Next time: WBC should be played in the Fall

[Sweet Swinging Billy]

Sorry if this has been suggested before but the more I think about it...late Fall (after the WS) would have been a better time to play the WBC, than in the Spring. What y'all think? ---#26 Sweet Swinging Billy Williams (formerly ITex)

[Omar]

Then, it would be cared about as much as the pro-bowl... Before the season is just fine.

[Abe Frohman]

Holy Jeez - I just got back from Wal-Mart, where I purchased the Gillette Guillotine. Am I going to die if I use it in the morning? Do I have a deathwish?????

[Banedon]

Then, it would be cared about as much as the pro-bowl... Before the season is just fine.

 

I disagree. I don't think there's a terrible amount of interest in it from a casual fan perspective. To be honest I doubt a lot of casual fans even know it's going on. So I don't know that the interest level would change. And as far as the comparison to the pro-bowl, at least the pro-bowl doesn't affect the regular season. The WBC could. Someone is going to get injured during this thing, and it's going to affect their team this season. I'm really not a fan of the WBC. If you have to have it, I agree with SSB...put it after the WS.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Personally, I'd rather Aramiz and Z risk injury after the season then before it.

[Abe Frohman]

I love the concept of the WBC, I just hate the timing of it. I hope that it isn't a disaster for MLB players and organizations, and frankly think that it should be scheduled around the MLB season.

[Derwood]

I don't want my pitchers to add to their 200+ innings at the end of the season.

 

Oh wait, I don't want them to be fatigued in September because they competed in March.

 

Great idea Bud. You're a friggin' genius :roll:

[Andy]

Baseball is plenty big enough in the Caribbean, in the US, and in Japan, and I really don't see why we should artificially create interest with a trumped up tournament. If people like baseball in Europe/rest of Asia/etc. they will come around and they won't need a WBC to do it.

[NorthsideAvenger]

Since baseball is CURRENTLY out of the Olympics loop for a long time, ---and the feeling I get, it won't be returning to the olympics---why can't the WBC be an EVERY 4 yr thing, instead of a yearly thing? That way you increase the credibility of the thing, add instensity, seeing as you would have to wait.

 

But then again...Selig is way too short-sided to see the flaws of the WBC.

[bhogg]

after this season (or next), the WBC will be on a 3 year rotation.

[Derwood]

Let's hope this thing goes the way of the XFL

[Vinestal]

Though I love the idea of the WBC and I think it'll be fun and entertaining, I dont think there is a good time for it. Being during spring training you risk having guys injured going into the season. Have it after the World Series and you have pitchers that havent seen action in at least what 3 weeks, which is kinda dangerous to pitchers. If you have it in the middle of the season during the allstar break you take away from the all-star game and you make the break to long. So I cant see anytime as being good for it really.

[Banedon]

Though I love the idea of the WBC and I think it'll be fun and entertaining, I dont think there is a good time for it. Being during spring training you risk having guys injured going into the season. Have it after the World Series and you have pitchers that havent seen action in at least what 3 weeks, which is kinda dangerous to pitchers. If you have it in the middle of the season during the allstar break you take away from the all-star game and you make the break to long. So I cant see anytime as being good for it really.

 

But if Bud comes to you and says "Vinestal, I'm gonna do this whole WBC thing whether you like it or not, but I'll let you choose when we have it each year..." when do you choose?

[Vinestal]

I think Spring training might be the best of the 3 choices. The big wigs are going to say having it after the Series is anti-climactic. I like the idea of having it after the season but I think you'd have alot less interest from the American players and I dont know how you'd deal with the long layoff that most pitchers would have. The season is already long enough, to tack that on to the end of it would make most players think twice about participating I think.

[Jon]

The thing about having it after the season would be that most pitchers would be inactive for at least a month until the World Series is over. I wouldn't want them to start pitching again.

 

I'm not going to critique the WBC until it happens. There are strict rules about when pitchers can be used and how often. We'll just have to wait and see how it actually differs from Cactus and Grapefruit League games.

[rocket]

And out of curiosity, do people who dislike the WBC concept also dislike the concept of playing in the winter leagues?

[Banedon]

And out of curiosity, do people who dislike the WBC concept also dislike the concept of playing in the winter leagues?

 

Winter leagues happen before Spring training and don't interfere with preparation for the season. Again my problem is with the timing of it. I might be a bit more interested if it were something that only happened in Olympic years like someone else suggested. Then it would be more special, and not something that is going to be a concern from year to year. Hockey and basketball only have "dream teams" and show off at the Olympics, and with baseball no longer being an Olympic event, it would be a great opportunity to show off the sport. But being a yearly thing during Spring Training bothers me.