World Baseball Classic

Talk about a conundrum. Sixth row tickets to see rock legends Journey in the Yakima Valley SunDome tonight, or stay home with a cold one and a 55-inch screen HD television and watch the World Baseball Classic. Normally, missing out on watching one baseball game versus going to a rare, marquee band perform in our backyard would be a no-brainer. Not so much tonight.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — Tim Tebow has gotten his first hit for the New York Mets. The former NFL quarterback singled Monday in an exhibition game against Miami Marlins left-hander Kyle Lobstein. Tebow was hitless in his first eight at-bats in spring training before his opposite-field single on a 2-2 pitch leading off the bottom of the fifth inning. He ...

GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — Esteban Quiroz and Brandon Laird each hit a three-run homer, and Mexico beat Venezuela 11-9 early Monday at the World Baseball Classic. Despite the victory, Mexico was eliminated. Venezuela will play Italy in a one-game tiebreaker Monday night, with the winner advancing to the second round...

The World Baseball Classic, which employs 16 different countries to field its best team, certainly can make for some strange bedfellows.

SEATTLE (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies have acquired switch-pitcher Pat Venditte from the Seattle Mariners for minor league outfielder Joey Curletta. The trade was announced Sunday. The 31-year-old Venditte had pitched three times in spring training for Seattle this year and twice for Italy in the World Baseball Classic. ...

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — The New York Mets say Tim Tebow will be in the lineup for their spring training game against the Miami Marlins. The announcement Monday was a surprise. On Friday, manager Terry Collins said there were no plans to bring back the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner after his second start...

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Ryan Lavarnway hit a two-run homer in the third inning and Nate Freiman added a three-run shot in the ninth to help Israel beat Taiwan 15-7 Tuesday and improve to 2-0 in the World Baseball Classic. Israel's batters chased Taiwan starter Chun-Lin Kuo from the game before he could secure his third out, opening the top of the first with four straight hits and tagging Kuo for

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Scott Burcham singled in the winning run in extra innings Monday to lead Israel over South Korea 2-1 in the opening game of the World Baseball Classic. Israel got on the scoreboard in the second inning on a bases-loaded walk but South Korea tied it in the fifth when Seo Geong-chan singled to left, scoring Kim Jae-ho from third...