Bruney Blows 9th inning, USA team loses

[schillingfan]

Brian Bruney, future D-Backs closer gave up a home run in the 9th inning to knock Team USA out of the Olympics for next summer. No U.S. baseball team in the Olympics, hard to believe. It was a one game elimination. Stupid rules.

Team U.S.A. out of Olympics

 

[wierwolf]

That is just stupid...

 

[Ryanwb]

What happended to the good ole Red White and Blue??? We invented the damn sport for god's sake, they should give us a lifetime exemtion.

 

[AZZenny]

Wow - and Bruney's been really excellent for the most part. Oh well - I sort of think the 2004 Olympics may be a nightmare, anyhow. I gather Greece is still incredibly far behind on construction, security, etc etc. As recently as a few months ago there was still talk of finding a back-up venue.

But - One round eliminations? That does seem like a stupid rule.

 

[moviegeekjn]

One round eliminations make the NCAA basketball tourney especially exciting because it allows incredible upsets and Cinderella story.... but if the goal is to attempt to field the strongest team to represent the region in the Olympics, the structure of the qualifying tournament is at fault.

I wouldn't lay this at the feet of Bruney ... one "bad" pitch or one great swing connected for the run. Mexico certainly had enough talent to beat a stronger team in one game.

I had no idea that that was how they determined who went on. A one game elimination tourney only guarantees greater odds for Cinderellas to advance.

 

[AZZenny]

To further that Cinderella thought - I read that Mexico got that far only because the Bahamas team forfeited by not showing up.

Then happened to see another article saying that both security and mere completion of many venues are indeed way behind in Greece - interesting (to me) some of their construction problem is because they keep unearthing important, previously unknown archaelogical finds - temples, battlefields, Bronze Age villages -and have strict laws about preserving and recording antiquities, etc., designed originally to prevent looting the culture (a la Elgin Marbles). Now they're getting upset because they feel ancient Greece has seriously gotten in the way of future Greece. For ex. they found themselves building something on the site of the original location of the battle of Marathon - which is pretty much what started the whole thing. Irony!

 

[AzKarl]

It is a stupid rule

The U.S. team was 3-0 in the pool round prior and I believe Mexico had lost twice. Then we lose 1 game in the final round and we are out? Totally stupid and assinine. Of course sending minor leaguers and college players is stupid too since these countries are basically sending professionals. The world is catching up in sports or why else would we have to send NBA all stars to play in the Olympics? What do we expect not sending our best in baseball? The Latin Americans, Japanese, and Koreans are starting to supply MLB with first rate players so why is it surprising we lost sending a rag tag representation to the trials? I'm surprised it did not happen last time but for Lasorda's magic touch.