Comment of the Day

Not everyone appreciates my little geek-out in response to the Evan Longoria news. Well, actually, no one does, but this guy appreciates it less than others:

section 34 said…

I can’t believe I wasted 5 minutes of my life here. What are you suggesting—that the US forfeit? In the semifinals? Because a couple players have been injured? Rob Neyer, please don’t link to this clown again.

Posted 03/20 at 12:19 PM

If you’re reading Rob, now would be a good time to remind you that the checks will stop coming if you quit linking me. Your call.

But in all seriousness, no, I don’t propose that the United States forfeit the WBC. I am inclined, however, to suggest that, rather than Evan Longoria, we send Martin Prado or someone like him to play out the remainder of the games rather than risk yet another team’s superstar in the service of a preseason exhibition. Chipper Jones, David Wright, and Kevin Youkilis are hurt already. Let’s stop the bleeding.

And no, I don’t presume that even that is a plausible course of action given the roster rules, so how about this: starting next time, let’s play the WBC in the fall so players won’t be working themselves into shape during this thing. I mean, I know spring training sucks and these players are probably happy to be avoiding it, but I can’t help but think the extra stretching, running, and fielding reps they do down in Florida and Arizona serve an actual purpose that this year’s WBCsters are missing out on.

Update: Ok, Martin Prado — born in Maracay, Venezuela — is probably not a good choice for the United States’ team. How about Jed Lowrie?


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christopher
15 years ago

Yeah.  I’m gonna veto jed lowrie.  Half of the Red Sox’s starting infield has already been hurt at this stupid thing.  We can’t afford to lose anyone else.  I think we should send nomar or bobby crosby.  They probably wouldn’t get hurt.

Aarcraft
15 years ago

How did it take that guy 5 minutes to get through that post? It wasn’t that long. Must be a slow reader.

kendynamo
15 years ago

so who cares if team USA forfeits?  its just some stupid made up sports team in a meaningless exhibition tournament. 

i’m going to play wiffle ball in my backyard later today agasint my friend who was born in pakistan.  if you dont root for me to beat him you are an unpatriotic jerk!!!

themarksmith
15 years ago

You know, some of us (though I’m not the senior member of this group by any means) have wasted a lot more of our time here than that goofball. And when I say “waste”, I mean it with all the love in the world. smile If I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t “waste” my time here. Maybe I’m just a masochist.

Brian
15 years ago

Nitram Odarp!

raysprof
15 years ago

I don’t quite understand the opposition to the WBC. When a player injures himself during a cactus or grapefruit league game, the fans don’t demand to shut down these leagues? Is there any evidence that players are more likely to be injured in a WBC game versus an exhibition game?

kendynamo
15 years ago

its the stars getting hurt that is the issue.  david wright is not going to be playing in any winter leagues. 

i dont hate the WBC, to the contrary i support any celebration of baseball and think expanding the sport internationally is unequivocally good.  what irks me is how indignant some players and journos get when commenting about american fan apathy.

gbewing
15 years ago

I think you are being a bit dramatic yourself- first of all these are not real injuries these are typical dtd injuries players get at this time of the year and teams are just being verrrrrry cautious. If we play in the tournament (and it’s a great tournament-hard not to love it if you really are a baseball fan) should we not try to win it? None of the other countries are approaching it as just an exhibition. Of course there are legitimate reasons to not play healthwise (Joe Nathan) but our talent pool is deep use it.

Either you like the WBC or you are predisposed not to and that will guide your response to the question. Seems to me MLB can’t tout it as a bid deal on 1 end (pushing the season back a full week, advertising it like crazy) then also treat it as glorified ST which the roster management and pullouts have been. Make a decison!

Personally I feel the winner of this tournament has as legit a claim to World Champion as the winners of the American Tournament in October/November. Quit hating the WBC -direct your angst to Mr. Selig.

TimberLee
15 years ago

If the US players aren’t ready to play serious ball in March, they should get themselves ready by the time the WBC begins. The members of virtually every other team do that and it shows in the level of their play. Obviously most of the competing nations can’t match the talent of the USA ballplayers, but their teams clearly take the tournament more seriously than the people running the USA team. Some nations’ teams have been working together for months (if not years) to prepare for the WBC.
  Why would teams from around the world want to move the WBC to late fall just to please some US fans? Get with the world.

Jake
15 years ago

Only in America will we root for our own country to lose so that our personal team or politician can have a better chance to rise up. It makes me sick to be an American.

Craig Calcaterra
15 years ago

Jake—nice try to bring politics into this, but no one has gone there in this thread (and this blog’s author does not root for America’s failure in order to benefit his chosen candidates).

Please take your persecution complex to another blog.

Wickethewok
15 years ago

I don’t get it.  Doesn’t Neyer link to you all the time?

Craig Calcaterra
15 years ago

Yeah. I think my little critic is new to these worlds.

Timmy
15 years ago

In response to Jake.  Some of us are bigger fans of the teams we’ve followed thick and thin for the majority of our lives, than of some exhibition All-Star team that represents the country I live in and is playing a few meaningless games every third year.

The WBC strikes a lot of us as extremely arbitrary.  It’s a great way for MLB to make money and congrats to them for tabbing a new revenue-generating source, but the WBC doesn’t grab at my heart.  And though I’m sure they’re some who have bought into the idea, the majority of baseball fans in this country could care less about the tourney.