Come To Think Of It...Defending Ryan Dempster's Decision To Bypass WBC

Chicago Cubs starter Ryan Dempster has decided he will not represent his native Canada in the upcoming World Baseball Classic (WBC). And he is taking some heat from "would-be Canadian teammates and others who believe he's showing more loyalty to the Cubs than to his country."

Well I, for one, applaud his decision. For him it's not so much about national pride as it is being ready and healthy to pitch for a Cubs team that just paid the man very handsomely this offseason.

For Dempster, who became a free agent following the 2008 season, signed a $52M contract in December. And so the Cubs pitcher realizes where his allegiances lie.

They lie with the Cubs and Jim Hendry, as thanks for the confidence they have shown in him. And that is something I'd like to see more of.

For example, I'd love to see Carlos Marmol take a pass on the WBC. Instead, he's pitching in the Dominican Republic and, as Peter Gammons reports, is risking his health to do so.  Hendry ought to put a cease and desist order on his pitching right now.

Look, I have nothing against winter ball or even the WBC, though the latter is mainly an attempt by Bud Selig and the owners to market MLB.com outside of the United States.

But hearing about Marmol, who the Cubs may depend on to be their closer this season, pitching the eighth and ninth innings of a game the other day makes me just a bit queasy.

And this concern rings especially true for a guy like Dempster who had reconstructive surgery in 2003.

You see, pitchers have fragile arms because the throwing motion is not something that the human arm was designed to do.  And getting ready to throw earlier than usual, and perhaps cutting corners in one's preparation to be ready to pitch is tempting the fate of the Gods of baseball.

And just what the heck does Canada care about baseball anyway? They wouldn't support the Montreal Expos, remember? If this was hockey I would understand, but it's not.

The WBC should only be for minor league players.

Or, they should hold the tournament in November when everybody is still in shape.

But any way you look at this, it's just too much to risk the many millions of dollars invested in these players to have them compete in something that requires them to get ready so early.

As Cubs fans, we have waited far too long for a championship to have it potentially derailed by something that no one will remember come October. I hope Marmol and Zambrano think about this. The Cubs season may depend on it, come to think of it.