Tag: 2023 World Baseball Classic

The Diamondbacks plan to recreate the Boston Tea Party in Phoenix for the USA-Great Britain WBC showdown

Cheerio!

There’s nothing like some international sporting competition to bring out the inner patriot in everyone — no matter how latent.

On Saturday night, the United States will open up its run at the World Baseball Classic with a matchup against Great Britain at Chase Field in Phoenix, and it seems the hosting Arizona Diamondbacks have felt a swell of national pride.

The team’s official Twitter account got in on the action, promising fans that it would dump tea in the stadium’s outfield swimming pool at the first pitch of Saturday night’s game in an homage to the Boston Tea Party if the post received at least 1,776 retweets.

It only took a little over an hour.

That’s right.

The United States is among the favorites to win the event alongside the Dominican Republic, and it seems Great Britain will have to face it in a hostile environment (if the Diamondbacks hold up their end of the bargain).

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1374]

[mm-video type=video id=01gtkxhmx0qm6pama97p playlist_id=01f09p3bf720d8rg02 player_id=01gp1x90emjt3n6txc image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gtkxhmx0qm6pama97p/01gtkxhmx0qm6pama97p-6f1cbb1d286fb2d3952a65d879dff6fe.jpg]

Jose Altuve hit the weirdest single against the Astros in a World Baseball Classic tune-up

This was definitely conflicting for Astros fans, that’s for sure.

This may just be the weirdest single Jose Altuve ever hits in his baseball career.

On Wednesday, the Houston Astros played in a spring training exhibition game against Venezuela ahead of the 2023 World Baseball Classic. The upcoming baseball tournament — which was last played in 2017 — will give fans something to cheer for this month as we continue on this slow crawl to Opening Day on March 30.

Unfortunately for Astros fans, this game left many conflicted about who to cheer for as Altuve is currently playing for his home country of Venezuela during the tournament. Not only that, Altuve hit a first inning single off the first pitch he faced against his current team!

Totally weird! The pitch was definitely an easy one for Altuve to line to left, as it hung right down the middle for him to pull for the single.

Astros fans weren’t sure how to feel after Altuve’s first-pitch single against his current team in a World Baseball Classic exhibition game.

Each country’s hat at the 2023 World Baseball Classic

A tip of the cap to all teams competing at the 2023 World Baseball Classic

Baseball is back, but not the Major Leagues just yet.

The World Baseball Classic began on March 7. Players from across MLB and the globe will represent their countries, vying a spot in the final in Miami.

There’s no better way to support your country in the WBC than with an appropriate cap.

New Era designed and created all the looks for every team while Fanatics is bringing it to the fans.

The full line of World Baseball Classic hats can be found below via Fanatics, who are offering free shipping on each purchase at the start of the tournament.

Shohei Ohtani needed just one knee to mash an absurd 420-foot home run in a WBC tune-up

Ohtani made this look way too easy.

Shohei Ohtani is already achieving the unfathomable, and we’re still a little under a month before the Los Angeles Angels actually begin their 2023 regular season. He’s just doing it in a different — albeit familiar — uniform for now.

On Monday, during a 2023 World Baseball Classic exhibition in Japan, Ohtani played for Japan for the first time since he was 21.  He essentially hadn’t appeared with his home nation’s team since joining the Angels in 2018.

Ohtani made it well worth the wait in his glorious return to the Kyocera Dome against the Hanshin Tigers.

At the top of the third inning, pitcher Hiroto Saiki gave Ohtani a solid meatball over the plate. The superstar dropped to one knee (!) and absolutely destroyed the baseball going the other way for a 420-foot home run:

Oh, my word. Just imagine having that kind of power where you can mash a ball that far, and it barely needs any leg drive. Take a bow, Ohtani.

But was he done? Friends, no, he was not.

Later, Ohtani would cruise through a routine three-run blast:

Ohtani would finish the day 2-of-3 with two homers and six (6!) RBIs. Remember, this was supposed to be a tune-up! And for others, I bet it was. For Ohtani, even on a day where he hits dingers from one knee, it’s clear the extraordinary remains ordinary to him.