The World Baseball Classic, Missing Superstars

Ichiro Suzuki, hero of the 2006 final, will not represent his country in this edition of the World Baseball Classic.

After four long years, it’s here again. The World Baseball Classic is back, bringing baseball community together to enjoy some of the best players in the world representing their native lands.

“Some of the best players”, I just said. Sad, but true. Unlike any sport world cup, countries will not be represented by all their best players in the WBC 2013.

Ichiro is not part on the Japanese roster for the WBC 2013

Can you imagine a soccer world cup in which Messi doesn’t play for Argentina, Ronaldo for Portugal or Donovan for the USA?

Paul Gasol or Lebron James not representing their countries in a basketball world cup? Unacceptable.

It happened in 2006 and 2009 and it’s happening again. Some of the stars of countries like Dominican Republic, Japan, Venezuela or the United States, will not be part of the event.

The reasons for these absences remain the same. There is not a perfect date to place the event.

The way professional baseball calendar is scheduled doesn’t allow much options to set the tournament some time other than March, before the MLB season  begins.

Interrupting the MLB season for two or three weeks in July or playing it right after the World Series don’t seem to be a practicable option.

Teams and players fearing for possible injuries, teams denying permission to their players or just lack of interest are the excuses that mess up the event.

2012 season sensation, Mike Trout, will not participate in the WBC 2013

Jayson Stark’s article “Busting the WBC injury myth”, on Espn.com, exposes how these excuses have no fundaments. In fact, injuries diminished in years in which the WBC took place.

A tournament of this importance should not be facing these problems.

Major League Baseball is the principle responsible of them.

MLB is in charge of the organization of the tournament and it should put pressure on the teams to let the players play.

If all the best players of your country are not representing you, what’s the purpose of the tournament?

Fans wait for four years to watch the best of the best with the name of their countries in their chests.

Is it worth it to keep supporting the event?

I believe it will be an attractive tournament, but it definitively could be much better.

Hopefully, in 2017 we can focus on the game and we don’t have to talk about these issues anymore.