WBC was fun, but it could be a lot better

3. For Team USA in particular, figure on an earlier-starting and longer training camp, possibly beginning around Feb. 1. It's the only logical way to go, considering their hitters weren't game-ready, while the Asian teams were further along in their spring training, several Latin players were coming off winter-ball seasons, and the Cubans interrupted their 90-game winter season to participate in the WBC.

"Everybody had an equal opportunity (to get to the finals),'' Selig said. "Why it's happened the way it has I think is something in retrospect we will have to look at. I've read a lot of things and heard a lot of reasons as to why, but the fact of the matter is (Japan and Cuba) are here because they achieved what everybody else set out to achieve. Why that is, and what was different in their training, is something we're going to have to judge in the future.''

4. Better game times and exposure. By the time ESPN got around to broadcasting the WBC finale due to a double-overtime NIT game, Cuban manager Velez had changed pitchers four batters into a four-run Japanese top of the first inning. Several of the early-round games, as well as key second-round games with semifinal berths at stake, were available only on ESPN Deportes, or aired at ridiculous early-morning hours on ESPN and ESPN2.

Obviously, the popularity of the event exceeded expectations, and likely caught schedulers off guard. Who knew that baseball fans wouldn't want to miss a second-round Cuba-Venezuela matchup? But next time, there are no excuses. Everything except the games played in Asia should be televised live on ESPN and ESNP2, with no 1 a.m. eastern starting times.

5. Flip-flop the semifinal games pairings. In this tournament, that would have set up matchups of Korea-Cuba and Dominican Republic-Japan, rather than repeat matchups from the second round. Korea was particularly hurt by the pairings, as it had defeated Japan twice previously, yet needed a third victory against its arch-rivals to advance to the final — a tough task for certain.

Selig also said the subject of tweaking the tournament's time frame will be discussed, but doesn't see the format moving from the month of March.

"Whenever you do something for the first time, there are things that you learn,'' Selig said. "I am still convinced, although there will be a lot of discussion in the coming months, that this is the only time that really works. We have quite a while now to determine if there is a better way to do it. But I just can't see the other two suggested time frames working.''

As for future venues, Cuba already has petitioned to host games in 2009, and the possibility certainly exists that the final two rounds will be moved out of the United States, possibly to Japan.

"This was the very first time that this kind of baseball tournament was held, so this was not perfect,'' Suzuki said through an interpreter. "But I believe a lot of people in the entire world have paid attention to baseball, and I really expect this event to develop further in the near future. This was a very meaningful event.''