Re: The "World" Series...
 

:confused:

Re: The "World" Series...
 

Nevermind. :huh:

Re: The "World" Series...
 

Fingers cross that Chase Utley can pull out another one tonight! :)

I think there are only two guys on the yankee's team that aren't total d-bags, Posada and Jeter. All the rest, esp. A-rod, Damon and that total cock Swisher (seriously, is he chewing tobacco or what? sunflour seeds?), can bugger off.

Re: The "World" Series...
 

... plus, the phillies have a pitcher called "Bastardo". :lol:

Re: The "World" Series...
 

I get that, but it's been called the "World Series" since the 1880s. Clearly, it's an indication of the arrogance of those jute mill owning, phonographic-cylinder-listening Robber Barons, confound them.

Re: The "World" Series...
 

Agreed. The endless fascination/annoyance that Brits have with American sports terminology is truly a delight. I picture some grouchy old crank complaining that the Nippon Ham Fighters could have taken the Yankees this year, even though the best Japanese players are in the US.

The terminology IS inaccurate and silly in some obvious senses, but accurate in others. That people use it to confirm pre-existing beliefs shows something indeed, but not about American arrogance. Outside the US, 'world champion' and its synonyms almost always means something nationalistic. In the US, it usually does not. You see the disagreement in this thread---ooh, Canada plays, and if you add Mexico, that's three! Well, no, we are not thinking nationalistically. The worldliness of the sport derives from the fact that ALL top players in the globe end up in this single league. So the inference to arrogance proceeds on a false assumption that links being American and being a champion. We don't care if any of the players are American.

If you had tons of nations sending pro hurlers to Ireland every year, and no other league even compared to the Irish league, then what would be wrong with calling them the world champs? Nothing. It has an obvious silliness to it, but on the other hand, it is accurate from a certain perspective. Well, that is exactly the situation with baseball.

I've never heard anyone from a baseball playing nation who gives a shit about this usage of world champion. It's never the Dominicans or Japanese worrying about this, and they are the ones feeding tons of players into major league baseball.

Re: The "World" Series...
 

If you want to proclaim yourself a world champion team, prove it on the field of play rather than making the assumption you're the best. After all, that's what we play the games for. Unless and until teams from around the world have the ability to compete, the "world series" moniker is truly hilarious. There is nothing "nationalistic" about this, despite your claims to the contrary.

Btw, ever taken a look at the rosters of top European football teams these days? The majority don't come from the country the teams play in. Do the fans give a shit? Nope; they just want to see their team win.

Re: The "World" Series...
 

You are being 100% nationalistic. That is not a pejorative. You are completely proving my point. By 'world champion' and its synonyms, you mean a competition of nations. Just because that is your preferred meaning of the phrase it does not follow that this is the meaning of the phrase in every location and context. That would be... arrogant. If there is a single league that is the undisputed top league, which draws the talent from every nation, it makes zero difference what nation a given team happens to be located in. But you assume the opposite, that the location of the team matters, that the nation matters. Well, it does in soccer, but not in baseball, given the current global situation.

Yes, of course. And you have competitions among these leagues because, unlike baseball, they are on the same level. Now suppose all the good international players went to the English Premiere League alone, and the other leagues were on the level of Japanese baseball. Now, calling the champions of the EPL the world champions is completely understandable from a certain perspective.

Re: The "World" Series...
 

just to stir the pot a little, it's interesting to note that in both times the professional baseball equivalent of a world cup or championship of nations has been held, the USA didn't even make the final:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Baseball_Classic

Re: The "World" Series...
 

On the contrary, I am talking about a competition of teams. The world series title is laughable because teams from almost the entire world have no route to competing in it. How arrogant and nationalistic to assume American teams are the best without putting it to the test on the field of play.

And would be both hilarious and nationalistic unless they had some way of proving their superiority on the field of play...

Re: The "World" Series...
 

Yes, that is a different and also valid meaning of 'world champion'. The US is NOT the world champion in that sense! Quite right! The nation of the US is NOT the world champion, but the Yankees are. For two different meanings of 'world champion', one being a competition of nations, the others of the very best global players.

The best players on all teams at the WBC ALL play in Major League Baseball. All of them. Compare to the World Cup.

Re: The "World" Series...
 

Where did I assume American teams are the best? The best team could be in Canada. Or the best team could comprise a majority of foreigners. How is that an 'American' team? Because they pay taxes in America?

So you are indeed the Nippon Ham Fighters defender I imagine. Who are these teams you are worried about? They come from places that, without exception, send their best players to Major League Baseball.

Re: The "World" Series...
 

Thye play in an American league and the "world champion" is culled solely from teams that play in their league. Thye do not prove their superiority over teams from the rest of the world on the field of play and thus the title "world champion" is both nationalistic and hilarious.

So what? Prove your superiority on the field of play if you want to call yourself "world champion" rather than making the merely subjective judgment you are. What are American teams scared of?

Re: The "World" Series...
 

can I just say that I quite like baseball and don't actually have a problem with it being called the "world" series beyond a very mild amusement

carry on

Re: The "World" Series...
 

Actually I'm a little surprised by the modesty in only calling themselves the World Champions, not the Champions of the Universe!