I won the U.S., but a famous U.S. journalist, a ball-decision! "I can't believe it ended like this → I'm ashamed"

*This content was translated by AI.

It was a night when the U.S. national team won, but at the same time, the limitations of the environment without ABS (automatic ball determination system) revealed the bare face. The U.S., the "baseball player," won a one-point victory over the Dominican Republic, but the local media's response immediately after the game was more of a criticism than a festival.

The U.S. national baseball team defeated the Dominican Republic 2-1 in the semifinals of the 2026 WBC (World Baseball Classic) at Rondipo Park in Miami, Florida on the morning of the 16th (Korea Standard Time). The game, which was full of Major League All-Star players combined with both teams, wowed baseball fans around the world with two home runs in the fourth inning and a strong pitching by starting pitcher Paul Skins.

However, it was the referee's "ball decision," not the players' mistakes, that cut the tense flow of the game. Throughout the game, hitters from both teams could not hide their embarrassment in the inconsistent strike zone, especially at a decisive moment that became a watershed moment in the game. In the bottom of the ninth inning, trailing 1-2, with two outs and 23rd base, the last batter, Heraldo Perdomo, let the low ball flow in a fire count situation, but the game ended with a strike decision. It could have led to a walk, but he was struck out.

Jeff Passan, a renowned reporter for ESPN, a U.S. sports media outlet who visited the scene, expressed strong anger on his SNS immediately after the game ended. Bankruptcy said, "The economy should not end up like this. That game can't end like that. Ashame.)," he wrote, directly criticizing the controversy over the decision that undermined the value of a great match.

After the game, U.S. national team coach Mark Derosa (51) also expressed the need to change the decision system. When asked in an official interview after the game, Derosa said, "I think it will probably be introduced in the next tournament when asked if WBC also wants an ABS (automatic pitching judgment system) or a challenge system." I'm a fan of the system," he said.

Manager Derosa then said, "Tonight is the day baseball won," but added, "Our pitchers held out well against Dominica, which did not stop batting, but every moment was like a war amid various variables such as the mandatory opponent rules and decisions for three batters."

It was WBC, where the best stars from all over the world gathered and shouted for the globalization of baseball, but one "ball judgment" that did not match that level left a stain on the game. I wonder if a local reporter's message of "shame" may have been delivered to the Major League Baseball secretariat preparing for the next WBC in 2029.

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*This content was translated by AI.