I do understand the point of the WBC being little more than a hiccup to the fans in the world of baseball south of the 49th parallel....   My guess is that many of the US players didn't take the elimination out of the tourney all that seriously, and yet there is something to be said about the 'pride' factor, whenever one wears the name of one's country on front of the uniform......   I suppose that would depend on the dedication of the individuals involved.....   However, after watching the zeal, passion and the determination from the players of other baseball playing nations, I think I can safely say that winning this thing would mean a great deal to them, and to their rabid fans...... To be fair, this set of games doesn't have the grind of a 162 game sked.... And yes, politics would also be a factor, particularly if Cuba wins it all......   Castro would probably invoke a national holiday....   

I'm sorry to say that I thought Buck Martinez, being the ex-Jay that he was, didn't do a very good job in managing the US ballclub...... For example, why wasn't Jason Veritak behind the dish in their last game against Mexico? I just never got the feeling that he seemed like 'the skipper' and man in charge in the American dugout. At times, the guy looked more like a cheerleader......

When this tournament started, my enthusiam was rather lukewarm, but I found myself getting caught up in it..... Bottom line, it was simply wonderful to watch baseball again.... I can't wait for the season to begin..