Clásico Mundial de Béisbol

 

How intense (and of course fun) have these World Baseball Classic Games been! And we're barely on the 1st leg of the Tournament, which started in Taiwan Wednesday.. Group Play got underway States side over the weekend, and Marlins Park was right in the middle of it all... 

Over 35,000 Fans packed loanDepot in Miami on Saturday for 2 WBC GAMES! Not 35 Thousand combined. 35 Grand, each!! Over 71,000 Baseball fans in a single day filled the blue seats in Miami to support Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic!!!

Team Mexico stunned USA last night, building an 11-2 Lead in route to Victory at a packed house in Arizona 🇲🇽. Samurai Japan went a perfect 4-0 in Group Play, as electricity has run through the Tokyo Dome with the craze that is baseball and Shohei Ohtani 🇯🇵.

You've got unbelievable MLB All-Star talent on Squads like the D.R and especially Team USA. There are Teammates on Major League Organizations squaring off against one another from North America to Asia in the World Baseball Classic.

It's undeniable that all of this is good for Baseball. But it also all comes with a risk, which should not be forgotten.

You couldn't help but wince when newly acquired Marlins All-Star and Batting Champion Luis Arraéz took a helmet to the elbow from Boricua Christian Vazquez on a play at 1st Base while in Uniform for Team Venezuela yesterday. Arraéz and Marlins Teammate Jean Segura (Newly acquired and a former All-Star himself), whose on Team Dominicana, are both playing out of Position of sorts in the WBC to accommodate their Nation Team's needs.

Arraéz & Segura both have worlds of experience playing 1B and 2B (their WBC Positions), but have solely been at 2B and 3B while in Marlins Camp before departing to the WBC exactly 1 week ago. At the same time, it wouldn't have been a bad idea had the Fish, knowing they would play First and Second Base in the Classic, gotten them some reps at those Positions in Grapefruit League action beforehand. 

Team D.R also features a pair of Marlins Starting Pitchers. Fellow Free Agent acquisition/All-Star Johnny Cueto will more than likely get the Start in Miami tomorrow for Republica Dominicana. While their Ace was on the Mound Saturday. Ace, as in prized Marlins Cy Young Sandy Alcántara.

The fact Marlins Bullpen Coach Wellington Cepeda is the Dominican Republic's Pitching Coach during the WBC might ease Fish worries a tad. "It's important for me to be there and take care of em" said Cepeda while in Marlins Camp earlier this Spring. While at the same time taking into account all of the Pitching restrictions each International Team has during the Competition that helps with the too much, too soon conundrum.

For a lot of these Players this may be one of the only opportunities they have to represent their Countries in their entire careers. A fact that certainty does not go unnoticed, especially when seeing the passion with which these Games are Played with. These are certainly not your typical early to mid March baseball games. 

This is the 5th WBC and the first since 2017, which was Won by the Red, White, and Blue 🇺🇸 with the help of 2 Marlins at the time, Giancarlo Stanton & Christian Yelich. Another Marlin that year, Martín Prado, participated for the 4th time in as many WBC's for Team Venezuela. Prado suffered a Grade 1 Hamstring Strain playing against Team USA ironically, running to 1st Base in San Diego. 

The Hamstring Injury was the first domino to fall in an assortment of leg Injuries for the Marlins unofficial Captain, Prado, who hadn't even started year 1 of a new 3 year Deal signed with the Fish. The Marlins 3rd Baseman at the time, who was coming off a .300 Batting Average Season in 2016, was only able to Play in 195 Games combined from 2017-2019, before those same Injuries forced Retirement.

Could the 33 Year Old Prado at the time, have suffered the same Injury running up the line playing in Jupiter at Spring Training for the Fish, of course. But it has to be a demoralizing feeling for an Organization to see your Player go down while away from your Club.

Star Jazz Chisholm Jr. was vocal about wanting to play for Great Britain during this rendition of the World Baseball Classic. However, having missed the entire 2nd Half of last Season due to multiple Injuries, the Marlins opposed (Their right via MLB Rules). Throw on top Jazz switching to a brand new Position this year, it only made sence for him stay in Jupiter.

There is nothing like repin' your Country, that's undeniable. Heck, just tonight there was a Perfect Game in Miami by Puerto Rico and Team USA has just put 9 on the board in the 1st Inning on Canada. There will be a World Baseball Classic Champion by next week. But there will be a World Championship that is Won in October. And for that 🏆🎃⚾️ everything is worth risking.