Via MLB Network Twitter

This Fan Shot was written by former MMO writer Satish Ram.

As a once famed British professional wrestler used to take delight in saying, I am afraid I have some bad news to dole out to some of the fanbase—and that might be a common theme throughout this piece. The World Baseball Classic is the singular best thing for the game of baseball right now. I want to run that by you all again: there is nothing that benefits the game of baseball right now more than the World Baseball Classic.

I want to get a few things out of the way. The Edwin Díaz injury was a rare, freak accident, and has nothing to do with the WBC specifically. Spare me the thoughts that the WBC should be moved to after the World Series, when they must compete against other nationally televised sports and it would be after the rigor of a 162-game regular season plus the playoffs. Participation would likely be at an all-time low. It would be difficult to convince teams to want to leave their players available to do it mid-season, as well. The WBC lasts about two weeks and takes place during spring training, where they would be playing baseball anyway.

Spare me the fact that he might not have been celebrating like that in spring training as we gloss over the fact that the Mets mimicked a World Series Win in March 2021. If you want to patrol every single portion of player’s life, then we can start with banning champagne celebrations since Lance McCullers Jr. got hurt during one, players owning dogs since Max Scherzer received an injury from his, or owning ranches because it cost the Mets time with Yoenis Cespedes.

You might be thinking about quipping back that none of those injuries were that serious, and I can unfortunately point you down the road of Mike Soroka suffering a season-ending injury while walking to the clubhouse or Gavin Lux having a non-contact ACL and LCL tear. These things happen and yes, for lack of more cordial language, they absolutely suck. They suck even more when it happens to someone that we care about on a team that we love, but that does not make them any less of a freak accident.

Watching Sugar go down stings as much as some of the more heart-wrenching losses that I ever had to witness. The issue, however, is people using it as a reason to act like the WBC is not an important part of growing the game of baseball right now. Again, the game of baseball—which extends far beyond just MLB.

Here is another dose of bad news: we do not get to decide what the players or other fans of baseball care about. One man may walk past a dollar on the street as it does nothing for his day, while another scrambles for it because it might mean the difference between his ability to feed himself that night. The reality is, as it was stated on numerous occasions, is that some of these players wanted that WBC win more than they might have ever wanted a World Series. Numerous quotes were provided where players stated their desire to represent their country, as Nelson Cruz went as far as to call it “the real World Series.” While that might seem blasphemous to some, the game of baseball extends far beyond the existence of the North America’s “World” Series, and it will always be that way to many.
The fans from these countries, as well, fed into this narrative.

Did you know, by the way, the most watched baseball game before this tournament was a 1980 World Series game with 54.5 million viewers—and it has already been exceeded more than once in this tournament alone? Japan vs. Korea netted over 55 million viewers and Japan vs. Italy posted 62.5 million. It is quite possible that the game tonight involving USA and Japan could be the most-watched game in the history of baseball. (Hat tip to @BaseballDoesnt on those numbers.)

If you take a moment and tune in to any of the broadcasts of the games between Latin rivals and just listen to the crowd for an inning, you might be surprised at what you hear. The intensity of any random fourth inning between any of those teams matches the way that American fans get for a World Series. It is beautiful and serves to grow the game in a way that MLB has failed to tap into for decades. It is the environment that MLB has been chasing so long without a single amendment to the game like a pitch clock.

MLB stands here making up rules to try and increase fan engagement in baseball by shortening the games and changing the core gameplay while thousands of fans outside the United States are begging to watch a single game with a player representing their country. How privileged we are to have so much baseball that we are looking to cut down our exposure to it while so many would give anything for a chance to see what we take for granted.

The game of baseball gets a rare chance to grow globally through the WBC and to tap into passionate fans across the world who would not otherwise receive a chance to show their love to the sport that we love too. Baseball represents something different for everyone. In my case, it helped me transition into being a part of American culture as a Caribbean boy who really knew no better. I love baseball with all my heart—and that love inspires me to want to see others learn to love it, too, understanding that they too may come to feel the passion that I feel every time I turn on SNY to watch our Mets.

The Mets may pay the contract of the players, yes, but their hearts and souls lie in other places. The Mets make it possible for Edwin Díaz to live a life better than he may have ever imagined, but inside that star pitcher that we all appreciate is a boy from Naguabo, Puerto Rico, that yearns to represent his home on a stage like the WBC. The Caribbean spawns no child with a weak heart, and the connection we feel to our home is that unlike any other. Think about it for a moment: why would these players willingly risk injury and add to the wear and tear of spring training if it did not mean the world to them all? Why would the fans find a way to fill every seat in those stadiums for an “exhibition” game if it did not mean something more to them than just baseball?

After all, we support the New York Mets, the team that returned to professional sport after 9/11. We understand bigger than baseball itself, do we not? Most of us, dare I say, are more the New York Mets than the New York Yankees. We are fighters, underdogs, and dust ourselves off when we get knocked down. We see ourselves in the Mets, whether we want to admit it or not, and support them through the darkest times. When the Mets win, we feel like we win—and that is what the WBC represents for thousands of people globally. When an underdog takes a win in the World Baseball Classic, thousands of people—children and adults alike—see themselves in that victory. Moments like that will serve the game of baseball for generations and we need to be aware of the power of that.

Think about your younger years and the moment you first fell in love with baseball. Can you remember what it was? Did your father take you out to the park to play stickball? Did you see a home run that decades later you could still remember? For some British children, their moment was watching Harry Ford launch a home run. Growing the game of baseball to a global level will always face some difficulty, and the WBC mitigates that by creating a unique opportunity that we just will never have during the regular season. The financial implications behind the tournament also provide a great help to encouraging the growth of baseball in countries that have never been able to do so in years past.

For far too long, MLB has been seeking to grow the brand and expand its reach with limited success, yet the WBC provides them an opportunity to go global and tap into the fiery hearts of fans across the world that are dying for a sliver of a chance to see what we see multiple nights a week during the regular season. There is no better opportunity for the game of baseball than to put on a show during a global display and attract fans they would never have reached before. Not only does baseball need the WBC to truly grow as a sport, there is no better thing for the game than the World Baseball Classic right now.

To some of you, these are glorified exhibition games with no implications. To many others, it was the push they needed to fall in love with baseball, just like you. Let them have the opportunity that you had… that is all I ask.

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This MMO Fan Shot was contributed by Satish Ram. Have something you want to say? Share your opinions with the best and most diverse Mets community on the web! Send your Fan Shot to getmetsmerized @ aol.com.