World Baseball Classic

You know what? Sure, you already know I love baseball. I believe it is the greatest game, a thinking man's game, ever devised by the human mind.

But you know something? I really like the World Baseball Classic.

There is just something about it that draws me to it. Maybe it is because I haven't even heard the crack of a bat since November and I'm dying to hear a ball smack some leather.

We already have the drama. The Netherlands already had a stunning upset over the highly favored team from the Dominican Republic, and USA and Canada went toe-to-toe in a close and hard fought ball game.

But I think the real attraction for me with the WBC is because it gives us, Americans, a chance to see how our game sticks up to the world, and how the world has embraced our game.

In a world today where so much violence and death are fought over, mostly due to misunderstandings and breaks in communication, sports speaks a common language. Though many of the participants in these games don't speak English, it is good to see people of different walks of life and Nationalities come together peacefully, and enjoy America's game.

Though USA lost the WBC (how we lose our own game I don't know) in 2006, I think it is a telling sign of the world in general. It has caught up to us, it has learned from us, and it has improved on our ideas.

Now, this year's squad is looking to learn from that past WBC, and redeem our country in our game. The same can be said in life. We need to learn from those that learned from us, improve our their ideas, and go back to being number one in the world again.

The USA basketball team already did this, and I'm encouraged by our current WBC team. It is time we take our game, and our standing in the world, back.