Ichiro plans to play in WBC

[Kingdom]

Ichiro Suzuki will play in next spring's World Baseball Classic, the Seattle Mariners right fielder told Kyodo News Service on Sunday.

Suzuki
"I will try to win the WBC in earnest again," Ichiro told Kyodo, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Next year's tournament will be held in the United States, Japan, Mexico, Canada and Puerto Rico in March.

Japan won the inaugural Classic in 2006.

Suzuki is among several MLB players who have said they would play despite the tournament's concurrent schedule with spring training.

Spring training will start a week earlier than usual in 2009 under an agreement between the players' association and the commissioner's office.

Pujols
Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols hopes to play for the Dominican Republic despite an elbow injury that required surgery to relieve nerve irritation last week.

"He feels optimistic and positive and will do everything possible to join the team," Dominican manager Stan Javier said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

Venezuelans Magglio Ordonez, Miguel Cabrera and Johan Santana have said they wouldn't play if their home country fails to step up its efforts in organizing a top-shelf team for the Classic, a situation that has threatened to keep the baseball-centric nation out of the tournament.

"We haven't been consulted regarding the important issues," Cabrera told the AP earlier this month. "We only want Venezuela to go to the Classic with the best coaches and players, but it's necessary that we work together."

MLB players on WBC rosters of China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan and pitchers and catchers from other WBC teams must report to their major league clubs on Feb. 14, which will be the voluntary report date for all other pitchers, catchers and injured players.

Remaining WBC position players must report by Feb. 17, which will be the voluntary report date for all other major league position players.

The Classic, which opens March 5, 2009, will be broadcast on ESPN and MLB Network, which is set to launch in January.

The inaugural 2006 World Baseball Classic, also broadcast on ESPN, was watched by more than 24 million people.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

No word on whether team Japan wants to beat up Ichiro or not too.

ESPN - Ichiro to help Japan defend World Baseball Classic title - MLB

[love_that_reefer]

I think he's just going back to learn some martial arts so he can defend himself when his teammates want to beat the shit out of him again.