why the World Baseball Classic is great

C’MON. IT’S BASEBLL
This post is not simply a response to a comment from my last blog post. I’ve been hearing alot of sports radio personalities, newspaper columists, friends, and co-workers complain about the World Baseball Classic, I just respond with “c’mon. it’s baseball”.

WHAT CRITICS ARE SAYING
People say that it’s terrible timing and owners shouldn’t let their “investments” participate in something that may render their “investments” useless (with potential injuries). And that fans are getting robbed if one of their team’s players gets hurt. Hog wash I say!

MORE THE BETTER
It’s baseball! Big whoop! Any chance I get to see more baseball, the happier I am. And the format of the WBC is unique. It’s not like they are forcing MLB teams to play a second season. It’s a battle of the world.

Heck, for what these guys get paid, they should be playing two seasons a year. Again, the more baseball, the happier I am. I would love to see a World Tour where players participate in games, homerun derbies, and the such in remote regions of the world during the entire offseason.

LIFE IS FULL OF RISKS
I’m a die-hard cubs fan. If Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez get hurt in the WBC, then that’s that. I’ll feel sad cuz the cubs won’t have a shot at winning anything this year. Now, I want the Cubs to win as much as the next guy. I’m not happy with them losing, especially since they are constantly raising ticket prices. But I simply am willing to take the risk of Cubs players getting hurt for the sake of the WBC. All MLB teams are sending players so all the teams are taking a chance their players will get hurt. Now granted some teams are sending far more players than others. That’s why I’m giving the Cry Baby White Sox grief. They’re nothing more than selfish little cry babies.

SCREW YOU, MARK BUERLE AND PAUL KONERKO
As for the star players who are sitting out; I could care less. Let them sit out. Let them be selfish little millionaires. I don’t care. I’m a fan of baseball. I’m not a fan of the players themselves. I think it’s going to be great seeing the Chinese team play. Did you see their roster? It’s great. I don’t recognize any of them. But I love those names. All those Yangs, Zangs, and Xus. It’s fun. That’s baseball… Craziness. And the new uniforms. That’s fun too. It’s fun to see the different countries’ logos. That’s baseball.

SIGN ME UP
Sure it’s all a marketing ploy. So be it. Sure MLB will cash in at the expense of the owners. So be it. As long as me, the fan, is happy, then I could care less whether or not this is created with the intention of being a marketing ploy. Bring on the marketing, baby! Bring it!

NO WBC?
HOW ABOUT NO MORE ALL-STAR GAMES?
HOW ABOUT NO MORE PROFESSIONAL SPORTS?
The logic that they shouldn’t do the WBC because it’s a marketing ploy is faulted. If this theory is true, then people should not want any sort of organized sport that generates a profit because it is a marketing ploy.

Imagine if there never was an All-Star Game. Imagine if MLB announced that in July 2006, all teams would take a three-day break to play an All-Star game.

The media would go bonkers. They would say that owners shouldn’t let their “investments” participate in something that may render their “investments” useless (with potential injuries). And that fans are getting robbed if one of their team’s players gets hurt. Sound familiar?

Everyone would be crying that it’s terrible timing to play an exhibition game in the middle of the season just when pennant races begin to kick into full gear.

People would be complaining so much that we would never have another All-Star game. That would a tragic crime against the fans. The All-Star game is the one the greatest instiutions of all sport. Football’s Pro Bowl is terrible. Basketball’s All-Star game is boring. Hockey? They still play Hockey? There’s nothing quite like the MLB All-Star Game and there’s nothing quite like the World Baseball Classic. People just need to relax and enjoy baseball!