Baseball is Dead: Is the WBC worth the injury risk?

The crew from the Baseball is Dead podcast get right to it and discuss all things World Baseball Classic, including Edwin Diaz’s significant injury and whether Mets fans are right to be upset about it.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This podcast contains adult language. Viewer discretion is advised.

Edwin Diaz is expected to miss the entire 2023 season after getting hurt following Puerto Rico’s victory over the Dominican Republic.

Jared had one word for Mets fans who want to attack the World Baseball Classic because of Diaz’s injury: STOP!

Jared acknowledges that Mets fans have had a rough track record of unlucky incidents befalling them and notes that if he was in that position he wouldn’t feel good about. However, he says where he draws the line is the people calling for the cancellation of the WBC or for it to get blown up. Jared notes that Diaz didn't even get hurt IN THE GAME but rather during a celebration after a victory. Jared also points out that Diaz could have sustained the same injury in the gym doing things like jumping jacks, jump rope, etc. He says it is ridiculous to blame the WBC for a fluke injury like that.

Jared also notes that players like Team USA’s Mookie Betts came out to defend the tournament, saying not to blame the WBC and it was a fluke accident and it could have happened to anybody anytime.

Dallas pushes back a little bit on Jared when he claims it means something to everyone because Dallas says that’s not necessarily true. Dallas says the vibe you get internationally in baseball is a vibe like you will never ever get anywhere else. For some players, he points out, being able to represent their country and face off against other countries is the real World Series for them. However, the vibe internationally has always superseded the vibe we’ve felt here in the United States and the WBC has put that on full display. He also points out that Shohei Ohtani is putting his big money future on the line every day in the WBC, as international players are looking beyond the inherent risk players take on every time they take the field. He says you see the international players saying they want to go represent their country and play on this stage because it means something to them and their culture and that just isn’t the case in America right now.

Jared went on to share a tweet from Adam Wainwright to help illustrate what the WBC means, even for Team USA.

Listen to the podcast or watch the video below for the full discussion!

SHOW BREAKDOWN

WBC Chaos

• Edwin Diaz was wheeled off the field after injuring himself celebrating Puerto Rico’s win over the Dominican Republic. This caused an outburst of baseball fans debating whether it’s worth it to play in the WBC or if the games even matter. Today we’re talking about the cultural and international impact the WBC has on the game of baseball and its significance in other countries. We’re looking at the record number of Japanese viewers who tuned into some of these games and talking about the potential record-breaking viewership totals we could see in the finals on Tuesday. After all the hype around the Dominican Republic lineup, they were bounced in the pool stage. Jared says his goodbyes and mourns for his hometown of Saugus Domingo. We’re also circling back to the USA roster and talking about the lack of American participation and passion for the tournament versus other countries. Enjoy!

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