Here in the Great White North, we are still licking our wounds from Canada's dismal showing at the Winter Olympics... Though the majority of NHLer's still come from Canada, it's long since been acknowledged that European countries ( and the U.S.) are producing world class talent, as proven by the number of stars currently playing in the NHL.....

There's no doubt, in my humble opinion, that the best baseball talent in the WBC still belongs to the States, but as Mr. Olesko pointed out, this gap is also quickly closing..... Putting aside national pride, I think this is all very positive for the 'grand old game' thereby providing major league baseball with an influx of new and exciting talent to shine from other parts around the globe......

Getting a chance to see the passion and emotion displayed by the players from Puerto Rico, Cuba, The Dominican Republic and Mexico, as examples, has been the highlight of the tournament for me...... The fans are also very much an intregal part of this process.... As a diehard baseball, I welcome and look forward to seeing the WBC continue on, with certain tweaks and changes to the format......