Netherlands 10, Panama 0 (7 innings, mercy rule)

Writes Maura Johnston,

I’m feeling like a WBC apologist by admitting this, but but i think it’s pretty neat that the mercy rule and the first-round pitch limits coincided just precisely enough to give the Netherlands’ Shairon Martis a no-hitter.

Indeed, even cooler when you consider that Maris might not have even made the team if Dennis Bergkamp had been willing to get on an airplane.

In Scottsdale, AZ, Team USA has virtually ensured their passage to the 2nd round, having hung a 16 spot on South Africa after 3 innings. Junior has a pair of 3 run homers, Roger Clemens has been nearly perfect and there have no sightings of Col. DeBeers.

Bud Selig, interviewed during the 4th inning, declared that following Japan’s first round loss to Korea, “the entire country went into mourning.” And with that, I don’t think anyone else needs to worry about being a WBC apologist.