World Baseball Classic

[JustPherU]

True. At least they’d be playing for the team that’s paying them and not a country that some have a tenuous connection to.

It also seems a bit like a marketing ploy too. Come and buy these jerseys and hats of your favorite players!

So you would feel better if Altuve broke his thumb in spring training rather than the WBC?

 

[walsh2012]

Injuries happen no matter what quit being nerds

 

[walsh2012]

Pain

 

[PoppyHart]

This is like having a football team with an All-Pro offense and a Big 12 defense.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

So you would feel better if Altuve broke his thumb in spring training rather than the WBC?

I’m happy anytime Altuve gets a boo boo.

 

[walsh2012]

This hurts

 

[jncuse]

Why is the US not having the bullpen warming up at this point... OK, they gave part of the answer as many of the relievers can not come in the middle of the inning per team rules... another reason that I struggle with fully embracing the tournament even if it is entertaining -- the handcuffing of pitchers / staffs which is understood given the timing.

 

[donniesyracuse]

It also seems a bit like a marketing ploy too. Come and buy these jerseys and hats of your favorite players!

MARKETING HAS NO PLACE IN SPORTS!

 

[UpstateSM]

It would have been way cooler if he gassed him for strike three

 

[jncuse]

 

[CuseTroop]

Amazing fan atmosphere at this Korea - Japan game

Somewhere there’s a picture of me dancing with cheerleaders and a big bear on top of the dugout at a Doosan Bears game. Korean Baseball is insane

 

[STEVEHOLT]

Well , the narrative of the WBC being meaningless has sort of aged poorly. Odds are we see nothing as compelling all season as what we witnessed the last two nights

 

[donniesyracuse]

Well , the narrative of the WBC being meaningless has sort of aged poorly. Odds are we see nothing as compelling all season as what we witnessed the last two nights

It is a shame that a final involving the USA was not on a main network. Hopefully, that will be resolved next time. Assuming ESPN will still be the big dog in four years, I hope ABC/ESPN gets the rights.

 

[Trueblue25]

Baseball’s back

Amazing how they’re rebuilding this sports popularity.

A lotttt of people tuned in for the classic and weren’t disappointed

 

[MSOrange]

It was good stuff for sure. If they were smart, they'd extend the All Star Break to 2 weeks and have it then when the sole focus would be on baseball instead of having to compete with March Madness. But of course. they aren't going to.

 

[STEVEHOLT]

It was good stuff for sure. If they were smart, they'd extend the All Star Break to 2 weeks and have it then when the sole focus would be on baseball instead of having to compete with March Madness. But of course. they aren't going to.

I think it’s fine where it is. You can’t take big time off mid season in baseball. It’s not like other sports. 4 / 5 days is an eternity and it would be far more than that .

 

[shandeezy7]

I think it’s fine where it is. You can’t take big time off mid season in baseball. It’s not like other sports. 4 / 5 days is an eternity and it would be far more than that .

Yeah it has to be played during Spring Training. No one will participate mid-season or after the season. They'd rather just take the time off.

 

[donniesyracuse]

I supposed you do could the pool play during spring training and save the elimination round for the all star break.

 

[chugg21]

It was good stuff for sure. If they were smart, they'd extend the All Star Break to 2 weeks and have it then when the sole focus would be on baseball instead of having to compete with March Madness. But of course. they aren't going to.

Think that would be the opposite of smart. No one would care about it mid-season. The players wouldn't want to compete and baseball fans are already months into the weekly grind of 6+ games per week for their team.

Same thing with the XFL firing up as soon as the Super Bowl ends. People just had 5 months of football and aren't going to care. Start up a season in July after everyone has had 5 months without and you might be able to grab some eyeballs.

 

[MSOrange]

Think that would be the opposite of smart. No one would care about it mid-season. The players wouldn't want to compete and baseball fans are already months into the weekly grind of 6+ games per week for their team.

Same thing with the XFL firing up as soon as the Super Bowl ends. People just had 5 months of football and aren't going to care. Start up a season in July after everyone has had 5 months without and you might be able to grab some eyeballs.

Yep from a player perspective, mid-season wouldn't be ideal I suppose. But I just hate that it competes with the basketball.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

To each their own, but plenty of guys have been hurt in spring training.

I never understood the issue with getting hurt in exhibitions/training/actual games. Hurt is hurt. It can happen anytime, anywhere. It doesn’t seem to matter to me if you get hurt in an official game or otherwise. You also can’t presume that if they were team training they wouldn’t have gotten hurt at sometime.

 

[PoppyHart]

Well , the narrative of the WBC being meaningless has sort of aged poorly. Odds are we see nothing as compelling all season as what we witnessed the last two nights

Until they figure out the pitching aspect, I think it’s peaked. But still enjoyable.

 

[shandeezy7]

I never understood the issue with getting hurt in exhibitions/training/actual games. Hurt is hurt. It can happen anytime, anywhere. It doesn’t seem to matter to me if you get hurt in an official game or otherwise. You also can’t presume that if they were team training they wouldn’t have gotten hurt at sometime.

A lot of these guys also play in winter leagues in their home countries. Plenty of opportunity to get hurt there as well, and it's not under their MLB team's activities. Like you said, injuries happen and they suck, but I don't much care where they happen, especially if it's baseball activity related.

 

[two3zone]

Somewhere there’s a picture of me dancing with cheerleaders and a big bear on top of the dugout at a Doosan Bears game. Korean Baseball is insane

I want to go to games there and Japan one day, I have a buddy who experienced similar and it sounds amazing!