In the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC), if Korean 안전놀이터 baseball, which was on the verge of being eliminated in the first round, miraculously makes it to the quarterfinals, it will fight with Cuba to advance to the quarterfinals.
In the 2023 WBC Round 1 Group A group stage, which ended on the 12th at the Intercontinental Stadium in Taichung, Taiwan, all five participating teams, Cuba, Italy, Netherlands, Panama, and Taiwan, recorded a 2-2 tie. This is the first time that all teams have been tied. Winner wins, minimum run rate (runs allowed/defense out count), minimum earned run rate (run run/defense out count), team batting average, in order. The minimum run rate, minimum earned run rate, and team batting average apply only to matches between teams with the same win rate.
In Group A, it was impossible to apply the winner-to-win principle as five teams bit and bit. In the end, as a result of comparing the minimum run rate, Cuba with 0.139 took first place, and Italy with 0.157 dramatically rose to second place. Cuba continued its march through the first round of all competitions from the first WBC tournament. Italy succeeded in advancing to the second round for the first time in 10 years since the third tournament in 2013.
On the other hand, the Netherlands with 0.181, Panama with 0.2000, and Taiwan with 0.295 unfortunately experienced the bitter taste of elimination. The Netherlands, which advanced to the semifinals in the 2013 and 2017 tournaments, experienced the bitter taste of being eliminated in the first round for the first time since the 2006 tournament. Taiwan was on the verge of advancing to the second round for the first time in 10 years, but lost to Cuba in the final match and ended the tournament at the bottom of the group.
Cuba and Italy, who placed first and second in Group A, moved directly to Tokyo, Japan. 1st place Cuba faces Group B 2nd place at the Tokyo Dome on the 15th. On the 16th, a day later, Italy will face off against Japan, who took first place in Group B with four consecutive victories.
If Korea dramatically takes second place in Group B in the game on the 13th, it will face Cuba. After losing to Australia and Japan, Korea beat the Czech Republic to record 1 win and 2 losses. It is impossible for Korea to advance to the quarterfinals on its own