August 18, 201214 yr ISRAEL!!! They can be a legit threat. If they can get players like Youk, Kinsler, Ryan Braun, and others Jewish players, they can make a deep run. I really hope none of those people play for Israel.
August 18, 201214 yr ISRAEL!!! They can be a legit threat. If they can get players like Youk, Kinsler, Ryan Braun, and others Jewish players, they can make a deep run. I really hope none of those people play for Israel. I agree. If you are born in the USA, then you should play for the USA. Goes for any country really, with some exceptions (like if you were born in the USA, but moved somewhere else when you were a baby/toddler). That's my opinion.
August 18, 201214 yr ISRAEL!!! They can be a legit threat. If they can get players like Youk, Kinsler, Ryan Braun, and others Jewish players, they can make a deep run. I really hope none of those people play for Israel. I agree. If you are born in the USA, then you should play for the USA. Goes for any country really, with some exceptions (like if you were born in the USA, but moved somewhere else when you were a baby/toddler). That's my opinion. Yeah but the whole idea of this tournament is to promote baseball globally. It's not made for the US of A to win. They're thinking in the MLB offices is that Israel (and other countries) winning (or just doing well), somehow will generate more interest in the sport in Israel & elsewhere. That means more sales of jersey's and other gear. I thought this was clear to everyone. I think they came up with this tournament after baseball was eliminated as an Olympic sport. I'm not sure and could be wrong on that. But I think they played it in Athens, and maybe in Bejing but I think the decision to drop baseball by the IOC was made in like 2002 or 2003. So it was not played in London, and won't be in Rio for sure. Unless MLB can change the minds of the IOC it won't be in the 2020 games either.
August 18, 201214 yr Oh and softball is gone too. Many think its because the USA dominated that tournament.
August 18, 201214 yr I agree. If you are born in the USA, then you should play for the USA. Goes for any country really, with some exceptions (like if you were born in the USA, but moved somewhere else when you were a baby/toddler). That's my opinion. It might be the Hispanic in me talking but I'll allow the argument of "my parents are from ______ and I was brought up with their culture" but I still rather see them play for their home country. With the exception of Braun, whose dad is from Israel, most of those guys have no connection to that country besides being Jewish. Hell, by Israeli law, it could be argued that both Braun and Kinsler aren't really Jews because their mothers are both Catholic. Yeah but the whole idea of this tournament is to promote baseball globally. It's not made for the US of A to win. They're thinking in the MLB offices is that Israel (and other countries) winning (or just doing well), somehow will generate more interest in the sport in Israel & elsewhere. That means more sales of jersey's and other gear. I thought this was clear to everyone. Remember they came up with this tournament after baseball was eliminated as an Olympic sport. I think they played it in Athens, and maybe in Bejing but I think the decision to drop baseball by the IOC was made in like 2002 or 2003. So it was not played in London, and won't be in Rio for sure. Unless MLB can change the minds of the IOC it won't be in the 2020 games either. I don't know how you have made this leap. In this post you seem to assume a lot. You seem to assume MLB wanted them to play for Israel. Not sure why you think that. You assume that this was made because the IOC dropped baseball. This was made because it makes them money, and was made before the IOC dropped baseball (The IOC dropped it in mid-2005 and the drop was reaffirmed in 2006, the WBC first started going into work in 2003). MLB didn't get any money from Olympic Baseball. Also, you're missing the point as far as why we want them to play for the US. It's because they're from the US. It's about representing their country. They are not Israeli. It'd be like all the Catholics playing for Italy.
August 18, 201214 yr The USA hasn't won the tourney at all, so it's not like their teams are stacked. And why even have USA in the tourney if the purpose of this thing is to promote baseball globally? Just have other countries play by that logic. And Braun and Youkilis played for the USA last time out. Would be kinda weird if they just switched their allegiance.
August 18, 201214 yr The USA hasn't won the tourney at all, so it's not like their teams are stacked. And why even have USA in the tourney if the purpose of this thing is to promote baseball globally? Just have other countries play by that logic. And Braun and Youkilis played for the USA last time out. Would be kinda weird if they just switched their allegiance. Kinsler as well.
August 18, 201214 yr I agree. If you are born in the USA, then you should play for the USA. Goes for any country really, with some exceptions (like if you were born in the USA, but moved somewhere else when you were a baby/toddler). That's my opinion. It might be the Hispanic in me talking but I'll allow the argument of "my parents are from ______ and I was brought up with their culture" but I still rather see them play for their home country. With the exception of Braun, whose dad is from Israel, most of those guys have no connection to that country besides being Jewish. Hell, by Israeli law, it could be argued that both Braun and Kinsler aren't really Jews because their mothers are both Catholic. I can live with that other argument, but again, if I'm born in country X I'm going to play for country X even if my culture and upbringings were that of country Y. I understand where that argument is coming from though and I wouldn't be upset if that happened. Not trying to be a bigot...
August 18, 201214 yr I will definitely be rooting for the USA. Also Cuba because I was born there, even if I happen to completely disagree with the monstrous regime that runs the island (it's still my place of birth). I would also love to root for Israel. I have been to Israel and I love the country, and my former fiance was Israeli. However, It may not be good for my health to root for Israel in case my wife harbors some hidden jealousy (with women being such a mystery, you never know these things.) After all, I broke that engagement and ran off to marry my wife (long story.) The last thing I want is to come down with some mysterious food poisoning during the tournament :lol
August 18, 201214 yr If Cuba plays down here then we will finally see this ballpark sold out A decent amount of people to boo the Cuban team.
August 18, 201214 yr By the way, what's up with the Japanese? I hear they may not be participating over some money dispute? :blink:
August 18, 201214 yr If Cuba plays down here then we will finally see this ballpark sold out A decent amount of people to boo the Cuban team. Why? The athletes are not politicians. It's not their fault that Cuba is run by communist monsters.
August 18, 201214 yr I'd like to see the United States take the best possible team. No disrespect to guys like Matt Lindstrom, but they do not belong on such a team as I said the last time this was played. Even if the top-tier guys didn't want to go, there had to be better options. The United States is loaded, especially with pitching.
August 19, 201214 yr I will definitely be rooting for the USA. Also Cuba because I was born there, even if I happen to completely disagree with the monstrous regime that runs the island (it's still my place of birth). I would also love to root for Israel. I have been to Israel and I love the country, and my former fiance was Israeli. However, It may not be good for my health to root for Israel in case my wife harbors some hidden jealousy (with women being such a mystery, you never know these things.) After all, I broke that engagement and ran off to marry my wife (long story.) The last thing I want is to come down with some mysterious food poisoning during the tournament :lol I love Israel too (& my whole fam is from Cuba) but this post is just really weird.
August 19, 201214 yr I will definitely be rooting for the USA. Also Cuba because I was born there, even if I happen to completely disagree with the monstrous regime that runs the island (it's still my place of birth). I would also love to root for Israel. I have been to Israel and I love the country, and my former fiance was Israeli. However, It may not be good for my health to root for Israel in case my wife harbors some hidden jealousy (with women being such a mystery, you never know these things.) After all, I broke that engagement and ran off to marry my wife (long story.) The last thing I want is to come down with some mysterious food poisoning during the tournament :lol I love Israel too (& my whole fam is from Cuba) but this post is just really weird. Yeah...too much information I guess. But it was Israel-related...but I think I got a little too carried away with the weird story of my life. I do that sometimes without realizing it. I should have been a historian or a professor.
August 19, 201214 yr You get other nations to perform, so the young athletes in those nations will play the sport, making the sport better and ultimately making MLB even more successful. Think 1992 and the NBA. Dirk Nowitski would have been a handball player if it weren't for the dream team.
August 20, 201214 yr If Cuba plays down here then we will finally see this ballpark sold out A decent amount of people to boo the Cuban team. Why? The athletes are not politicians. It's not their fault that Cuba is run by communist monsters. Because when a lot of Cubans (especially older Cubans) see that team, they think of this guy. Because Fidel loves baseball and has always associated the team with himself, many people see it as Fidel's team.
August 20, 201214 yr I own a Cuban jersey from the 06 classic and get nothing but thumbs up and compliments wherever I wear it!
August 20, 201214 yr If Cuba plays down here then we will finally see this ballpark sold out A decent amount of people to boo the Cuban team. Why? The athletes are not politicians. It's not their fault that Cuba is run by communist monsters. Because when a lot of Cubans (especially older Cubans) see that team, they think of this guy. Because Fidel loves baseball and has always associated the team with himself, many people see it as Fidel's team. I don't know why, but I have an image in my mind of this being the last thing I see when I climb the fence beyond the sand lot to get my ball.
August 20, 201214 yr I own a Cuban jersey from the 06 classic and get nothing but thumbs up and compliments wherever I wear it! How nice, I own a Cuba hat I got at Tj Maxx for 5 bucks. My car got egged when I was parked at Winn Dixie.... the security guard smiled when I asked WTF he was doing when it happened. Go Figure. I wonder if he was part of these boards.
August 20, 201214 yr I own a Cuban jersey from the 06 classic and get nothing but thumbs up and compliments wherever I wear it! How nice, I own a Cuba hat I got at Tj Maxx for 5 bucks. My car got egged when I was parked at Winn Dixie.... the security guard smiled when I asked WTF he was doing when it happened. Go Figure. I wonder if he was part of these boards. Happened to me a few weeks ago at Best Buy. Was parked fine but some people are just assholes.
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