October Baseball In March
October Baseball In March by Joe Brackets:
So, nobody cares about the World Baseball Classic, huh? Would you mind telling the players that. Because I don’t think they got the memo. If you’ve watched the WBC at all over the past two weeks, you’d see that the World Baseball Classic means a great deal. And some of the games have matched the intensity that you’d normally only find in October. The World Baseball Classic is Bud Selig’s baby.
National pride is a wonderful thing. That’s at the heart of this tournament. And it’s on display in full force. When you have Major Leaguers representing their home countries, you get tense, close, exciting games that make you forget it’s still Spring Training. Better still, you’ve got Major League All-Stars willing to come off the bench or play a different position just to be a part of this thing. The pride of playing for their country means that much. Everybody’s on the top step of the dugout at key moments of the game, and big hits/outs are celebrated the same way you’d see in the postseason. All because of the name on the front of the jersey.
And the fans have been just as into it. They’re invested in every pitch, and you see the crowd celebrate wins and big hits as if they’re at a parade on a national holiday. In the stands, its sounds like you’re at a European or South American soccer game (especially when one of the Caribbean teams is playing).
If you want excitement, some of the games have more than delivered. Take the Netherlands, the surprise team of the tournament. They clobbered Korea to advance to the second round, where they beat Cuba twice. In the game that would decide who moved on to the championship round, the Dutch were winning until the Cubans tied it in the top of the ninth, only to see the Netherlands score the winning run on a walk-off, eliminating the top-ranked team in the world. Or that Chinese Taipei-South Korea game in the first round. South Korea scored three in the bottom of the eighth to win 3-2, only to be eliminated anyway. Or the Dominican Republic-Italy game the other day. Italy put up a four-spot in the top of the first, but the Dominicans clawed all the way back and won 5-4, sealing it in the bottom of the eighth.
Sure, you’ve had your mercy-rule thumpings, but that’s to be expected. And it’s OK. Sometimes that happens. When you get Cuba vs. China in baseball, 12-0 isn’t a surprise. But even some of the blowouts we didn’t see coming. Canada losing 14-4 to Italy, then beating Mexico 10-3 the next day?
Speaking of Canada-Italy, that game provided us with what has to be the most surreal moment of the tournament by far. That loss to Italy is probably what prompted all of it. Because run differential was the primary tiebreaker in the first round, Canadian catcher Chris Robinson dropped down a beautiful bunt for a base hit leading off the ninth, despite being up 9-3. The Mexican third baseman took offense and told the pitcher to hit the next guy, which he did. A full-blown bench-clearing brawl ensued, the highlight of which was Red Sox pitcher Alfredo Aceves getting body-slammed by the 5’9, 180-pound Canadian center fielder. That and Oliver Perez running around looking for anybody to punch. It was ugly, and the fact that Mexican fans were sitting right behind the Canadian dugout and continued things in the stands didn’t help matters. But you’re not going to see passion like that if this thing doesn’t matter.
There’s been plenty of surprises, too. The Netherlands going all the way to the semifinals. Venezuela, one of the pre-tournament favorites, losing its first two games and getting knocked out in the first round. Same thing with 2009 finalist South Korea. Or Italy winning its first two games to be the first to clinch a berth in the second round in a group that also included the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Things looked hairy for the U.S. after dropping its opener to Mexico. Then David Wright hit a grand slam and it all changed. That loss to the Dominican Republic notwithstanding.
David Wright has been one of the many stars in midseason form. Robinson Cano might be the only player giving him a run for his money for tournament MVP. And the way Miguel Tejada’s playing, he could very well end up on a Major League roster this season based solely on what he’s done in the WBC. (It worked for Pudge Rodriguez in 2009.) Same with Andruw Jones, who’s going to play in Japan this season.
My only wish for the next time the World Baseball Classic comes around in 2017 is that Major League clubs finally go all-in. Because the World Baseball Classic is so good for the game. Stop worrying about potential injury or pitch counts. Players will get a lot more out of participation in the WBC than they will in two at-bats in a meaningless Spring Training game.
The World Baseball Classic is Bud Selig’s baby. It’s time for the owners and GMs to get on board with his creation. Becuase the WBC isn’t going anywhere. And if this year’s tournament has proved anything, it’s that it’s only going to get better.
