I'm so SICK of USA losing

[RedBean]

[ QUOTE ]
I feel that the Americans did not play their heart out as, say, the Koreans did.

[/ QUOTE ]

Every Korean male is required to serve at least 4 years in the Korean military, the only exception from that requirement being those athletes who win medals in Olympics and bring Korea national pride.

I heard during the Korea-Japan broadcast in Round 1 that the Ministry of Defense made another exception that if the Koreans reached the Semis in the WBC, they would all be exempted.

So yes, the Koreans are playing their hearts out, because their personal freedoms are at stake.

[tdarko]

redbean,

i once played with a Korean that would tell me stories about how when they would make an error they got bopped on the top of the head with a bat, not a swing, just like a hammer or something. he showed me, and made me happy i wasn't in Korea.

you makes some good points.

~td

[hauchen]

Yes. I read about the exemption in NY Times. They all would be exempt from military service if they made the semi finals.

I'd imagine Taiwan has some similar offer also. Too bad it didn't work out.

[technologic]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I feel that the Americans did not play their heart out as, say, the Koreans did.

[/ QUOTE ]

Every Korean male is required to serve at least 4 years in the Korean military, the only exception from that requirement being those athletes who win medals in Olympics and bring Korea national pride.

I heard during the Korea-Japan broadcast in Round 1 that the Ministry of Defense made another exception that if the Koreans reached the Semis in the WBC, they would all be exempted.

So yes, the Koreans are playing their hearts out, because their personal freedoms are at stake.

[/ QUOTE ]

it's only 2 years of required service i believe.

and against japan, koreans probably wouldn't need this motivation to play their hearts out.

[Victor]

im curious how many koreans you know?

[RedBean]

[ QUOTE ]
im curious how many koreans you know?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not very many.

[Mark L]

[ QUOTE ]
I wince everytime I see the US lose a "major" sport.

But to lose in baseball. That is just plain embarrassing.

I just wish there were more players that care about their god damned national pride.

that's all

[/ QUOTE ]

im just glad puerto rico and venezuala got knocked out so pudge, maggs, and guillen can get back to camp [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Baxter]

The US doesn't *lose* all the time. I'm sure if we took baseball, basketball, soccer, and hockey and looked at what country did the best, like a Sears Cup, the US would dominate each year. We could even give away points with rugby being added and still win. Just because we're from the US doesn't mean we get to win every international competition we enter.

[Aces McGee]

[ QUOTE ]
Just because we're from the US doesn't mean we get to win every international competition we enter.

[/ QUOTE ]

Great point. Posts like the OP's are why a part of me is happy when the U.S. loses in an international competition (NEVER soccer, though, when we're the dog). The sense of entitlement we have is annoying.

-McGee

[DVaut1]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It's a great thing, no doubt. But don't pretend like this says something about the teams other than, say, we've got about 8 equal teams.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't you worry, JoA. The majority of baseball analysts understand statistics very well and will attribute this to variance.

On a related note, Scott Podsednik just knows how to play the game.

[/ QUOTE ]

David Eckstein is quite tenacious as well.

[/ QUOTE ]

Russ Ortiz is a gamer. That guy won 20 games once. You can't give up on him. He's got heart.

PS - The OP sounds a bit like "yeah, well, if statistical analysis in baseball is so great, why don't the A's win in the playoffs!?!!?" type argument.