Sports Writing, Mar 21 (EFE).- The V World Baseball Classic, which consolidated Japan on Tuesday as the most successful in its history with three titles, left great records, curious anecdotes, sad moments, the first evasion and the promise that the appointment of twenty countries will return in 2023.
TURNER, A 300 MILLION DOLLAR NINTH BAT
“I keep asking myself every time he hits a home run, who’s the idiot that has him batting ninth?” The debate was fueled with fine irony by United States manager Mark DeRosa, and the player he alludes to is none other than shortstop Trea Turner.
Born 29 years ago in Boynton Beach, Florida, very close to where the Americans and Japanese played in the final of the V World Classic, Turner was the object of desire for which the Philadelphia Phillies promised 300 million dollars in a contract last year. for eleven seasons.
But DeRosa decided that Turner would be his ninth hitter on the Stars and Stripes team, and with that assignment he became a real pitcher-killer.
On March 11, he arrived at the batter’s box in the eighth inning with the bases loaded and his team down on the scoreboard against a Venezuelan team that was beginning to celebrate their undefeated pass to the semifinals.
“It was the biggest hit I’ve had in my career,” he declared after sealing the 9-7 comeback victory.
A day later, he hit two home runs that rounded off Team USA’s overwhelming victory over Cuba 14-2 and the pass to the final of the tournament that he already won in 2017.
This Tuesday, when the upper part of the second inning of the final was taking place, Turner once again took the ball out of the park and established the minimum advantage over Japan.
“THIS JUST BEGINS”, ANNOUNCES THE NEW MEXICAN IDOL
Born 28 years ago in Cuba, but nationalized two years ago in Mexico, Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Randy Arozarena became a sort of symbol and amulet of the Tri’s most important campaign in the tournament.
In addition to his technical quality, the player from Pinar del Río patented during the six games of the Mexican campaign unique ways to celebrate the result of his hits, or the acrobatic catches of the ball to frustrate his rivals.
The number 56 unleashed an authentic ‘Arozamanía’ by putting on a typical charro hat as soon as he reached the ‘dogout’ or putting on the ‘power boots’, to which he has attributed powers of good luck.
But the most celebrated and imitated gesture has to do with the rigid posture with crossed arms and a look of disdain that he offers for seconds to celebrate his producer hits.
The mystery of his attitude was revealed with humor three days ago: “to look better in the photo.”
The elimination against Japan in the semifinal game was evaluated with optimism towards the future by Arozarena.
“My dream does not end here, this is just beginning and we will come back stronger,” he wrote.
A SAD CLASSIC FOR THE BORICUA DÍAZ AND THE VENEZUELAN ALTUVE
The World Classic that rounded off 17 years of history was costly and painful for the Venezuelan José Altuve and the Puerto Rican Edwin Díaz.
On March 18, in the middle of the quarterfinal game, which ended a brilliant campaign for Vinotinto against the United States team, ‘Astroboy’ Altuve had to leave the field of LoanDepot Park after being hit by a ball on his right hand. .
The Houston Astros second baseman underwent an X-ray that confirmed a fractured thumb, which will require him to undergo surgery and then is estimated to remain in dry dock for eight to 10 weeks.
Pitcher Edwin Díaz had worse luck on March 13.
The New York Mets closer tore the patellar tendon in his right knee. The unusual thing was that it happened when he was celebrating with his teammates from the Puerto Rico team the pass to the quarterfinals with a victory over the Dominican Republic 5-2.
Díaz had to leave the field in a wheelchair and due to the severity of the injury he will miss the 2023 Major League Baseball season, which begins on March 30.
PRIETO, THE FIRST CUBAN DESERTER IN THE HISTORY OF THE CLASSICS
Backup catcher Iván Prieto González managed not to board the plane that took Team Asere from Miami to Havana on Monday, shortly after being eliminated in the semifinals by the United States.
Born in Holguín 27 years ago, the former player from Alazanes to Granma apparently escaped from the team’s concentration hotel, although other journalistic versions say that he arrived with the delegation at the airport, but did not take the flight that left Monday at 6:30 a.m. hours and arrived three hours later on the island.
The Cuban team had players from the Major Leagues for the first time in the history of the World Classic, but Prieto expanded the list of deserters and became the first in the competition.
THE WORLD CLASSIC WILL RETURN IN 2026
Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred announced Tuesday that the sixth edition of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) will be played within three years, although the pending issues have to do with the dates and venues of the games.
According to Manfred, the only thing decided is that it will not be after the MLB postseason, “since the players would be very loaded.”
He admitted that the option of scheduling the three-week tournament in the middle of the Major League season has been evaluated, although he admitted that it is “not” the “ideal and perfect” option.
