Jayden's Journal: WBC event a 'classic'

By Jayden Hewitt
Sports Editor

The World Baseball Classic is an event that only occurs every three or four years. In those years, teams change, players regress or progress. It’s what makes the event worthwhile.

Baseball is a sport where it is extremely arguable that the United States doesn’t have the most talent by a long shot, as it does in two other major American sports: football and basketball.

Japan showed that when it beat the USA Monday, March 21, by a 3-2 score in the WBC championship game in Miami.

Japan has a long history of baseball legends, and this Japanese team proved it is legendary, with its third WBC title. No other team even has two.

A mixture of Japanese professionals such as Roki Sasaki and Munetaka Murakami, as well as MLB stars Shohei Ohtani (2023 WBC MVP) and Yu Darvish took down the star-studded USA team.

The shortcomings of the United States pitching staff were ultimately the downfall. The relief pitchers for the USA pitched well, but the starters were very average.

The entire World Baseball Classic was fantastic to watch. The entire tournament was a collection of MLB talent and overseas talent that one rarely sees.

Japan’s team was as complete as it comes. The team had pitching, power and heart, as well as being extremely disciplined at the plate. It’s a very old-school approach: a lot of contact, still with power, making winning plays over using analytics and all or nothing baseball.

Japan is so fundamentally sound and plays good team baseball. It may not have an entire roster of MLB All Stars, but it has talent and plays together. Oh, and it has the modern-day Babe Ruth in Shohei Ohtani. He was Japan’s best hitter and best pitcher in the tournament. That helps too.

Marcus Stroman said it best on Twitter, “Give Ohtani a billion dollars. (A) mythical unicorn god on the baseball field!”

A billion dollars may be a bit too much, but he is now baseball’s biggest star internationally, and will be paid accordingly.

I was personally rooting for the United States, but initially thought the Dominican Republic would take home the title. Japan proved me wrong and showed me I shouldn’t doubt that team. Japan’s stars performed and new stars were born.

Even with the close loss I was still happy for the Japanese. I loved their heart, and how respectful they are to the sport and other teams.

And the last at bat … Can you draw it up any better than that? Two teammates, two of baseball’s best, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, facing off. Trout missing two 100 mile per hour fastballs, then being left in the dust with a filthy slider. I had chills.

And I know I keep talking up Japan, but come on, they won. I’ll give credit where it’s due. The United States played great as well. The Americans gave fans so many great moments. Mike Trout and Trea Turner both had huge success in the WBC.

It was some of the most fun I’ve had watching baseball. I can appreciate greatness where I see it and this was non-stop greatness. And even better, the regular season is yet to start. Baseball in 2023 is just beginning.

Fans from each country have been able to watch this tournament. Even those who don’t like baseball can find an appreciation and dedication to their country, similar to soccer’s FIFA World Cup.

To put the recent debate on whether the WBC is worth playing or not; it absolutely is. The WBC puts the best talents from each country against each other and it doesn’t get any better than that. The baseball world is winning, regardless of the final results.