Much has been written and said about the reasons two Asian teams played in the recent World Baseball Classic final and why Japan came out on top against South Korea.
Practice, preparation and the proper execution of fundamentals, with a lot of heart added, allowed the Asian rivals to knock off the United States and Cuba.
Conversely, says a baseball guy experienced in Asia as well as America, teams such as Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and the U.S., all stocked with major league talent, lost because their work ethic may not have been as intense as the boys from the Far East.