The World Baseball Classic Should Be Way Cooler Than It Is

I love the World Cup. I admit it, for one month every four years I become a soccer fan. I watch every match I can and learn all of the best players names. it all comes from spending the summer of 2002 in Italy, where it is as much of a religion as that creepy guy nailed to a cross.

I learned the language from old men in bars who were smashed at eight A.M. (the cup was in Korea and Japan) and mostly remember different ways to curse at referees and cheer on the Italians (They can hear me through the TV, I swear).

I only bring this up because baseball's version of the event begins tomorrow morning at 4:30 am (Japan vs. China).

What makes the World Cup so cool is not just it's history, or that the qualifying process allows every country in the world to have a shot at the title, but the fact that it has the best players in the world, playing in mid season form. These are the same reasons that, though I am excited for it, the World Baseball Classic falls short.

Don't get me wrong. It was a great event when it was played in 2006 and the refinements that have been made promise to make this year's version better.

The problem still stands that these players are still in spring training. The batters don't have their timing yet. The pitchers are on strict pitch counts. The teams have not had enough time to get ready for this, let alone their regular seasons.

Of course, that only applies to the Major Leaguers. The Japanese Leagues completely shut down for this and many Caribbean players have just finished their winter season. This leaves the guys who only play in the American professional leagues at a distinct disadvantage.

The problem with a mid season tournament of this sort in Baseball, as opposed to soccer and hockey, is  the concern for pitchers. The way that guys like Timlin, FA (Fat Ass) Sabathia, and Jake Peavey wore down and had sub par seasons in 2006 has made teams hesitant to send their guys.

Johan Santana has been barred from pitching for Venezuela even though he was 19-6 in 2006 after pitching in the inaugural WBC because the Mets were nervous about him throwing more innings that don't directly contribute to their season.

I for one, have been uncomfortable wit the fact that the Wiggler has been in Japan for all of spring training and not with the team as he prepares to pitch for his country. Javier Lopez' presence on the Puerto Rican team as a lefty specialist also worries me because manager Jose Oquendo might be tempted to go to him a lot.

The question remains as to how to make this tournament the spectacle that it should be. Some have suggested playing the first two rounds (both round robin) in the spring and then the Semis and finals instead of the All-Star Game at mid summer.

Others, following the success of the World Cup and Olympic Hockey, think that baseball should shut down for two weeks (like the NHL does for the Olympics) every four summers to celebrate baseball as an international sport.

The one I like the best, however is pushing the season back by two weeks, allowing teams to have a full Spring Training and then having the WBC in those first two weeks of April. This would necessitate a few scheduled doubleheaders (which are awesome) and possibly the shortening of the season to 154 games, but the gains would outweigh the negatives.

This would lead to more elite players, especially pitchers, taking part in the WBC and the hitters having more time to get used to Major League pitching before play starts. The eight games that the two finals teams play would replace the eight lost by shortening the season and lessen the worries that pitchers are throwing extra innings.

Of course, Dusty Pete, AL MVP, always starts slow, so maybe this will let him get through that period and be closer to 100% by the time I get to see him on April 6.

Also: Manny Ramirez (I'm now willing to write his name because he is no longer a threat) has signed a two year deal with the Dodgers. Good Luck to Joe Torre, I've always liked you ( you made the Yankees respectable once, if just barely) and I would never have wished this on you. The adventure begins again.

Our condolences to the families of Marquis Cooper, Corey Smith, and William Blakely. Best of luck and you will be in all of our thoughts.

Go Sox.

Done.

This Article Originally Appeared on GetOutofMyBallpark.com