Team USA Gearing Up For World Baseball Classic
The feeling is a bit different for the Team USA baseball team this time around. The last time the WBC was played, team USA got pretty much whipped. Exiting early in the second round was an embarassment for the guys of the red, white and blue. This season the team seems a bit more….humble about their chances. Having your tail handed to you will do that for an ego.
Ironic for a team that is absolutely loaded with all stars and baseball superstars.
Team USA sports a who’s who of baseball talent to be sure. The key is going to be getting them to gel in a very short period of time. The focus must be on being a great team, and not being a great individual. It can not be about photo shoots, fancy home runs, or even statistics. Those things are important as it is a professional sport. But the bottom line to any game of baseball is to play as a team, and win. That basic premise has always served the USA well, and there is not reason to change it now.
2006 was not like that. Team USA was all about looking good, and being great on paper. Nobody prepared, and nobody expected that we would be beaten so soundly, least of all the players. Now they are under no such assumptions.
Saturday when this World Baseball Classic kicks off in Toronto, Canada, I would expect that we will see a more serious, focused Team USA. I expect that the cleats will be screwed on tight, the extra base will be taken when available, and the hustle will be in high gear across the board. Team USA and the USA sporting community does not take well to embarassment.
Many say that the fact that Team USA had only one “warm up game” back in 2006 was part of the problem. Certainly not playing can rust the skills no matter how good they are. This season, spring training games were started earlier for that very reason. This is more proof that Team USA is more determined than ever to redeem themselves at the World Baseball Classic.
The biggest motivation to a professional athlete is to be beaten at his own game. Team USA went into 06 with an attitude that they were the team to beat and that they could not possibly lose. While confidence is a wonderful trait, too much of anything is a really bad thing. This season, watching how Team USA responds in the World Baseball Classic will be a fascinating study in how the world’s best athletes respond to adversity. I know I will be watching.
