11.08.2005
Classic
The hot topic this winter? Once the dust clears in the Boston and Los Angeles GM offices, it will be the anticipation of a grand World Cup sort of experience for baseball. The concept has been discussed in back rooms and purely speculative articles for many years, with dreamy-sounding lineups bandied about for the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and many others, and it's no secret that MLB would like to become as marketable abroad as humanly possible. Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes is clearly on board, having referred to the World Baseball Classic as "the most important international event in baseball's history." Call it that enough times, the thinking goes, and it will be so.
But as nice as the idea sounds -- and you can count me as one of its supporters for many years -- the folks in charge have been rather skimpy on the details, which is rather scary when you consider that the "folks in charge" are basically just Bud Selig. And now that the offseason GM meetings have commenced, we get this story. The unidentified AP writer paid enough attention to come up with the proper lede:
Piazza, by the way, was born in Norristown, Pa. The article points out that the usual determining factors for eligibility, including country of origin and passport status, wouldn't apply to Piazza here, presumably as much as does the presence of a 'zz' in his surname. He's about as Italian as a box of Domino's Cheesy Bread.
It's worth pointing out that the eligibility guidelines mentioned in the article are not definite yet, only being discussed and floated out here for bloggers and columnists to kick up a fuss over. It's also worth pointing out that, at this point in his career, Piazza probably wouldn't even be the starting catcher for Team USA: Jason Kendall, Jason Varitek, Joe Mauer, and Mike Lieberthal would all probably come first, as would Paul Lo Duca if the committee can get past his last name too (he was born in Brooklyn). It has been previously established that American citizens of, say, Dominican origin can decide for themselves whether they want to suit up for Team USA or Team Motherland.
So for a major international tournament that kicks off in four months, remarkably little has been decided. Most star players have not yet committed to one country or another -- or to participating at all -- and may well subject themselves to criticism no matter what they decide (I don't envy A-Rod, for one, if he dominates on behalf of the Dominican Republic and then faces a backlash for choosing against the U.S., where he has lived all his life.) The World Baseball Classic still has the chance to be an exciting spectacle that sparks untapped passion in baseball fans here and overseas, but we need to be prepared for it to suck in 2006. I don't mean to rain on Indian Wells, but anything better would be a pleasant surprise right now.
But as nice as the idea sounds -- and you can count me as one of its supporters for many years -- the folks in charge have been rather skimpy on the details, which is rather scary when you consider that the "folks in charge" are basically just Bud Selig. And now that the offseason GM meetings have commenced, we get this story. The unidentified AP writer paid enough attention to come up with the proper lede:
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- Mike Piazza be eligible to catch for Italy in the inaugural World Baseball Classic next year under eligibility rules being discussed by the commissioner's office and the players' association.
Piazza, by the way, was born in Norristown, Pa. The article points out that the usual determining factors for eligibility, including country of origin and passport status, wouldn't apply to Piazza here, presumably as much as does the presence of a 'zz' in his surname. He's about as Italian as a box of Domino's Cheesy Bread.
It's worth pointing out that the eligibility guidelines mentioned in the article are not definite yet, only being discussed and floated out here for bloggers and columnists to kick up a fuss over. It's also worth pointing out that, at this point in his career, Piazza probably wouldn't even be the starting catcher for Team USA: Jason Kendall, Jason Varitek, Joe Mauer, and Mike Lieberthal would all probably come first, as would Paul Lo Duca if the committee can get past his last name too (he was born in Brooklyn). It has been previously established that American citizens of, say, Dominican origin can decide for themselves whether they want to suit up for Team USA or Team Motherland.
So for a major international tournament that kicks off in four months, remarkably little has been decided. Most star players have not yet committed to one country or another -- or to participating at all -- and may well subject themselves to criticism no matter what they decide (I don't envy A-Rod, for one, if he dominates on behalf of the Dominican Republic and then faces a backlash for choosing against the U.S., where he has lived all his life.) The World Baseball Classic still has the chance to be an exciting spectacle that sparks untapped passion in baseball fans here and overseas, but we need to be prepared for it to suck in 2006. I don't mean to rain on Indian Wells, but anything better would be a pleasant surprise right now.
