The tournament is just a made up event to make some money.
Another meaningless sports tournament is about to get underway, The World Baseball Classic established by the Major League Baseball owners and players, is an attempt to “grow” the industry. What it really means is MLB and its players are looking to sell more t-shirts and caps wrapped in nationalism. The Major League Baseball website proclaims that you should see its tournament and is pushing the lines. Global matchups. Real pride. And one tournament that turns every inning into a moment you can’t miss. Expect everything. It is also a tournament that can cost a team a key player and impact the product that MLB wants to sell to fans. Ask New York Mets fans if the tournament was worth it after reliever Edwin Diaz missed a season because of an injury.
In March 2023, Díaz suffered a complete tear of his right patellar tendon while celebrating Puerto Rico’s victory over the Dominican Republic. The injury, which occurred on the field after the win, required surgery and caused him to miss the entire season. It was in the owners and players eyes a small price to pay when millions of dollars can flow into the industry because these games are special. Are these games more important than the World Series? No. Pitchers are not supposed to be ready for spring training but in the World Baseball Classic’s case, they better be for the pride of their countries. Puerto Rico, a United States territory, gets its own team but won’t have all of the island’s best players available. National Financial Partners, which insures the players, decided some of the Puerto Rican players are either too old or an injury risk. MLB, like other sports, is looking for gimmicks to make its product more interesting. The baseball product is no longer enough to satisfy fans.
Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191
Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com
