And, while some of the big league stars performed well during the three-week event, only two of them -- Japan right fielder Ichiro Suzuki and reliever Akinori Otsuka -- are still playing heading into the final game of what has been a classic Classic.
Along the way -- from Tokyo to San Juan, Orlando to Phoenix and finally Anaheim to San Diego -- there have been some memorable moments from players you\'ve never heard of, and perhaps never will hear of again.
There have been some eye-opening performances:
Just say no-no
The Netherlands never made it beyond the first round in San Juan, but right-hander Shairon Martis etched his name in the Classic record book with a seven-inning no-hitter against Panama.
"I feel very proud," Martis said after his gem on March 10. "Words cannot express what I feel."
Martis, a prospect in the Giants organization, cruised through Panama\'s lineup with ease. The right-hander, who will turn 19 on March 30, retired nine of the first 10 batters, issuing only a two-out walk to Olmedo Saenz in the first inning.
The game was shortened to seven innings because of the 10-run mercy rule as the Netherlands won, 10-0.
The Lee-way
Team Korea first baseman Seung-Yeop Lee already was a big name in Japan, having left the champion Chiba Lotte Mariners to sign with the Tokyo-based Yomiuri Giants -- the Yankees of Japanese baseball.
Lee gave his new fans a glimpse of what it might be like in Tokyo Dome this summer by hitting two home runs in a game against China on March 4, and then came back the following night to slug a game-winning two-run home run in the eighth inning to beat Japan.
That sweet swing of his would play well in the North American Major Leagues and Lee, who turns 30 years old on Aug. 18, said he definitely wants to play for an MLB team. He finished the tournament with a .400 batting average, five home runs and 10 RBIs.
Oh yes, he also had his name put at the top of practically every scout\'s list of must-watch players.
Dream on
Cuba\'s designated hitter, Yoandry Garlobo, has been just that for the surprise finalists.
His 3-for-4 performance in the semifinal victory over the Dominican Republic gave him 11 hits in 21 at-bats in the Classic, a .524 average. Though nine of his hits were singles, Garlobo was the best No. 7 hitter in the tournament.
A No. 7 hitter batting higher than .500? That tells you a thing or two about Cuba\'s team of virtual unknowns who seem perfectly content with staying in their homeland and beating the socks off anyone.
"We are all amateur players in Cuba," Garlobo said. "We don\'t have anybody playing outside of the country. Therefore, playing against the Major League Baseball players is the greatest victory for us."
Garlobo played a key role in Cuba defeating MLB-laden teams from Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. The dream matchup between Cuba and the United States never materialized.
Oh, my goodness
Until the seventh inning in Saturday night\'s semifinal game against Japan, the Korean pitching staff was the most effective group in the tournament, and emerging from that collection of effective arms was right-hander Seung-Hwan Oh, a 5-foot-8 strike-throwing machine.
He appeared in four of Korea\'s games, threw 40 pitches, 26 of them for strikes, struck out three and never allowed a baserunner.
Not bad for a 23-year-old who captured Rookie of the Year honors for the Samsung Lions last season when he posted a 10-1 record and 1.18 ERA in 61 relief appearances. He walked 20 and struck out 115 in 99 innings.
Team USA manager Buck Martinez was impressed with what he saw from Oh, saying the pitcher had Major League ability. But big league teams probably won\'t have a shot at him for many more years. A professional player in Korea doesn\'t become a free agent until after his ninth season.
The Japan "Rocket"
Write this name down: Koji Uehara. There is no guarantee the veteran right-hander will be Japan\'s next star pitcher to test his talent at the Major League level, but he further stamped himself as the premier hurler in that country with a masterpiece against Team Korea in the semifinals.
Uehara will soon begin his eighth professional season in Japan, and it could be his next-to-last campaign in his homeland. He has talked about playing in the North American Major Leagues and one of his most cherished possessions is an autographed baseball glove given to him by Roger Clemens two years ago during an All-Star goodwill tour in Japan.
Uehara saved the best for last in the Classic, shutting out Korea over seven innings in a dominating semifinal performance.
But it was no surprise that manager Sadaharu Oh selected Uehara for the most important game of the tournament. His ace already had pitched 10 innings, struck out eight and walked none in two previous starts.
Uehara, who will be 31 years old on April 3, has a 94-45 career record in Japan. Now you know why.', tagline: 'Jim Street is a national reporter for MLB.com.', summary: null, article_photo: { caption: 'Giants prospect Shairon Martis tossed the first no-hitter in World Baseball Classic history.', credit: 'Lynne Sladky/AP', path: '/images/2006/03/10/mmubgDN2.jpg' }, sub_headline: 'Many eye-opening performances mark inaugural tournament', alt_headline: 'Classic moments abound in tourney', related_links: null, headline: 'Notables abound in first Classic' }