Not Enough Anti-WBC Pressure
This morning we learned that Liriano is considering skipping the WBC in favor of spending as much time as he can with the Twins and getting ready for the season.
Overall, I think this is great news. However, that news is followed by this disastrous line:
Liriano said no one has put pressure on him to pull out of the tournament, but he’s definitely thinking about it. He said he will speak with the Twins to get their thoughts.Are you kidding me? Why in blazes has there been no pressure put on him? Are people too afraid to be accused of being anti-patriotism or something?
Seriously. Players are leaving their teams, who pay them millions of dollars, and enter into a situation in which they can easily get injured. Just for the sake of some flag waving. And for the Cubans to trot out a crappy old lineup based not on talent but on loyalty to the government. And for Japan to rub our faces in their crappy league rules with plenty of major league talent that should be making real money here in America.
Forget this. When Liriano talks to the Twins, they’d better put some pressure on him — subtle if possible, less so if necessary — to stay the hell away from the WBC and within sight of Rick Anderson for the entire spring.
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I think this a good thing, but should be played in the winter, like soon after the baseball season is over. I love Euro Cup and World Cup Soccer. But not right before the season is about to start
I agree. I think the concept of the WBC is very cool. I love when countries compete against each other. Except in soccer, but that is neither here nor there. I do not think there is a good time for it though. The baseball season is too long. Everyone is broken down by the time the season is over, if you did it in December or January, you would only be able to get the guys who are going to play winter ball anyway, which is mostly foreign players. And certainly not superstars. In theory its cool, there just isn’t a good way to actually pull it off.
Still, playing in November would be better. Maybe they’d be tired, but that seems more fair than having the WBC early and then the players being exhausted in September & October.
Also, as the WBC is organized by MLB the Twins are under some pressure to encourage players to participate. Deterring a player’s participation probably carries some cost, like not getting fresh doughnuts at the Winter Meetings.
True. If we had to have it, I’d rather have the WBC teams suffer due to player fatigue than the Twins (or whatever team I support)
I should be say that I feel it is more appropriate for the players to be tired for the WBC than the MLB season because the MLB season is what puts food on the player’s tables.
I’m looking forward to the WBC- but I’m a flag-waving nut who gets jazzed about Olympic curling and volleyball…
Even so, I hope Liriano decides to skip it. I’d rather watch him in 30+ starts during the season.
Since baseball will no longer be an olympic sport (at least temporarily), maybe they should use what used to be the olympic team during the WBC.
Maybe only minor leaguers should be allowed to play.
Most other countries aren’t stacked with major leaguers, and the big players don’t really want to do this regardless of their nationality.
But I’m sure minor leaguers would love to take a shot at the spotlight, it’d be exactly as entertaining (possibly more so), and there’s no injury risk for important expensive players in the majors.
sirsean- I think using only minor leaguers is why Olympic baseball wasn’t all that thrilling and ended up getting cancelled. If the best players don’t play, what’s the point? It’s NOT exactly as exciting with minor leaguers- you’re basically watching the Caribbean Series. I’d rather watch Morneau (who DOES get excited about the WBC) at first for Canada than some schmuck I’ve never heard of before.
That’s a good point, I suppose. It wouldn’t be nearly as exciting.
In order for it to work, it needs major leaguers. But not during the season, during spring training, or in the brief offseason when the players are recuperating from the physically and mentally grueling season.
I think they should just cancel it all together the more I think about it. There just isn’t a time for it. I think once the early novelty of it wears off, fewer big name players will volunteer. Just like the NBA dream team. And as younger players get bigger contracts (like Longoria and Tulo) they will be less inclined to play as well. Perhaps we will start seeing clauses in contract that if a player gets hurt in the WBC the contract will be voided or something. That is a little extreme and harsh, but teams would be wise to protect their “assets” as Brian Cashman calls them.
Maybe the WBC should happen less frequently- every five years, say, instead of every two. Then players will only get the chance to join their country’s team a couple of times during their whole careers. That might encourage more participation.
That is a better idea. Every two years is too often. The less it happnes, the more meaningful it is.