 LoanDepot Park, Miami in 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | March 21, 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Venue | LoanDepot Park | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| City | Miami, Florida, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Shohei Ohtani ( Japan) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 36,098 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Time of game | 19:00 EDT | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Television | Multiple | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 2023 World Baseball Classic championship was the final of the 2023 World Baseball Classic, the fifth edition of the World Baseball Classic, a men's international baseball tournament sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) in partnership with World Baseball Classic Inc. (WBCI). The game was played on March 21, 2023, at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, United States,[1] between hosts and defending champion United States and two-time champion Japan. Japan won 3–2 to earn a record-extending third World Baseball Classic title. Shohei Ohtani won the most valuable player award.
Unlike in 2009, 2013 and 2017, the 2023 U.S. lineup attracted distinguished players, which some commentators claimed contributed to generating excitement for the final.[2] The U.S. general manager Tony Reagins credited Mike Trout, a three-time major league MVP, for committing to the team early (in July 2022) which made it easier to convince others to join.[2]
The championship game was one of the most watched games in baseball history with the game attracting an average television viewership of 5.2 million people in the U.S. and a reported 62 million television viewers in Japan representing a total of 42.4% of households in the country despite the game taking place at 8 am JST.[3][4] The game was widely praised as an instant classic, with the ending duel between team captains Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani being considered as one of the greatest moments in the history of the sport.[5][6]
- ^ Adler, David (July 7, 2022). "World Baseball Classic 2023 venues, pools announced". MLB.com. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ a b "Why is the US finally treating the World Baseball Classic like a World Cup?". The Guardian. March 6, 2023.
- ^ "USA-Japan WBC Title Game Could Be the Most-Watched Baseball Game in History". March 21, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
- ^ Brown, Maury. "From Record-Breaking Television, Attendance And Merchandise Sales, 2023 World Baseball Classic Was A Home Run". Forbes. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
- ^ Parshy, R. Nikhil (March 22, 2023). ""Historically the greatest matchup of all time" "That was some anime script stuff" - Baseball fans thrilled after experiencing epic clash between Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout in WBC 2023 final". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
- ^ "Hoornstra: Joe Davis reflects on calling 'one of the great moments in baseball history'". Orange County Register. March 30, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.