Choi Hee-seop blasts a three-run homerun at the end of the fourth innings after two outs in a quarter finals match between Korea and the U.S. for the World Baseball Classic at the Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California on Tuesday. Japan Smarts at Korean Blow to Its Pride in WBC Game Korea Starts WBC on a High, Beating Taiwan 2-0 Koreans Sweep Asian WBC Games Korean Baseball Aces Beat Mexico at WBC Korean Baseball Team Shames U.S. in WBC Triumph All Mouth and No Trousers Korea Beats Japan to Reach WBC Semifinals The Enigma at the Helm of Korea's WBC Team Blue Goblins Lead Cheers for Korean Baseball 'Classic' Korean Baseball Draws Frank Praise in U.S. Korea's Unbeaten WBC Run Ends in Crashing Defeat Korean Slugger's Bat Goes to MLB Hall of Fame

“Internationally pancaked,” headlined CBS SportsLine.com, saying though the U.S. players thought of the WBC as mere entertainment for domestic fans, they managed defeats at the hands of Canada and only wrestled victory from Japan after wrangling over umpires’ decisions and now has been battered 7-3 by South Korea, which remains unbeaten.

USA Today in its online edition headlined, “South Korea Hands United States 7-3 defeat.” It quoted Team USA manager Buck Martinez as saying, “When they got a good pitch to hit, they didn't miss it.” He added, “They made quality pitches when they had to.” The paper added, “Team USA received another poor performance from Dontrelle Willis, plus a lack of timely hitting. And what seemed to be a proper strategical move backfired. No wonder the Americans lost.”

The Associated Press said, “Team USA made what appeared to be the smart move, walking South Korea's top hitter Lee Seung-yeop intentionally.” But it added: “The strategy backfired.” Choi Hee-seop's “three-run homer off Dan Wheeler in the fourth inning was the key blow Monday night as South Korea beat the United States 7-3 to become the only unbeaten team in the inaugural World Baseball Classic”.

The LA Times was also glum. “A hundred-and-some years of baseball history and the richest players on the planet haven't gone a long way for the American game so far in the World Baseball Classic,” it lamented. “According to one source, the Dodger offer [for Lee Seung-yeop] was for one year at about $1 million. Lee turned it down and accepted a two-year deal worth nearly $5 million from the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan's Pacific League.” On Monday night, the player now lost to the Major League hit a solo home run in the first inning of the game.

(englishnews@chosun.com )