In the last few days, I've seen Chris Snelling hit two home runs in Mexico City as part of an Australian rout. I've seen Phillippe Aumont get himself into the mother of all jams and then make an obscenely good US lineup look silly. I've seen Jose Lopez rip apart Italy, dismissed it as coming against inferior competition, and then saw him beat up Roy Oswalt. And I've seen Felix mix his pitches.
But for all I love seeing once and future Mariners do well, that's not why I find this tournament so compelling. I could see Aumont, Lopez, and Felix playing in Peoria (Doyle might be a little harder to track down, but enh). Not only that, but there are a host of other reasons why I shouldn't like the WBC. It pushes back the start of the season, prolonging the time I'm without my beloved Mariners, and there's a real chance that our players might get injured while on national duty. And while it sucks seeing a player get injured*, it's even worse when they're not even playing for the club that employs them.
But for all the downsides to the World Baseball Classic, I love it. To the fans, it's meaningful baseball. To the players, it's meaningful baseball. There's something on the line, and it shows. Watch a Japan-Korea matchup in the Tokyo Dome. Hell, watch the Mexico-Australia game in Mexico City, or Puerto Rico playing at home. Those guys mean business, and it's the type of attachment we just don't see in 'normal' play; the atmosphere in most of the games has been absolutely phenomenal, especially when the home team's been involved. These games all feel like the postseason, and unlike the postseason it isn't full of teams that I hate. Want to root for the underdog? Australia and the Netherlands are right up your alley. Want to see one of the greatest collections of talent ever assembled? The USA fits the bill. Want a rivalry that puts everything MLB has to offer to absolute shame? Hellooo Japan and Korea.
It's a really rare treat to be able to watch games that can put you at the edge of your seat in March. Today we saw the Dutch, who have Randall Simon as their three-hole hitter, make a decent effort of holding off Puerto Rico (until their somewhat sub-optimal strategy of 'walk everyone, miraculously get out of jam' eventually failed them in the 8th). Who'd have thought that a game that featured Eugene Kingsale could ever be so tense or so compelling? Or that half of LL would start screaming at some random 19 year old Dutch kid to throw strikes to Carlos Beltran with the bases loaded and two down in the 7th? I doubt the Mariners will have me that nervous all season.
These are epic games and epic stories, minnows squeaking past giants and then superpowers battling one another to a standstill. Because of the fickleness of baseball, most teams competing in the tournament are in with a shout, and that means that both the players and the fans are beyond excited. If you haven't tuned into a game yet, do yourself a favour and try it. You don't even need a rooting interest for this tournament to be fun.
And if the storylines and drama aren't enough for you, I have one last argument: 3 years ago, the World Baseball Classic made Ichiro smile, and the man deserves to be happy every once in a while. Thank god for baseball.
*Unless they are annoying.
11 recs | 98 comments
I wish this were Facebook
so I could click the little “Like” button and a thumbs-up would appears. I’ll settle for a rec.
appleshampoo - March 9, 2009
I so desperately wish
SBN had an edit function. Because I’m the most anal fucking retentive person I know when it comes to grammar, and little chicken-shit stuff like “would appears” bugs the shit out of me, and I can’t fix it when it’s my own comment :-(
appleshampoo - March 9, 2009
SBN really does need an comment editing function.
Fin - March 9, 2009
it's on our list
Trei Brundrett - March 10, 2009
This would destroy Lookout Landing
seattlebruin - March 10, 2009
I would use it to post photoshops
and then edit it later into a comment that said “LOLOLOLOL” after I got a bunch of recs. Just because.
Vatinius - March 10, 2009
I think the best solution would be for SBN to implement
a 5 minute limit on editing a post. Like Digg.
redwolf75 - March 10, 2009
You can edit pictures after the fact
Robert - March 10, 2009
I wonder if SBN could implement anything that we wouldn't ruin
Robert - March 10, 2009
I, for one, welcome our comment editing overlords.
JI - March 10, 2009
Think of the [deleted, xxxxxx] moments
JI - March 10, 2009
[dead meme]
R.J. Anderson - March 10, 2009
This is the way I feel about the World Cup.
And the WBC is the equivalent to that event. I hope someday the WBC is able to become as big as the World Cup. It’s off to a good start, but we may never see it’s full potential, unfortunately. The way it is now, though, these games get me excited for the season to begin. These games are meaningful to these players and that is a wonderful difference compared to the mostly mundane Spring training.
Wilder. - March 9, 2009
I think having more competitive countries would help
Although it’s great that the Netherlands, Italy and Australia won, it would be nice if there weren’t 7 or 8 teams (Panama, China, Taiwan, Netherlands, Italy, South Africa, Australia, arguably Canada) who had little to no chance to win. Hopefully the span of baseball improves to where the main talent isn’t centralized in the US, Japan, Korea, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Cuba and Puerto Rico. It’s not even fair in a game with South Africa, who has no real MLB talent, or Panama, who has Carlos Lee and Manuel Corpas (Bruce Chen sucks and thus doesn’t count) and nothing else.
Mariner John - March 9, 2009
One of the best things about baseball, though, is that having a better team on paper doesn't guarantee a win
Sure, the odds are heavily stacked in favour of the powerhouses, but we’ve seen some surprisingly competitive games, and that’s been a lot of fun.
Graham MacAree - March 9, 2009
I know.
That’s come true this year. However, it would be nice if the European, Oceania and African countries actually had ML level talent that would make their games more obviously competitive. Hopefully the tournament spreads baseball around. I know it’s fairly popular in the Netherlands and that they have a decent pro league.
Mariner John - March 9, 2009
They don't really have a decent pro league
Greg Halman was MVP there before he was signed by the M’s, which gives an indication as to the level of talent. I don’t think it’s likely that the other countries will ever pick up real talent, either. There’ll be some MLB calibre guys but baseball just won’t catch on enough in those parts to produce a roster that isn’t mostly comprised of scrubs.
Graham MacAree - March 9, 2009
Well, more decent than any other non-American/Asian league.
Maybe the awesome name sways me more than anything.
Mariner John - March 9, 2009
I agree with this
as much fun as it has been with the upsets it would be nice if I didn’t have to grimace through half hour innings where kids who can’t hit the broad side of a barn try to throw strikes to patient MLBers.
bluemax - March 10, 2009
In defence of the WBC:
Graham MacAree - March 10, 2009
The WBC is kinda like the World Cup if you cover one eye, squint real hard, and then stab the other eye with a spork.
Matthew - March 9, 2009
I have yet to see any fake injuries or flailing attempts to draw fouls too.
Sec 108 - March 10, 2009
No fake injuries?
Look at the ranks of people who didn’t bother participating.
Matthew - March 10, 2009
I totally disagree with this
but I understand why: your team is highly unlikely to play meaningful baseball this season, so it’s fun and not nerve-wracking to see your players out on the field. It’s cool to see them playing meaningful intense games. All I see is the potential injuries to the 14 or so Mets playing in the WBC.
God, even an injury to Alex Cora could hurt the Mets, even slightly. And it’s making ST even more stupid because we have lots of horrifyingly bad players playing these games that even I haven’t heard of.
The WBC really should happen in November or something. I like November. Then if there is an injury that doesn’t involve the knee or the elbow or shoulder, the guy can probably recover in time to play most of the season.
But if my team was for example the Padres, or the Mariners, I would be perfectly cool with it. What, Ichiro gets hurt? It would suck, but he’s not likely going to be the difference between the playoffs and playing golf early.
This is also how I feel whenever Fernando Torres gets a fricken hamstring pull in a stupid meaningless friendly.
future - March 9, 2009
Thanks for the back-handed compliments!
Also, you’re massively wrong.
Matthew - March 9, 2009
The way I see it, players are going to get injured in Spring Training anyway.
There are fluky injuries and they happen every year. I don’t buy the argument that the WBC contributes significantly to the fluky chances.
If the WBC were played in November it could only be played in extremely warm weather sites and/or indoor stadiums. I don’t think the MLB has the Metrodome as one of the sites they want to show off as a venue in the WBC.
Two Rs and Two Ls - March 9, 2009
Well, to be fair.
Don’t they only play in Southern California or Florida anyway? I bet next WBC, they will probably play in Arizona, Houston, or Atlanta later on. I personally like the idea of playing in November, but I understand that playing in March gives players a longer winter break.
What I would like them to do is maybe playing a game in Australia, South Africa, or Italy, where the weather could be decent for baseball in March or Early April. I don’t think they should keep having the semi-finals and the finals in the US every time, they should try having the finals in Japan or Korea.
Fin - March 10, 2009
Toronto
I think it should be in one of those countries also, as it might help them win more. Although I’m not sure what sort of capacity their stadiums have. Judging by the Netherlands’s biggest stadium I’d say not much for specifically baseball.
Mariner John - March 10, 2009
I am no soccer fan
but couldn’t they convert a soccer stadium for baseball?
Fin - March 10, 2009
Hell, it worked for the Polo Grounds.
Two Rs and Two Ls - March 10, 2009
Not very successfully, no
Soccer is played on a rectangular pitch, and European stadia are not designed with a whole lot of free space behind the edges of the pitch so there’s no real room for the home plate area or an outfield.
pdb - March 10, 2009
The chances the Mariners have for next season
are all over the place. Maybe my comment made more sense with last season’s Mariners. The golden horse-shoe shoved up the butt of the Angels is bound to fall out eventually.
But the Mariners have still been projected by Pecota to finish 70-92.
Last thing, I read this blog because your all mighty Jeff is a personal friend of mine. I wasn’t trolling, but I can understand how my post could have annoyed you all.
But man, you guys really need to take a chill pill. You’re more defensive than Mets fans. And that’s saying something after the last two years.
future - March 10, 2009
For whatever it's worth I knew what you meant
but then I know that tact isn’t necessary a strong suit of yours.
Jeff Sullivan - March 10, 2009
Hey
I thought this was more tactful than most things I’ve said. :)
future - March 10, 2009
The fact that the Mariners are projected to not finish well has nothing to do with how much fun the WBC is.
pdb - March 10, 2009
It has something to do with how less terrifying it is
Or it would if we were legitimately hopeless, anyway.
Jeff Sullivan - March 10, 2009
I think it has everything to do with my contention that it is too nerve-wracking for me to enjoy
Pretend the Mariners are the best team in baseball. Last season they fell in 7 games in the World Series, and this year the team is even better. You watch at least 4 of your regular starting 9, and two of your starting pitchers head off to this WBC: the timing is even worse, because not all your starters are starters for their countries, so they man the bench, losing valuable preparation time during spring training.
They’re also playing a tournament in which from what I can tell, the players are trying their best to win it and going balls to the wall. Unfortunately they are not in game shape yet, so it makes potential injuries more likely. Trying your hardest to win+out of shape = pain.
The pitchers aren’t on a proper schedule to be ready for the season. Some starters only go one inning when by now they would be going 3-4 innings by now in ST. They’re not getting properly ready.
I would be OK with this if the tourney was held in November. For the most part, all these games are taking place in warm weather cities anyways.
Plus there is not that much going on November sports-wise, American football and hockey, but not that much during the week that has everyone’s attention.
The WBC is going head to head with March Madness which is a competition that WBC is losing.
future - March 10, 2009
We're all absolutely rabid Mariners fans and the only thing keeping us from collectively jumping off the Aurora Bridge is watching Felix.
Aaron Campeau - March 10, 2009
PECOTA doesn't understand defense
it’s projections are not to be taken seriously.
JI - March 10, 2009
Fuck off.
appleshampoo - March 9, 2009
This was me 5 1/2 beers deep
Now six beers deep, but heading to bed.
But anyway, what I was trying to say is that we have an outside chance to win the division. Not a great chance, but it’s there if things break our way. If any of these players were to theoretically get hurt in the WBC, our chances get significantly worse or pretty much disappear:
Felix Hernandez
Ichiro
Jose Lopez
Endy getting hurt would make us worse but we’d get by. Kenji or Carlos getting hurt might actually make us better. But anyway. While I appreciate that the Mets have a larger number of MLB caliber players in the WBC (and I’m taking that for granted since I’m not actually going to look it up), we have stake in it too.
appleshampoo - March 10, 2009
I hope Silva throws a no-hitter and someone trades for him
seattlebruin - March 10, 2009
lol September
Mariner John - March 9, 2009
This
.Taylor - March 10, 2009
Dude
Its not like we go over to your blog and mention how your team won’t make the playoffs because they have fucked up two Septembers in a row, and lost the 2006 NLCS to an 83 win team.
Fin - March 10, 2009
In all fairness
The Cardinals had the fifth best record in the league
JI - March 10, 2009
This makes a kind of stupid sense, like a slow, drawn-out September collapse.
On the other hand, I will fucking kill you
lemonverbena - March 10, 2009
Our best pitcher homered off your best pitcher
katal - March 10, 2009
Grand Slam, I would add.
Faux - March 10, 2009
With his eyes closed
pdb - March 10, 2009
Opposite field, as well
.Taylor - March 10, 2009
So there. Now, get the fuck out. :)
Wait, aren’t we supposed to be nicer lately?
Sentinel - March 10, 2009
I was entirely polite. And you included a smiley.
How much nicer can we possibly be?
♥♥♥♥♥♥
pdb - March 10, 2009
Needs more rainbows
seattlebruin - March 10, 2009
Isn't every Liverpool game a meaningless friendly?
pdb - March 10, 2009
Carlos Beltran has a face full of vaginas
OlSalty - March 10, 2009
You say that like it's a bad thing.
Vatinius - March 10, 2009
thirteensome!?
seattlebruin - March 10, 2009
Do. Not. Photoshop. This.
redwolf75 - March 10, 2009
Buzzkill
seattlebruin - March 10, 2009
Oh no.
royalcurve - March 10, 2009
The responses to this comment seem like an overreaction
Graham MacAree - March 10, 2009
I was under the assumption that he's a friend of LL and the responses were in a joking manner
Teej - March 10, 2009
Funny:
’Isn’t every Liverpool game a meaningless friendly?’
‘Carlos Beltran has a face full of vaginas’
etc.
Not funny:
‘Fuck off’
‘Go give Mike Piazza a facial bitch’
Graham MacAree - March 10, 2009
I should have probably added 'Some of' to the front of my first comment in retrospect
Graham MacAree - March 10, 2009
Playing devil's advocate, appleshampoo came back later and made a reasonable response to the comment
seattlebruin - March 10, 2009
Which is fair enough
I’m just trying to point out that there’s a line here, especially for those not familiar with the dynamic
Graham MacAree - March 10, 2009
I think Matthew set the tone with his comment, even though he didn't necessarily cross the line.
Most people will take the mods’ opinions and magnify them because they think it is acceptable. This is why you guys set the tone for this site (of which you do a good job).
I thought the responses were rash as well considering the person put forth a good effort and reasons why he or she felt different about the WBC. Yeah, the person is a bit naive about the state of the Mariners, but he was just trying to relate to us in our terms, even though he didn’t need to.
Wilder. - March 10, 2009
I just found his tone somewhat condescending
“Oh, you’re fans of a crappy team so you should really like the WBC. Us fans of good teams have better things to worry about”. I kinda resent that.
pdb - March 10, 2009
That is him being naive.
And looking back over the last five seasons, he does have a fair point. We’ve grown to love our players, but the team overall hasn’t been all that good.
But then again, the Mets have by far been the bigger disappointment, so I don’t take his outlook on the Mariners too seriously.
Wilder. - March 10, 2009
I'm not at all concerned with how he views the Mariners. I could care less what he thinks about the M's.
I’m annoyed with the tone he took in dismissing the WBC as only meaningful for fans of bad teams.
pdb - March 10, 2009
Sadly, that opinion may not be far off from the majority opinion.
My only qualm with his tone is that he thinks fans of bad teams are not concerned with injuries. I don’t want to see Felix be overused or push himself too far to cause an injury. And even then I am not giving credit to Felix for knowing his limits, which I think he does. That concern is always there, though, no matter how competitive our team is expected to be.
But I don’t think his opinion warranted the response he got. People got offended too easily on this one.
Wilder. - March 10, 2009
The implication wasn't so much that we fans of bad teams are not concerned with injuries,
but rather that injuries don’t matter for bad teams because they will suck anyway. That completely ignores the point of fandom.
abender20 - March 10, 2009
Yeah the tone really pissed me off.
Hence my initial response.
appleshampoo - March 10, 2009
Fair point.
I didn’t see the Piazza one down below. Yikes.
Teej - March 10, 2009
Yeah
JI - March 10, 2009
Dick comment gets dick responses.
The Mike Piazza one was stupid, though.
Matthew - March 10, 2009
You forgot Alex Liddi's heroics vs. Canada
Go fringe prospects.
Mariner John - March 9, 2009
The WBC sounds great on paper
but I don’t like pitch counts, the sub-optimal rosters, and how everything is rigged in the USA’s favor. It’s an interesting diversion, but I don’t care who wins so it’s hard to have any interest. If it were the Olympics…
JI - March 9, 2009
I don't have much interest when the games start
but once they get rolling I get involved. And it’s fun to see players (and a few really awesome players like Yu Darvish and such) you’ve never had a chance to watch before. So while I don’t have much invested in it, I’m glad it happens and if things break right I end up totally immersed.
Aaron Campeau - March 10, 2009
I really like seeing Cuba playing against ML talent.
I really am hoping for a U.S./Cuba finals.
Fin - March 10, 2009
Where should they play the games?
The finals are ultimately going to favor one of the better teams. Maybe in 2013 they’ll move it to Venezuela or Mexico or Japan or something. The US has the biggest and most prevalent baseball stadiums though
Mariner John - March 10, 2009
'walk everyone, miraculously get out of jam'
Works for Morrow and Lowe
Mariner John - March 10, 2009
Also, Aumont.
hcoguy - March 10, 2009
And Daisuke Matsuzaka.
Vatinius - March 10, 2009
WBC
We get to see some interesting rematches coming up with possibly more on the way depending on the results. I’m definitely more interested in the WBC than I was the last time they did this.
ThundaPC - March 10, 2009
Sulbaran
He impressed me. He reminded me of Felix. Not so much his stuff, but his presence on the mound, his attitude.
Ike Clanton - March 10, 2009
You three are content monsters
seattlebruin - March 10, 2009
Agreed. Plus, it's improving
The 2006 iteration featured the immortal pairing of Gary Majewski and Brian Schneider. Teams seem to be more lenient with players not named Beltre, and that’s improving the overall quality of play.
I understand why pitch counts annoy some people; they bias the games towards deeper teams and generally make it seem more spring-trainingy. But it hasn’t really taken away from the drama of the games themselves, and it’s been interesting to see how each team deals with the rules.
marc w - March 10, 2009
I'm surprised that no one has tried to use two or three starting pitchers in a game
like if Venezeula saw they were facing Italy on day one and started Silva, then used Galarraga and Felix back-to-back against the USA instead of having to go to Victor Zambrano, who got absolutely shelled
seattlebruin - March 10, 2009
Completely agree with everything Graham has written, and I'd add...
….that as a Nationals fan I’m having SO MUCH FUN watching Adam Dunn play in the WBC. Obviously I’m not stupid enough to think that his performance so far will be representative of how he plays for the Nats over the next two seasons, but damn…how can I not love watching his star shine so brightly after years of being the whipping boy in Cincinnati? If the tournament ended today I suspect he would be named Team USA’s MVP: his awesome batting line is supplemented by some incredible moonshot visuals and — most stunning of all — genuinely good defensive plays, plus he’s a one-man comedy machine in the dugout and during interviews.
I had as many reservations as any other Nats fan (or baseball observer) about adding Dunn to a roster already overflowing with 1B/OF types, but man…if he does anything remotely like this during the regular season then, W/L record be damned, he’s going to bring excitement back to Washington baseball in a way I haven’t seen since Soriano was going 40/40 and having 3HR games for us in 2006.
As far as the M’s are concerned, Aumont’s performance is what excites me the most. And Putz’s fumbling is what makes me exhale with a “glad we dodged that bullet” second-most.
esoteric - March 10, 2009
I can't believe Dunn's actually playing, since he hates baseball and America.
Teej - March 10, 2009
I can't believe he's playing considering Davey Johnson was going to play Brad Hawpe over Ryan Ludwick or Curtis Granderson
wait
JI - March 10, 2009
The poetic irony of Dunn smacking the living shit out of the ball during the WBC in TORONTO was not lost on me.
Honestly, I think he’s actually making it a point, in his recent public pronouncements, to counteract the bad publicity that Ricciardi’s asshole comment tagged him with.
esoteric - March 10, 2009
I'm glad the Netherlands have resurrected Randall Simon. I really hope they end up playing Italy.
abender20 - March 10, 2009
Still the best moment in Miller Park history
Jack Moore - March 10, 2009
Korea’s parks are too small. MLB quality players will be hitting routine flies into the bleachers.
Korean and Japanese fans routinely cheer the entire game. They are into it a little bit more than what they regularly have.
Asian teams already have a tournament after the season (Konami Cup), so November is out for them as it currently stands…
brent in Korea - March 10, 2009
In the case of a worldwide event every few years, it wouldn't be out of the question to ask them to move the tournament if MLB decides it doesn't like the spring timeline
the problem with fall from my viewpoint is that more players wouldn’t want to play – who would want to go out and put in the work to learn new teammates, new opposing pitchers, etc. right after spending the last eight months doing the exact same thing?
At least in the spring, the players get a chance to rest and heal before the WBC starts.
seattlebruin - March 11, 2009
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