When Team Japan's Nobuhiko Matsunaka was stunned by US's failure to to make it into final four at 2006 World Baseball Classic

The world was in shock when the US failed to reach the final four of the 2006 World Baseball Classic. The news stunned baseball fans, including Team Japan's Nobuhiko Matsunaka, who was in disbelief.

“Team America was full of major league players,” said Matsunaka. “Honestly, I never thought the American team would lose the game against the Mexicans. So I was surprised, as well, because the team America was full of MLB players, and we all thought that they would be the best in this tournament.”

The other three teams, Japan, Korea, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba, were all astounded that the United States did not make it to the final four.

"The commercial for the inaugural 2006 World Baseball Classic, shown exclusively during Super Bowl XL." - Shawn Spradling

A former designated hitter and left fielder for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, Matsunaka currently plays third base. He participated in the 1996 (Atlanta) and 2000 (Sydney) Olympics, as well as the 2006 WBC.

WBC: Japan v Cuba Enter caption

At the 1996 Olympic Games, Matsunaka hit five home runs and drove in 16 runs throughout the competition. This was crucial to Japan winning the silver medal.

Matsunaka was one of the first baseball players to ever compete in the Olympic Games as a professional in 2000. Japan's bid for a medal was unsuccessful when South Korea defeated them in the bronze medal match.

As Japan's starting left fielder and cleanup hitter in the first WBC in 2006, Matsunaka was again selected to the national squad. He played in eight games, hitting .433 despite having no home runs, and helped Japan win their first championship.

Controversies at the 2006 World Baseball classic

Korean pitcher Myung Hwan Park was eliminated from the 2006 WBC after testing positive for the usage of an illicit drug. Freddy Garcia, a pitcher from Venezuela, tested positive for marijuana.

"World Baseball Classic is BACK #WorldBaseballClassic" - World Baseball Classic

With the 2023 WBC starting tonight, it will be interesting to see how Team USA performs. As one of the early favorites, an early exit would be a real surprise.