The rosters for the 2009 World Baseball Classic are beginning to take shape....and at least two Cubs want to participate while one has chosen to skip the second go around of the WBC. The World Baseball Classic is slated to start on March 5th and run until March 23rd....pushing back the opening of the 2009 season by a week.
Several Cubs participated in the first tournament back in 2006. Derrek Lee, Carlos Zambrano, Henry Blanco, Michael Barrett and Neifi Perez played for their country nearly three years ago while on the Cubs' roster....Aramis Ramirez was slated to play but decided against it in late February.
According to a report from MLB.com, Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Marmol have signed on to play for the Dominican Republic team led by manager Stan Javier while according to a report on Cubs.com, Carlos Zambrano has decided to sit out of the WBC this time around.
From Cubs.com: "Carlos Zambrano has said he doesn't want to pitch in the 2009 event because he doesn't want to risk injury." Derrek Lee bruised his shoulder in the 2006 WBC and several of the players that participated in the games three years ago came up with injuries during MLB's regular season.
Sammy Sosa is scheduled to play in the second WBC and reports suggested during last season that Slammin' Sammy would officially announce his retirement after the tournament is completed.
Two players rumored to be of interest to the Cubs this off-season, Jake Peavy and Raul Ibanez, are on the possible 2009 Team USA Roster.
Kosuke Fukudome said it would be an honor if he was asked to play for Team Japan for the second time. Fukudome made a name for himself in the States during the first World Baseball Classic.
Some teams were reluctant to allow their players to participate in the Inaugural Classic back in 2006 and several players backed out of the games due to injury (or injury concerns) as the tournament approached. The Cubs have not officially announced if they will allow Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Marmol to play for the Dominican Republic in the upcoming tournament.
Stay Tuned....
I think the WBC is a great invention and every MLB solid player should represent their country if they wish to. I do understand also the injury risk and the gamble/pressure this is to MLB teams. MLB is directly controlling this stage and most of the earnings $$$...so if they want players to play, they should have an insurance policy or some kind of agreement that guarantees that if a player gets injured the insurance policy will come in effect and cover each MLB team loss. Money wise that is.
Tin-Tin:
Is it true that you will be filing in for Carlos Beltran on team Puerto Rico?
nope! they don't like beer drinking non-switch hitters that can't catch a ball! lol
I hate the WBC. So many reasons. The fact that it disrupts spring training. The fact it makes the season start as week late and pushes the end of the season late as a result. The fact that it disrupts the flow of spring training. The fact that star players are missing out of camp depriving the spring fans who travel and enjoy spring training. The fact players run the risk of injury. That's the basics....
I just think it sucks. It's not about representing your country, it's about making MLB more money. If it was about representing the country, get the owners and players union to agree to about 10-14 less games in Olympic Years and take a break to send MLB players to the Summer Olympics. They would certainly add baseball back to the Olympics if MLB agreed to send the best athletes.
Further as for the Cubs "allowing" players to play. Forget It!
Alfonso Soriano?? He hasn't stayed healthy in the two seasons he has been with us. It should NEVER be allowed.
Carlos Marmol?? If he is the closer to be, then he should not be moved out of spring training.
Kosuke Fukudome?? With the way he ended last year, he should be in Arizona all spring hitting before practice, during and after working on his swing. Not participating in this.
Joe S.??? relax, you are going to have a heart attack! LOL! I agree with you on the down side it is to the MLB regular season that is what really matters to most of all in here. Yet, it is far better than spring training games, maybe not to you, but it is a big deal for the International teams that get a chance to see their home-town heroes representing their own countries. Don't get me wrong... on the injury thing I am as concerned as you but this is probably [to some players] the only time baseball is played for the love of baseball and not for the money. If I were a team owner, however, I would not like/let my players play.
lol I'm as relaxed as can be, until opening day anyhow....
Sure the game may be played for love and not money, but thats what the olympics are for. So, it really does come down to money, baseball wanted something that would be a cash cow for them, and it's the stubborn owners and players who can't work out an agreement to break for the olympics...because of what?? Money...so obviously the "desire" to play for their country only works for the players if it doesnt affect their precious million dollar income.
100% there with you Joe.