If you’ve been reading this column up to this point you may have noticed that a lot of what I talk about here is football, which I do love. However, over the next couple months it will officially be baseball season, and baseball is my true passion.
Baseball will always hold a special place in my heart and throughout my career, however long it may be, I will be an optimistic proponent of the game of baseball. I will do my best to provide my most positive exclamations as to why the sport deserves more love and less hate from the younger generations.
One of the biggest events in the baseball world is going on right now, and just like the game itself, the World Baseball Classic, or WBC, deserves more love and attention.
Think of the World Cup in soccer, but instead it’s baseball. The World Cup receives extreme interest every four years and so should the WBC.
The WBC is a culmination of all of the best baseball countries coming together to compete in a bracket-style tournament in the two weeks leading up to the MLB season every four years.
The stars are truly out for the WBC, as you will see some of your favorite players repping their native countries. The WBC will show you that the MLB is full of athletes from all over the world.
Despite baseball being America's most beloved pastime, you may be surprised to find that the USA squad was not the favorite entering the tournament.
The favorite was the Dominican Republic, featuring MLB stars such as former AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez and veteran slugger Nelson Cruz.
However, as the tournament has progressed, no team has looked stronger than the USA, led by arguably the best player in the MLB, Mike Trout, and now WBC legend, Trea Turner.
The tournament, which will wrap up with the championship game, has featured some truly amazing baseball moments that all baseball fans should be ashamed to have missed.
What will go down as one of the most memorable WBC moments of all time came from the bat of Trea Turner for the USA. Turner blasted a grand slam over the left field fence in the eighth inning against Venezuela, a hit that put the USA in the lead to advance to the championship game.
Turner described that hit as the best of his career. This statement was groundbreaking due to the fact that Turner has appeared in multiple World Series games.
Many argue that the WBC is meaningless, which is absolutely absurd if you have watched any of the games so far.
The WBC is truly some of the best baseball that I have ever watched and it is great for the game of baseball. The games are so entertaining due to the teams that are full of players from many different MLB teams and showcase the best baseball talent the world has to offer.
It’s almost like an all-star game every day for two weeks.
Not only that, but the players clearly enjoy playing in the tournament. There’s bat-flips, there’s whole team celebrations, emphatic struts off the mound, sold-out crowds roaring upon every last moment and just about anything a fan could ask to see.
Players have described the WBC games as the most fun they’ve ever had playing the game of baseball and it shows in the way they express themselves on the field.
The tournament has brought fans from all teams together to root for their respective countries or even to just root for players from their favorite team who appear on a team in the WBC.
Another plus of the WBC is to see your favorite players play in meaningful baseball games. Players like Mike Trout have never appeared in an MLB postseason game because he has never been on the right team. Now, we get to see one of the best players in the league compete for a different kind of championship.
The WBC championship game will take place Tuesday, March 20 at 7 p.m. and the USA will take on either Japan or Mexico in what is sure to be an all-time classic baseball game. Trust me, you do not want to miss it.
Robert Keegan III is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views expressed in this column do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Robert? Tweet him @robertkeegan_
