Are we really the best baseball country?

Obviously, we have the best professional baseball league. The world's best play here, but are the world's best born or developed here?

The Olympics never answer the question because we don't have the opportunity to send America's best players. The first World Baseball Classic was considered just an exhibition by most major leaguers. Maybe the '09 WBC will be treated differently, but can you really judge the best by limiting pitch counts?

I can make the case that just the depth of American talent makes us the best baseball country, but would our best 25 players really beat the best 25 from Cuba, Korea, Japan or the Dominican Republic?

PS -- Am I the only one surprised that the Koreans will likely go 9-0 in the Olympic tournament?

 

With a bunch of white guys, are we the best? No.

 

Depth-wise, absolutely. Nobody else is close.

Best 25 vs. best 25? I'm not even sure we're No. 3, let alone No. 1. D.R. wins that one, I would say. Cuba's right up there.

I'd even venture to say Venezuela would beat us in a 7-game series (with Johan and Zambrano as the 1-2 punch and K-Rod to close it out.)

Japan and Korea probably don't have the pitching to stay with us. But those first three? Yeah, ain't no cakewalk.

 

Canuckistan doesn't have loads of depth but our best lineup can give anyone a tough night.

 

Korea wins baseball and Japan wins softball.

Beyond comprehension 20 years ago.

 

True dat...

 

The biggest problem in these arguments, and this isn't so much directed at baseball as it is other sports (Ryder Cup), to other teams it's important represent your country. Our guys ask "How much are we getting paid for this?"

 

Buck, a question that relates to this...

The baseball HOF inductions in the years, say, 2020-2040, how many players will be American born? 1/3rd? 1/2?

More? Less?

 

Wow ... it is when you think abou it.

 

If we're defining best baseball country only by elite talent, I'd put the Dominican Republic at No. 1, with the U.S. and Cuba in a tie for second. And Cuba's best 25 may beat our best 25 in a seven-game series.

If you define it by fan interest, the presence of professional teams (and the fan interest in them), how ingrained the sport is in the culture...is America still the top country? I might argue Cuba is (although their professional teams are actually state-owned). They live and die baseball. Americans love baseball but probably love the NFL more.

 

Depth is not a fair comparison, unless some per-capita calculation can be factored in.

Of course the U.S. (population 303.8 million) has more baseball depth than the Dominican Republic (9.5 million) or Cuba (11.4 million).

 

This is a good question.