March 5th marks the start of the 2nd annual World Baseball Classic. The Classic is an event that originated in 2006. Its original intention was to showcase the game of baseball on a world level. Essentially players are selected by their home countries and asked to represent their country in the competition. The idea sounds fairly good in principle, right? Problems come into place when these players want to play, but the major league club that they belong to do not want them to play. So they go out in the open and adamantly campaign against their players participating in the Classic, or in some cases petition Major League Baseball so that they can block players from playing in the classic. Is it right for these parent clubs to simply deny their players the opportunity to represent their country on the one of the biggest stages the game has to offer? Furthermore, it is sad to see that some players are simply refusing to represent their country because they feel like if they participate in the Classic, they will lose out on playing time to their fellow teammates in the upcoming regular season. Should these players have an obligation to represent their countries if asked to play? Or should these players only have an obligation to themselves, and simply worry about getting themselves ready for the upcoming season? The clip I have included, (sorry you have to click on it, I couldn't figure out how to embed it), talks with team USA manager Davey Johnson and USA team member David Wright. In the clip, the two discuss team USA's chances, their excitement on representing their country, and briefly touch on players who could not play in the Classic.
http://web.worldbaseballclassic.com/media/player/mp_tpl.jsp?vid=1&pid=&fid=300&cid=mlb&v=2&flv=http%3A//mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/2009/01/19/mlbtv_1437243_800K.flv&id=898864&streamType=Progressive%20Download&domain=worldbaseballclassic.com&adUrl=http%3A//ad.doubleclick.net/pfadx/mlb.mlb/mlb%3Bpage%3Dmedia%3Bsect%3Dplayer%3Bmatch%3Dvideolanding%3Bpos%3D1%3Bsz%3D512x288%3Btile%3D1%3Bord%3D1235586527879&adBannerUrl=http%3A//ad.doubleclick.net/adi/wbc.mlb%3Bpage%3Dmedia%3Bsect%3Dplayer%3Bmatch%3Dwbc%3Bpos%3D1%3Bsz%3D728x90%3Btile%3D1%3Bdc_seed%3D197548186%3Bord%3D1235586527879&adType=flash&_mp=1
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I think it is terrible for these parent teams to deny their players the great opportunity to play in the classics or for them to even speak out against their players playing. This is a chance for these players to represent our country and to share the global experience of baseball. It is also an opportunity for them to become much more well known as well as a great opportunity for more experience with the game. Like my clip shows, the commercials that advertise the classics show all of the players as playing out of the pride for the country and for bringing a untiy throughout the world through baseball. I think these players should be allowed to play without any objections if they so choose.
ReplyDeleteHere's the link (sorry I am having trouble embedding):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA6adwLD6-I
Major league baseball players should have a right to make their own decision on whether or not they should take part in the Classic. However, the penalty of potentially losing playing time is completely fair. Players spend all winter to earn a spot on the roster or in the starting line up. If a player is not at spring training to show the things that they have implemented or improved in their game then why should they maintain their position (unless your an elite player)? I feel that the MLB should not have any say on whether a player wants to represent their country, but the player should understand that the time spent during the Classic instead of spring training can not be made up.
ReplyDeleteMajor league baseball clubs have every right to prohibit their players from playing in the WBC. Baseball, just as any sport, is a business, and ultimately, these players are investments. With there being some evidence in the past of pitchers messing up their arms, owners should be weary of players wanting to participate. Although there are a good amount of players who want to play for their countries, they have signed lucrative contracts to play in the majors. In the future there should be clauses in players contracts which make players fully responsible for their injuries in these all-star, popular type events. It is a good idea for baseball, but the ultimate goal of MLB teams is keeping their players healthy for postseason runs.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Rob. I think that clubs should reserve the right to tell players what they can and cannot do in the realm of baseball. Teams pay ALOT for these players, and expect them to perform to the best of their ability. Working 24-7 like that, especially for a pitcher, can be very taxing on their abilities.
ReplyDeleteThese players know when they sign to a team that they have a responsibility to that team, whether there is a clause in the contract that says they can or cannot play in the classic. The player is a product and the team is the company. It's not a matter of denying their country so much as it is just making smart business choices to promote their futures in baseball .