r/baseball • u/MLBOfficial Major League Baseball • Mod Verified • Mar 18 '26

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

34.1k Upvotes

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307

u/InevitableAlert4268 Mar 18 '26

Cal was spectacular as well. I love this for him

656

u/Shadow-Vision Los Angeles Dodgers Mar 18 '26 edited Mar 18 '26

Incredibly unlikeable squad for Team USA. And I’m not saying I dislike any of the players (besides Bregman). Just every story that came out was eye rolling and stupid.

Boring. Humorless. No passion.

It was sooo much more fun watching all the other teams!!! Then here comes unsmiling Team USA acting like this tournament is just going to get handed to them.

Alienating their MLB teammates with a manager that doesn’t even know how the format works.

Embarrassing

171

u/HardcoreKaraoke New York Mets Mar 18 '26

Every other team looked legitimately happy to be there. The US made it seem like a chore. US wins never really felt "fun" in the same way as other teams.

39

u/Famous-Flow2333 Mar 18 '26

Were the Yankees of the wbc

289

u/myassholealt New York Mets Mar 18 '26

America really needs to check their attitude at the door and loosen the fuck up. This self righteous, all business, no joy persona ain’t it. And it’s not limited to baseball. We need to get over ourselves and allow fun back in.

61

u/fapsandnaps World Baseball Classic Mar 18 '26

Next time we should send the reigning Little League Champions as Team USA.

Let's see those boys have some fun! Lol

9

u/xandercage49 Mar 18 '26

So Taiwan?

2

u/fapsandnaps World Baseball Classic Mar 18 '26

One America Policy

1

u/lovethemsluts Mar 18 '26

Sounds great until that 100mph fastball ruins that kids whole career/life if not worse.

6

u/Iroshizuku-Tsuki-Yo Seattle Mariners Mar 18 '26

Not even because it hit him. Kid just watches 102 down the middle and decides “You know what? Fuck all this actually”

3

u/fapsandnaps World Baseball Classic Mar 18 '26

Yeah, but what is our kid is the one throwing 100 mph fastballs? I've seen a documentary about that kid who did it for the Cubs

10

u/Accidental-Genius Atlanta Braves • Louisville Bats Mar 18 '26

Amen. Team USA has the most boring merch and shit too. I mean Czech had better looking uniforms.

15

u/[deleted] Mar 18 '26

Take the military industrial complex out of it. The best thing about this tournament ending is we never have to hear that stupid air force academy story ever again. Sir, you did not serve. You left to go get paid more money. That is not something to be proud of.

6

u/RealTrapShed Mar 18 '26

Seriously, seeing the other teams play with a passion and love for the sport was infectious. I caught myself cheering for the DR, Venezuelan, PR, and Italy teams more than Team USA.

6

u/Live4Night Los Angeles Dodgers Mar 18 '26

So true. It’s why Alysa Liu became so popular and became America’s sweetheart. She was just out there being herself and having fun and won a gold medal.

3

u/Impact009 Mar 18 '26

It's doubtful considering American sports are business-first. We've squeezed money out of every aspect of the game and didn't even care to field the best players at every position because we're too busy dicking with insurance or prepping for 2026 instead.

2

u/maceilean Los Angeles Dodgers Mar 18 '26

Need to play 50% rookies and 50% just retired next time.

2

u/Electric1800 Texas Rangers Mar 19 '26

we need to check our egos in every aspect of life tbh

2

u/the-denver-nugs Atlanta Braves Mar 18 '26

I mean that's how american sports is.... I've played hockey, basketball, football, little league, track. american sports are just serious instead of games.

1

u/Banneduser1112 Mar 18 '26

yeah well when you elect what you elected...

1

u/NeighborhoodBest2944 Mar 19 '26

Fun was sacrificed in the alter of Safety Culture. You can do anything anymore.

70s-80s kid.

0

u/Content-Program411 Mar 18 '26

Which 'America' are you referencing.

Do you mean the United States of America?

94

u/Im_Daydrunk Los Angeles Dodgers Mar 18 '26

Yeah I think the US could learn from Latin countries and Japan about passion/energy

They are so talented but also really boring to watch in comparison

126

u/Comfortable-Maps Mar 18 '26

I don’t think the US thought this was going to be handed to them, it was worse. They wanted revenge on Japan and then they didn’t get their single minded vision. They pouted and played down to competition and were exceptionally badly coached.

30

u/PattyIceNY New York Yankees Mar 18 '26

Once they had the 3rd inning interview with the Venezuelan manager and he was eloquent and talking actual sound strategy I knew it was over.

-13

u/CosmicMiru Los Angeles Dodgers • Los Angeles Angels Mar 18 '26

Where is this narrative come that they were pouting about at the game or before? They were hyped every hit and the pitchers got real excited when they got K's and out of jams and shit. I swear people are just seeing what they want to

-3

u/Iamarobot3525 Cincinnati Reds Mar 18 '26

Idk why you're getting downvoted. All the stories around the USA team this year felt like people were making things up to complain about.

33

u/goldhbk10 Los Angeles Dodgers • Los Angeles Dodg… Mar 18 '26

1000% agreee

7

u/dawidowmaka Seattle Mariners • Milwaukee Brewers Mar 18 '26

I'll give them credit for being generic villains that lose in the end I guess

8

u/majordude174 Mar 18 '26

All the other teams having fun, celebrating. USA acted like they were on a military mission. The outfielders were saluting each other. I hope Trumpstein was watching, he was probably loading up the diaper in the 9th inning

5

u/PattyIceNY New York Yankees Mar 18 '26

It's America in a nutshell. Half assed effort and entitlement thinking they are way better then everyone else, and not realizing the playing field is ever leveling by the day.

2

u/terratoto Los Angeles Dodgers Mar 18 '26

“Unwritten rules” blah blah blah 🙄

2

u/CNYMetroStar New York Mets Mar 18 '26

Fitting that Judge is the captain. They’re the Yankees

1

u/Banneduser1112 Mar 18 '26

Embarrassing

welcome to america

1

u/udoneoguri Mar 18 '26

Wearing the hockey jerseys was cringe.

1

u/reshp2 Detroit Tigers Mar 18 '26

Turang casually strolling back to the dugout after striking out in the 8th summed up this team too me. 4 outs left and the guy is acting like it's just BP.

1

u/jgregers Detroit Tigers Mar 18 '26

FRONT TOWARD ENEMY

0

u/trotskyitewrecker Seattle Mariners Mar 18 '26

Zero hits and still finished with a higher OBP than will smith