Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Spring Training is a time for players to reconnect with their organizations, coaches and teammates as they prepare for the upcoming season. Spring Training will be all that this season, but it will also be a time for players to prepare for the World Baseball Classic. The tournament is played every three to four years and brings players and countries together to compete on a global stage.
The WBC provides competitive games with thrilling plays and legendary matchups, but it also means participants are competing at a level that is comparable to a postseason game. With this type of effort and intensity, players can be more susceptible to injury and for many fans, it means they run the risk of missing time with their MLB club.
Fans of the San Diego Padres seem to have the same concerns. In this week’s Padres Reacts Survey respondents were asked how they felt about players from the San Diego roster competing in the WBC. Respondents were not unanimous in their position, but the majority said they hate that players from the Padres are competing in the WBC.
Everyday players third baseman Manny Machado and shortstop Xander Bogaerts have regularly played for Dominican Republic and Netherlands. Right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. and closer Mason Miller will make their first WBC appearances with Dominican Republic and USA. This group is joined by relievers Wandy Peralta, Alek Jacob and Yuki Matsui as well as minor league pitchers Victor Lizarraga and Omar Cruz who will all compete for their respective countries.
Baseball fans who like the WBC point to the matchup between Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani from the 2023 WBC final. Trout stepped to the plate to face Ohtani in the top of the ninth inning with two outs and Japan holding a 3-2 lead over USA. Trout would ultimately strikeout to end the game, but the baseball world was captivated by the intense and dramatic moment.
Baseball fans who do not like the WBC will point to the 2023 WBC as well and say Edwin Diaz, who was then the closer for the New York Mets, tore his patellar tendon in his knee while celebrating a WBC win that caused him to miss the entire 2023 MLB season. The statement was often made that he was injured in a game that did not count and the Mets suffered as a result.
There is no question the WBC creates great theater, and the tournament has supporters and detractors. The players seem to enjoy it and most of them enthusiastically accept the opportunity to play for their country, but the potential for injury is always an underlying concern… especially for fans.
View Link
Read the full article here
