Japan Wins the World Baseball Classic
Last night Japan won the World Baseball Classic by defeating a resilient Cuba team in a 10-6 thriller. While the biggest story of the Classic has undoubtedly been the elimination of all the Major League-laden teams (USA, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico), what's struck me most about the exhibition tournament has been the overall level of play and what that means for baseball as a whole. Despite limits on how many pitches pitchers could throw, the level of play in these games has been nothing short of fantastic, save a few blowouts (such as the USA's 17-0 pummelling of poor, poor South Africa). For the most part, the players and fans have been passionate and engaged. For many outside the United States, you got the feeling that the outcome of the WBC held more importance than who wins this year's "World Series," if it should even be called that anymore.
I consider myself as much of an "Americanist" as anyone else when it comes to sports. In my book, while everybody else has their nice little leagues, it's what happens in the North American pro leagues that really "matters." It's for that reason that I can't get all that jazzed or all that upset about Team USA's struggles in international basketball, since, to me, the NBA is where it's at. Since all the world's elite players play in the NBA anyway, that championship takes on added significance (which is why someone like, say, Manu Ginobili or Tony Parker seem to play with as much or even more passion for their NBA club than they do in international competition). I thought I would feel the same way about the WBC, but as I watched these games, I found myself being drawn in, seeing the intensity, grit, and determination of all these different players playing to prove the strength and mettle of their homelands. There was an overall sense that these games meant something, something bigger and more important than a trophy or a year-end bonus. And as much as the Americanist in me cringes at the thought, whoever wins this year's "World Series," calling themselves the "world champions," will have to try to sleep at night with nagging question of whether they could defeat Japan, let alone the amazingly talented runner-up, Cuba. (Remember, as has been noted to no end already, there were only two MLB players competing in the final, both on Japan's squad.)
The entire world has watched baseball played on an enormous stage, at a level, both technically and emotionally, rarely seen in the North American majors. Commissioner Bud Selig has been a big proponent of the WBC in order to spread the popularity of baseball throughout the world, though in so doing, he may have damaged the reputation and luster of his own North American professional baseball league. So, while I can't wait to see who will be crowned the champions of Major League Baseball this year, the specialness of that distinction will be muted somewhat by the real anticipation -- to see Cuba come roaring back with a vengeance, to see Japan try to defend their title, to see the USA and the Dominican try to rehabilitate their damaged reputations, to see South Africa make some progress, all in the next, early awaited WBC in 2009.
I consider myself as much of an "Americanist" as anyone else when it comes to sports. In my book, while everybody else has their nice little leagues, it's what happens in the North American pro leagues that really "matters." It's for that reason that I can't get all that jazzed or all that upset about Team USA's struggles in international basketball, since, to me, the NBA is where it's at. Since all the world's elite players play in the NBA anyway, that championship takes on added significance (which is why someone like, say, Manu Ginobili or Tony Parker seem to play with as much or even more passion for their NBA club than they do in international competition). I thought I would feel the same way about the WBC, but as I watched these games, I found myself being drawn in, seeing the intensity, grit, and determination of all these different players playing to prove the strength and mettle of their homelands. There was an overall sense that these games meant something, something bigger and more important than a trophy or a year-end bonus. And as much as the Americanist in me cringes at the thought, whoever wins this year's "World Series," calling themselves the "world champions," will have to try to sleep at night with nagging question of whether they could defeat Japan, let alone the amazingly talented runner-up, Cuba. (Remember, as has been noted to no end already, there were only two MLB players competing in the final, both on Japan's squad.)
The entire world has watched baseball played on an enormous stage, at a level, both technically and emotionally, rarely seen in the North American majors. Commissioner Bud Selig has been a big proponent of the WBC in order to spread the popularity of baseball throughout the world, though in so doing, he may have damaged the reputation and luster of his own North American professional baseball league. So, while I can't wait to see who will be crowned the champions of Major League Baseball this year, the specialness of that distinction will be muted somewhat by the real anticipation -- to see Cuba come roaring back with a vengeance, to see Japan try to defend their title, to see the USA and the Dominican try to rehabilitate their damaged reputations, to see South Africa make some progress, all in the next, early awaited WBC in 2009.
posted by Nicholas Taylor at
4:02 PM
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