"… ce que fait le WBC, c’est briser l’hégémonie culturelle que l’Amérique a toujours exercée sur le football. Cela se manifeste non seulement dans la manière dont le jeu est joué sur le terrain pendant le tournoi, mais également dans la manière dont le tournoi se déroule dans le cœur de ceux qui y jouent. L’establishment américain du baseball contrôle toujours l’industrie du baseball, mais il ne contrôle pas ce que signifie le baseball. Ces joueurs ont décidé que le WBC comptait plus pour eux que les World Series. Et parce que le sens est quelque chose qui n’existe que dans le cœur, ils ont raison."
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Par Free-Community3670
33 Comments
I wouldnt say its as important as the world series, but just because it may not hold the same level of prestige as some other tournaments doesn’t mean its not important. Its obviously important to the players, even if Americans think their team didnt give a shit, every other nation did. So thats a usa problem if true.
Taking a page from Canadian hockey fans. Tournament means the world if win, but wasnt real hockey and meant nothing if we lose.
And I say that as a Canadian hockey fan lol
It’s on the up and up, and for all you hear about American sports wanting to break into larger markets it should give the mlb cause to celebrate since the sport is doing it organically, trust you me I never thought I’d be into baseball but mix jomboy and mates from countries whom are doing well at this level and baseballs gotta fan in me
Derek Jeter got fired by the Marlins
For an MLB player chasing legacy, the World Series is still the peak
For international pride, WBC can feel bigger
Even someone like Derek Jeter coming from a traditional MLB mindset isn’t crazy for valuing the World Series more, that’s what his entire career was built around
For it to really matter two things need to happen:
(1) MLB needs to figure out the insurance problem. It’s not a true best of the best in the tournament like the FIFA World Cup when Puerto Rico can’t get Carlos Correa cleared to play and Venezuela can’t get Altuve. These are just examples but there are many more.
(2) Needs to be treated as a premier tournament and no limitations on the players that do play usage.
Can you imagine if Inter Miami told Argentina « no Messi can’t play more than 45 minutes per game » wtf lmaooo no that would never happen
Until they figure that out it’s a glorified Spring Training session
I don’t get why this is such a heated debate when at the end of the day it’s an opinion.
Whether you’re a player/fan, you’re entitled to feel the way you feel regarding what is more important.
This WBC was fun to watch but boy, the « discourse » around it sure sucks. It feels like almost every article is the most defensive or grievance filled content I have seen in along time. Just makes me wanna go « its deep, but it aint that deep. »
I don’t remember it being like this last time around.
No it doesn’t really. If it did teams wouldn’t have restrictions on players to ensure health for the thing that really matters.
It’s a FUN exhibition, why is everyone trying to make it more than it is? You sound like a hardo loser.
It’s very simple, if it really mattered their wouldn’t have been pitchers on pitch counts, or restricted to certain scenarios, or having their real teams call them back. And, most importantly, it wouldn’t be single elimination.
Jeter did not say it didn’t matter; why would this article imply he did? What he said is that the World Series matters most, which is definitely up for debate.
I mean it matters but it’s nowhere close to the series.
It’s a single elimination show tournament that guys play in while they are still rusty from the off season. Insurance companies prevent a ton of the top talent from participating.
Jeter was just getting annoyed at guys who hadn’t even been there saying that this was bigger.
It just comes down to the level of competition. A single game elimination tourney in March is not the same as the World Series in October after a 162 game season. To pretend otherwise is insane.
All that to say the meaning is still there. But it’s different.
I remember when they first announced the WBC in the early 00s. I was not excited and intentionally ignored the first few versions of it. But I’ve come around and I do think it is important. I think Venezuela winning is a good thing for the global game.
But MLB needs to fix the insurance issue; and teams should not be able to place limits on players. If this is meant to be a tournament on par with the World Cup, then MLB needs to act like it.
In a month, I won’t remember it. It’s an exhibition tournament. And the quotes from players amount to me like this: « this is first time in my life I haven’t played for myself. It’s awesome »
I mean, it matters, but I find it very hard to say it comes close to mattering even remotely as much as the World Series. There are too many limitations on people even being allowed to play and the pitch limits / restrictions they have that it makes it very hard to take it that seriously. Like, both closers yesterday being unable to pitch unless there was a save situation is insane lol Or in the semis, Nola being taken out after less than 60? pitches because it’s still spring training and he can’t pitch for that long on 4 days rest idk There are just too many meme factors like that for me to think the WS isn’t ridiculously more important. You have people like Yamamoto out there giving everything he has to will his team to a victory in Game 7 on super short rest; the WBC is the exact opposite of that. The pitching stuff is by far the biggest problem to me. Pitchers are easily the most important part of any given baseball game, and there are just way too many restrictions on them in this tournament that really drastically effects each team participating in it.
It’s funny that WBC semi-finalist Derek Jeter would have this opinion.
Since the meaning of the WBC is something that only exists in the heart, I am also right by saying it doesn’t matter much.
Isnt it pretty clear that it doesn’t really matter?
Derek Jeter says it doesn’t matter?
As a fan it matters to me big time. I’m still bummed today that the USA lost. I think a lot of people in the US unfortunately still think of WBC as a pre season exhibition and not a serious competition.
It sure does. Just not at all close to how much the WS matters.
What kind of headline it is? He didn’t say it didn’t matter. He’s saying the World Series matters more.
To be fair, if you grew up watching WBC and WS both matters. Like Jeter, if you only watch WS for most of your career then ya WS is the biggest stage you go for.
The rage-bait entertainment monster must be fed! Be angry about this manufactured debate so we can keep you engaged! Be mad and fuel algorithms!
I mean yea, everyone puts different values on everything.
Of course it matters. It just doesn’t for team USA.
Was Jeter even saying the wbc doesn’t matter or was he just saying the World Series matters more?
This debate sucks ass and makes me mad at anyone who engages. Why do we immediately default to shitting on cool things when a cool thing happens? WBC, cool thing. MLB postseason, cool thing. People are going to like one more than the other
What a dumb article. This is so overblown I can’t wait for the season to start.
Let’s be real. It’s a cool tournament, but nobody outside of maybe three or four countries really cares. I went to the bar to watch the finals, and barely anyone was paying attention. During the MLB playoffs, the bar was packed.
Also, nobody is going to be talking about the WBC once the MLB season starts.
Judge never said WBC mattered more or was bigger. He said the atmosphere was bigger and he’s right because American baseball historically has a stick up its ass and when you get a team full of Caribbean and hispanic players together, the atmosphere IS electric. Even better when they have to play the 800lb gorilla US team.
When you break it down this is a very clear “both things can be true” answer. US born players and fans were raised to root for their hometown teams in their city, while international fans root for their homegrown national players. The World Series is exponentially bigger for US fans and clearly the players as well when you just look at the emotion that pours out of the Venezuelans, Dominicans, etc. This tournament is everything to them and it’s great for baseball…But it probably wont have that significance in the US outside of a sense of pride.
By far the most efficient way to grow a sport is through its international scene.
That’s how you give people who aren’t from where the biggest league happens to be the opportunity to cheer for a team that is both playing at the highest level and which it is natural for them to identify with.
That’s how you give people a reason to truly be happy to see their best players go abroad to play at a higher level and develop to their full potential.
Is the World Series still watched by more people? Yes, but outside of the USA (and yes, I include Canada despite the Blue Jays), your average sports fan will have an easier time getting into the WBC. Baseball is unlikely to go back to being America’s pastime, but it can replace that loss by an even greater gain: becoming one of those team sports with a truly robust international scene.
And you know what? In the long run, that’s probably how you get more people to closely follow the MLB!
So Venezuelan soccer fans would rather win the Olympics than the World Cup? Doesn’t mean that one of those doesn’t matter, it’s just that one of them matters a little more. It’s the same thing here comparing the WBC to the World Series.