In an attempt to ensure that the World Baseball Classic is truly irrelevant, Major League Baseball has decided to implement the completely non-sensical international extra-innings rules that were adopted before the Olympics.
If a game reaches the 13th inning, each half-inning will start with runners on first and second, although the batting order will remain the same. In the international version, the teams could choose what hitters they wanted to have at-bat to start the inning.
In order to make an even larger mockery of these games, MLB hasn’t decided whether the rules will be in place for the championship game, because having multiple sets of rules for the same games makes perfect sense.
Among the other non-real baseball rules being used include pitch limits. There will be a limit of 70 pitches per pitcher in the first round, 85 in the second, and 100 in the semifinals and final. This is lame, but I’d rather that than seeing my entire fantasy team getting screwed because Kris Benson threw 120 pitches. Also, Kris Benson is my key to victory this year.
[ESPN]
The Slanch Report 
At first I was a fan of the WBC. I actually went to the finals in San Diego in 2006. But rules like this is the reason I am starting to dislike the idea of the WBC. I mean, either play baseball the way it’s intended to be played or don’t play at all.