World Baseball Classic..The Real Thing or a Joke..

As we get closer to the so called WBC i will voice my opinions as to what i think the WBC is all about.

What is it??
Baseball one of the few sports (if not the only) without a world competition with the best players in it, a countries tournament seems to draw the most attention from the most people possible, that is why Soccer WC, Olympics, etc. seem to be the richest tournament of all. The WBC is meant to cover that for baseball but let's be honest, what Selig is really trying to do is "increase its market", draw more interest in baseball from more people in more countries, right now baseball's market is restricted to the USA, Japan, Korea, Taiwan the Caribbean and part of Mexico and Venezuela. Very limited if you compare it to Soccer and even Basketball. So the main objective is trying to turn baseball from a Billion Dollars business to a multi-billion dollars business just like Soccer is. I find it amazing that the NBA seem to sell more merchandising worldwide than the MLB, basketball is not the main sport anywhere but seem to be the second most important one everywhere.

Is it working???
A big NO would be the answer, first of all the very MLB is the first one boicotting the tournament, if the best players are not in it then the very basis of the tournament is lost, fans throughout the world will not pay attention to it period.

Makeup.
For whatever reason they decided to hold the tournament in early March, when players are out of shape and teams are getting ready for the season. I think they did not choose the best time to do it, IMHO it should be held right after the World Series, something like what they used to do with Japan, that way it does not interfere with teams preparations.

Interesting fact
What i find more interesting is, while the WBC is or has been a big event in many countries the exciment and interest in the US has been limited, i find it interesting since baseball's main market is precisely the US. I see more talk and more people showing interest in it here in the Dominican, in Venezuela, Mexico, Japan, etc than in then US.

Should they continue or stop
People thought that after the first one players would show more interest in participating and it has been completely the opposite, for this second edition more and more players are opting out of it so instead of gaining interest in its second edition will loose some. In MHOP if they are not going to do the thing ritght they should not do it at all.

When i wrote "Players are out of shape" i should've added "more suceptible for injuries". Bottom line is:

- It gets in the way of teams getting ready for the season
- Makes players play at an intensity level they are not yet ready for...in comes the injury factor.

SVbeagador:

I enjoyed the first year. And, well MLB players might not care, at least in 2006, it seems that the other countries non-MLB player did care. I suspect that fans in other countries might care also.

I do think it should be played at a different time . . . at the all-star break. I doubt they have to shift to a 154 game schedule instead they could just play some DHs (like they used to). Maybe, expand the rosters 1 extra spot for teams to carry 1 more RP for those DHs.

I could go for that though I doubt owners or the union would agree.

Just another Selig shame. Can't wait for that guy to die, since that's the only way he'll ever leave the commissioners office. Of course the owners will just pick another lackey for the job when that happens.

The problem with stoping play mid season and having a few less games that season is that above all other sports basebal holds it's history in the highest esteem. The record books being of utmost importance. What would hapen if a guy were chasing the hits record in a shortened year? Or the HR record? single seasn strikeout record or any other single season record (of which there are several dozen) a shortened season is never going to happen.

The primary reason it isn't held after the WS IS marketing. Most fans in America watched theeir favorite teams play their last meaningful game some time in September, then they moved on to football. It's going to be really hard to draw them back into baseball in the middle if the football playoff push. A November WBC will be a bigger failure than a March WBC. At least with march you have rabid fans who haven't watched a meaningful game in 5 months, so that will pit butts in seats, even if the players aren't ready.

The best suloution IMO is to take a 2 week break in lieu of the AS break to play it, start the season a week early and end it a week late to preserve the 162 game schdule, but then how will Bud-Lite determine who is the home team in the WS?

The WBc problem won't be solved till we have a new comish. Untill then, a 6th place finish is absolutely unacceptable for a country who proclaims to hold a "world" series every year. We've go a stacked pitching staff, especially in the pen, which with the pitch count rules give us a heavy advantage (no one else had 1/3 the bullpen we do, there's like 7 f'n closers in there) should make us the favorites, I'll settle for nothing less than first, and I look forward to watching (because whether you like it or not it IS happening, so you better be rooting for your team!) to team USA!!!! ( minus A-Roid, at the begining of the off season I cared that he wasn't going to play for the USA, I don't anymore, he's just or big phony and playing for a country he wasn't even born in is one more phony entry in his phony records. We've got chipper and wright anyway, what do we need him for? He probably just went to play for the Dominican because he knew he'd be third string here. There his only compitition is "slider-low-and-away-strike-one-two-and-three" Beltre.)

I am teally excited about our roster this year, weve got a TON of electric young tallent, ot should be a lot of fun. Go team USA!!!!

CarolinaBlues:

P.S.: yes I know there are gramatical errors I. The above post. Please direct all
Complaints to: Bigblaster@dodgers.cc. RE: I phone auto-replace SUCKS

Really? I don't seem to having any priblems with mine.

hunteralan:

CarolinaBlues:

The problem with stoping play mid season and having a few less games that season is that above all other sports basebal holds it's history in the highest esteem. The record books being of utmost importance. What would hapen if a guy were chasing the hits record in a shortened year? Or the HR record? single seasn strikeout record or any other single season record (of which there are several dozen) a shortened season is never going to happen.

Bryan, no offense toward you, but . . . . . the record books are a complete farce anymore. After the 'steroid era' (which still hasn't ended, by the way), there is barely a record in baseball that means anything to me any more. Sad, but true. I mean, really, who believes McGwire or Bar'roids deserves the single season HR record? Or Big Head deserves the all-time mark? Not me. I could care less what the all-time, or single season records say. Bring on a legit 'World Series' type competition at the All-Star break.

I might actually pay attention to that.

Sadly, I agree. If it turns out, definitively or simply by circumstantial evidence over time, that the only way the single season or career HR records could be broken now is with "assistance", then those numbers are unfairly unreachable now. But, of course, since we DON'T have absolute proof (and likely never will), we can't wipe those numbers back down to Aaron and Maris, so those numbers will be an ugly reminder of some selfish players who have ruined the record books. Either way, they don't mean much.

But, back to the topic, keep the 162 if you want (the ideas of starting the season a week early, while distasteful, might work, as would a few planned doubleheaders) but I stick to my view of the concept of shutting down the season in July (ala Olympic year NHL) and blowing off the All-Star Game as being the best way to handle this.

As to the question as to what Bud Light can do with his "All-Star Game means something" idea in those years, well, I'm sure he can afford lots of K-Y.

Percisely, the best option would be to start the season one week early that is seven (7) days, not hold the all star that's three (3) more days, make the WBC just like the WS with few days off, three games in three days, First round with a day off, then three more games in three more days round two, then a one game a piece semis and finals, the whole thing can be done in 10 days, players will be in the midst of the season thus no need for long preparations nor big breaks between games.

HA - I can't believe that the records really mean NOTHING to you. Maybe the home run records, but could you honestly say you wouldn't care if Martin or Kemp or Furcal was closing in on Ichiro's single season hits record and the season was shortened by 8games? Because if you wouldn't... Are you sure you even like baseball still?

(that's not ment to be insulting, I can see how the steroid era could turn people off from the game completely, andwhile like you I think "meh" when any HR record is brought up, the other ones still matter to me, heck if it was grady sizemore or hanley ramirez going after the hits record in a shortened year I'd care...)

SVbeagador:

Okay . . . if Kemp hits 80 HRs next year, we won't care? The records still mean something because if someone did that now it may even mean more than what people done in the roid era. Further, let's say Kemp hits 62 this year. That will also mean something. It will bring about arguments as to whether that is the real record. At least, it will be the record for HRs hit in the non-roid era.

I guess any record has to be put in context of the era played.

The problem is, if Kemp were to suddenly break out in the 60s and above, the doubt would begin: is he juiced or not? It would be unfair, but it would be tainted by suspicion and doubt.

bigblaster:

SVbeagador:

Okay . . . if Kemp hits 80 HRs next year, we won't care? The records still mean something because if someone did that now it may even mean more than what people done in the roid era. Further, let's say Kemp hits 62 this year. That will also mean something. It will bring about arguments as to whether that is the real record. At least, it will be the record for HRs hit in the non-roid era.

I guess any record has to be put in context of the era played.

The problem is, if Kemp were to suddenly break out in the 60s and above, the doubt would begin: is he juiced or not? It would be unfair, but it would be tainted by suspicion and doubt.

True, but there would only be discussion because a record or mark (60) was achieved. Which shows that it would mean something.

Did you all see that former Prospect Joel Hanrahan (now the Nationals Closer) is going to be on Team USA? http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/02/AR2009030202459.html?sub=AR

hunteralan:

loneymiller:

Did you all see that former Prospect Joel Hanrahan (now the Nationals Closer) is going to be on Team USA? http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/02/AR2009030202459.html?sub=AR

Yeah, U.S. athletes are taking this seriously...

And that's why they can't have this during ST, the US should be embarrassed they can't field their best team possible.

ceyheyjay:

I think you guys are missing LM's point. We gave up on a guy who has turned out to be, at the very least, a very fine reliever. One thing that happened here was an inability to think outside the box just a little. OK, so Hanrahan looked like a starting pitcher, but he just didn't have the stuff to make it as a ML starter. Why, before giving up on him, don't you give him a shot as a reliever and see how he'll do.

I love our bullpen, but instead of spending $2.5 mill on Mota, we could have Hanrahan, who I'd feel more confident in at this point in their respective careers. And we also wouldn't have to be fooling with worrying about who is going to be the 2nd LH reliever if Wesley Wright was still on the roster.

Just goes to show that while we worry and fret over the big stuff so often, it's sometimes those "small moves" that can come back to haunt you. However, I will say, in all fairness, Colletti and company have made enough good "small moves" to more than balance the scales.

Spot on...I was thinking that before we give up on Orenduff this year we should see how he does as a closer. There are a couple of arms that intrigue me if put in the right type of role. That being said I don't see my boy Greg Miller recovering regardless of the role in the Dodgers system. I am getting a little tired of looking around the show at the players we have just let go or traded for next to nothing. Players like Shane Victorino, Joel Hanrahan, Wesley Wright, Edwin Jackson, Dionar Navarro, Willy Aybar, and eventually Carlos Santana and Michael Watt.

Well, not sure if it is the real thing, but it seems quite exciting for March. The DR and Panama play right now and it's a huge game for the DR. They lose and they are out.

I watched the USA and Canada game (most of it) yesterday and it was an exciting game. There were 42K or so fans and they seemed very exciting. So although the WBC can be very improved, this is exciting and interested (how about the Dutch beating DR).