Israel Beats Taipei 15-7 Picking Second Win in World Baseball Classic

After months of qualifying rounds, roster discussions and general hype, the 2017 World Baseball Classic is now officially underway.

Mike Meyers scored what would prove to be the winning run on an infield single by Scott Burcham in the top of the tenth inning.

Selected in the 25th round of the 2015 MLB Draft, Burcham spent last season with the team’s full-season single-A affiliate the Asheville Tourists. According to the New York Times, the manufacturer took note and sent the team a five-foot version to bring to South Korea. That would have been a good play had anyone on Chinese Taipei bothered to actually cover first base.

Israel got on the scoreboard in the second inning on a bases-loaded walk, but South Korea tied it in the fifth when Seo Geong-chan singled to left, scoring Kim Jae-ho from third.

South Korea has been trying to erase the memory of the frustrating first round exit at the 2013 WBC, which all started with a 5-0 loss to the Netherlands in the first game.

Former Cubs starter Jason Marquis started the game for Israel and held Korea scoreless for three innings, allowing two hits, one walk and striking out three.

Pool A: In order of ranking, Chinese Taipei, Israel, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Korea. The top two teams in the pool will advance to second round Pool E, which will be played in Tokyo, Japan.

After the win, catcher Ryan Lavarnway noted that “two generations ago, the way that this team was put together, would have meant that we were being killed”.

Both teams will be back in action soon, with Israel getting just a short break before it takes on Chinese Taipei at 10 p.m. ET tonight. Japan actually has won the World Baseball Classic twice, taking the WBC win first in 2006.

Almost all the members on Team Israel are American Jews. WBC rules mandate that a pitcher who throws at least 50 pitches in a game must sit out for four days. Israel stands with a chance to make things interesting, thanks to the roster of American-born talent with Jewish heritage, the majority playing in minor league clubs with MLB team affiliations. I love each interpretation of baseball and I will be providing updates on the WBC, which gives me a great excuse to shirk all my other responsibilities and just watch baseball for a few weeks.