World Baseball...Classic?

I like baseball. I like watching baseball, I like reading about baseball, I like listening to baseball on the radio and listening to people talk about baseball on the radio.

I hear what you're saying Blez about guys getting hurt or tired or whatever, but I think that every other team is risking just as much as, if not more, than the A's by having their guys out there this spring.

When I think of the WBC I think of David Ortiz and Miggy at the All-Star HR contest 2 years ago. I know that the HR Contest is just another contrived money making event, but the passion/excitement that those two guys (with DOrtiz as towel boy/flag waver) brought to that event is what makes me look forward to the WBC. I hope the US loses in the round robin and we get to see teams that actually care about it battle it out. Cuba, the DR, Puerto Rico, Japan, Korea, even CA, those guys are interesting to me.

I really can't see them losing as they will be cohesive and probably much better prepared than the MLBers. I am getting tickets to the games in Ana hoping to catch the Japan/US match up.

I didn't like the idea when it was 1st offered up and I still don't like it. Sorry, but this is all about Buddy making one of his wet dreams come true and all about him leaving some type of legacy to baseball.

Back on the East Coast this thing is getting 0 play or interest.

While I do think that the general goal of internationalizing the appeal of MLB is both admirable and a sensible business decision, this isn't the way to go about it. The current setup is shortsighted (a one-time, once-a-season revenue boost with no real long-term prospects or developmental value) and risky (lengthening the already-too-long season, throwing not-quite-ready players into too-competitive arenas).

Incompetence, cronyism, lack of long-term real-world planning -- heckuva job, Buddy.

I think it is a nice little thing to do to warm up for Baseball season. Nice to get a little hype going. I mean at the beginning of the season, we never see any baseball coverage. There is very little attention paid to baseball. Maybe this is a good way to get some of that attention started early. It may also be a good chance for people like Saarloos to get the attention they deserve.

But on the other hand, I agree that maybe it is something that should be played at the end of the season. Why risk the health of any of the players before the season starts. I would absolutely hate to see someone hurt in this game and not be able to start the regular season.

But if they approach it like a Spring Training game and just take it all lightly, then it will probably be ok.

Personally, I would rather them NOT play this series, but since they are, I will most likely watch it.

Reasons it's awesome:

1.  Calling the MLB championship 'the World Series' is BS...they don't even invite teams in other countries to participate.  (Oh, except Toronto).  I've always wished our champion could/would face Cuba's or Japan's or enter another tournament, or that they would at least change the name.  The WBC will at least be a true international championship.
2.  Eventually the World Baseball Classic could become as important, even worldwide, as the World Cup.  The World Cup (in soccer) is my favorite sporting event of all.  Partly because every country in the world takes it so seriously, partly because it only happens every four years which cranks up the tension exponentially, and partly because the US team is a rising underdog that will eventually shock one of the dominant sides and therefore the world and make the final.  Because of this, I can totally relate to how Japanese and Cubans and others will feel about their chance to knock off the US in the WBC.  And hopefully the US will take seriously the opportunity to defend our place in baseball and the title of our so-called 'World' Series.  Hopefully, the WBC will only take place every four years (does anyone know?)
3.  We need to back it up.  If we're going to call our championship the world series and if we think the US produces the best baseball players in the world, we need to field a team with the talent and the desire to go out there and win it.  All our talk is a lot of hot air if there is no true international championship at the highest level.  Nothing in pro sports disappoints me more than seeing highly paid professional athletes skip international competitions like the Olympics.  They'll play for the dollars but not for their country.  Which am I to think: they're greedy, lazy, xenophobic, scared to travel, etc? (Why do we look up to these people again?)

Reasons it's sucks:

1.  Having it right before the season.  This is really the only time that is realistic, except maybe smack in the middle of winter, like Dec or Jan.  Nobody could be convinced to participate at the end of a grueling 162 game season.  However, this is the only time it can be held until it gains more prestige.  The concern over injury is overblown.  This year it seems higher than it will in the future, because this event is something new.  But in soccer, players go 100% both for their club sides and their national sides.  Doing anything else would be unimagineable.  There is friction between the national team management and the club management over access to the players, but they work it out because it's worth it.  I know it's not going to be this way at first, but I would like to see the day when every body expects their favorite players to go 100% both for their MLB team and their national team.  Most smart MLB players today stay in shape throughout the offseason.  Going a little harder than spring training a little bit sooner than most years, shouldn't be that big of an adjustment.  We lost Ellis for the year in a spring training game in '04.  This is not that different.  I don't hear anybody calling for the cancellation of spring training.
2.  So far, it seems pretty disorganized.  All this nonsense about people being signed up for countries they've never been to.  If it's not done right, it'll be a long time before people will give an event like this another chance.

and I'd also like to find out where in Phoenix the teams are going to work out. That might be fun to watch.
Who makes the money here? MLB? Do the players get extra incentive dollars for it?   I would love to hear that proceeds go to support kids baseball training programs in the innercity and developing countries.

...while I share many of the toughts and concerns being expressed in this thread and while I also realize you are in absolute majority, I might see the things a bit differently.
The most recurring theme around here is "don't want to see any of our guys getting hurt". Well, nobody does, whether it's WBC, spring training, MLB game or carrying deer meet. The question that troubles me, though, is how much right do we have to call these guys "ours". Do they belong more to their employer than they do to their country?

There are countries where success does not come in abundance, where a mere chance to compete with a giant can be an inspiration to many. Why does everybody pose a question "Is it really a good marketing move?" and nobody says "Great, a chance for all those Dominicans to make their families and friends proud"?

Imagine for a second if it were the other way around. You follow the Huston Streets and Daric Bartons for years and just as they come into their prime they leave to play baseball in, say, Turkey. You never see them play live anymore. Couple that with the imaginative situation that USA is really only good in baseball, no other sport. Wouldn't you be more excited about a chance to get a great team together and let them play? Honestly?

As for the Classic itself, I don't think the format and the timing are ideal. But you know what, "Lefty"? There is a World Cup, it's just that MLB doesn't manage to notice it. Sure MLB teams pay a lot of money for their players to perform for them. But guess what? Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester United do, too, and the mere idea of Ronaldo, Beckham or Ballack skipping a World Cup to avoid injury is hillarious.

I will never forget a summer of 1992. Barcelona, the basketball finals, Dream Team (the real one) and Croatia in the finals. There was not a soul on the street, everybody and I mean everybody was watching. Those were the times of hardship most of you can luckily not even imagine. Yet for couple of hours, that little country was being able to be proud, to enjoy once again all our players that grew up in our neighbourhoods, went to our schools, played in our local teams and then went on to play abroad. Heck, we even led for 17 seconds.

So the concern about injuries is the same from this side. Bud Selig gets about the same amount of respect around here as Bud Light does. This we have in common. But I'm just not sure if we, the "Team Fans" have the exclusive right to "our" players.

Sorry for the length and I hope you can tolerate a slightly different view on this topic.

Zito gets it, at least.

that the Major Leaguers will be playing themselves into shape in the early rounds. By the time they reach the quarters/semis/finals, though, I think they'll be excited and going all out.

I'm excited about it. I plan to go and I cannot wait to see Team USA, Team DR, Team Cuba, Team Japan and the rest face off ... It'll be awesome.

and i live for baseball. But I honestly hope that any A's that are selected for the dutch national team will get limited playing time. In fact, when the World Cup was here last september, I jumped on a plane to Boston to catch a couple of A's games.

I think it is a great way for baseball to get International exposure and get more people into the game.  It may take a few years to develop some rivalries and get really popular.  

I hope Chavez sees the field every game and Street is in to close the Champ game..Cant think if a better way to get big game exerience.

I dont get the people who say people dont care...Maybe A's fans who dont want guys to get hurt, sure....but the tickets have sold well and this tournament is huge in latin America....DR winning this would be huge for their country...Hell, Abreu winning the Home Run was ENORMOUS in Venezuela and that is the freaking Home Run Derby.  I think people here are looking at it way way too short sighted...This means a lot to a lot of people outside the US....and I think some great games in the Semis could create a lot of rivalries than can be re-lit every year in March.

I cant wait and have my tickets already.  A hell of a lot more fun than watching Spring Training.

People have made pretty much all the salient points - both pro and con - related to this, but I don't think we'll really know how to judge it until we get down to the end.  It could end up being Japan vs. the Dominican in SD for all the marbles with great performances and drama and we'll all be saying dang if that wasn't the best idea ever, now I'm really ready for the season to start.  Or the majority of the players could treat it like ST or an all-star game and its very dull.  Me, I'll bet on the idea that once the competitive juices get flowing the players will take it seriously, and we'll have some good fun with it after all.

Jim rome said last friday, the wbc is pretty ridiculous, Bonds drops out, A-Rod doesn't know who to play for, now they will use little league rules with pitch limits.

Right now I must say I'm intrigued. I definitely know I'm more interested in watching the WBC than spring training games.

I would prefer it in November, however, after the playoffs. MLB players not in the playoffs would be able to have some times with their teams to practice and stay loose.

I think having it every other year (a la the Ryder Cup) or every four years (Olympics, World Cup) or every three years (just to be different) would help keep it fresh.

Please please please do not let any A's player get hurt!

The only thing I don't like about it is the name.  Why can't they just call it the "World Cup of Baseball?"

I'm with elcroata's comments earlier in the thread when it comes to this.

Does the WBC have flaws? Definitely. There's certainly some questions about the schedule's, the US government's attempt to butt in about Cuba was unpleasant, and stuff like the Haren situation creates eye-rolling.

And yeah, MLB doesn't have altruistic purposes with this, though I personally support a drastic shove to try and get baseball to remain in the Olympics. I think baseball in the Olympics is a great thing, and it's refreshing to give young, talented players who haven't been jaded into what we see on the major-league level get to shine on such a huge stage. Young guys who give a glimpse at the future, the Sheets and Oswalts and Kotsays of the world.

Despite problems, I think the WBC is a good thing and given the degradation of the ASG, having a more positive, interesting exhibition game (or games, in this case) to look forward to is FUN.

Guys can get hurt, sure. But they certainly can at Spring Training. We lost Ellis that way, Crosby got that HBP, tons of others have been injured there... going to ST instead isn't a cure all.

And yeah, they may have to start prepping earlier, but these are MLB players. They're still in shape in the offseason and I doubt they'll all be tiptop going into it. If players have a problem dealing with the long season, the MLB crackdown on amphetamines will have a HELL of a lot more to do with it than a preseason exhibition.

And having it in ST makes more sense than the ASG's timing. The ghost of Fosse's shoulder still hangs over home plate there, I'd rather have this game when players still have time to recover from an injury rather than have it in the middle of the pennant race. Chavez will tear up his shoulder no matter what we do -- and hell, A's players are probably SAFER when they're far from Crosby.

I'm normally disdain rampant nationalism, but if there's a place for it, it's in sports, the very core of an "us versus them" mentality.

Personally, I think it's fun to think of Huston Street representing the US, regardless of my feelings of politics, social issues, whatever. I think it's fun to see how the USA stacks up against other teams, I can't wait to see how those insane DR hitters go, how Japan's pitching works against everyone else, and the heck that crazy band of Dutch players will do. I think that this kind of reshuffling will be fun to watch and I'm eager to see it. I don't want anyone to get hurt, I hope they don't play insane, but I think that it's silly to think that they're risk-proof if they're at ST. Hell, if Harden can hurt himself on an alarm clock, NOWHERE is safe for our boys.

We decry players for being mercenaries, for going after the money, for being the Giambis and the A-Rods of the world. For ignoring the home team in favor of New York, for selling out and forgetting about the game.

So why are we not applauding guys who want to represent themselves, their families, and their history in this way?

If a guy doesn't want to play, I understand. Getting hurt IS a risk, and guys have their own offseason rhythms. It ain't for everyone. If owners want to discourage their players from going and not encourage the WBC, I understand. It's their money at stake. But banning them? No.

It's the same reason I can't think ill of players, high paid or not, that go play winter ball or some other offseason game for their home country. Why I respect guys that go home and play for their home fans. I believe that pride's not dead, and that guys who find meaning to the game and what it means to a culture and to family beyond the paychecks from MLB owners deserve a tip of the hat, not scorn.

I'd rather see owners negotiate incentives into contracts that are affected by going to winterball, WBC, or similar things that would help protect them financially but would give the player the choice of deciding what matters to him. These guys are getting huge paychecks, but if they want to do something beyond that, if they feel like their playing has meaning beyond that, that can be expressed in anything from helping coach the local high school team to playing in the Olympics or WBC... I respect that a lot.

I played against him in the german league last year, and he pitched a hell of a game against us. Nice guy, too