A country weeps for its baseball team

Team USA entered tonight with one last chance at moving on to the Final Four of the World Baseball Classic. They teed off against Puerto Rico who they beat 7-1 in their 2nd game of Pool D. Joe Torre gave the ball to Ryan Vogelsong to help USA into the Final Four. The top half of the 1st Puerto Rico got to Vogelsong by scoring first. Team USA hitters then continued to struggle by being held to 2 hits as Team PR sent Nelson Figueroa shut down this All Star packed lineup. In the top of the 6th Vogelsong was relieved of his pitching duties and Torre brought in Indians Vinnie Pestano.......that wasn't the best decision as PR scored 3 times and put the game to 4-0.

There i am and the USA fans and players were facing elimination down 4 runs. In the bottom of the 7th the USA finally got on the board when Giocarlo Stanton singled home Joe Mauer, thats all the USA could muster in the 7th. In the bottom of the 8th Shane Victorino started off by striking out. Jimmy Rollins then singled. Brandon Phillips then caught a break when a bad hop went into left and the USA had 2 on with 2 outs. Ryan Braun who hasnt been the most clutch hitter on the team then came up and lined a pitch down the left field line for a double scoring Rollins. USA now had hope. Joe Mauer came up and being the patient hitter he is walked to load the bases. Then it was the always reliable Stanton's turn.......well he came through by popping out for the 2nd out. Then Ben Zobrist who for some reason had a blank look on his face as if he was high came up and walked and the USA were now down 1 run! Eric Hosmer unfortunatley then grounded out to end the inning.

The USA then went into the bottom of the 9th 3 outs away from dissapointing the country again. J.C. Romero came into the 8th and got Hosmer to ground out and PR left him in to close it out for PR. Former Seattle Mariners player Adam Jones stepped in to begin the 9th. Jones had struck out in his last at-bat and had some in my opinion good choice words for the home plate ump. If you saw the game you would know why i say that. Jones struck out again by swinging at a ball that was way outside. Victorino then stepped in and struck out and the USA was now down to its final out of the WBC. Rollins then came up and for some reason swung at the first pitch and popped out to end the USA's journey and World Baseball Classic.

Watching Puerto Rico celebrate on US soil and realizing that our country failed again in the WBC was heart breaking. I cried, i admit it i cried because i was sad that our country battled back and failed to show the world that as the inventors of the sport we cant say that our country is better. Team USA had so many players that shouldve played on this team. Prince Fielder, Justin Verlander, David Price, Mike Trout, and many more didnt seem to give a shit about playing for their country. Instead they decided that because they are not getting paid they dont want to play. In my opinion if the players dont care about playing and representing their country then the USA shouldnt be in this tournament. The Dominican Republic, Japan, and other countries players have so much pride and could care less about getting paid that they take time out of Spring Training to play in this World Cup of baseball tournament. 

The United States will now have to wait another 4 years for the next WBC tournament. Team Japan is making its 3rd trip to the finals. Dominican Republic is back after getting eliminated by Netherlands in the 2009 WBC. Puerto Rico is making its first trip to the finals as well. Will the USA ever get to the finals and win the whole tournament? Were gonna have to wait another 4 years to find out.