As most of us know, the first World Baseball Classic tournament will be held in less than two months, at venues all over the world. Many teams are looking like powerhouses of talent, and it certainly will be exciting to see them play together representing their country, something that would be great to see in the Olympics if only the time conflict were not so pronounced.
The Boston Red Sox will have five representatives in the tournament. Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz will play for the Dominican Republic, an incredibly talented and DEEP team. Alex Cora will represent Puerto Rico, who is also expected to contend. The two Americans from the Sox are Jason Varitek and Mike Timlin, both outstanding faces for the franchise.
The tournament itself is not short. In case you're not familiar with its structure, here's the condensed version from the Official Site:
Some of the matchups could prove to be legendary. Still others may be hilarious. Can you imagine Mike Timlin pitching to Manny?
I'm very excited to watch some of these games, and to see players play with "USA" or "Dominicana" on their shirts.
So, who's the favorite?