Ahead of tonight’s World Baseball Classic final featuring the United States against Japan, Bob Elliott shares some final thoughts and stories from this year’s very successful tournament.

Bob Elliott writes that in the end it came down to two things that were lacking for Canada at the World Baseball Classic: not enough major leaguers and not enough pitches for strikes.

After Canada’s 5-0 win over Colombia at the World Baseball Classic on Tuesday, Bob Elliott writes that there are two new Canadian names that belong on the country’s Mount Rushmore of the international stage.

At 19, left-hander Mitch Bratt (Newmarket, Ont.) became the youngest player ever to pitch for Canada at the World Baseball Classic on Monday night. He started against a powerful U.S. squad that featured big league MVPs Mookie Betts, Mike Trout and Paul Goldschmidt as their first three hitters. Things didn’t go well for Bratt in Canada’s 12-1 loss, but after the game, the young lefty was offered words of encouragement by many, including Trout. Canadian Baseball Network editor-in-chief Bob Elliott shares his game story from Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz.

“The reason for expanding the World Baseball Classic from 16 to 20 teams was to popularize the game around the world. Added to the fifth WBC were Czech Republic, Nicaragua, Panama and Great Britain.

Team Canada went to 1-0 at this edition Sunday afternoon with a 18-8 win over Great Britain in front of 11,555 fans at Chase Field. The game was called in the bottom of the seventh due to the WBC run-elimination rule (mercy rule) as the teams set a record for runs scored. Still it took three hours and 38 minutes.”

Canadian Baseball Network editor-in-chief Bob Elliott shares how former Toronto Blue Jays slugger Rowdy Tellez helped resilient Canadian right-hander John Axford (Port Dover, Ont.) through one of his worst baseball moments.

“Superhero” Phillippe Aumont (Gatineau, Que.) pitched a scoreless inning for Canada in their 5-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners in a World Baseball Classic exhibition game on Thursday. Canadian Baseball Network editor-in-chief Bob Elliott caught up with Aumont, who broke a bone in his back in January, but still managed to be ready for the tournament.

Toronto Mets alum Mitch Bratt (Newmarket, Ont.) and Okanagan Athletics grad Jared Young (Prince George, B.C.) were standouts for Canada in their 11-7 exhibition game loss to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday in preparation for the World Baseball Classic.

Canadian Baseball Network editor-in-chief Bob Elliott talks to Canadian manager Ernie Whitt about the skipper’s decision to start ace Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) in the first game of the World Baseball Classic against Great Britain.