"In this setting, with save opportunities no longer available, Miller typically would've been the obvious choice to pitch the top of the ninth. Not deploying him, in fact, would've been malpractice. But even making him available for the finale of this World Baseball Classic took convincing. Miller had appeared twice over the previous five days. The San Diego Padres, who will rely on him heavily over these next six months, told Team USA they only wanted him pitching if absolutely necessary."
"The WBC, which just concluded its sixth installment, has reached undeniable levels of popularity. Fans throughout the world are heavily invested. Players -- even the American-born ones who previously struggled to grasp the significance of international competition -- have fully bought in. But two obstacles continue to prevent the WBC from meeting the stakes and reaching its potential. One is the growing difficulty of getting contracts insured, and the number of players who did not participate because of it."
Team USA faced Venezuela in a tied ninth inning of the World Baseball Classic with a chance to win. Mason Miller, the world's best closer, remained unused despite being the logical choice to pitch. The San Diego Padres restricted Miller's availability, requiring him to pitch only in save situations. Manager Mark DeRosa honored this restriction and did not deploy Miller in the tied game. Garrett Whitlock instead pitched and surrendered the winning run, resulting in a 3-2 loss. The WBC faces ongoing challenges including insurance complications and MLB teams' concerns about pitcher health during spring training preparation.
#world-baseball-classic #mlb-pitcher-restrictions #international-baseball-competition #team-usa #sports-management-and-player-availability
Read at ESPN.com
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