The joy and intensity on the field and in the stands this week has been palpable.

The South Korea vs Taiwan game, the Japan vs Australia clash, and the Australia vs South Korea contest that decided second place in Pool C and a trip to Miami for the quarterfinals, were gut-wrenching and spectacular.

Yet, there are people who don’t get the World Baseball Classic, and that’s to be expected. It’s not because there are blowouts, mercy-rule finishes, and strict pitch limits, but because every thing about this tournament challenges their strongly held assumptions about professional baseball.

The first challenge is the timing. In most of the northern hemisphere, Cuba being a notable exception, spring baseball means preparing for the season, not playing meaningful games. In that mental framework, early-March games are, by definition, exhibitions.

If that’s your mindset, the thought of players getting pumped for exhibitions is incongruous.

The second challenge has to do with the nature of the competition. A pro baseball season is a grind, and the early spring is traditionally about keeping an eye on that prize, on being able to do one’s best when it matters most.

Continue reading The WBC challenge →