Let’s talk national pride and international competition.
The 2023 World Baseball Classic was an exciting national pride and baseball talent showcase that came down to MLB teammates, Shohei Ohtani (L.A. Angels and Japan) pitching against Mike Trout (L.A. Angels and USA) with the championship on the line. Ohtani won this showdown with a game-ending 3-2 strikeout. Japan was crowned WBC World Champions and Ohtani was named MVP.
WBC excitement included great athleticism and skills on an international stage. Trea Turner’s homerun barrage fueled numerous USA comebacks to get them to the finals, and seeing the pride of players donning the uniforms for their native countries or ethnicity was heartwarming. But, did the players abandon their professional teams? Let’s remember that the MLB is a sponsor of the event and promotes it.
A problem was that this tournament took place during the middle of MLB spring training. Players who practice and play in the competition do not get the same attention and regimen that they get with their MLB team in spring training. Did that bother you or did you applaud the competition? Does it add or detract from the season?
In this fifth WBC tournament, 20 nations were represented by athletes who either had national, citizenship, birth or ethnic heritage ties to the country team they played for. Numerous international stars played for their home team, as did about 300 Major League Baseball stars who played in the tournament. MLB stars included Ronald Acuna (Atlanta/Venezuela); Rafael Devers (Boston/Dominican Republic); Kenley Jansen (Boston/Netherlands); Marcus Strohman (Chicago Cubs/Puerto Rico); Miguel Cabrera (Detroit/Venezuela); Jose Altuve (Houston/Venezuela); Ohtani (L.A. Angels/Japan); Trout (L.A. Angels/USA); Mookie Betts (L.A. Dodgers/USA); Freddie Freeman (L.A. Dodgers/Canada); Pete Alonso (N.Y. Mets/USA); Jonathan Loáisiga (N.Y. Yankees/Nicaragua); Gleyber Torres (N.Y. Yankees/Venezuela); Kyle Schwarber (Philadelphia/USA); Trea Turner (Philadelphia/USA); Xander Bogarts (San Diego/Venezuela); Manny Machado (San Diego/Dominican Republic); Juan Soto (San Diego/Dominican Republic); Joc Pederson (San Francisco/Israel); Nolan Arenado (St. Louis/USA); Paul Goldschmidt (St. Louis/USA); Adam Wainwright (St. Louis/USA); and Randy Arozarena (Tampa Bay/Mexico).
At least 18 MLB players were not allowed to play in the WBC, as their teams stepped in and withheld permission. Other players committed to play, but left due to injury or personal reasons. Others chose not to play, and instead remained with their MLB team in spring training. Aaron Judge of the Yankees chose to concentrate on the upcoming season, as did Trevor Story of the Red Sox.
The Yankees kept pitcher Luis Severino from playing for the Dominican Republic. Yankees GM Brian Cashman said, “We support our players going [to the WBC], but when a player like Luis Severino, who has had an injury history the last few years ... that’s not in our best interest, given losing him so far over the last few years.” Just after the WBC ended, Severino, who did not go, suffered another injury (in Florida) and was shut down with a low-grade right lat strain. Injuries happen anywhere.
Injuries mounted during play and Freeman (Dodgers), Edwin Diaz (Mets) and Altuve (Astros) were among those whose MLB seasons have been impacted due to injuries, but it can be argued that injuries also happen during spring training and you have to play the game, wherever it is. Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, who played for Puerto Rico, said, “We all care for each other and no one wants to get hurt. But we all love our countries and want to represent our countries. We have an opportunity to represent our countries and learn from our peers. It's amazing."
The question for MLB fans, or organized professional sports fans, is: Do you really care? We are in spring training and international events often occur when we are in season play. Do you want seasons disrupted? Do you want your best players getting occasional at-bats against good international competition, but not MLB-level competition, to stay sharp? Don't forget that spring training is full of lower-level minor leaguers on the field. As these competitions are arguably often more important for nationalistic pride of other countries than they are to Americans, we often wind up with diluted USA teams, and after the competition the players often come back with less crispness than those who have stayed with their professional club.
It’s not only the WBC. In the Olympics – a great international competition – baseball seldom gets the best America can offer as the best players are embroiled in MLB pennant races. Olympic basketball is doable, and usually takes place before the NBA season. In the Winter Olympics, top NHL players need the league to shut down for several weeks, or most can’t represent their home countries in the competition.
There are few objections to such storied and exciting international exhibitions as the Olympics, the Canada Cup, the soccer World Cup and other competitions, but when they occur during the season or crucial preseason training, do YOU care as much about these events as you do about the season and your favorite team? Do you want them to disrupt the normal flow and become another non-pro team venue in which your players can get injured? Is “U-S-A, U-S-A” or “Go (fill in your national team)” as important or more important than “Go (fill in your favorite pro team)”?
These events pit the best in the world against the best in the world and are classic competitions. But at what cost to your pro team?
What do you think? Do you follow international competition? Do you care about these non-Olympic events or non-regular season of professional sports “reality TV” tournaments? Let me know at mike.blake@mountvernonnews.com.
