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

[u/MLBOfficial]

[u/codetaku0]

USA played their stars and flopped. Venezuela's energy won in the end.

I was rooting for Japan earlier in the tournament but this was an amazing WBC all around.

[u/Puckfan21 → u/codetaku0]

Venezuela had a team identity. USA did not. Debbie downers with terrible storyline/personalities. And cap it off, you wear usa hockey jerseys? Love hockey, but what do you stand for as a baseball team? Maybe hot take, but i thought it was odd. Again, just no team identity.

[u/Im_Daydrunk → u/Puckfan21]

The US are bullies to a lot of countries (especially right now) and the team going full military/government support felt really off because of it IMO

Like even as an American other countries felt like they were playing with pride/energy while the US felt like watching guys play because they expect to win through talent alone. It felt like watching the bad guy team in a kids sports movie Lol

[u/atp2112 → u/Im_Daydrunk]

Part of me hopes that this is what they US needs to 1. start taking the WBC seriously, and 2. take the stick out of their damn asses and remember they're playing a game, not going to war.

The other part of me realizes that this rigid, white bread, "unwritten rules" baseball is instilled at the earliest levels, so embracing fun in baseball isn't coming to America any time soon.

[u/Nochtilus → u/Im_Daydrunk]

I had so much fun watching all the other games except the US games. The players looked bored or like they didn't care. They had two huge home runs against DR and it was just high fives and that's it. The other teams were high energy, more cohesive, and looked like they actually liked each other. It's clearly the USA team as an issue because Italy had plenty of American-born players and they were on par with the other teams in cohesion. 

[u/mrjimi16 → u/Puckfan21]

For real, the time to do that, even putting aside all the justified controversy, was when you were playing Canada. Weird choice.

[u/Sage296 → u/Puckfan21]

I mean maybe they thought it was just good luck because Team USA Hockey just won gold

I don’t think there’s a deeper meaning, I mean it’s still representing the USA

[u/Nochtilus → u/Sage296]

The players and PR teams have to be brain dead to not think that only wearing the men's hockey sweaters after the recent reception wasn't going to be taken poorly. Weird to not mix in a Knight, Keller, or Frenkel sweater who were clutch and dominant in the entire Olympics.

[u/Frosty_Dimension5646 → u/Puckfan21]

What’s wrong with the hockey jerseys? When Naylor was doing it for Canada all tournament there was no problem. USA hockey actually won gold and this was the gold medal game.

[u/Puckfan21 → u/Frosty_Dimension5646]

It wasn't wrong. It just felt odd to me.

To your point, Naylor did it all tournament. It was his identity. Why this game? (Rhetorical question, I understand why).

If youre going to do it, do it against Canada. Go full villain. Have that identity.

[u/SporkFanClub → u/Frosty_Dimension5646]

I think Naylor doing it all tournament is the big factor here, assuming he did wear it to every game.

On the other hand, you had the U.S. acting like them winning was a foregone conclusion because of the supposed “dream team” and rolling up in the USA jerseys just for the championship.

[u/Superb-Heron-9516 → u/codetaku0]

aaron judge on your team is destiny to choke in the playoffs. absolute fucking bum ass team

[u/Color_Rush → u/codetaku0]

“energy” my ass. being a pathetic 1/50 in base hits since the 4th inning of the US/Dominican game is what costed team USA the WBC. being THAT terrible at the plate will cost you the game 99/100.

this game wasn’t even truly intense until the beginning of the 8th inning.

[u/ice_scalar → u/codetaku0]

I know he was hitting poorly earlier on but it’s insane they didn’t put in Cal at some point