Question Player Commitment to the WBC Before You Attack the Fans

Boston’s Kevin Youkilis didn’t hesitate to blast the  American public for what he describes as a lack of pride and support for the nation’s favorite pastime. 

The first baseman’s disgust was rooted in the empty seats of Dolphins Stadium for Team USA games. In an expression of his feelings, he fired off by calling the American baseball fans an “embarrassment.”

Only 11,059 spectators saw Sunday’s American victory over the Netherlands, and reasons for the low number are plentiful, with lack of pride not being one of them.

With every unoccupied seat comes a message delivered, and not originating from you and I. The message was sent by those closer to the Bostonian, but he obviously overlooked the sender, to wrongly take issue with others, instead.

Before anyone can unload and question my patriotism, maybe they should launch an attack against Major League owners, managers, and coaches.

Months before anyone bears the embroidered “USA” across their chest, this baseball trio clearly points to the lack of importance in the upcoming spring meetings. Numerous headlines and article texts reiterated the wishes of baseball’s powers, and non-participation appeared to be in the best interest of those coaching and paying the stars of the league.

If non-participation is most important to Major League Baseball, what does it entail for the rest of us?

The Major League message rippled across borders, also leaving some foreign teams without their brightest stars. The Venezuelan fans and government would welcome and be honored to have Carlos Zambrano and Johan Santana on their WBC roster, but their employers suggested different, so they were not.

The same goes for the Angels’ Vladimir Guerrero and a host of other Dominicans who fulfilled American requests and passed on the event.

When a player skips the WBC, it’s business, and the noticeable absences are greeted with silence. Fans skipping the event are publicly tagged as an embarrassment, lacking pride and love for the game. How does that work, and how is it fair?

Despite surging gas prices and competing with broadcasts of the 2008 Olympic Games, the Little League World Series drew more than 300,000 fans to the 10-day event, which established a new record.

There’s no love lost for baseball or lack of pride for our country. We just don’t like the way you’re playing it, and us.

A “World Baseball Classic” should give us the best players at their positions from around the globe—it doesn’t.

The Little league World Series, and that age group, does.

What the WBC gives us is a global interactive spring training session, with some of the biggest names sitting it out. If you compare the event’s attendance with MLB spring training, the bleachers of Dolphins Stadium will miraculously appear fuller.

Before Youkilis went mouthing off and questioning the hearts of myself and my neighbors, he should have also considered his location.

The Marlins and Rays are probably the least understanding of his rant, since both Florida clubs appear near the bottom of the league in attendance each year. The 11,000 fans in Miami for a March exhibition is considerably low in comparison to his Fenway Park home, but is only 4,000 less than the Marlins season average.

I’ll conclude my own rant with WBC suggestions to captivate fans for 2013.

First, allow the participation of anyone wanting to play. In fact, encourage it.

Also, allow Williamsport Pennsylvania to host part of the event, and insist that the players take part in dugout chanting.

And finally, let’s scrap it all together, which is my favorite choice of all. Four years after Olympic gold is awarded for basketball, we still remember the champion. Two months after the completion of the WBC, I can’t remember who won, who they defeated, or the road they took to get there.

That’s doesn’t make for good world bragging rights, does it?

Join in the discussion on this and other topics in the NEW Sports Jabber Forums!