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The 2023 World Baseball Classic concluded on Tuesday night with Samurai Japan downing Team USA 3-2 in the championship game. The Classic closed with a final at-bat for the ages between Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. While most people agree such a spectacular final game is the cherry on top of a tremendous tournament, some still oppose the competition. Image courtesy of Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports For three weeks, most of the baseball world celebrated the multicultural festivities of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) that took place in four different cities across three countries and two continents. The tournament had some of the world’s best players and broke, with ease, all of its attendance and viewership records. Still, in the middle of all that baseball fun, some people still managed to find a negative way to look at the competition. When Puerto Rico closer Edwin Díaz got hurt celebrating his country’s crucial win over the powerhouse from the Dominican Republic on March 15th, several media outlets and personalities bashed the WBC and its “lack of relevance.” Most notably, Barstool’s Kevin Clancy went on a rant about how “nobody gives a [expletive] about the WBC except for [expletive] losers.” Then, podcaster Keith Olbermann piled on by claiming the WBC is “a meaningless exhibition series designed to (...) split up teammates based on where their grandmothers got laid.” Despite being made in a grotesque way, there’s a very valid point in those statements, and they are definitely worth being politely discussed: is the World Baseball Classic fun worth the risk of superstars getting injured? Here are some reasons why I think it is. For many people, the WBC matters much more than the MLB This year’s WBC broke all of its attendance and viewership records. The tournament drew 1,010,999 fans to the stands during pool play, shattering the previous record of 510,056 set in 2017 with a 98% increase. Pool D, which was played in the US, drew 295,850 fans to the stands, making it the most-attended WBC round ever played in the United States – an 81% increase compared to the previous record. The TV viewership of this year’s WBC was also outstanding. Numbers on Tuesday night's championship game are not officially out yet, but one of the Samurai Japan games in this edition already broke an interesting record. Until this year, the most-watched baseball game in history was considered to be Game 6 of the 1980 MLB World Series, when 54,86 million people tuned on NBC to watch the Phillies defeat the Royals. But when Japan played against South Korea in their third pool play game, around 62 million people were watching the game in Japan – nearly half of the country. Tuesday’s championship game has the potential to be the most-watched game in baseball’s history. To put things in perspective, according to MLB, the 2022 World Series averaged 12.02 million total viewers per game across FOX, FOX Deportes, and FOX Sports streaming platforms. The final game of the series reached a peak audience of 14.73 million viewers during the game. Another fun number: when Puerto Rico played against the Dominican Republic in the final game of Pool D, about 62% of the island was watching the game, including 24% of viewers under the age of 35, and 55% were female viewers. Can you imagine over 60% of a country watching the same game? You can find some more fun stats about the WBC here and here. Finally: the players love it. Former Twin Nelson Cruz said, "the WBC is the real World Series.” It is easy to notice how important representing their country is for players, especially from countries like the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela, where baseball is the number one sport. But it’s not only them. Here’s what Mike Trout and Mookie Betts had to say right after the Edwin Díaz injury. Injuries will happen anywhere, at any time Wanting the end of the WBC over injuries makes no sense. First and foremost because Major League Baseball has insurance in place to protect its teams in circumstances like this. The Mets, for instance, will get reimbursed for Edwin Díaz’s salary during the star closer’s time on the injured list. That should be the end of this. But in case that’s not enough, people should remember that injuries like that could happen anywhere, at any time. Gavin Lux suffered a non-contact knee injury in this year's spring training and will miss the entire season. Brandon Nimmo got injured sliding into second. Last Sunday, both Juan Soto and Austin Nola left their respective spring training games due to injuries, and the Padres might miss them for a while. Nola, specifically, was hit in the nose with a pitch. Yet, no one is calling for spring training to be canceled. And no one should, as it doesn’t make any sense. Injuries are unpredictable. Remember when Francisco Liriano missed out on roughly $11M when he broke his arm slamming into a door to scare his kids on Christmas? The odds of that happening might be the same as Díaz suffering a torn patellar tendon while celebrating a WBC win with his teammates. The WBC puts baseball on the map Finally and most importantly, the WBC makes baseball stronger. The United States is the birthplace of baseball, and it might even sound weird for a US native to hear that baseball needs to be strengthened. But the truth is that baseball is not among the most globally-spread sports in the world. Outside the US, it is only considerably popular in Central America and east Asia. I’m not from the USA. I’m a born and raised Brazilian who’s been living in Brazil my entire life. I had never watched a baseball game until I was 16, and I didn’t know the first thing about the sport. Unfortunately, that’s the case for most people in most countries outside the US and those two other areas. A global event such as the WBC is vital for baseball’s future, especially since it has been dropped from the Olympic Games. Baseball is the greatest game on the planet, and the whole world needs to know that. The WBC isn’t nearly as representative as other sports’ world cups, like FIFA’s, FIBA, the cricket world cup, the rugby world cup, etc. But it can be. It has to be. It will be, as long as we don’t give up on it over a superstar injury. What do you think? Is the World Baseball Classic important enough for superstar players to risk getting injured? Share your thoughts in the comments! 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Listen to the Mar. 5 Minnesota Foul Play-by-play podcast here. We start talking Twins at 11:40. Spring Twinkies Look Mostly Good, a Little Damaged, Pagan Ugly, but Never Expired The Good Joey Gallo was 3-for-3 on Sunday (with a long ball). He’s hitting line-drives. Max Kepler has also been hitting line-drives, and depth piece Elliot Soto has been on fire. Correa looks like Correa (he had a nice line-drive to right field, Sunday) Duran was making 101 MPH look easy today (1 walk, 1 strikeout in one inning of work) Kyle Farmer is playing like a stud (great off season addition) The Brook’s Lee boner is still rock hard. “Man, that kid is a stud,” shortstop Carlos Correa said. “I really, really, really like this kid. I’m very, very high on him. Don’t be surprised if we see him up this year.” 19-year-old Jose Salas (who the Twins got in the Luis Arreaz trade) is fun to watch…cherry on top of that deal. He’s got a helluva hit tool. The Bad Gilberto Celistino (6-8 weeks, thumb), Jose Miranda (shoulder), Nick Gordon (high ankle sprain) all hurt Miranda will not play in the World Baseball Classic because of shoulder concern Miranda homered twice on Sunday, so the shoulder isn’t effecting his swing The Future Brooks Lee, SS (MLB No. 31) Royce Lewis, SS (MLB No. 45) Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF (MLB No. 88) Edouard Julien, 2B (has had a great Spring Training so far) Connor Prielipp, LHP The Ugly Emilio Pagan continues to leave the taste of throw-up in your mouth The WBC Injects MLB Spring Training with Steroids Twins playing in the WBC make up much of the Puerto Rican team, which is always good Remaining Twins’ Spring Training players will play the WBC favorites from the Dominican Republic on Thursday, March 9 at noon CST Probably the most competitive game they’ll have all Spring Other players to watch: Yoenis Céspedes is playing for international powerhouse Cuba (he’s 37 and hit the longest homer in the dinger derby at Target Field in 2014), as are White Sox Luis Robert and Yoán Moncada Shohei Ohtani (Japan) could end up pitching to Mike Trout (USA)

On Saturday, the Twins announced that young pitcher Jose Berrios would be demoted to Rochester to start the season. The reason, according to manager Paul Molitor, was "that the lack of work and consistency of work ... to try and rush the buildup here in the last ten days to try and get him ready to try and be in that spot didn’t make a lot of sense to me.” Does this explanation pass muster? Consider Phil Hughes is a given for the rotation, and that Berrios and Hughes have been on roughly the same pitching schedule this spring: Feb 25, Hughes: 2.0 innings Feb 26, Berrios: 2.0 innings March 2, Hughes: 2.0 innings March 3, Berrios: 2.0 innings It was at this point that Berrios went to play for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. Meanwhile, Hughes pitched in an intra-squad game on March 7. I will assume Berrios stayed loose or played some catch during that same time. Berrios and Hughes then made starts on the same day: March 12, Hughes: 5.0 innings March 12, Berrios: 5.0 innings After this, Berrios did not pitch again until the final, while Hughes made a start on March 17 for 5.0 more innings. However, Hector Santiago, teammate of Berrios on Puerto Rico, did say that Berrios threw a 55-pitch session of live batting practice during this time. Interestingly, both pitchers pitched again on the 22nd: March 22, Hughes: 2.0 innings March 22, Berrios: 1.2 innings This was the game Berrios struck out Giancarlo Stanton and Jonathan Lucroy with the nasty slurve-curve he throws: And here we sit, heading into Monday March 27. Both Berrios and Hughes would figure to pitch again in a day or two. In my opinion, if anyone needs to be stretched out, it's Hughes, who reported tingling in his fingers between innings last season, then had shoulder surgery. Obviously we are not privy to some of the things that goes on within the clubhouse and in private. I am also no pitching coach and do not know how pitchers prepare except for what I read on the Internets. However, the explanation that Berrios can't get "stretched out" does not hold up, in my opinion. Will Molitor and the Twins name a date for Berrios's return or the number of starts they plan to give him, or when the expect him to finally be stretched out? Berrios threw 40 pitches in his last outing the 22nd. How much more stretching out would Berrios need? How about something like this: March 22, 40 pitches (already complete) Tues. March 28, starting pitcher vs. Tampa Bay (50 or so pitches) Sun. April 2, no game, but a vigorous bullpen session (50-75 pitches - continue scaling upwards) Regular season: Sat. April 8, makes start against the White Sox, with a limit of 5 innings or 75 pitches That April 8 start is the turn of the fifth starter in the rotation. After that point, wouldn't Berrios be stretched out and ready to take his regular turn in the rotation? Yes? No? Thoughts?