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Olympic baseball -- give it to me

Posted by: Tony Bleill

Thursday, August 14, 2008 2:35 PM

As a baseball fanatic, I can't resist the chance to fire up NBCOlympics.com to catch the on-going baseball tournament in Beijing. You can be sure I'll be watching at 10:30 p.m. CDT tonight, when the U.S. takes on Cuba in a battle of the only teams that have won Olympic gold medals in the sport (Cuba in 2004, 1996 and 1992; the U.S. in 2000).

I know what you're probably thinking: what's the point? If you're like many media observers , you probably believe Olympic baseball is a waste of time, worthy of getting the axe. (The International Olympic Committee has determined that baseball and softball will not be included in the London Games in 2012). I'm here to tell you that Olympic baseball is a far better value than many believe.

The most common argument against baseball's inclusion is summed up by Detroit Free Press columnist Michael Rosenberg: "Baseball is the only Olympic sport where none of the best players in the world compete." This, of course, ignores reality. All of the world's best players AREN'T playing major league baseball. Cuba, runner-up of the inaugural World Baseball Classic (against teams stocked with major leaguers), is notorious for having little turnover on its roster, which means that squad will basically return intact in Beijing. To suggest that the Cubans don't represent any of the world's best players, as Rosenberg's statement suggests, is folly. Then there are players like Korea's Seung Yeop-Lee, who hit five homers in the World Baseball Classic and is a star in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants. Or Japanese pitching sensation Yu Darvish, who might be the best pitcher not playing in Major League Baseball. I could go on and on, but you get the point.

Would Olympic baseball be better with MLB players? Obviously. But that's not going to happen, and it doesn't mean their absence provides a poor display of uninspired baseball. Quite the opposite. The U.S. roster, for example, is mixed with hotshot prospects (among them are Cleveland's Matt LaPorta, the key figure in the C.C. Sabathia trade, and San Diego State junior righthander Stephen Strasburg, the only amateur on Team USA and a certain Top-5 draft pick next summer) and veteran minor leaguers. The presence of those minor-league lifers, in fact, is one example that critics point to; however, it is a tremendously smart move by USA Baseball to put them on the roster. The Olympics represent a career highlight, and those players no doubt will relish the opportunity -- and not take anything for granted -- of competing for their country.

I can give a bunch of other reasons to check out the action, too. If you're a St. Louis fan, there's Cardinals shortstop prospect Brian Barden. There's the funky extra-innings rule instituted by the International Baseball Federation. There's the fun in watching a foreign crowd sing "Take Me Out To the Ballgame" in English during the 7th-inning stretch. And the play on the field is of a high quality.

It would be a shame if Chicago landed the 2016 Olympics and baseball wasn't included. MLB is working to rectify that. And I can promise you if baseball is part of the Chicago Olympics, and I'm not 6 feet under, I'll be in the stands cheering the good ol' USA.