Team Japan holds first workout

More than 37,000 attend defending Classic champions' workout

By Doug Miller / MLB.com

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The defending champions of the World Baseball Classic are back at it.

The Japanese national team, which won the inaugural Classic in 2006, began training at a packed Sun Marine Stadium in the city of Miyazaki on Monday, with Boston Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka and Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki once again headlining a 33-man squad.

The training camp, which will last a week, will lead to Japan's first game, set for March 5 at Tokyo Dome. More than 37,000 fans watched the team on the first official day of practice.

Japan is in Group A in the Classic with South Korea, China and Chinese Taipei. The top two teams in this group will advance to the second round of the 16-country tournament, with the final slated for March 23 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Japan's manager, Tatsunori Hara, will reveal his final 28-man roster on Feb. 22, and Japan will play the Australian team in two exhibition games on Feb. 24-25 before arriving in Tokyo on Feb. 27.

According to The Associated Press, Suzuki took batting practice, swinging 50 times and hitting three balls over the wall as Japan's all-time home run leader Sadaharu Oh, the man who managed the team to the Classic title three years ago, watched. Oh is sitting out this year's Classic because of health concerns.

Doug Miller is reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.