Dodger Stadium to host WBC finals for 2nd time
The World Baseball Classic finals are returning to Hollywood.
Major League Baseball announced Thursday that Dodger Stadium will host the 2017 WBC semifinals and championship game for the fourth edition of the tournament on March 20 and 22.
Los Angeles, San Diego, Miami & Guadalajara announced as 2017 WBC host venues. LA home to semi-finals & finals. pic.twitter.com/M2ovJv9e7t
— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) August 25, 2016
Dodger Stadium previously hosted the WBC's final rounds in 2009.
The preliminary rounds will once again be spread out across the globe. Miami's Marlins Park, the venue for second-round games in 2013, will host a loaded Pool C in the first round that includes the United States and the defending champions from the Dominican Republic from March 9-12. At the same time, Pool D will be contested at Estadio Charros de Jalisco in Guadalajara, Mexico, and the top teams in those two pools advance to the second round (Pool F) the following week at San Diego's Petco Park.
| Pool C - Miami | Pool D - Guadalajara |
|---|---|
| Canada | Italy |
| Colombia | Mexico |
| Dominican Republic | Puerto Rico |
| United States | Venezuela |
Two rounds of the tournament will once again be played in Japan's capital city, as the Tokyo Dome will host first-round Pool A games as well as second-round matchups in Pool E. South Korea will host games for the first time, as Pool B will be played in Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome.
| Pool A - Tokyo | Pool B - Seoul |
|---|---|
| Australia | Chinese Taipei |
| China | South Korea |
| Cuba | The Netherlands |
| Japan | TBD (Qualifying winner) |
Fifteen teams have already secured spots for this year's tournament. Israel, Pakistan, Great Britain, and Brazil will all vie for the last spot in Pool B when they meet in a qualifying tournament in Brooklyn next month.
The Dominican Republic defeated Puerto Rico in 2013 to win its first World Baseball Classic title. The 2006 and 2009 editions were won by Japan.