The World Baseball Classic Lives On

Folks know by now my feeling on the WBC, but we’ve reached the point of silliness in what’s being posted and talked about as far as the significance of the event. If you want to see Ohtani vs. Trout, watch their intrasquad games. It might have happened that way already. If you think winning this tournament has any kind of real significance, like an Olympics? It doesn’t.  

Here’s a Weird Idea 

Buster Olney wanted to fly in pitchers to go on their pitching day. Seriously? Throwing in Spring Training in a laid-back Florida environment is way different than pitching in Japan and that’s why some pitchers like Max Scherzer didn’t go. It messes with their routine.  

The pitching issue in the WBC: Just give the option to all starters, in all camps, to step in and help their respective nation entrants. If a Verlander, Scherzer, etc. are lined up to throw on a given day–and it falls on the day of a WBC semi, final, let them travel to pitch.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) March 23, 2023

Astros Without Altuve 

Jose Altuve had surgery to repair his broken thumb that occurred at the World Baseball Classic. The prognosis says it will significantly delay his start of the 2023 season. That’s a big loss, the second-biggest injury of the tournament. Most are saying this one is a two-month injury. Now the bigger question is how many other smaller ones will occur before the season begins?  

Injuries Are Always Talked About in Spring Training 

Cardinals ace Adam Wainright is out with a strained groin and will miss several weeks. Phillies starter, Ranger Suarez may miss the start of the season with inflammation in his throwing arm. Atlanta Braves closer, Raisel Iglesias will start the season on the IL with “low-grade” shoulder inflammation. So far, the NL East has been impacted this spring.  

Around Full Press Coverage

NFL OPINION: Morten Andersen: The Toughest Place To Kick? For Me, It Was This Place

NFL: Joe Klecko: How Fate Changed My Life … And Sent Me To Canton

NFL: 2023 AFC West Free Agency Preview

NFL DRAFT: 2023 NFL Draft Profile: QB C.J. Stroud

FULL PRESS HOCKEY: After Trade Deadline, Leafs’ Major Experiments Will Happen on Defense

PODCAST: According To Who? Ep 2: Top 5 Super Bowls Of All Time

Phillies Rhys Hoskins Suffers Season-Ending Injury 

Phillie’s first baseman, Rhys Hoskins tore his ACL yesterday after a fielding play at first base. He needs ACL reconstruction surgery. In the last year of his contract, he may have played his last game with the Phillies. I think Alec Bohm will move to first base and Edmundo Sosa going in at third base. They have other options, but this makes sense.  

Brett Baty Has Great Spring Training Numbers 

So far, the Mets’ prospect third baseman is hitting .333 with a home run, six RBI, two steals, and a .469 on-base percentage. Mets veteran third baseman, Eduardo Escobar is hitting .136 with no home runs and one RBI in 22 at-bats. This is the one real competition in spring training where a rookie could unseat a veteran. If it were up to me, I would use Escobar for part-time DH and keep Baty with the big club. Other than Escobar’s one hot month last year, he didn’t have a great season otherwise and his slow start now is a warning bell for me.