Transparency Item: The views expressed in this article are the opinions of the writer.
Major League Baseball has had a stigma surrounding it for a while now — baseball is boring.
A quick google search of “baseball is boring” will bring up countless articles about how baseball games are long and players are encouraged not to celebrate.
But, there is one baseball tournament that looked to disprove the idea that baseball isn’t interesting — the World Baseball Classic.
The WBC is an international baseball tournament consisting of 20 countries usually held every three to four years, according to Fox Sports.
While it was Team Japan that won the tournament in 2023, it was the levels of enthusiasm and storylines of teams and players that made this tournament special.
Celebration and Enthusiasm
The 2023 WBC has challenged the narrative that baseball is boring as players have played with a level of pride that is hardly seen throughout the regular MLB season.
Nelson Cruz, Team Dominican Republic general manager, put a DR flag around Padres outfielder Juan Soto’s neck after he hit a home run against Team Nicaragua.
Every member of Team Puerto Rico dyed their hair blonde for the tournament, which caused 192 men from the Caribbean Islands to also dye their hair blonde in support— breaking a Guinness World Record, according to NBC Sports.
National’s designated hitter Joey Meneses of Team Mexico threw his bat in the air as he walked down the first base line after hitting a three-run home run against Team USA.
Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander of Team Venezuela flipped his bat and turned toward his dugout as he hit an upper-deck home run against the Dominican Republic.
These high levels of enthusiasm and celebration are usually frowned upon in the MLB, but during the WBC, nothing is off limits.
Randy Arozarena
Another reason the WBC is good for baseball is the is the unique storylines about players that likely would have gone unheard. One example is Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena of Team Mexico.
Not only was Arozarena was seen wearing a luchador mask in the dugout shagging fly balls in the outfield wearing cowboy boots and a sombrero, but it’s a unique story as to what Arozarena did to become a citizen of Mexico, according to Baseball Doesn’t Exist on Twitter
Arozarena was original born and played professional baseball in Cuba. After government officials prevented him from playing in the Caribbean Series for fearing he would defect, Arozarena fled to Mexico and played baseball there for two years before signing with the Cardinals in 2016.
Since then, Arozarena has established himself as an everyday outfielder for the Rays.
During every off season, Arozarena returns to Mexico. In February 2021, Arozarena made a plea to the president of Mexico asking for citizenship so he could represent Mexico in the WBC.
This plea worked as in April of 2022, Arozarena was granted citizenship. Arozarena then went on to lead Team Mexico to its first semi-finals appearance in WBC history.
Without the WBC, Arozarena’s story and sense of pride for Mexico would not have been brought to light.
USA vs. Venezuela
Some of the games in this year’s WBC were action-packed. One example is the quarter-finals between Team USA and Team Venezuela.
The game went back-and-forth as Team USA jumped out to a 3-0 and then 5-2 lead before Venezuela rallied and had a 7-5 lead heading into the top of the eight.
USA wasn’t going to give up as easily they loaded the bases for Phillies shortstop Trea Turner. On an 0-2 count, Turner launched a 407-foot grand slam to left field, giving USA a 9-7 lead. USA went on to win 9-7 and advance to the semifinals.
Turner, who has played in 43 postseason games and won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019, said USA’s game against Venezuela was the loudest game he ever played in.
Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright, who has been pitching in MLB since 2005, said representing Team USA in the WBC has been the most fun he has had playing base in his entire life, according to MLB Network.
Multiple players with a lot of experience in MLB have said that the games they played in the WBC have been unlike anything else they’ve experience on a baseball field.
Final Inning
Team Japan and Team USA were set to face each other in the championship game after they each won their respective semifinals game.
USA grabbed the first lead of the game with a solo home run from Turner in the top of the second inning. Japan responded quickly, scoring two runs in the bottom of the second and adding a third run two innings later. Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber hit a solo home run in the top of the eighth shorting USA’s deficit to one.
With a 3-2 lead heading into the ninth, Japan called on Angels designated hitter/pitcher Shohei Ohtani, who some call the modern-day Babe Ruth, to finish the game.
Ohtani walked the first batter, but allowed quickly got the second batter to hit into a double play.
Needing one more out, Ohtanit’s teammate, Angels superstar center fielder Mike Trout, a three-time MVP and 10 all-star, stepped up to the plate.
With a 3-2 count, Ohtani threw an 87 MPH slider that got Trout to swing and miss. Ohtani struck out his teammate to win the game and Japan’s third WBC title.
So, from teammates facing each other to end the tournament to players having immense levels of pride for their countries, the 2023 World Baseball Classic brought a level of excitement and enthusiasm that is missing from Major League Baseball today.
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Contact Tony Gleason via email: anthony.gleason@pepperdine.edu
