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• SAN FRANCISCO -- Two-time defending champion Japan and Cuba will face off in the first round of pool play in next years World Baseball Classic. cheap jerseys 2013 . Home-field advantage: Japan. Japan will host first and second rounds of pool play at two sites in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, which features a new qualifying format rather than the invitation-only system of the first two events. The top 12 nations from the last WBC were already in, then the other four determined from 28 teams through qualifying. The WBC winner will be named world champion for the first time. The first round games for Pool A will be held in Fukuoka from March 2-6 with Japan, China, Cuba and a qualifier to be determined. The second round moves to the Tokyo Dome. "Cuba was a good fit in Japan," WBC President Paul Archey said. "We have more games in Asia. Somebody is going to have to go to Asia and play." The WBC announced its venues and pools Tuesday outside the Giants AT&T Park, which will host the semifinals and championship game in the events third run. Two more qualifying teams are still to be determined in November, with rosters scheduled to be announced Dec. 3 at the baseball winter meetings in Nashville, Tenn. Players will be subject to drug testing by the World Anti-Doping Agency. San Juan, Puerto Rico, will host games for the third time at Hiram Bithorn Stadium. Those games will be played March 7-10 featuring Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and a qualifier. The Arizona Diamondbacks Chase Field and the clubs shared Scottsdale spring training facility with the Rockies, Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, hosts Pool D games between the U.S., Italy, Mexico and a qualifier. "It would help to have the U.S. in the final game, which he havent had yet," Archey said. Taichung, Taiwan, will stage the event for the first time. Those games at Intercontinental Stadium will be in Pool B from Mary 2-5, featuring Australia, Korea, the Netherlands and a qualifier. Two qualifying nations were determined in recent days, though they are yet to be placed in a pool because the WBC must learn the other two participants and then seed all four qualifiers for the best competitive balance. Spain earned a spot by beating Israel in extra innings Sunday in Jupiter, Fla., while Canada defeated Germany on Monday to secure a place in the tournament. Still in contention to reach the 16-team pool for March are Panama, Colombia, Nicaragua and Brazil in one qualifying tournament, and Taiwan, the Philippines, New Zealand and Thailand. The inaugural 2006 Classic featured a pool play format, while 2009 was double-elimination -- and the next one will be a combination of both. The first round will be pool play, with the top two teams advancing. The second round is double-elimination, and the top two teams will reach the semifinals. Riccardo Fraccari, president of the International Baseball Federation, announced the WBC winner will now be crowned world champion -- a title that in the past was determined through World Cup play. Giants CEO Larry Baer said his franchise had twice tried to become a WBC host for the final two rounds. San Diego hosted the first WBC and then Los Angeles Dodger Stadium in 09. "They really put a great package together and showed a passion for getting it and a lot of energy, so their efforts were rewarded," Archey said. "Its a great city. Its an international city. Theyve obviously had a tremendous amount of success filling this ballpark and on the baseball field since the last Classic. That just made a great fit." The World Baseball Classic "reflects the international flavour of our city in many ways," said Mayor Ed Lee, who hopes for an economic impact of more than $100 million. A huge blue World Baseball Classic poster hangs from AT&T Park outside along the right field area. "I must say the WBC sign makes the stadium look pretty," said Felipe Alou, former San Francisco skipper who managed the Dominican WBC team in 2009. "It also makes our beautiful stadium look prettier. Im 100 per cent for the World Classic. ... Im pretty sure the third Classic is going to be even better than the second Classic. Im with this until the end." cheap jerseys wholesale . In reality, he might be having the biggest season of them all. Rios hit his second homer of the game, connecting for a two-run shot in the 10th inning Friday night that lifted the White Sox over the Los Angeles Angels 8-6. cheap jerseys . Cole admitted bringing the game into disrepute when he reacted angrily last Friday to an FA commission questioning the evidence he gave in defending teammate John Terry against a charge of racially abusing an opponent. http://www.cheapchinajerseysmall.com/ . -- Graeme McDowell knew it was a mistake as soon as he glanced up at the scoreboard. Stitched NFL Nike Jerseys . -- Denise Ramsden outsprinted Olympic teammate Clara Hughes to win the womens road race Friday at the national road cycling championships. cheap jerseys china . Then he did it. Danks hit his first major league homer in the bottom of the ninth and the Chicago White Sox overcame a three-run deficit to beat the Oakland Athletics 4-3 on Friday night.Even with the NHL and NHLPA returning to the collective bargaining table on Tuesday, some players are lining up jobs overseas if there is a lockout. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin is talking to KHL teams in Moscow and Magnitogorsk about playing on a week-by-week agreement in the event of a lockout on Sept. 15. In Tampa Bay, two of the top forwards on the Lightning have also publically stated that they would keep playing if the NHL barred the players. "With my age, you want to keep playing," 37-year-old Martin St. Louis told the Tamppa Bay Times.dddddddddddd "I dont want to take a year off. If the NHL wants to shut us down, well go play somewhere else. "You have to be patient before you go to Europe, but its definitely an option guys will look into." Steven Stamkos agreed with his teammate. "Definitely thought about it if there is an extended lockout," Stamkos told the Times in a text message. During the lockout that saw the entire 2004-05 season cancelled, a large number of NHLers accepted contracts to play in Europe and returned the following season when the new CBA was signed. ' ' '

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