Can’t wait until April to watch Javy Baez make amazing plays on the battle field?
You don’t have to!
Well, I guess there was always Spring Training, but that’s not what I mean.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the Cubs’ electric second baseman and 2016 NLCS Co-MVP will play for Puerto Rico in the upcoming – and potentially final (but we’ll get to that in a minute) – World Baseball Classic which opens on March 6 in Seoul.
Baez was born in Puerto Rico before moving to Florida as a 12-year-old, and he’s expected to play on the Puerto Rican team with longtime friend and Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor – that’ll be an exciting middle infield combo, eh?
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The World Baseball Classic is an international professional baseball competition, akin to the Olympics. The 2017 session will be the fourth iteration of the event, and will be hosted by four countries: Japan, Mexico, South Korea, and the United States. Round 1 will be in Tokyo, Guadalajara, Seoul, and Miami. Round 2 will be in Tokyo and San Diego, and the final round will be held in Los Angeles.
In addition to Puerto Rico and the United States, 14 other countries will participate in the 2017 WBC: Canada, China, Cuba, the D.R., Italy, Japan, Netherlands, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Venezuela, Australia, Mexico, Columbia, and Israel.
Despite the fun, however, the 2017 World Baseball Classic may very well be the fourth and final installment:
#Source: I've been told by multiple sources related to #WorldBaseballClassic the 2017 possibly final edition unless legit $$$ earnings come. pic.twitter.com/PlSXiANMi9
— Cristian F Moreno D. (@CristianMorenoD) November 28, 2016
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Craig Calcaterra sums it up best at NBC Sports: “Its impetus for creation was the removal of baseball as an Olympic sport for the 2012 games and, presumably, to continue on the tradition of Olympic-style international competition. That tradition, however, does not pay the bills on its own and does not bring forth the sorts of stakeholders the Olympics bring to underwrite a money-losing operation.”
So, in short, if the upcoming World Baseball Classic does not make enough money, we will not be watching it again anytime soon.
So, you know, watch it.