Tigers’ pitcher Tarik Skubal announced that he will only be making one start in the World Baseball Classic, and it will be during pool play against Great Britain.
Maybe the patriotic juices are still flowing through my blood from the USA vs Canada Olympics gold medal game, but it’s a joke that Skubal is wasting a spot for Team USA in the WBC. We just watched the United States’ men’s team travel to Milan in the middle of their season and battle it out for two weeks to take home the gold. I mean, Jack Hughes broke multiple teeth, continued playing, and scored an eventual game-winner for the Americans.
Then you have a guy like Skubal, the exact opposite type of guy. He’s not going to take a chance on getting injured before he eventually leaves the Tigers to chase a massive paid day in free agency. There’s no I in team, but there certainly is one in Tarik.
Baseball has struggled to gain and retain a younger fan base in the U.S. market, and the World Baseball Classic should be the chance to captivate the American audience. Instead, players are going to treat the event like a glorified exhibition, rather than giving it the respect it deserves.
The NHL is starting to catch up to MLB in market share because they have continually made smart moves. First, the Four Nations Classic was a smashing success, and because of how great that event was, the Olympics had so much more hype entering Sunday. The game, being an instant classic, also helped grow hockey.
I know multiple people who never watch hockey, and we’re tuned in for USA vs Canada. It’s easy for an audience to get invested in a sport when they’re rooting for their country, and that’s what we should be pushing in baseball.
But that sort of risk is something the other major sports in the US would never take. Putting an entire season on pause so the best players in the world are competing on the biggest stage? The other major sports would never do that, especially in an event like the Olympics, where they aren’t even cut into any of the revenue shares.
Until all of the best players buy in and participate in the WBC, the event will always be a glorified exhibition. It’s just a shame, because the games have been so memorable, and we should be seeing the best players in the world compete in an exciting event. And for Tarik Skubal, if you’re not going to be all in on Team USA, there’s no reason for you to be competing at all.
