YANKEES / WBC NEWS

If you have been reading my blog, you know I am not a fan of the WBC. If you are able to listen to Mike Francessa on WFAN radio he brings up good points about why this event is a farce, beyond the injury potential. I agree with him on all points.

Click HERE to listen to Mike Francessa's interview with MLB VP Tim Brosnan.

Today, RONALD BLUM, AP Baseball Writer writes:

Asked if he thought Bernie Williams would try to take him out at second base during the World Baseball Classic, Derek Jeter looked at his teammate in a corner of the Yankees' clubhouse.

"Better get down, buddy!" Jeter said yelled playfully Wednesday, a day before they turn in their pinstripes and head to their national teams.

Jeter will put on the red, white and blue for the U.S. team and Williams will play for Puerto Rico.

They'll be among 150 or so major leaguers suiting up in the 16-nation tournament, which begins Thursday night U.S. time in Tokyo, when South Korea plays Taiwan and Japan meets China.
Williams doesn't know whether he'd barrel into Jeter in the late innings.

"I'll have to use a lot of caution," Williams said. "Hopefully, the situation will not come."

Well...it won't. You see the defections before this thing starts, wait until it does start and some player tweeks a hammy or a pitcher gets a twinge in his elbow. These folks will be back in camp real fast.

As for going in hard on a teamate...not a &^%$ chance!

Side note:

Mr. Blum also reports that:

Gene Orza, the chief operating officer of the players' association, persuaded Mike Piazza to play for Italy. He tried to get Mike Mussina, too.

"I told him I'm not Italian and nobody in my family is Italian," Mussina said.

So, let me get this right Gene. If your name ends in a vowel and you're not of Spanish/Latin decent, you must be Italian!

Idiot.