Crushing Lows Shouldn't Take Away From Magic Of The WBC
World Baseball Classic has been great for baseball...
The World Baseball Classic giveths, and the World Baseball Classic takeths away.
I was watching a random episode of The Big Bang Theory the other day - it’s an easy watch and nice to have on in the background when you’re trying to get some work done - and it was the one where Sheldon makes every single decision, both big and small, based on the role of a dice.
The gang are eating dinner when Sheldon boasts about everything he has achieved because of his newfound approach to life, prompting Leonard to chime in with “you’ve left out got chafed testicles because you no longer wear underwear.” Perfectly timed comedic response, by the way.
Sheldon then responds with “the dice giveth and the dice taketh away.” And that line popped into my head in the wake of recent events at the World Baseball Classic.
See where I was going with that opening now? Also, I bet you wasn’t expecting to read a Big Bang Theory reference on this site, were you…
Anyway, I digress.
If you’re a baseball fan and have been indulging in the delights of the World Baseball Classic, then you no doubt would have noticed the huge debate that has erupted in the events of Wednesday night.
If you missed it, allow us to set the scene.
In the wake of beating the Dominican Republic to advance through to the Quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic, Puerto Rico flooded the field to celebrate. It was a scene of euphoric joy that encapsulated everything that has truly been great about the World Baseball Classic.
However, just like in a horror movie where everything is fine in the world before things quickly take a dark and ugly turn, disaster struck as Edwin Díaz went down hurt with a right knee injury and had to be helped off the field. He required the assistance of a wheelchair and what was a moment of jubilation quickly morphed into a state of panic and despair.
It has since transpired that Díaz will be out for a significant amount of time. He’s expected to be out for around eight months but, after undergoing successful surgery on Thursday to repair a torn patellar tendon in his right knee, the reliever is likely to miss the entire 2023 season.
It is a crushing blow for the New York Mets who enter 2023 as legit World Series contenders, but they are now down one of their biggest weapons and their superstar closer for the duration. It is also devastating for the sport of baseball given how Díaz absolutely electrified the sport in 2022. Not only did he put together a historic year on the mound - recording a stellar 1.31 ERA with 118 strikeouts and 32 saves in 62 innings pitched - but he also gave non-baseball fans a reason to watch thanks to his mesmerizing walkouts to the mound with Narco blaring out at Citi Field.
Díaz confidently strutting out to the mound with the whole of Queens absolutely bouncing transcended baseball.
It was freaking epic.
In a world where baseball isn’t the national pastime anymore, coupled with MLB’s struggles to market its biggest stars, Díaz attracted a brand new audience to the game we all love and he emerged as an absolute rock star that resonated with young fans who wanted to be just like Díaz. In many ways, Díaz emerged as a much-needed savior for baseball.
So, the fact that he will now be on the shelf for the entire 2023 season is crappy. It is absolutely shit - there’s no getting away from it.
However, as much as it hurts to see a legit star go down hurt, those now using Díaz’s plight as a stick in which to beat down the World Baseball Classic need to take a running jump.
And, Tweets like the one below from Keith Olbermann need to get in the bin like right now. There is no space in the world for trash like this.
There’s two things wrong with Keith’s horsecrap take. Firstly, and most importantly, he uses just shocking and highly insensitive language that is incredibly disrespectful to those taking part in this event. And to their families too.
Keith did try to apologize but he failed spectacularly at that, too.
Secondly, Keith’s remark about the WBC being a “meaningless exhibition series” couldn’t be further from the truth.
Again, it is an absolute garbage take from a guy clearly trying to cling on to yesteryear and is getting upset because baseball is trying to appeal to a younger audience. It’s life. Get over it.
For those claiming the WBC is nothing more than a glorified exhibition game, you clearly aren’t watching and are just clinging on to that take for dear life because you’ve got nothing else to argue with.
This is the first World Baseball Classic that I’ve tuned in to and I have been absolutely entranced.
Firstly, the quality of the product has been insane despite the fact we’re still in the throes of spring training. Yet every day we’re treated to a mouthwatering feast of great baseball and a boatload of special and memorable moments.
I loved Team Italy keeping an expresso machine in their dugout - very on brand - I’ve loved seeing smaller baseball countries slug it out against powerhouses of the sport and give it everything they’ve got, I’ve enjoyed, along with the rest of social media, ripping Team Great Britain for their god-awful uniforms and I’ve just relished the passion the WBC brings out of players and fans.
Seeing future Hall of Famer Yadier Molina in the dugout as manager of Team Puerto Rico just looks and feels right too.
I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I’ve been thrilled by MLB’s elite absolutely dominating on the world stage. Shohei Ohtani has approached the tournament like it is a World Series, balling out at the plate and on the mound while leading a juggernaut Japan team.
Francisco Lindor has been the driving force for Puerto Rico, and his Little League inside-the-park home run on Wednesday to help setup victory over the Dominican Republic was just thrilling to watch.
We’ve seen monster home runs - including this absolute moonshot by Padres superstar Juan Soto - and the end to the WBC is shaping up to be an absolute classic.
There are going to be some real heavyweights left standing and I am pumped to see them slug it out in order to be the one team left standing. From Team USA to Japan to Cuba to Puerto Rico, it is going to be incredibly hard to call which country goes all the way and secures ultimate glory.
I mean, just look at this lineup Team USA put out on Wednesday night as they beat Columbia to reach the Quarterfinals:
Mookie Betts (RF)
Mike Trout (CF)
Paul Goldschmidt (1B)
Nolan Arenado (3B)
Pete Alonso (DH)
Kyle Schwarber (LF)
Tim Anderson (2B)
Will Smith (C)
Trea Turner (SS)
I mean, that is just an absurd amount of talent in one single lineup and you can make a very, very, very strong argument that it is one of the most talented lineups ever assembled in baseball history. I’d love to go back and look through various All-Star Game rosters, because I doubt any were as talented as that roster is.
It was insane and it only bolsters the argument for why the World Baseball Classic is only a good thing. That Team USA lineup was absolutely stacked with some of the best players in all of baseball, and they all chose to represent their country in the WBC.
That means something.
Then there’s Mike Trout.
Now, I’ll come clean, I am a huge Mike Trout fan. I love everything he stands for, I love how he plays the game, I love how he has still dominated the sport and broken record book after record book despite being stuck on an Angels team that sucks year after year after year.
And I love the fact that, not only is Trout absolutely mashing at the World Baseball Classic, but he’s doing it with a huge smile on his face too. This is Trout’s first taste of the WBC, and you can tell he’s having an absolute blast. He’s hitting .417 with a homer and six RBIs and he’s becoming Captain Clutch for his country. Given how much Trout is thriving on a huge stage, playing in meaningful games with so much at stake, you just hope he finally gets a chance to play in the postseason in 2023 with the Angels.
For baseball purists, Trout is everything and it would be so freaking cool to watch him go and win the WBC with Team USA. I’m rooting for him.
And that’s the main point here. No matter what game you turn on, no matter who is playing, it is obvious almost instantly just how much the World Baseball Classic means to those involved. The fans have embraced it, the atmosphere has been incredible and you can tell how much it means to these players.
The WBC isn’t some side hustle or money-making scheme for these players - the winning team will have $3 million to split amongst everyone. They are here because they are proud to represent their countries on the biggest stage and that is evident with every swing of the bat, every catch made in the field and every pitch thrown.
This is special and the players are embracing it.
Check out this quote from Lindor, who could only watch on as his fellow teammate with club and country went down hurt.
“I understand how Mets fans are hurting. But, while for so many people the regular season is what counts, playing in the WBC means just as much to all of us. It is the dream of every Puerto Rican ballplayer to wear Puerto Rico’s colors and to represent our country. And not only Puerto Ricans, but every player in the WBC considers being here the ultimate honor.”
Every single critic, every single detractor and every single naysayer of the WBC should read those quotes from Lindor, study them and really let them sink in. Lindor is no doubt hurting from seeing Díaz have his season brought to a sudden halt before it ever really began, but he still wanted to stress just how important this tournament is to him and everyone else playing in it.
That should really tell you something.
Yeah, it is never nice seeing players go down hurt and we had to stomach the sight of Freddie Freeman suffer a hamstring injury while on duty with Team Canada - thankfully he should be ready for Opening Day - but these players knew what they were signing up for. They understood the risk involved.
And there’s risk in everything we do.
Again, these players aren’t taking part in some pointless exercise. They are representing their countries with pride.
Are you telling me that Freeman couldn’t have tweaked his hamstring during a pointless spring training game with the Dodgers? Are you trying to convince me that Díaz couldn’t have gotten hurt in some freak accident during a Grapefruit League game?
After all, the Mets did go viral in 2021 for practicing a World Series celebration during a spring training drill. Díaz could have easily blown out his knee in that setting.
I mean, look at Freeman’s teammate in LA, Gavin Lux. During the early days of spring training, the shortstop suffered a torn ACL in his right knee while trying to advance from second to third. As a result, he’ll miss the entire 2023 season.
Injuries can happen at any time anywhere and there was just as much chance, if not more, of Díaz suffering a serious injury during spring training. What happened on Wednesday night was a freak accident. A once in a million occurrence. That’s it.
Those using the World Baseball Classic as a scapegoat for Freeman and Díaz going down hurt just don’t get it. They really don’t. And they are clearly in the camp of those who believe baseball shouldn’t be fun and that it was better in the good old days.
Get the hell out of here.
You’re probably just an old man yelling at a cloud. Go get a hobby. Or a life.
The World Baseball Classic is probably the purist form of baseball you’ll ever see. It matters to these players. They are having an absolute blast out there while representing their countries with absolute pride. Who are we to take that away from them just because a player got hurt? Especially when that same player could very easily have gone down while with his team in spring training.
And, not only that, but the WBC is doing a superb job of growing the game. Around 63 million viewers watched Japan take on Korea last week, Ohtani’s Instagram has doubled in followers since the start of the tournament and the sport we all love is being exposed to a new generation of fans. How is that a bad thing?!
Again, be pissed that a great player in Edwin Díaz is on the shelf for the 2023 season. But don’t blame it on the World Baseball Classic. That’s just stupid and cheap and there’s not an ounce of truth in it.
The World Baseball Classic has been absolutely amazing for baseball, it has delivered every single day and it has been nothing but magic. And nothing will change my mind on that.
Not even a freak injury that could have happened anywhere.
Bring on the 2026 edition of The WBC.
