MLB stars hail international baseball during "special" World Baseball Classic experience

MLB stars hail international baseball during "special" World Baseball Classic experience
21/03/2023
Former World Series winner Adam Wainwright (pictured) made his international debut at 41 and admitted: "I've never experienced anything like this. It's the most fun I've ever had." Bryce Harper missed the event due to Tommy John surgery but contributed to recruiting other superstars and repeated he dreams about representing the US in the Olympics.

Adam Wainwright was born in 1981 and has been a professional pitcher since 2000. He played for the Atlanta Braves minor league teams through 2003, when they traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in 2005 and helped the Cardinals win the 2006 World Series. Since then, the man nicknamed Uncle Charlie has become a three-time All-Star.

Prior to the World Baseball Classic (WBC), Wainwright had never played an international game in his career. Yet after leading the USA in their semifinal victory over Cuba, Wainwright spoke to MLB Network about his enjoyment of the WBC, the noise from the fans and urged his MLB peers to play internationally if they are given the chance.

Wainwright said: "We are representing our country, and we are playing baseball. No one is doing this for money. We are doing it because we love baseball, we love our country.

"Every time we play, we hear U-S-A, U-S-A in the background. I don't know how loud these crowds are, but they are going to set records for baseball. I would use the word insane, right now.

"Major League Baseball players, you've got to come to play this. It is unlike anything I've ever played. I've been playing baseball for 20-something years now, I've been in the Big Leagues for 18 years, and I've never experienced anything like this. It's the most fun I've ever had."

One player who would have participated in the WBC if he wasn't in the process of recovering from a reconstructed ligament in his right elbow after Tommy John surgery is superstar Bryce Harper.

During the off-season, he teamed up with fellow superstar Mike Trout to recruit other major leaguers for the World Baseball Classic. The US National Team General Manager Tony Reagins told the New York Times that the Trout-Harper combo was instrumental in the recruiting.

Speaking to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Harper said: "[Trout] texted me immediately, and then we were talking about trying to get every guy that we can get in there.

"Watching it on TV six years ago now, I felt like I wanted to be out there just to experience how much fun they were having; I told myself before they even asked me if I got the opportunity, I was going to try to do it. It's special to my family and me."

Harper and Trout enlisted Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto, Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado.

Harper added: "Nolan Arenado got my cell and called me: 'I want in'. Pete Alonso was like, 'I don't care what I have to do, I'll do whatever you need me to, I want to be part of it.’

"In years past, it kind of wasn't our game yet, you could say. And I'm not saying it's our game now, but that older generation in the game was in it. They were it. And now Trout's the captain, and it's like, 'All right, this is kind of our generation and our group coming together.' It's really cool to see.

"You've seen Japan and Korea and all these teams, Chinese Taipei, and the Dominican [Republic], the fan bases in with Puerto Rico and Venezuela, Mexico the other night against the USA. It's so cool to see the fan bases get behind their countries and really just show out for them."

Harper has always been supportive of international baseball and wants to see it back in the Olympics too.

He said: "I've been a huge advocate of baseball getting back in the Olympics and us [in MLB] taking that pause during the regular season, kind of like hockey does, to just let the guys go and play. It'd be so much fun to have that and have the game and see that in the Olympics and have the best players in the world doing it."

Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani hadn't played internationally since the inaugural World Baseball Softball Confederation Premier12 in 2015. But he led Japan to the semifinals as the winning pitcher against Italy and the Los Angeles Angels star is not done yet.

Speaking to Japanese reporters, Ohtani said: "I don't think there's a chance of me starting, but of course, I'd like to prepare to pitch in relief. That will depend on my physical condition. Up to this point, the team has really listened to my selfish requests, and there are many things I'm doing that they have tolerated."

Japan manager Hideki Kuriyama believes that seeing players like Ohtani represent Japan is substantial.

Kuriyama explained: "We have seen the real Ohtani in the World Baseball Classic. His success shows where you can get through hard work. To see him in a Samurai Japan uniform is helping Japanese kids turn to baseball."

Vinnie Pasquantino, 25, made his MLB debut for the Kansas City Royals on 28 June 2022 and Royals legend George Brett quickly nicknamed him The Italian Nightmare.

Pasquantino was born in Richmond, Virginia but has chosen to represent his family's heritage and played for Italy in the World Baseball Classic.

"We wanted to represent Italy and all of our heritage the right way, and hopefully we did that," tweeted Pasquantino, who added that he is "looking for more."

San Diego Padres superstar Xander Bogaerts was disappointed when the Netherlands failed to make the quarter-finals, but he was still quick to praise highlight his love for international baseball.

Bogaerts said: "Playing internationally is different. You get to represent a country. You feel that you have millions of people behind you."

Mexico face Japan in the second semifinal tonight and their success is having a big impact on everyone involved. Mexico manager and former MLB star Benji Gil said: "Making it to the semifinals demonstrated what Mexican players can do. said. International success opens all the doors."

"I don't even know how to put it into words," said outfielder Alex Verdugo after the quarterfinal comeback win against Puerto Rico. "It means everything. I'm honoured to come out here representing Mexico, the great fans and my dad's side of the family. There's nothing better than putting [Mexico] on my chest."

Colombia beat Mexico in the group stage and afterwards Jorge Alfaro said: "[In the Americas] Colombia was only known for soccer. We made history!"

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Freddie Freeman grew up in California but decided to represent Canada, where his parents were born.

He explained: "I realise now that the only time my parents took me to hockey or baseball games was when Canadian teams were in town [Anaheim]. My favourite memory was a Toronto Blue Jays-Angels game. My parents lifted me in the air during the Canadian National Anthem."

Freeman's mom died when he was a child and he decided to represent Canada to honour her. "She taught me that you have to play every game to win," commented Freeman.

There was also a first World Baseball Classic win for Great Britain and after their victory over Colombia, manager Drew Spencer said: "We played for the people back home.”

It is clear that no matter what their role, or which country they are representing, everyone involved in the WBC has loved every minute of it.