Dodger Stadium to Host 2009 WBC Final

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Dodger Stadium will be the site for the semifinal and final games of the 2009 World Baseball Classic from March 21-23, it was announced on Thursday. PETCO Park in San Diego, California, and Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Florida, were also unveiled as venue sites for earlier rounds of the tournament, which will be held March 14-19.

"It is fitting that Dodger Stadium, the site of many celebrated events, has been selected to host the semifinals and final of the 2009 World Baseball Classic," president and COO of Major League Baseball Bob DuPuy said. "Los Angeles is one of the most international cities in the world and the Dodgers have always been on the forefront of baseball's development as a global game. "In addition, PETCO Park and Dolphin Stadium will provide strong international venues for round two of the tournament. Baseball fans across the globe will have the exciting opportunity to experience these three exceptional settings during the world's premier international baseball tournament."

The tournament , which features 16 national teams and 480 of the world's best players, opens in Tokyo, Japan, on March 5 and concludes at Dodger Stadium. PETCO Park, the site of the 2006 World Baseball Classic finals, will feature the four advancing teams from Pools A and B from March 15-19. Dolphin Stadium, which is the home of the Florida Marlins, will house the four squads that move out of Pools C and D from March 14-18. Pool A contains China, Chinese Tapei, Japan and Korea while Australia, Cuba, Mexico and South Africa make up Pool B. Pool C is comprised of Canada, Italy, Venezuela and the United States. Pool D encompasses the Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Panama and Puerto Rico.

"We are humbled and honored to be hosting the championship of the 2009 World Baseball Classic," Dodgers owner Frank McCourt said. "The Dodger organization has a long and storied history of spreading the game of baseball internationally and it's only fitting that we open the gates of Dodger Stadium to fans from around the world and welcome them to the city of Los Angeles with open arms." In 2006, Ichiro Suzuki and MVP Daisuke Matsuzaka helped Japan win the inaugural tournament, which ended up being quite successful. More than 740,000 fans from 48 states and 15 countries across the world attended games - 16 of which were sold out - and millions more watched on television.

Broadcasted by 48 media outlets and in 10 languages to 205 countries and territories around the world, the World Baseball Classic had over 50 sponsors and 21 official licenses. The tournament will be held every four years after 2009, with plans in place to expand the participant field in 2013.