#5

WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC
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Okay, I'm going to be totally honest. Sunday morning, I was at the St. Louis Mills mall waiting for the Blues practice to begin, when I decided I was going to write about the World Baseball Classic, and how awful it is.

I got home, and sat in front of the TV with my laptop, watching the US-Japan game. My fingers were smoking as I wrote out the beginnings of a column denouncing the World Baseball Classic.

Then, something funny happened. I kept watching. Next thing I knew, it was the fifth inning. Still interested.

The United States won in the bottom of the ninth, as Alex Rodriguez drove in the winning run with two outs.

This game had it all. Great pitching. Great hitting. Defense. Drama. And also, a little bit of controversy.

In the top of the eighth, it appeared Japan had taken the lead on a sacrifice fly. The United States appealed the call, saying the runner at third tagged up before the catch was made. The home plate umpire called him safe, and the run stood.

Or so we thought. The call was overturned, ending the inning. The game remained tied. The Japanese players stood in their dugout, refusing to take the field until their manager, Asian baseball great Sadaharu Oh, ordered them onto the field.

Who cares if the runner left early--that moment alone sold me on the WBC. Without it, we'd be stuck watching meaningless Spring Training games. Don't get me wrong, I love Spring Training, but it's great to be able to watch meaningful baseball games this time of year.

I'll admit it, I am a sucker for world competitions. I'll watch US vs. Albania in skeet shooting if I have to. I guess it's the feeling of American superiority. The WBC is no different.

After watching a game between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, I couldn't believe the enthusiasm shown by their fans. It was great to see a group of fans so crazy about their country.
I'm not sure if the United States will make it past the current round. If they don't, they will become just another American team disappointing in a worldwide competition.

Something needs to change. We can only ride the 1980 Men's Hockey gold medal for so long.