Japan and South Korea in the championship game was perfect. We had two serious baseball countries who took the World Baseball Classic seriously, too. Maybe each side was missing a few of their major-leaguers, but the guys they had seemed utterly devoted to the concept and not dragging around a “we’re doing you a favor” vibe.

And they turned in an extremely entertaining game. The Koreans rallied three times before Japan won it in the 10th inning, 5-3.

The winning hit was a two-run single by Ichiro Suzuki with first base open … and don’t you have to walk the man who knocked Wee Willie Keeler out of the record book for hits in a season?

Anyway, here is more on the game. And some nice color, as well, from the Los Angeles Times’ Bill Shaikin.It seems to me the finals of this ought to remain in the United States, and in Southern California. Well, Los Angeles. Because the Southland can round up big crowds of just about any ethnic group you care to mention (just ask U.S. soccer, which never plays important games in L.A. anymore).

The color and tension between the huge turnout of Japanese and Korean fans is a big part of what made the final so important. That, and the fact that they seemed to care — as opposed to American players and fans.