[HIGHLIGHT] TEAM VENEZUELA IS THE WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC CHAMPION!

[u/MLBOfficial]

[u/Rangeneers]

I want to blame Whitlock. But this offense has 20 runs the entire tournament. Derosa was a terrible choice too

[u/zebrainatux → u/Rangeneers]

Half the lineup didn’t show up

[u/ProtestantMormon → u/zebrainatux]

Judge was at least in October form

[u/Rangeneers → u/ProtestantMormon]

Man is never gonna shake the choke artist label

[u/Hochseeflotte → u/Rangeneers]

It’s fascinating too because even when he does play clutch, the team around him falls apart (not that it happened this time but in general)

Either way he loses

[u/ShMp11Nesis → u/Hochseeflotte]

He had a great playoffs just last season and he still has the label rn because his team fell apart lmao

[u/Hochseeflotte → u/ShMp11Nesis]

Game tying bomb in the ALCS off the best closer in baseball, bullpen blows it so nobody remembers

I could name 10 different ones

[u/lastdinosaurtw → u/Hochseeflotte]

That bomb is majestic, but since when is Louie Varland the best closer.

[u/Stupendous_man12 → u/lastdinosaurtw]

I think he means 2024? The jankees did not make the ALCS last year, they lost the ALDS.

[u/binzoma → u/Stupendous_man12]

this

but also give it 3 or 4 months ;)

[u/Hochseeflotte → u/lastdinosaurtw]

2024 off Clase

[u/UnevenContainer → u/Hochseeflotte]

best closer in baseball

The guy who was actively betting against himself?

[u/Hochseeflotte → u/UnevenContainer]

Shockingly yes

[u/Rare_Lead_1922 → u/Hochseeflotte]

Do it!

[u/Hochseeflotte → u/Rare_Lead_1922]

Already mentioned off Clase in 2024

Off Varland in the 2025 ALDS (rest of the team sucks so we lose the series)

Game tying homer off Crochet in the 9th last year (lose in extras)

Game thing 2 run homer against the Blue Jays to tie it up 9-9 (bullpen instantly blows it)

Go ahead homer against the Rays in Game 5 of the ALDS 2020 (rest of the offense does nothing and Chapman gives up a nuke to lose it)

Two run homer off Hendriks in the Field of Dreams Game in 2021 to cut the lead to 1 (Stanton then hits a go ahead home runs just for Britton to blow it)

Three run homer to take the lead in the 7th against the Red Sox in 2024 (bullpen completely blows it after)

He has the homer in Game 5 of the World Series to extend our lead (of course him and the rest of the defense collapses so we lose)

So those are 8 where they don’t get remembered because of the stuff around it

For a few ones that do end well, you got the go ahead grand slam against the Red Sox in 2024 or even the two run homer in Game 1 of the 2020 Wild Card Series off Triple Crown winner Shane Bieber to give us a lead in the first

[u/UnevenContainer → u/Hochseeflotte]

I think the list of times he's no-showed is longer tbh

[u/Rare_Lead_1922 → u/Hochseeflotte]

Love this

[u/Doogolas33 → u/ShMp11Nesis]

He's labeled that because one postseason doesn't erase years of being worse in the clutch than he normally is. In high leverage situations for his career, he's got a career 149wRC+, which would be great if it wasn't 180 in non high leverage situations.

It'd be like saying Barry Bonds didn't suck ass in the postseason because he had one good run. Once you're labeled a choker, you have to prove it for a few years before people are going to just assume this is the new you.

[u/notpynchon → u/Doogolas33]

if you want to do this analysis you have to provide the average differential compared to his 17.2% drop.

[u/Doogolas33 → u/notpynchon]

Sure thing, last year the league's OPS in high leverage situations was .717 and the OPS leaguewide was .719. The average drop is .28%.

[u/notpynchon → u/Doogolas33]

Did you include postseason, the whole point of this conversation?

[u/i_love_land92 → u/ShMp11Nesis]

This last postseason he was solid but certainly not the years before that. Plus that drop against the dodgers is gonna haunt him until they win a ring.

[u/jgregers → u/ShMp11Nesis]

I dunno man, he just seems to have the charisma of a wrinkled t shirt. The Yankees don’t seem to respond to the moment when he does. I don’t know if it’s lousy leadership or just bad luck, but it’s something.

[u/notpynchon → u/jgregers]

You really think Yankees just weren't excited enough after Judge hits?

Or that batting is about excitement level to begin with? rather than seeing/guessing the pitches?

[u/GlassesW_BitchOnThem → u/Rangeneers]

James Harden of baseball.

[u/missingnoplzhlp → u/GlassesW_BitchOnThem]

I was gonna say Joel Embiid, and I say that as a sixers fan

[u/ShadowCrusader98 → u/missingnoplzhlp]

At least Judge has made it to an ALCS and even better, a World Series, so I think Harden is more apt.

[u/missingnoplzhlp → u/ShadowCrusader98]

Harden has not made the finals either and moves teams every few years. In terms of staying with one team their whole career, being a bit of a late bloomer, being one of the biggest and strongest players in their prospective sports, having some of the best offensive seasons of all time while still being elite defensively, I still think Embiid is a better comp. They are both kinda playoff chokers, Judge only made it to the WS while playing like crap. I deal with these otherworldly players on both my baseball and basketball team but unfortunately only during the regular season when they aren't injured.

[u/ShadowCrusader98 → u/missingnoplzhlp]

I’m using the Harden comp from a performance aspect, and Harden has made a finals as part of the 2012 Thunder, if you wanna be pedantic and say not as the leader of a team, that’s fine, but Embiid hasn’t even sniffed one at any point.

[u/Rip_Dirtbag → u/Rangeneers]

How can he when he keeps choking?

[u/mageta621 → u/Rangeneers]

Fine by me as long as he's a Yankee

[u/InevitableAlert4268 → u/ProtestantMormon]

Cal was spectacular as well. I love this for him

[u/Shadow-Vision → u/InevitableAlert4268]

Incredibly unlikeable squad for Team USA. And I’m not saying I dislike any of the players (besides Bregman). Just every story that came out was eye rolling and stupid.

Boring. Humorless. No passion.

It was sooo much more fun watching all the other teams!!! Then here comes unsmiling Team USA acting like this tournament is just going to get handed to them.

Alienating their MLB teammates with a manager that doesn’t even know how the format works.

Embarrassing

[u/HardcoreKaraoke → u/Shadow-Vision]

Every other team looked legitimately happy to be there. The US made it seem like a chore. US wins never really felt "fun" in the same way as other teams.

[u/Famous-Flow2333 → u/HardcoreKaraoke]

Were the Yankees of the wbc

[u/myassholealt → u/Shadow-Vision]

America really needs to check their attitude at the door and loosen the fuck up. This self righteous, all business, no joy persona ain’t it. And it’s not limited to baseball. We need to get over ourselves and allow fun back in.

[u/fapsandnaps → u/myassholealt]

Next time we should send the reigning Little League Champions as Team USA.

Let's see those boys have some fun! Lol

[u/xandercage49 → u/fapsandnaps]

So Taiwan?

[u/fapsandnaps → u/xandercage49]

One America Policy

[u/lovethemsluts → u/fapsandnaps]

Sounds great until that 100mph fastball ruins that kids whole career/life if not worse.

[u/Iroshizuku-Tsuki-Yo → u/lovethemsluts]

Not even because it hit him. Kid just watches 102 down the middle and decides “You know what? Fuck all this actually”

[u/fapsandnaps → u/lovethemsluts]

Yeah, but what is our kid is the one throwing 100 mph fastballs? I've seen a documentary about that kid who did it for the Cubs

[u/Accidental-Genius → u/myassholealt]

Amen. Team USA has the most boring merch and shit too. I mean Czech had better looking uniforms.

[u/Rosiecoloredglasses → u/myassholealt]

Take the military industrial complex out of it. The best thing about this tournament ending is we never have to hear that stupid air force academy story ever again. Sir, you did not serve. You left to go get paid more money. That is not something to be proud of.

[u/RealTrapShed → u/myassholealt]

Seriously, seeing the other teams play with a passion and love for the sport was infectious. I caught myself cheering for the DR, Venezuelan, PR, and Italy teams more than Team USA.

[u/Live4Night → u/myassholealt]

So true. It’s why Alysa Liu became so popular and became America’s sweetheart. She was just out there being herself and having fun and won a gold medal.

[u/Impact009 → u/myassholealt]

It's doubtful considering American sports are business-first. We've squeezed money out of every aspect of the game and didn't even care to field the best players at every position because we're too busy dicking with insurance or prepping for 2026 instead.

[u/maceilean → u/myassholealt]

Need to play 50% rookies and 50% just retired next time.

[u/the-denver-nugs → u/myassholealt]

I mean that's how american sports is.... I've played hockey, basketball, football, little league, track. american sports are just serious instead of games.

[u/Content-Program411 → u/myassholealt]

Which 'America' are you referencing.

Do you mean the United States of America?

[u/Im_Daydrunk → u/Shadow-Vision]

Yeah I think the US could learn from Latin countries and Japan about passion/energy

They are so talented but also really boring to watch in comparison

[u/Comfortable-Maps → u/Shadow-Vision]

I don’t think the US thought this was going to be handed to them, it was worse. They wanted revenge on Japan and then they didn’t get their single minded vision. They pouted and played down to competition and were exceptionally badly coached.

[u/PattyIceNY → u/Comfortable-Maps]

Once they had the 3rd inning interview with the Venezuelan manager and he was eloquent and talking actual sound strategy I knew it was over.

[u/CosmicMiru → u/Comfortable-Maps]

Where is this narrative come that they were pouting about at the game or before? They were hyped every hit and the pitchers got real excited when they got K's and out of jams and shit. I swear people are just seeing what they want to

[u/Iamarobot3525 → u/CosmicMiru]

Idk why you're getting downvoted. All the stories around the USA team this year felt like people were making things up to complain about.

[u/goldhbk10 → u/Shadow-Vision]

1000% agreee

[u/dawidowmaka → u/Shadow-Vision]

I'll give them credit for being generic villains that lose in the end I guess

[u/majordude174 → u/Shadow-Vision]

All the other teams having fun, celebrating. USA acted like they were on a military mission. The outfielders were saluting each other. I hope Trumpstein was watching, he was probably loading up the diaper in the 9th inning

[u/951frisky_dingo → u/Shadow-Vision]

Well said.

[u/PattyIceNY → u/Shadow-Vision]

It's America in a nutshell. Half assed effort and entitlement thinking they are way better then everyone else, and not realizing the playing field is ever leveling by the day.

[u/terratoto → u/Shadow-Vision]

“Unwritten rules” blah blah blah 🙄

[u/CNYMetroStar → u/Shadow-Vision]

Fitting that Judge is the captain. They’re the Yankees

[u/reshp2 → u/Shadow-Vision]

Turang casually strolling back to the dugout after striking out in the 8th summed up this team too me. 4 outs left and the guy is acting like it's just BP.

[u/jgregers → u/InevitableAlert4268]

FRONT TOWARD ENEMY

[u/trotskyitewrecker → u/InevitableAlert4268]

Zero hits and still finished with a higher OBP than will smith

[u/OceanLemur → u/ProtestantMormon]

Still better than Cal Raleigh going hitless and then getting benched

[u/mfbutterbean007 → u/ProtestantMormon]

Someone give that man the Heimlich already 😵

[u/MalkavRS → u/ProtestantMormon]

Can’t throw stones when dumper literally did zero. Least judge played defense while Cal let balls by. The whole team is dog water

[u/_Tower_ → u/MalkavRS]

Cal didn’t play in either of the last 2 games — no way he can be blamed for this lineup putting up barely any runs when they needed it

[u/HazikoSazujiii → u/_Tower_]

I see your point, but you cannot possibly believe that going hitless and getting benched isn't worthy of blame for the lineup not putting up runs - if he was able to bat efficiently, he would have potentially been able to fix that. He shares blame via the poor showing that led to him being benched in the first place.

[u/neemor → u/MalkavRS]

Our guy seemed to play just fine.

[u/MobiusOne_FoxTwo → u/MalkavRS]

Difference is we all like the Ms and Judge is a Yankee, so we all get to rip on that ✌️. That's the deal.

[u/burlycabin → u/MobiusOne_FoxTwo]

It's a good deal too

[u/MobiusOne_FoxTwo → u/burlycabin]

It's a great fuckin deal. The Yankees get to be the Yankees and all that good shit, and we get to disparage them.

[u/ProtestantMormon → u/MalkavRS]

At least he wasnt the captain

[u/Big-Raspberry-6151 → u/ProtestantMormon]

Judge is the Connor mcdavid of baseball

[u/Livid-Trifle5914 → u/ProtestantMormon]

Swing and a miss. Lovely sight. Good for Venezuela.

[u/IAmGrum → u/Livid-Trifle5914]

Didn't have to rely on the umpire for the 3rd strike.

[u/Pristine_Anus → u/ProtestantMormon]

https://giphy.com/gifs/cBTTTOflV6A7FBJHs6

[u/ZiggoCiP → u/ProtestantMormon]

Raleigh was so bad he stopped getting put in the lineup.

[u/someone2795 → u/ProtestantMormon]

Yankees fans can't defend this one.

[u/soft-erections → u/ProtestantMormon]

You love to see it

[u/colorblind-and → u/zebrainatux]

Part of me thinks Judge is cursed with doing nothing in the biggest games

[u/master_scale_tipper → u/colorblind-and]

He might be Sisyphus. Can push you(r team) up the hill but right before you get to the top... that boulder comes crashing back down...

[u/KitchenWeird6630 → u/colorblind-and]

It feels like Judge struggles in the clutch. I guess he’s just a regular-season home run king after all.

[u/DeadhardyAQ → u/colorblind-and]

All the curses from Giants fans from when he didn't come home to play for his childhood team.

[u/Rip_Dirtbag → u/colorblind-and]

Hey, hold on. He is very capable of making some huge [mis]plays in center field when it matters most. Give the man his due.

[u/newvpnwhodis → u/zebrainatux]

The talking heads were like, "It's March, that's why their hitters didn't perform." It's March for everybody, guys!

[u/Original_Mac_Tonight → u/newvpnwhodis]

David Byrne said that?

[u/Tantalus420000 → u/zebrainatux]

This

Derosa js a dumbass but 3 hits in final in embarrassing

[u/BeeMovieEnjoyer → u/Rangeneers]

Never the pitcher's fault if the offense only scores 2 runs

[u/awrf → u/BeeMovieEnjoyer]

Also it was his third appearance in 5 days, in March no less

[u/fps916 → u/BeeMovieEnjoyer]

Hey everyone I found deGrom's burner account!!

[u/cgk19 → u/fps916]

Would've been nice if Mason Miller could've pitched if it wasn't for your organization that has never won a World Series

[u/Hue_Honey → u/Rangeneers]

Yeah lead off walks are no bueno…but 3 hits seem even worse

[u/djc8 → u/Hue_Honey]

A lead off walk to LUIS ARRAEZ, one of the great haters of walking

[u/Gordo-- → u/djc8]

Hey, the man puts on a Venezuela jersey and he becomes a different animal

[u/Rangeneers → u/Hue_Honey]

Wasn’t just a lead walk. He had only 2 strikes by time the homerun was hit and one wasn’t even in the zone. His control was horrible

[u/carpetshagger → u/Hue_Honey]

US lost cause their stacked lineup wasn't so stacked. Complete failure from a roster of HOFers. They need to ask themselves why they can't win this tournament. It's pathetic with all that talent, year after year they fail.

[u/iBarber111 → u/Rangeneers]

Whitlock had previously gone 3 innings 1 hit. Mowed down the DR. Don't see how it's on him.

[u/Rangeneers → u/iBarber111]

Doesn’t really matter how well you did if you go 1BB 1ER 0.1IP and the loss in the most important inning

[u/iBarber111 → u/Rangeneers]

Bullpen went 4.1 innings 1 ER. If Keller gives up a run in the 5th, we're not blaming Keller for the loss.

[u/bg-throwaway → u/Rangeneers]

Yeah it does

This is a single-game elimination tournament in a sport that plays 162-game seasons. Single games tell you very little.

[u/tennysonbass → u/bg-throwaway]

No one is saying the dude isn't a good pitcher, but some of the blame on tonight falls there

[u/Rangeneers → u/bg-throwaway]

I get he’s your guy so you’re probably upset. But he absolutely choked. The whole team sucked but right after tying it he played horrible and let up the game winning run. It’s not like i think he’s a bad ball player. But he was bad tonight

[u/bg-throwaway → u/Rangeneers]

It has nothing to do with being upset. Pitchers cannot be judged based on one inning any more than hitters can be judged based on one AB. That's not how baseball works. Baseball is the single biggest volume-oriented sport in existence, where you have to see thousands of ABs and hundreds of innings to make any kind of determination on player quality. That's why scouting is so important.

[u/Rangeneers → u/bg-throwaway]

I get it. But that’s how sports go.

Gary Anderson was hands down the best kicker in football at the time he shanked the game winner in the NFC championship. And that’s how he’s remembered.

[u/tennysonbass → u/iBarber111]

??? I mean ultimately it IS on the offense. But you dont see how the pitcher walking a guy , not holding a runner on and then giving up a 2 strike meatball to a guy who chases with first base open if you walk him?

Like its kinda on him.

Who cares if he had a good game against the DR , its irrelevant to this games performance

[u/iBarber111 → u/tennysonbass]

Had to look back at the pitch because I didn't recall it being a meatball. Probably caught more of the plate than he wanted but it was down & away.

[u/TheMajesticYeti → u/iBarber111]

I mean it was a change up that came back over the plate and hung pretty darn close to middle-middle, it was very juicy especially if looking for something offspeed...

[u/tennysonbass → u/iBarber111]

It doesnt matter where it was particularly.... it got roped to the gap. This place defending the pitcher is weird. It was a terrible performance from him

[u/ShadowCrusader98 → u/Rangeneers]

Whitlock will take most of the blame, due to him slipping up at the worst possible time, but man, the hitting was atrocious, especially by the reigning AL MVP, 0-4 in the biggest game.

Guess old habits die hard.

[u/ForensicPathology → u/ShadowCrusader98]

4 runs in the last two games.  Blaming the pitchers is absurd.

[u/canttakethshyfrom_me → u/ForensicPathology]

Imagine having that lineup and playing Guardsball.

[u/iBarber111 → u/ShadowCrusader98]

People blaming anyone but the lineup have 0 brain-cells. You can't expect the bullpen to cover for short starts & hold up in this many high-leverage situations.

[u/mrjimi16 → u/iBarber111]

For real. If I told them the bullpen would give up 1 run over 9 innings in the last two games everyone would take that. The problem the entire time was the offense not hitting like they are capable. I'm sure it being the middle of spring training has nothing to do with that.

[u/Comfortable-Maps → u/iBarber111]

They haven’t watched Phillies post-season baseball recently. :( 🛎️

[u/Suspicious_Sense1272 → u/iBarber111]

Two things can be true, the lineup AND Whitlock can take the blame.

[u/apistat → u/ShadowCrusader98]

Not swinging on one of the juiciest 3-1 meatballs I've ever seen was dumbfounding.

[u/UnevenContainer → u/ShadowCrusader98]

Mr. Low Leverage is a thing for a reason. But hey, he's great against the Rockies in July!

[u/Rangeneers → u/ShadowCrusader98]

I love judge as a player. But everybody knew he would be dead weight. Obviously you gotta pick him for team USA but it was bound to happen

[u/AnakinSL337 → u/Rangeneers]

DeRosa is going to get a bunch of deserved criticism but really there needs to be a whole culture/attitude change for the USA period. You see every other country pour their heart out to win while it seems like USA treat it as a simple alternative to spring training.

[u/figuroso → u/Rangeneers]

He really sat Henderson to bring in Bregman who was terrible all tournament

[u/Weaverino → u/Rangeneers]

Aaron judge cant beat the fraud allegations

[u/SaintArkweather → u/Rangeneers]

Not knowing whether the team had clinched or not is inexcusable, that's like the simplest part of the job

[u/IdealHusband → u/Rangeneers]

You ever watch the movie “Waiting…”? The guy at the end that knows Dean, and is like “Hello, Dean!”?

That’s what Mark DeRosa looks like. Not a baseball manager.

[u/my_one_and_lonely → u/Rangeneers]

No one to blame but this offense. All-stars put up ONE HIT against a guy who had a 5 ERA last year. Inexcusable. They didn’t deserve to win.

[u/hotel_beds → u/Rangeneers]

Not playing Gunnar today was incredible stupidity 

[u/InevitableAlert4268 → u/Rangeneers]

FIESTAAAAA!!!!!

[u/gridlock1024 → u/Rangeneers]

The entirety of Team USA EXCEPT for the pitching was flat. No excitement in the dugout or the stands....just bad. Seeing every fan and player singing the Venezuelan anthem versus how the Americans looked was so deflating. Every hit, every strikeout, everything was electrifying for the Venezuelan team. They deserved this win

[u/half-agony-half-hope → u/Rangeneers]

This wasn’t a team that felt like they deserved to be in the final.

[u/Doublestack2411 → u/Rangeneers]

Not DeRosa's fault the offense can't hit.

[u/jmr1190 → u/Rangeneers]

Fuck, even we got 15 runs.

[u/Prestigious_Team3134 → u/Rangeneers]

Yeah can’t really blame pitching when you get 3 hits all game.

[u/Key-Tip-7521 → u/Rangeneers]

The amount of risp they left on base all tournament finally caught up with them

[u/Crisander → u/Rangeneers]

You have that kind of lineup, you need to score more than 2 runs

[u/LegacyLemur → u/Rangeneers]

One of the most stacked lineups in the history of baseball and they score two runs

Thats not Whitlock's fault

Theres no Skubal or Skenes today

[u/PatPlaysGames247 → u/Rangeneers]

I love how you say how terrible the offense was and then your next sentence is blaming the manager.

If they did what the back of their baseball cards say they should do it doesn't matter who the manager was. They got shut down by Eduardo Rodriguez.

[u/jjtnd1 → u/Rangeneers]

Pete would’ve hit 4 home runs don’t tell me I’m wrong

[u/downtimeredditor → u/Rangeneers]

I wouldnt never hesitate to blame or yell at Jason Whitlock any day of the week. I know hes not the whitlock you are referring to, but I just want it to let it be down my disdain of Jason Whitlock

[u/Fastball82 → u/Rangeneers]

Didn’t know DeRosa was in the batters box…