite.
In fact, if they are truly elite, they would be in shape on a year-round basis and not try to get in shape only a few weeks before the season starts. ‘Being in shape’ does not mean merely being able to play. It should mean being ready and able to play on the highest level. However, most USA players do not get to this point until almost summer and even then, it is debatable.
A major problem facing US baseball is player development, that is, improving skill technique and the physical qualities specific to the skill. When these two factors are well-developed the player will be in peak condition. At this time, you see great all-round play and performance; game strategy is not only easy to carry out but also very effective. Without them the best strategy in the world will not win a game.
For more information on developing a high level athlete see Build a Better Athlete.