Comments on: WBC injury fears coming true again http://www.brushbackpitch.com/2009/03/17/wbc-injury-fears-coming-true-again/ Baseball Coverage That’s Juuuuust a Bit Inside Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:53:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: RIch http://www.brushbackpitch.com/2009/03/17/wbc-injury-fears-coming-true-again/#comment-137 RIch Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:02:58 +0000 http://www.brushbackpitch.com/?p=178#comment-137 The simple answer is for the WBC Teams to have their own spring training before the tournament. Perhaps start it the first week of February. The Japanese team, I think, starts training together in December. Obviously with Winter Ball and the Carribean World Series being played at that time, it makes things difficult. But the guys who are playing in the CWS are already in game shape. There's no way to guard against every injury. Guys get hurt in the Arizona Fall League, in spring training, whenever. Sammy Sosa once landed on the DL when he pulled a muscle in his back sneezing. Injuries are a legitimate concern, and they are a legitimate reason not to play. I think the players who know they're going to be in the WBC have a responsibility to get themselves in shape sooner. I don't know how they deal with this in the Soccer World Cup, but it can't be a unique problem with baseball. The simple answer is for the WBC Teams to have their own spring training before the tournament. Perhaps start it the first week of February. The Japanese team, I think, starts training together in December. Obviously with Winter Ball and the Carribean World Series being played at that time, it makes things difficult. But the guys who are playing in the CWS are already in game shape.

There’s no way to guard against every injury. Guys get hurt in the Arizona Fall League, in spring training, whenever. Sammy Sosa once landed on the DL when he pulled a muscle in his back sneezing. Injuries are a legitimate concern, and they are a legitimate reason not to play. I think the players who know they’re going to be in the WBC have a responsibility to get themselves in shape sooner. I don’t know how they deal with this in the Soccer World Cup, but it can’t be a unique problem with baseball.

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