The 2017 World Baseball Classic is a lot sooner than one might think. The first qualifying matches for the event will take place in February 2016 and another is scheduled for September 2016. Four sites are already rumored to be the hosts for those games.
On Thursday FOX Sports' Jon Morosi reported that Sydney, Australia; Mexicali, Mexico; and Panama City, Panama will host qualifying games in February. The potential fourth and final qualifying site, which will host a game in September of 2016, is Brooklyn, New York, and Morosi says Team Israel is a strong candidate to play there.
The qualifier in Brooklyn would take place at MCU Park, which is home to the New York Mets' minor-league affiliate, the Brooklyn Cyclones. The fact that Brooklyn could host a qualifier is intriguing enough, but if Israel gets the opportunity to play there it would be an even more high-profile event.
"Brooklyn -- the birthplace of Jewish-American sports icon Sandy Koufax -- would offer a historic backdrop for Israel's next qualifying bid, with the potential for large crowds and significant media attention given the longstanding cultural ties to baseball among Jewish communities in the Northeast," Morosi adds.
The 2017 event will include 16 teams, of which 12 have already qualified: Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Puerto Rico, South Korea, United States and Venezuela.
Australia, Brazil, Mexico and Spain all finished last in their pools at the 2013 World Baseball Classic, so they must attempt to re-qualify for the 2017 event next year. Team Isreal failed to qualify in 2013 after a heartbreaking extra-inning loss to Spain in the finals of a qualifying tournament. Israel is managed by current Detroit Tigers skipper Brad Ausmus, who now possesses even more managerial experience in two seasons with an MLB club.
The Dominican Republic won the event over Puerto Rico back in 2013 after Japan captured the first two WBC's in 2006 and 2009.
Stay tuned for updates on the 2017 WBC.
