It Shouldn't Be Called The World Series Anymore
A team of some of the finest Major League Baseball players got bounced from the World Baseball Classic, raising questions about whether baseball still belongs beside hot dogs and apple pie in that old saying about what's American.
What's particularly astounding is that when Cuba and Japan take the field in San Diego to play for the World Baseball Classic title, they'll have a total of only two MLB players between them.
The U.S. team, with big-name hotshots such as Roger Clemens and Derek Jeter, fell to the likes of Canada, Mexico and South Korea. That had to hurt.
Like with the NBA following the 2004 Olympics, in which the men's team returned with only a bronze medal, U.S. professional baseball now finds itself in a position in which it might not be the world's best.
In summer 2004, Argentina took home the basketball gold, with Italy grabbing the silver. The United States - with Tim Duncan, Stephon Marbury and Allen Iverson on the court - lost to Puerto Rico (92-73), Lithuania (94-90) and Argentina (89-81).
Sure, the United States didn't have the best of its all stars on the team, but when a bunch of pasty-faced goobers from Krapzakistan can come along and beat a team of top-notch NBA players, maybe it's time to take a hard look at what we're doing over here in regard to fundamentals, teamwork and execution.
And we should not say the winner of the NBA is a world champion.
Likewise, we shouldn't call the Detroit White Sox world champions for their victory last year over the Houston Astros, not when the Sox haven't faced Japan, Cuba or even South Korea. They shouldn't even call the matchup The World Series. It's the U.S. Series, plain and simple, and the winner gets to go on to play in a world tournament, just like they've been doing with World Cup soccer, where the United States gets its fanny paddled.
As Americans, we'd like to think we're the best at just about everything, particularly two sports that were not only born here but have become an integral part of our culture.
But don't be surprised if the folks in Japan start saying that something is as Japanese as baseball, tsukemono and sweet potato mochi.
What's particularly astounding is that when Cuba and Japan take the field in San Diego to play for the World Baseball Classic title, they'll have a total of only two MLB players between them.
The U.S. team, with big-name hotshots such as Roger Clemens and Derek Jeter, fell to the likes of Canada, Mexico and South Korea. That had to hurt.
Like with the NBA following the 2004 Olympics, in which the men's team returned with only a bronze medal, U.S. professional baseball now finds itself in a position in which it might not be the world's best.
In summer 2004, Argentina took home the basketball gold, with Italy grabbing the silver. The United States - with Tim Duncan, Stephon Marbury and Allen Iverson on the court - lost to Puerto Rico (92-73), Lithuania (94-90) and Argentina (89-81).
Sure, the United States didn't have the best of its all stars on the team, but when a bunch of pasty-faced goobers from Krapzakistan can come along and beat a team of top-notch NBA players, maybe it's time to take a hard look at what we're doing over here in regard to fundamentals, teamwork and execution.
And we should not say the winner of the NBA is a world champion.
Likewise, we shouldn't call the Detroit White Sox world champions for their victory last year over the Houston Astros, not when the Sox haven't faced Japan, Cuba or even South Korea. They shouldn't even call the matchup The World Series. It's the U.S. Series, plain and simple, and the winner gets to go on to play in a world tournament, just like they've been doing with World Cup soccer, where the United States gets its fanny paddled.
As Americans, we'd like to think we're the best at just about everything, particularly two sports that were not only born here but have become an integral part of our culture.
But don't be surprised if the folks in Japan start saying that something is as Japanese as baseball, tsukemono and sweet potato mochi.
posted by Brian Pearson at 9:32 AM
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