The World Baseball Classic: Much Ado about Nothing

I wish Bud Selig would stop wasting his time trying to market the game of baseball to markets that aren't interested.

There are just some places, such as Canada and Italy, where baseball is considered secondary to other sports such as hockey and soccer.

In other words, whatever following baseball has in those countries is of a cult variety. The majority of the people in those places probably have better things to do with their time than to worry about a world baseball tournament where national pride and a trophy cheaper than the one given out on Dancing With The Stars are all that's at stake.

But Bud Selig is obsessed with globalizing baseball to the extent where he felt the need to create an obligatory tournament to see who is supreme in international baseball.

On the surface, this seems like a good idea. Who wouldn't want to see an exhibition of the world's greatest players representing their country?

But the way it is exhibited and the timing of it all is what kills me.

Selig had to have known that the tournament is secondary to Spring Training. Therefore, he shouldn't have been surprised to hear that many chose to pass on the WBC because they cared more about helping their teams than helping their country achieve baseball supremacy.

If Selig honestly wants this concept to succeed, he must have it played after the season ends. That way, he can ensure that he has the best representation of superstars available to participate. Players just don't want to leave their spring camps to play in a rather meaningless invitational.

He should streamline the teams, too. Why are teams like the Netherlands and Italy playing in this classic when they don't really have any stars to market? At least in the Olympics you play for a medal with true meaning.

Another thing that annoys me is that people are allowed to play for a team if they are of a particular nationality even though they were born elsewhere. For example, there's a guy on the A's who is Italian but was born in Connecticut. Why is he playing for the Italians?

Although, I must admit that seeing Pudge Rodriguez give a positive audition for a Major League contract, and washed-up talents like Ruben Rivera trying desperately to prove they still have it is compelling. All in all, the games aren't that exciting, and won't be until there is an accurate representation of the best players in the world.

Long story short, there's still a lot of work to be done before this tournament has any true meaning.