The World Baseball Classic (WBC) begins this week. Like it or hate it, the first game, televised on ESPN, starts at 4:30AM Thursday EST with China vs. Japan.
Personally, I like the idea of the tournament. However, the timing of it is what I find disturbing. Some have suggested the tourney be played in November. In this way, if a player gets hurt, they have the winter to recuperate. But there are problems playing the Classic in the fall too. Most players will have shut it down at the beginning of October except for those teams who are in the playoffs. Getting back in game ready shape could be taxing. Plus after a long season, most players want to get away from the game. In other words, the union would fight it. With the NFL in full swing, the popularity of the classic could suffer too, at least in the United States.
Here's what I would do if I were exalted ruler of baseball. Every four years, suspend the regular season for two weeks in July then play the WBC instead of having a traditional All Star break. Heresy you say? Here me out.
Many will oppose this idea because it breaks up the flow of the regular season. On the other hand, that flow will only be broken up once every four years. The positive of a plan like this is that players will be in much better shape and pitch count rules would not be necessary. The fear of injury is reduced to some degree. While there might not be a perfect solution, this one eliminates most concerns and could ignite the popularity of the WBC. Major League Baseball, their players, and fans have to think bigger than what baseball means simply to America. After all, the idea of the WBC is to promote baseball on a global scale. Who does not want that?
Why would it be such a catastrophe to break up the season once every four years? The biggest argument against would be that holding the WBC in the middle of the season breaks up the flow and would likely effect pennant races. I would propose that during the years when the classic is played, the baseball season be split into a first and second half. In this way, the first half champions are determined before the Classic subsequently ending the "flow" that many would be concerned about. After the WBC, it's a whole new season as the second half begins with all teams at 0-0. The playoffs and World Series would take place as usual but during the WBC years, another round would be added to pit first half champions against second half champions. If you are old enough to recall, a first and second half season was improvised in 1981 due to a players strike that year. Plus, many of the minor leagues, both affiliated and independent, use such a format as well. Player awards would be based on the entire season, not each half. Each half would probably not be 81 games because the season would be too long. So obviously some details would have to be worked out.
If leagues of other countries would agree to this format, the two week layoff in July would be a great solution for the WBC. The tournament would be played with players in tip-top shape with no concerns over their current pennant races. A two week baseball tournament in the middle of the summer could become as huge as the World Cup in soccer. As radical an idea as this might seem, no idea should be dismissed without consideration. For the purist who would oppose such a change, promoting baseball through such an event will grow the talent pool. Players from all corners of the world could someday be making a difference for your team. And more importantly, this solution solves the problem of breaking up spring training when players are not in regular season shape or playing in the fall when everyone has basically taken their bats and balls and gone home.
The WBC is a work in progress and has already made a modification to its format. During the first WBC in '06, a round robin format was used in the first and second round. The problem with this format is too often multiple teams end with the same record forcing winners to be determined through tie breaking formulas. This year, a double elimination format is being used in the first two rounds providing two sure winners from each pool.
Regardless of what baseball does or what fans think, the WBC is not going away. The United States has a lot to say as far as how the Classic will be run. But make no mistake, there will be a WBC every four years. Instead of criticising and wishing it would go away, the best approach would be to figure out how to make it better. Moving the tournament to the middle of the summer would be a great start. After all, baseball is the summer game.
