The United States team has suffered from a number of injuries to players during the World Baseball Classic, something that prompted manager Davey Johnson to use catcher Brian McCann in left field during last night's game against the Netherlands.
Johnson even went so far as to say he would forfeit a game if the injuries became too prolific:
"I damn sure wouldn't want to be lynched or hung up in some city if I put (Kevin) Youkilis behind the dish or something," Johnson said, referring to the Red Sox first baseman. "I would definitely had to gone out and said we had to forfeit this ballgame. Yeah, I'd forfeit it."A few things here. One, it's never a good idea to use the term "lynched," Davey. Second, this is the exact reason why no one - in America at least - is taking the WBC seriously.
Is it just me, or does it seem like the United States and its fans are the only ones who don't care about winning games in this thing? Watching the K...
Original Story:
The WBC really doesn't mean anything. Yeah, it is kind of cool to see some of the matchups. But I would rather see Brian McCann play his 130 or so games for the Braves than to see him get injured playing left field against the Netherlands. An injury like the one that Chipper Jones suffered is not directly related to playing in the WBC, so I don't have an issue with it. If Kevin Youkilis suffered an injury while playing catcher, I am sure the Red Sox fans would take issue. Openly saying he would forfeit before risking the players of the Major League teams does not bother me.
