Uncle Bud Rips USA's WBC Effort

[HuskyCaucasian]

nationalpost.com-

The U.S. team needs to attract better-known players to help raise local interest in future World Baseball Classic (WBC) tournaments, Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said on Monday.

 

Speaking during a television broadcast of Japan’s 10-inning win over South Korea in the WBC final, Selig said he was happy with the international event he had helped create but would consider making changes to help the U.S. field a stronger team.

 

“I’m really proud of where we are,” Selig remarked about the state of the 16-nation tournament and the excitement it had generated abroad during its second edition.

 

The commissioner admitted that interest was not as strong in the birthplace of baseball, noting many U.S. players were not yet in game-shape for the preseason tournament and many top players were discouraged from participating by their teams.

 

The U.S. team failed to advance past the second round in the inaugural 2006 event and this year reached the semi-finals before being eliminated by defending champions Japan.

 

“After ‘06, we decided to start spring training two weeks earlier and we’re starting the season one week later,” he said about giving MLB players more time to prepare.

 

“We made the adjustments. Maybe we have to make some more.”

 

The next WBC is scheduled for 2013 and Selig said he would look into encouraging players to train for the tournament earlier, pressure MLB owners to allow leading players to participate and shorten the event by having fewer "off days."

 

“We have to find ways to pick up the intensity for the United States,” he said. “We’ve got to find a way to get our best players and make sure they’re on the field.

“We need to do it like the other countries do, to get the very best players we have. This is so big ... we need everybody’s best players and we shouldn’t accept anything less.”

 

However, Selig said he was satisfied with the progress of the WBC and remained confident about the event’s future.

 

“This will some day be just absolutely huge.”

 

He's gonna find a way to make this a mandatory event if you are asked to participate. Bud, you're a dumbass

 

to Matt Thornton...

Matt Thornton rejoined the White Sox and scoffed at Commissioner Bud Selig's allegations that the U.S. team lacked intensity at the World Baseball Classic.

 

"For someone to say that, and I heard other people say that, no one was in the dugout but us," Thornton said Tuesday, two days after the U.S. was eliminated in the semifinals of the WBC in a 9-4 defeat to eventual champion Japan.

 

"And our team was into it, every single game. Everyone was prepared, ready and battling. And they wanted to win it all. The intensity was there. We didn't win it, but you couldn't say the energy and life wasn't there because it was.

 

"[selig] was never around. He wasn't in our clubhouse, he wasn't in our dugout. It was a great experience for everyone. I think everyone in the game was trying to win. … I hear these comments people are making, and it's like 'What are you talking about?' We were going after it."

[WilliamTell]

Good job Matt Thornton!

[lostfan]

I'd say the problem was with the managing, not the quality of play.

[witesoxfan]

I'd say the problem was with the managing, not the quality of play.

 

I was just gonna say, Davey Johnson managed that pretty poorly all around.

[SoxFan562004]

a major problem is the SPs status during it. The announcers said that the Japanese and other teams starters were getting ready in January to pitch in the WBC. The U.S. SPs are basically starting ST and going to the WBC team. We're talking million dollar arms and they shouldn't be risked for this contrived event. I know Dice-K and a few other MLB pitchers are doing it, but I don't want to see any Sox starters in this thing.

 

Another problem teams are running into is their players aren't getting enough work in if they go to the WBC so now some are coming back to their clubs weeks behind their team.

 

Look, I'm a little hypocritical about this thing because as a baseball fan I enjoyed watching a higher level of baseball in March, but ultimately I hope it goes away and the owners tell Bud to cool it. MLB has a VAST majority of the best players in the world, there's no need for this.

[SouthsideDon48]

Is it just me, or does it seem like a big conflict of interest for Bud Selig to be running the WBC and being biased towards a certain country playing well?

 

I wish Bud would just shut up, because if he changes the WBC so that America would have an edge, then that's just unethical, in my opinion.

[Whitewashed in '05]

He can't change it so the U.S. will have an edge. What he means is he's going to try to do something to get the U.S.'s best players to play.

[Flash Tizzle]

nationalpost.com-

 

 

He's gonna find a way to make this a mandatory event if you are asked to participate. Bud, you're a dumbass

He sounds like he's back to working as a used car salesman, trying to unload one of his lemons on the customer.

 

You can't motivate these players to perform unless there's some financial incentive. I'm sure everyone loves America, but do they love it enough to risk injury and possibly a paycheck? You damn well bet if I'm an outfielder playing this WBC I'm never leaving my feet to catch a ball.

 

 

[IlliniKrush]

I'd say the problem was with the managing, not the quality of play.

He managed the thing like an all-star game because to his credit, he realized the whole thing was a stupid exhibition.

[SoxFan562004]

If I'm an owner and negotiating contracts, I'm doing the opposite of what Bud wants and asking players to put clauses in their contracts promising they won't play in the WBC

[Steve9347]

If I'm an owner and negotiating contracts, I'm doing the opposite of what Bud wants and asking players to put clauses in their contracts promising they won't play in the WBC

That.

 

Selig can kiss my ass. Enjoy Japan thinking they are the greatest now because this is their World Series.

 

It's SPRING TRAINING for American ballplayers (and other MLB players on other squads).

[SoxFan562004]

http://www.theonion.com/content/news_brief...ource=a-section

 

Sums it up

[nitetrain8601]

Because World Pride should always take a backseat to National Pride. Riiiiiiiiiight...

 

Bud actually has it right. The best players should be mandated to play unless in the event of an injury. It's not like these guys are playing 20 games, and it's not like the pitchers are throwing 50IP+. What he's stating is that the US has a hard time of representation because the best players are afraid of 20 plate appearances they normally would've been getting in ST or 6 innings of pitching which is undoubtedly less than what they would pitch in ST.

 

I don't doubt for a second that the guys actually there were trying their hardest as Matt Thornton said. The problem that's there is that the players and owners value their franchises more than international competition.

[SoxFan562004]

Because World Pride should always take a backseat to National Pride. Riiiiiiiiiight...

 

Bud actually has it right. The best players should be mandated to play unless in the event of an injury. It's not like these guys are playing 20 games, and it's not like the pitchers are throwing 50IP+. What he's stating is that the US has a hard time of representation because the best players are afraid of 20 plate appearances they normally would've been getting in ST or 6 innings of pitching which is undoubtedly less than what they would pitch in ST.

 

I don't doubt for a second that the guys actually there were trying their hardest as Matt Thornton said. The problem that's there is that the players and owners value their franchises more than international competition.

It was something Bud created like 5 years ago, to me it's contrived and I value the MLB season much more over the WBC.

 

Also, now he's not asking them to sacrifice just the regular ST, he's asking them to start training early so they're prepared for it.

 

The way it's set up now players have been complaining they didn't get enough work in the off days so they are behind getting ready for the regular season, where they make millions of dollars. Gutherie (sp?) for the O's doesn't look like he'll be ready on the schedule the O's want him on.

Edited March 27, 2009 by SoxFan562004

[nitetrain8601]

It was something Bud created like 5 years ago, to me it's contrived and I value the MLB season much more over the WBC.

 

Also, now he's not asking them to sacrifice just the regular ST, he's asking them to start training early so they're prepared for it.

 

The way it's set up now players have been complaining they didn't get enough work in the off days so they are behind getting ready for the regular season, where they make millions of dollars. Gutherie (sp?) for the O's doesn't look like he'll be ready on the schedule the O's want him on.

 

I didn't know Guthrie was mandated not to throw side sessions or anything like that. I also didn't know the 15IP which are less than what he would've gotten out of 3 weeks of ST, wouldn't allow for him to follow a training regime to get ready for the season. In fact, looking it up, Roy Oswalt who led the US in IP only pitched 11.2 innings and he didn't complain at all and I don't hear of him being so behind the other guys at Astros camp.

 

I could maybe understand if it was a rookie who was going to be playing in the big leagues and he doesn't quite know everything he should be doing to get prepared, but for guys like Guthrie or Oliver Perez who state the WBC set them back, I think they're full of you know what. You don't need your manager on your ass 24/7 nor should you not know what you need to do to get ready for the upcoming season. All the stuff they supposedly need to do with the team could've been done on their own time. Especially considering since they played like twice a week.

[knightni]

Let Japan come over mid July and face an American best-of team best of 7.

 

They'd be lucky to win 2 games.

[Cubano]

It was something Bud created like 5 years ago, to me it's contrived and I value the MLB season much more over the WBC.

 

He did not create it alone. The owners approved it. They want to emulate the NBA expanding globally.

[Cubano]

Let Japan come over mid July and face an American best-of team best of 7.

 

They'd be lucky to win 2 games.

 

They lost in Beijing vs an all star team from the minro leagues. About 10 of these players saw MLB action in 2008. Japan lost vs Cuba and Korea as well.

 

[whitesoxfan101]

Because World Pride should always take a backseat to National Pride. Riiiiiiiiiight...

 

Bud actually has it right. The best players should be mandated to play unless in the event of an injury. It's not like these guys are playing 20 games, and it's not like the pitchers are throwing 50IP+. What he's stating is that the US has a hard time of representation because the best players are afraid of 20 plate appearances they normally would've been getting in ST or 6 innings of pitching which is undoubtedly less than what they would pitch in ST.

 

I don't doubt for a second that the guys actually there were trying their hardest as Matt Thornton said. The problem that's there is that the players and owners value their franchises more than international competition.

 

Huh? These players are paid (a lot) by their TEAMS, and they owe all of their attention and effort to their teams. They don't owe a damn thing to Bud Selig and some stupid ass event he made up a few years ago. That's just ridiculous, but some people will always buy the national pride stuff I guess. National pride is being proud of where you live and where you come from and what it represents, not playing some preseason games when you aren't even in playing shape yet. I guess Japan and Korea should be proud they beat up on a bunch of teams full of guys not in playing shape yet though.

Edited March 28, 2009 by whitesoxfan101

[SoxFan562004]

I didn't know Guthrie was mandated not to throw side sessions or anything like that. I also didn't know the 15IP which are less than what he would've gotten out of 3 weeks of ST, wouldn't allow for him to follow a training regime to get ready for the season. In fact, looking it up, Roy Oswalt who led the US in IP only pitched 11.2 innings and he didn't complain at all and I don't hear of him being so behind the other guys at Astros camp.

 

I could maybe understand if it was a rookie who was going to be playing in the big leagues and he doesn't quite know everything he should be doing to get prepared, but for guys like Guthrie or Oliver Perez who state the WBC set them back, I think they're full of you know what. You don't need your manager on your ass 24/7 nor should you not know what you need to do to get ready for the upcoming season. All the stuff they supposedly need to do with the team could've been done on their own time. Especially considering since they played like twice a week.

If I'm an owner or GM I do not want my players doing unsupervised side sessions. There's more to ST work than building up arm strength. It's for the coaches of the team that pays big money to work with a player

Edited March 28, 2009 by SoxFan562004

[nitetrain8601]

If I'm an owner or GM I do not want my players doing unsupervised side sessions. There's more to ST work than building up arm strength. It's for the coaches of the team that pays big money to work with a player

 

Those coaches couldn't give them a program to follow? Honestly, it's a bunch of hogwash. The only guys complaining are the guys who are sucking balls now and have a history of being mediocre such as Oliver Perez who a lot of Mets players are pissed at because they don't think he takes the games seriously.

[nitetrain8601]

Huh? These players are paid (a lot) by their TEAMS, and they owe all of their attention and effort to their teams. They don't owe a damn thing to Bud Selig and some stupid ass event he made up a few years ago. That's just ridiculous, but some people will always buy the national pride stuff I guess. National pride is being proud of where you live and where you come from and what it represents, not playing some preseason games when you aren't even in playing shape yet. I guess Japan and Korea should be proud they beat up on a bunch of teams full of guys not in playing shape yet though.

 

Those owners of those teams also agreed that having a WBC was a great thing. And how is the WBC stupid and the MLB is not? The only difference is, you're playing for your country you have roots as opposed as a city. If anything, the WBC is something that should be viewed upon as bigger, but for Americans, it's not. And it's just that way with Americans and no other country in the world. Honestly, it's stupid, but I guess that's another reason why the best players don't play. Why do so when your fans don't really give a damn about a gold medal or about a world competition.

[SoxFan562004]

Those owners of those teams also agreed that having a WBC was a great thing. And how is the WBC stupid and the MLB is not? The only difference is, you're playing for your country you have roots as opposed as a city. If anything, the WBC is something that should be viewed upon as bigger, but for Americans, it's not. And it's just that way with Americans and no other country in the world. Honestly, it's stupid, but I guess that's another reason why the best players don't play. Why do so when your fans don't really give a damn about a gold medal or about a world competition.

Chinese Tapei (sp?) held back most of their better players in an attempt to get them into better professional leagues, that's why their team was so young.

 

Look, as I said in an earlier post I'm a bit of a hypocrit in my WBC bashing because I enjoyed the higher level of baseball in March. However I've been a White Sox fan for 30 years, and everytime someone drapes an American flag around something doesn't mean I have to blindly worship it over everything else.

Edited March 28, 2009 by SoxFan562004

[nitetrain8601]

Chinese Tapei (sp?) held back most of their better players in an attempt to get them into better professional leagues, that's why their team was so young.

 

Look, as I said in an earlier post I'm a bit of a hypocrit in my WBC bashing because I enjoyed the higher level of baseball in March. However I've been a White Sox fan for 30 years, and everytime someone drapes an American flag around something doesn't mean I have to blindly worship it over everything else.

 

I'm not saying you have to worship it, but as someone who is intereste in a higher level of baseball during March, you should support this. Again, not worship it, but at least have a bit interest in the team.