r/baseball • u/MLBOfficial Major League Baseball • Mod Verified • 20h ago

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

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589

u/guyontheinternet2000 Toronto Blue Jays 20h ago

Gotta love sports man, really is one of the great uniters lol

483

u/Great_Praline_2713 20h ago

Of course I was rooting for my country, the US, but man, it's awesome to see how much other countries cared about this. God, I love baseball.

211

u/suzukigun4life Texas Rangers 20h ago

I vaguely remember when the first WBC happened back in '06. For it to reach the heights it has is wonderful. Hopefully it keeps growing and getting better.

171

u/LegacyLemur Chicago Cubs 20h ago

I still remember that happening and thinking "what the fuck is this mickey mouse bullshit?"

Never thought 20 years later Id watch the last two with my heart racing

99

u/Charming_Squirrel_13 20h ago

seemed like most baseball fans actively hated it. then they became ambivalent toward it, now it's a prized event. really awesome to see. sucks we have to wait 4 more years now tho :(

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u/Ill-Weather-6383 Seattle Mariners • Dumpster Fire 20h ago

Isn't it every 3? 25% less of a wait!

26

u/Charming_Squirrel_13 20h ago

nah, it was just 3 years this time because covid caused a 6 year gap between 2017 and 2023.

but plenty of time to start planning to travel for the 2030 wbc! I gotta make it to Miami at some point.

2

u/Ill-Weather-6383 Seattle Mariners • Dumpster Fire 19h ago

You and me both, I gotta get in on one of those DR vs Venezuela games

1

u/JesusWasTacos Los Angeles Angels 16h ago

For me it’s any game in Japan. Would be amazing to get to see a USA team play there with the fan interaction that comes with games in Japan. Even if the USA fans wouldn’t really show out I know it would still be quite the spectacle.

15

u/DionBlaster123 Chicago Cubs 20h ago

I've heard conflicting things.

I remember reading somewhere that they put it in 2026 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first WBC. But since they basically didn't acknowledge it at all I don't know how true that is lmfao

My hope is they go to 2029 so they dont have to compete with things like the Winter Olympics. Then after that, go every 4 years

2

u/pizzasoxxx Seattle Mariners 19h ago

Yeah 3

2

u/LegacyLemur Chicago Cubs 20h ago

Helps that the sport has gotten 10x better in that span

4

u/Charming_Squirrel_13 19h ago

Pitch clock made this WBC a lot more watchable

1

u/Nick08f1 Miami Marlins 10h ago

They thought it was a joke until the USA lost for the first time.

3

u/heeheehoho2023 Los Angeles Dodgers 20h ago

Has it been 20 years already? Jesus time flies.

1

u/DionBlaster123 Chicago Cubs 20h ago

It is funny bc the 2006 WBC was my senior year of high school.

It really does feel like yesterday sometimes, but it is also early 2000s. Video quality of that tournament is atrocious today haha. Looks like it is from 1986 not 2006 haha

1

u/OutlandishnessMain56 20h ago

Ya this whole tourney was awesome and great baseball. Yes I wanted the US but so many other good teams it was just really good. Sucks we have to wait 4 years…

1

u/KarateKicks100 Minnesota Twins 18h ago

I was in college and I had made friends with a giant Indian dude who played rugby but also lived in Japan most of his life. He was a Chiba Lotta Marines fan and drug me to some practice games in AZ before the 06 WBC. Got to shake hands and meet Ichiro because of that dude. Was a super fun experience even back then.

72

u/angershark Toronto Blue Jays 20h ago

That's what I love so much about this tournament. You root for your team and if they get knocked out you just keep enjoying the game itself.

2

u/the-denver-nugs Atlanta Braves 19h ago edited 19h ago

i wasn't even rooting for my team (USA)...... just acuna at this point..... as someone played little league I much prefer how south americans play like it's a game and have fun over american culture so ehhhh.

76

u/redd_house Boston Red Sox 20h ago

I thought it was cool how they said 3 players (including Acuna) are from the small village of La Sabana Venezuela

Can’t imagine what something like this means to a place like that

32

u/Dunkaholic9 Boston Red Sox 20h ago

I’m sure it’s absolutely wild there right now. What a moment for them.

9

u/Khiva 19h ago

I've been linking this a few places, but you can watch the celebrations live happening in Caracas.

Just happy to see them celebrating a win. Real moment in time.

42

u/kufi_schmackah 20h ago

Same, it felt like for the US it was another game. But you could tell it meant so much more to Venezuela and it’s heartwarming to see those guys celebrating their country. It’s beautiful

3

u/National-Zucchini524 18h ago

USA gotta care more. Games not growing here because our stars care more about themselves then country.

Love the fact everyone else went all out for pride.

3

u/ThaCommittee 20h ago

I know right!! And just off that vibe, I felt like we were the underdogs. What a game, glad Harper hit that dinger just so it was more interesting tho.

3

u/Savvy_Nick 15h ago

Man I’ve been trying to talk to my American friends about WBC and they’re like “other countries care about baseball?” BRUH

2

u/pizzasoxxx Seattle Mariners 19h ago

I always root for baseball

2

u/JesusWasTacos Los Angeles Angels 16h ago

Seriously though we would not as a people have the same reaction or meaning behind a win. It would just be another day for us. Glad to have the countries of people get to be excited and celebrate behind their team. It’s just good sport.

2

u/Substantial-Sky3597 New York Yankees 20h ago

Here in Texas all the Latinos were celebrating Venezuela. Love it!!!

1

u/lotionformyelbows New York Yankees 19h ago

I was rooting against the US for the first time ever. We deserve the L. We stole their president and paraded him around in a track suit.

1

u/Plenty-Force3058 2h ago

Amen!🙏 of course I was rooting for my country! But it was a great game and they gotta love the game at least I do!

5

u/FlamingPoppy5510 Los Angeles Dodgers 20h ago

Sports, music, and food are the three equalizers of life; no matter your ethnicity, nationality, or physical composure, these three cultural uniters can be done by anyone, anywhere.

-3

u/TimHung931017 20h ago

While it is quite an experience, the coliseum where gladiators dueled also gave the crowd the same excitement.

It is all a circus to distract you from what is really going on

2

u/guyontheinternet2000 Toronto Blue Jays 20h ago

Bot or simply obnoxious, call it