Slowly step out of your box, sir

Dr. Uetz

It's easy to get wrapped up in our own Americanized view of everything; and the World Baseball Classic is no different. We certainly have no shortage of media outlets giving us the high energy, short attention span details of what we should think of this event. I'm not immune to this. I had my own doubts about the WBC. Will marquis players give it everything they have? Will it be as exciting without the stars of the MLB? Will it mean less coverage of my beloved Mets' Spring Training? But that's all crap.

We need to step out of our own reality and realize what the WBC means for the game of baseball, not Major League Baseball. Fans around the world have a new found interest in the greatest game ever created. It could mean a resounding resurgence in the popularity of a game that has been given some rather unfriendly labels by our NFL culture in the US. And it's just a hell of a lot of fun to watch these guys play for the love of the game.

I listened to South Korea play Japan and it was great. I didn't know 3/4 of the players - but it's baseball, for Peter Gammons' sake. How can you not love it? It's certainly no worse than a Devil Rays v. Rangers game. And give it rest on the whole "but this is Spring Training time" garbage. I'm a huge fan but I tune in to the Spring Training games with all the regularity of man on the tail end of a cheese binge.

The WBC unites the world's sects of the Church of Baseball. And we need that, especially now.