After Pool A of the World Baseball Classic ended in a five-way tie, Cuba and Italy are advancing to the next round. Cuba wins the pool based on tiebreakers and will face Australia, the Pool B runner-up, in the quarterfinals. Italy advances as the runner-up team -- clinching a spot

TAICHUNG, Taiwan -- Panama came into its Saturday matchup in Pool A of the World Baseball Classic needing a win to keep its dreams of making it to the quarterfinals alive, while a loss by Italy would put its back against the wall. So, of course, they both played like

TAICHUNG, Taiwan -- Well, Thursday's Pool A matchup between Netherlands and Panama in the World Baseball Classic turned out to be just as expected: An elite defensive battle. Panama gave up three runs on seven hits (it could’ve been more if not for a laser throw by left fielder Allen

TAICHUNG, Taiwan -- A sellout crowd rolled into Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium on Wednesday night to watch its home team, Chinese Taipei, square off against Panama. Cheerleaders danced on dugouts, fans banged thundersticks and call-and-response chants rang out from behind home plate all the way to the outfield seats mid

TAICHUNG, Taiwan -- It was the fifth inning of Panama's 12-5 win on Wednesday and Chinese Taipei was trailing by five runs, looking for something -- anything -- to match the energy of its sellout crowd. Leadoff hitter Tsung-Che Cheng launched a pitch from Panama right-hander Randall Delgado to deep

When Pool A play in Taichung, Taiwan, concludes, many expect that Cuba and the Netherlands will move on to the quarterfinals in Tokyo, but the margins are a lot closer than you may think at first glance. Italy -- led by manager Mike Piazza -- has Major League stars joined

TAICHUNG, Taiwan -- Looking up at the podium, it'd be hard to find a better full battery in baseball history. There was the Netherlands' pitching coach, one of the best curveball artists to ever toe a rubber. He had two World Series wins, 287 victories and more than 3,700 strikeouts

It’s nearly here. After a six-year wait, the World Baseball Classic has returned, and it’s bigger than ever. That’s not hyperbole, either: The tournament field has been expanded to 20 teams, with three first-time participants in Great Britain, the Czech Republic and Nicaragua hoping for a Cinderella run. But they’ll

Although the first recorded baseball game in Panama history dates back to 1883 in an area known as Chiriquí Plaza, some country historians have the sport going back even farther. Maybe as far back as when the United States first started playing ball in the 1850s -- when American traders

The Panama City Qualifier in Panama at Estadio Nacional Rod Carew finished up on Wednesday. Panama and Nicaragua will join Czech Republic and Great Britain as Qualifiers in next year's World Baseball Classic. Every second of the Qualifiers will be available to stream live and for free no matter where