The best baseball players on the planet will battle for supremacy at the 2006 World Baseball Classic. Find out more about this international professional baseball tournament right here.

2006 World Baseball Classic - What Is It?

The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament that features many of the world's top baseball players competing for their home countries. The 16 teams in the tournament will be divided into four pools of four teams:

Pool A: China, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Korea

Pool B: Canada, Mexico, South Africa, United States

Pool C: Cuba, Netherlands, Panama, Puerto Rico

Pool D: Australia, Italy, Dominican Republic, Venezuela

top two teams

2006 World Baseball Classic - When and Where?

The 2006 World Baseball Classic begins on March 3rd, 2006, with opening round robin games being played in Japan, Puerto Rico and the USA. The Championship Final Game will be played in San Diego on March 20th, 2006. All of the elimination playoff games will be broadcast on ESPN. For a complete television schedule of the 2006 World Baseball Classic, click here.

2006 World Baseball Classic - Teams To Watch

The 2006 World Baseball Classic will be a wide open tournament with several teams having a good chance of winning the Championship trophy. Here's a look at the top teams to watch and the professional players who are on their roster:

USA - The country where baseball was invented will feature a roster stocked with All-Stars, including Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Johnny Damon, Vernon Wells, Roger Clemens and Dontrelle Willis.

Dominican Republic - The number of players from the Dominican Republic starring in Major League Baseball has exploded over the past 10 years and the Dominicans have to be considered a favorite to win it all. The team's batting lineup will be a nightmare for opposing pitchers and will include superstars Vladimir Guerrero, Albert Pujols, David Ortiz, Miguel Tejada and Alfonso Soriano.

Venezuela - Venezuela's team doesn't have the bats of the Dominican Republic or the USA but its roster is packed with strong pitching including former Cy Young winner, Johan Santana, Freddy Garcia of the White Sox and teenage pitching sensation, Felix Hernandez.

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