GREAT SUNDAY STUFF
THE WBC IS WINDING DOWN AND THE EXCITEMENT IS PUMPING UP
JAYSON STARK HAS A WBC PLAN, SO DOES BILLY-BALL
Okay, let’s start by reminding you that Jayson Stark is one of my heroes. I mean, really big time. If I were a kid now, instead of being the immature senior citizen that I am, and somebody asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, “Jayson Stark” would be one of my possible answers.
So when Jayson comes up with an idea, I pay attention. He has a plan to change the WBC time frame so that it reaches a larger audience and enables more stars to participate.
Here’s the JS/WBC concept:
Pool play: Keep it like it is done now. In the first half of March, send 20 teams to four sites around the world and play until just eight teams survive and advance.
Final three rounds: Move the WBC’s Elite Eight, Final Four, and Finals to July to the site of the All-Star Game, creating “Baseball Week in America” (all on the same field):
Saturday: MLB Draft
Sunday: Futures Game
Monday: Home Run Derby
Tuesday: All-Star Game
Wednesday: Elite Eight doubleheader
Thursday: Elite Eight doubleheader
Friday: Semifinal doubleheader
Saturday or Sunday: WBC championship game
Billy-Ball has some issues with this (so what else is new?), but I’m willing to play along with the overall concept Jay proposed: prelims in March, then move the final rounds to July. There are obvious travel issues, such as asking Japan and other teams to trek to the States, which seems very unfair. Even always playing the games in the U.S. seems like a distinct disadvantage to other countries, but let’s ignore them for the moment.
Saturday: I don’t like the MLB draft held at this point in the season. I would much prefer the GMs focusing on the trade deadline that is a fortnight away. However, we do need something on Saturday because there needs to be a travel day for players. Play the Futures Game here and make it an international competition. To be honest, I have no idea how it is played now since I don’t watch it and probably won’t in the future.
Here’s the JS/BC/WBC concept:
Dump the HR Derby in WBC years. While I would be happy to dump it altogether, I know it is a big moneymaker for baseball. I would rather see a skills competition. If it must be played, make it Sunday night baseball. The ratings will be huge.
Dump the All-Star Game in WBC years. Jayson’s concept already cannibalizes the ASG. For example, Tarik Skubal will not start, or even pitch, in the All-Star Game if he can pitch for Team USA.
Sunday: Skills competition in the afternoon and HR Derby on Sunday night
Monday: WBC Group A Quarter Finals doubleheader
Tuesday: WBC Group B Quarter Finals doubleheader
Wednesday: WBC Futures Semi-Finals doubleheader/ WBC Old Timers Game(s)
Thursday: WBC Group A Semi-Finals
Friday: WBC Group B Semi-Finals
Saturday: WBC Futures Finals (no major leaguers)/ or WBC All-Star Game
Sunday: The WBC Finals on Sunday Night Baseball.
Monday: Travel day
There are many things I don’t like about my idea, such as the Saturday night action. I don’t think there is enough interest in the Futures contests to justify two nights during this week of play. I would love to hear your comments and suggestions.
A QUIZ QUESTION FROM SHERROD BROWN
Friend of Billy-Ball, the three-term former U.S. Senator, Sherrod Brown has launched a campaign to run for the U.S. Senate in Ohio in 2026. Sherrod’s professional focus is on the “dignity of work” and strengthening ties with organized labor. He is a needed voice in the U.S. Senate. Sherrod’s personal focus is on baseball, the Guardians, and defeating the Yankees.
Here is the baseball trivia question he sent me:
In 1901, when the modern MLB was established, what were America’s five largest cities? It IS a baseball question.
WE NEED SHERROD BROWN IN THE U.S. SENATE
You can help to bring back one of the country’s most important voices to the U.S. Senate by making a contribution on his site.
ALL BILLY-BALL QUIZ ANSWERS ARE AT THE END
THE BILLY-BALL WORDLE
You’re invited to play a WORDLE created by BILLYBALL.
The clue is: “AN APROPOS BASEBALL WORD.”
THE GROUNDS CREW
Team Italy keeps rolling as smoothly as a master rolling out pizza dough. Last night, they defeated Team Puerto Rico and advanced to the WBC semifinals. They will face Venezuela, which upset Japan, in Monday’s semifinal in Miami. Earlier in the week, the Italian team captain, Vinnie Pasquantino, had the World Baseball Classic’s first three-homer game, leading Italy over Mexico. He has never hit three homers in a regular-season game and has only had three two-homer games: Last July 4 (against Arizona) and 23rd (versus the Cubs), and on August 1, 2024, against the Tigers.
In last night’s win over Puerto Rico, Team Italy did everything but homer. That meant no espresso in the dugout. But that didn’t tamp down the manic energy. Take a listen:
You can’t capture the excitement that non-US countries have when they achieve success in the WBC. Look at the Italian sports section today. All they usually care about is soccer.
Look at Team Venezuela’s reaction to Wilyer Abreu’s homer that put them in the lead last night against Japan.
Here are US examples of the sports page.
The WBC is not on the Americans’ radar. March Madness and the wind-up to the NBA season take precedence. I have no problem with that, but that is why I continue to root for the non-U.S. teams that value the WBC much more than the States.
FYI: Six likely starters for the D.R.: Ketel Marte, Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Junior Caminero, Austin Wells, and Gerardo Perdomo, are a combined 0-21 versus Paul Skenes. Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. have never faced him. Julio Rodríguez is 3-6 with two doubles. The starter for the D.R. will be right-hander Luis Severino. Starting pitchers in the WBC semifinals are limited to a maximum of 95 pitches per game. They are allowed to exceed this limit only to finish facing a specific batter.
TRUE OR FALSE
Gary Sanchez has hit 189 homers in his career (that’s true). The only team he has not homered against is the St. Louis Cardinals.
Greg Maddux recorded at least one stolen base in 10 different seasons without ever being caught stealing.
Bob Uecker homered off Sandy Koufax, Gaylord Perry, and Ferguson Jenkins.
Tony Gwynn struck out just three times against each of these HOF pitchers: Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz.
THE GUARDIANS HAVE SOLD OUT
The Cleveland Guardians announced that the club’s Home Opener on April 3 against the Chicago Cubs is sold out. The sellout marks the 33rd consecutive Opening Day full house at Progressive Field since the ballpark first opened in 1994.
FRIDAY NIGHT BASEBALL ON APPLE TV
The broadcast teams for Apple TV’s slate of Friday games include Wayne Randazzo, Alex Faust, and Rich Waltz on play-by-play, Dontrelle Willis and Ryan Spilborghs as analysts, plus Heidi Watney and Tricia Whitaker as field reporters.
RANK ‘EM
This WBC trivia question is from the folks at Yahoo! Sports.
Rank the eight WBC quarterfinalists (Canada, Dominican Republic, Italy, Japan, Puerto Rico, South Korea, USA, Venezuela) by population (largest to smallest)?
NAME ‘EM
Thus far, Max Scherzer has pitched for six teams.
Scherzer is the only player to pitch for four different World Series teams. Name them.
Name the two World Series-winning teams he pitched for.
Now name the other two teams he pitched for that did not reach the World Series.
CARLOS BELTRAN GETS HIS #15 RETIRED
The Hall of Fame outfielder Carlos Beltrán’s number 15 will be retired by the Mets this season during a ceremony at Citi Field. Beltrán will also be inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame on that day.
NAME THE METS
Beltrán will become the ninth Mets player to have his number retired.
How many of the other eight can you name?
Do not include Casey Stengel (37) and Gil Hodges (14), who played 65 games for the Mets; their numbers were retired as managers.
DAWSON’S HOF CAP GOES BLANK
Several years ago, Andre Dawson, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010 with a Montreal Expos hat on his plaque, will now be featured with a blank cap. When he was elected, the Hall chose the Expos cap for Hawk since he spent the first 11 years of his MLB career with them. But for Dawson, the next six he spent with the Cubs were the most impactful, and three years ago, he requested that his plaque be changed to a Cubs hat. Blank caps were not an option at that time.
“I always felt that I was a Cub in the Hall of Fame. I just had the ‘M’ on the cap,” Andre Dawson
Jane Forbes Clark, chairman of the Board of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, said in a statement, "The Hall of Fame Board of Directors voted unanimously to provide Andre Dawson with the option of having no logo on his Hall of Fame plaque, which will be recast to reflect his wishes."
The Billy-Ball position has long been discussed: if you play with more than one team, the cap should be blank. I believe we are honoring the individual player's overall play, not just his performance in particular laundry he became best known for. It will save us all a lot of aggravation when Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani are inducted. While I know that upsets the fans of David Ortiz, who played for the Twins before he joined the Red Sox, I think of players such as Dawson, Roy Halladay, Mike Mussina, Greg Maddux, Fred McGriff, Tony La Russa, and Catfish Hunter, all of whom opted for a blank cap. There are numerous others in this group, including the biggest surprise: Yogi Berra. Yogi played 18 seasons with the Yankees and four games with the Mets.
THE ONE AND ONLY HOFer QUIZ
Who is the only player with an Angels cap in the Hall?
Who is the only player with a Blue Jays cap in the Hall?
Who is the only player with a Diamondbacks cap in the Hall?
Who is the only player with a Royals cap in the Hall?
BONUS QUESTION #1
Now that Andre Dawson does not have an Expo cap, who are the two remaining players wearing Montreal’s cap?
BONUS QUESTION #2
What cap did Nolan Ryan choose to wear?
Not a quiz question: What cap will Justin Verlander wear on his Hall of Fame plaque? Tigers? Astros? Blank? Certainly not the Mets.
WILL CARROLL ON INJURY TERRITORY
Last Sunday, I told you how great it was that the Foul Territory network of podcasts added Tim Kurkjian (and his son Jeff) to their lineup. This week, I want to point you to a friend of Billy-Ball, Will Carroll, who provides Injury Territory. Will is a baseball injury expert, and in this episode below, he provides information on the injuries and the health of Hunter Greene (Reds), Francisco Lindor (Mets), Aaron Judge, Carlos Rodon, Gerrit Cole (Yankees), and Kyle Teel (White Sox). Not everyone will be interested in every player’s ouchie, but you can jump around to learn about the players you care about.
UNIFORM QUIZ
What was so unique about this 1960 White Sox road uniform?
SUNDAY FUNNIES
THE OSCAR (GAMBLE) FOR BEST WBC TEAM HAIR
Goes to Team Puerto Rico
MATT VASGERSIAN IS DOING DOUBLE DUTY
Friend of Billy-Ball, the very talented play-by-play announcer Matt Vasgersian, will be doing double duty in the Opening Days this season. Matty will handle the play-by-play for Netflix’s Opening Night, when the Yankees visit the Giants at Oracle Park on March 25. Then, the next day, Vasgersian makes his NBC Sports season debut when he will be in the booth at Citi Field as Paul Skenes and the Pirates visit Juan Soto and the Mets at 1 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
I asked him how this is going to work out, and he told me, “I’m pretty sure Freddy Peralta isn’t going to hold the ball until I get there, so I’ll be rooting for an on-time arrival that day. And some Vinny Pasquantino-strength caffeine.”
LIKE JACKIE WILSON SAYS
“Baby workout.”
