USA TODAY International Edition
Classic takes MLB star power up a notch
Elite pitchers opt out, but U. S. lineup loaded
Felix Hernandez has noticed. So has Buster Posey. And, of course, so have the fans.
When the World Baseball Classic comes around every four years — this edition began Monday with Israel and South Korea squaring off in Seoul — the top American starting pitchers tend to stay in camp instead of joining Team USA.
That might or might not explain why the U. S. team has gone a pedestrian 10- 10 and failed to reach the final in each of the previous three editions, but it serves as a reminder that the tournament has yet to be universally embraced in this country.
This year is no exception. Clayton Kershaw, Madison Bumgarner, Corey Kluber, Noah Syndergaard, Chris Sale and reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello are among the notable starters who won’t be wearing the red, white and blue. National League Cy Young winner Max Scherzer signed up initially but pulled out to nurse a finger injury.
As it is, none of last year’s top five finishers in ERA in the American League is going, and the only one who committed in the National League was the Dominican Republic’s Johnny Cueto, who will sit out at least the first round after missing nearly three weeks of spring training while tending to his ailing father.
“I don’t know their reasons. I don’t judge them,” said Hernandez, the Seattle Mariners ace who will be playing for the second time. “I couldn’t go in 2013 for personal reasons, so I wanted to represent my country this year.”
Hernandez is one of 12 Mariners participating in the WBC, making for the second- largest contingent of players leaving their clubs for the tournament, behind the Detroit Tigers’ 15.
That talent drain can present a challenge for clubs in terms of bonding time lost and the need to cover playing time during the exhibition season. However, Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto sees benefits as well, pointing out players who will participate in the WBC arrived in camp ready to go and will be exposed to intensity and passion not found in spring training games.
“From a team- building perspective, I like the idea that our players generally be here to make sure the roster comes together emotionally,” Dipoto said. “But for the purpose of playing competitive baseball, you can’t do much better.”
Hernandez, a six- time All- Star and 2010 Cy Young winner, started working out in November in anticipation of pitching a couple of winter ball games, partly to get ready for the WBC and to play in front of his family and fans. He’s ahead of his usual spring pace and expects to be able to reach the tournament’s limits of 65 pitches in the first round, 80 in the second and 95 in the semifinals and final.
The change in routine and the need to ramp up earlier than usual for games that count — possibly risking injury — are two main factors that have kept elite pitchers away. Still, the renewed recruiting efforts by the U. S. side have yielded results, with 18 All-Stars agreeing to play in the WBC, including 14 for the first time.
Not only will Team USA field a solid rotation with the likes of Chris Archer, Tanner Roark, Danny Duffy and Marcus Stroman, but its lineup also is stacked. It features two former MVPs in Posey and Andrew McCutchen, three recent runners- up in Paul Goldschmidt, Daniel Murphy and Giancarlo Stanton and one of the game’s top overall talents in third baseman Nolan Arenado.
“I think we made real progress this time around in terms of quality of the rosters,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said. “A good performance by the United States certainly would be helpful to the event here in the United States.”
Team USA should advance to the second round in San Diego, but it might not be a breeze in South Florida.
Its Pool C competition includes the defending champion Dominican Republic, which is bringing back key cogs of the 2013 championship team including Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz. The USA- Dominican pool play game at Marlins Park is sold out.
Team Canada is fortified by the addition of first baseman Freddie Freeman. The Atlanta Braves slugger was born in California to Canadian parents and is playing in honor of his late mother.
Even Colombia, the fourth participant in the Miami- based group that opens play Thursday — the top two finishers advance — has aces in Jose Quintana and Julio Teheran capable of shutting down any offense.
In fact, the South Americans might present a stiffer challenge than Canada, which is seeking to reach the second round for the first time but appears weaker than in the past, as top performers such as Joey Votto, Russell Martin, Michael Saunders and John Axford have opted not to play.
“I felt like coming into a new team I had a responsibility to get to know my new teammates, the outfielders, my coaching staff, everyone involved, because, most importantly, we have to prepare for the season,” said Saunders, an outfielder who joined the Philadelphia Phillies in the offseason as a free agent. “I know there are guys that committed and guys who aren’t playing. Everyone has their own reasons.’’
And many get pulled in differ- ent directions. Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado was born and raised in Miami but chose to play for the Dominican Republic, his parents’ birthplace.
Arenado, whose father came from Cuba and whose mother has Puerto Rican ancestry, got a fullcourt press from former major leaguer Alex Cora, general manager of Team Puerto Rico, before opting for the home team.
“I wanted to represent the country I was born in,” Arenado said. “Also, I didn’t feel great — me and my parents talked about this — taking playing time from guys who were born in Puerto Rico. ( Javier) Baez, ( Carlos) Correa, ( Francisco) Lindor. They were born there. They deserve to represent their country.”
The pull of the native flag can be extremely powerful, especially for players whose homelands are enduring major turmoil. That is the case for Venezuelans such as Hernandez and the Colorado Rockies’ Carlos Gonzalez, who want to give their countrymen a reason to be happy.
“It’s no secret our country has been going through a lot of problems,” Gonzalez said. “This is a good way to show the world we’re a country full of talent, not just in sports but in other professional areas where people unfortunately have had to find their way elsewhere. It would be great to bring joy to our country by winning the championship.”
Posey, who last represented the USA in a Junior Olympics tournament in Taiwan when he was 17, is intrigued about the kind of emotions he will feel wearing the U. S. uniform now that he’s about to turn 30.
The San Francisco Giants catcher did not need to be persuaded to participate, as conversations with teammates who played in previous tournaments made it clear the experience was worthwhile, despite the disruption to his spring routine.
“We’re such creatures of habit that it’s definitely different,” Posey said. “But I’m looking at it in a positive way. It’s a way for me to break up spring training like I haven’t before. At this point I’m not usually worried about how good my swing feels or how I feel throwing the ball, but now I am, because I want to be ready to go for these games.”