Imagine the Possibilities
The inagural World Baseball Classic kicks off in March 2006. For three weeks, ball players from all over the world will join together to create 16 country-represented teams (China, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Korea, Canada, Mexico, South Africa, United States, Cuba, Netherlands, Panama, Puerto Rico, Australia, Dominican Republic, Italy and Venezuela.). These teams are set to be comprised of the best players in the game. These teams will meet in four different location around the globe (Arizona, Japan, Orlando, Puerto Rico) for the first round. From there, the the Classic will meet in either California or Puerto Rico, with the World Baseball Classic Championship ending up in San Diego, California see World Baseball Classic bracket.
Imagine watching a classic first-round showdown between Canada closer Eric Gagne and Barry Bonds of the United States. Or a ninth-inning at-bat between Chicago White Sox teammates Mark Buerhle of the U.S. and Tadahito Iguchi of Japan to decide which of their countries advances to the Final.
Imagine having one of those ticket strips that you keep forever as priceless memorabilia, because you were witness to a Dominican Republic lineup that might have been the scariest in baseball history. Imagine Venezuela’s Johan Santana, one of the game’s best pitchers, picking his way through that modern Murderers’ Row.
Imagine you have to fill out a lineup card of nine potential cleanup hitters including Albert Pujols, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Vladimir Guerrero, Miguel Tejada, Adrian Beltre and Alfonso Soriano.
The more you think about it, the more you want one of those ticket strips. Most of them are on sale now, with tickets for the Japan and Puerto Rico venues coming soon. Imagine that you could say you were there to watch all of this history happen, spending a spring like no other before it.
Imagination is the beginning of creation. The players will create a tradition next March. Maybe the Dominican lineup really is the ‘27 Yankees. Maybe Andruw Jones can lead the Netherlands to the promised land. You can be there, and you can do the imagining now.
