WBC: Coming 3/7-21

Fans at the WBC in 2017 at Petco Park celebrate

with the Puerto Rico team players

after a 6-5 win over the U.S. in

round-robin pool play to advance in the WBC.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

I'm tracing my WBC--World Baseball Classic--history in anticipation of the 2023 event that will transpire March 7-21, including megastar Shohei Ohtani of the Angels pitching (and hitting) for the Japan team. (He has said he will pitch middle relief or as a closer for Japan, whatever they want.)

I am surprised to be reminded that, though I attended a workout for the Mexico team at Petco Park for the 2009 event (the WBC now operates every four years, except for a COVID delay of two years to 2023, after opening back in 2006 with a three-year window: 2006, then 2009, before going to 2013)--I finally attended games on back-to-back days at Petco Park in 2017.

On those two days:

    --Puerto Rico defeated the U.S. team, 6-5;

    --then the gringos beat the Dominican Republic, 6-5.

My excitement and fandom, though being a norteamericano through-and-through, goes with the Latin clubs. Where does that come from? I lived in Mexico City and taught at a tiny junior high/high school there during school year 1975-1976, then taught ESL to adults who were employees at KFC, Sylvania, and other corporate offices in Mexico City the rest of my total of 14 months living in Latin America.

Robinson Cano (22) of the Dominican Republic

team in the WBC during a plate appearance

against the U.S. March 18, 2017. The DR

lost, 6-3, to be eliminated, leaving Puerto Rico

and the U.S. to advance in the WBC.

(The U.S. won the WBC that year.)

It was a profound experience, super-exciting and right out of college, which also included playing basketball for two teams in men's league basketball. I didn't take Spanish in high school, so I sucked right out of the chute on the language, having to learn it as I went and finally taking one course at the Instituto de Relaciones Biculturales in Mexico City from my future friend and employer in ESL, Jorge Arias, a great guy who mentored me and saved my bacon when I fell apart from the stress of living abroad, but more because my health began to deteriorate from yet-undiagnosed causes (hypoglycemia and hay fever allergies).

I remember the Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic games at Petco Park as a major celebration of Latino baseball and culture. I was thrilled to attend, and I was fortunate this was in the era before ticket prices got jacked up way beyond my ability to go to games in person on a regular basis.

The old story is that when the Padres played in Qualcomm Stadium until 2003, I would often go to Sunday games from 1993-2003 (after I moved to San Diego), park on the dirt for free next to the stadium near the IKEA shopping center, and pay four dollars for a centerfield seat, where you could hear individual fans calling out to players--attendance in the pre-Petco Park days was beyond sparse--how about 9,000 fans on a Sunday? My wife remembers going with me sometimes, as well.