As the fourth World Baseball Classic begins today, many of the best U.S. players have decided they would rather stay with their respective MLB clubs for Spring Training, sending a "powerful message to fans" that they "don’t care" about the quadrennial tournament, according to Tyler Kepner of the N.Y. TIMES. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred last month said, “A key to the WBC’s success is to have the best possible rosters we can have. ... We’ve made real progress this time around in terms of the quality of the rosters.” But Kepner noted that is "debatable, especially when it comes to the United States pitchers," which counts the Rays' Chris Archer, Royals' Danny Duffy, Blue Jays' Marcus Stroman and Nationals' Tanner Roark as starters. It is "startling to consider how many healthy American starters will not be going," including Tigers P Justin Verlander. Injuries also "whittled the pitching pool a bit," with the Nationals' Max Scherzer among those held back (N.Y. TIMES, 3/5). USA TODAY's Jorge Ortiz notes despite a lack of star pitchers, the "renewed recruiting efforts by the U.S. side have yielded results, with 18 All-Stars agreeing to play in the WBC, 14 for the first time." Giants C Buster Posey and Pirates RF Andrew McCutchen are among the former MVPs playing for the U.S. (USATODAY.com, 3/6).
HOME CROWD: In DC, Marissa Payne noted the U.S.-Dominican Republic game at Marlins Park this Saturday is "sold out," and Dominican fans "might outnumber Team USA’s in the heavily Latin city." MLB VP/Communications John Blundell said that the "ethnic makeup of Miami’s population 'definitely helps' in driving ticket sales," but it is "not the sole reason Marlins Park was chosen to host some of the tournament games." Organizers "consider various metrics, including weather and other logistics, before making the final decision." Miami will "host six WBC games in total." Blundell said that ticket sales figures thus far for all the games have "topped 130,000," but "no other game has sold out." Still, MLB officials are "optimistic" the other games will "sell out" (WASHINGTON POST, 3/5).
STILL LOOKING FOR RELEVANCE: In Chicago, Bernie Lincicome wrote MLB is "going to keep doing this every four years until someone pays attention, somewhere other than in Japan or the Dominican Republic." Lincicome: "This is all marketing, after all. ... Nobody is doing this for any other reason than peddling the game to new markets" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 3/4).
