This team italy playing som great ball right now

Italy might mess around and win this whole tournament. They love this park at least

Italy is fun to watch. Zero Italian heritage in my family but I'll think I'll root for them here on out.

Yeah I'm starting to think we could have been rested and known we needed a win and Italy still would have smoked us last night

The Kraken said:

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Italy is fun to watch. Zero Italian heritage in my family but I'll think I'll root for them here on out.

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I've eaten pizza so I qualify

Vinnie Pasquantino in the WBC pic.twitter.com/pm0xrP0Zf1

— Daydrink (@daydrinkmedia) March 12, 2026

I'd like to see a non-hungover, best lineup, Skenes pitching USA team against Italy this weekend.

Blasting Por Ti Volare after the game at Daikin

gambochaman said:

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This team italy playing som great ball right now

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You do realize there are only 3 Italian players on the 30 man roster, right?

They have 26 American professional ball players

So we play canada?

Texaggie7nine said:

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So we play canada?

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7:30pm Friday at Daikin

Captain Pablo said:

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gambochaman said:

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This team italy playing som great ball right now

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You do realize there are only 3 Italian players on the 30 man roster, right?

They have 26 American professional ball players

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You care too much. Just enjoy the baseball.

If you restrict the teams to only have players that are actual citizens of that nation, it would be one boring ass tourney.

CFTXAG10 said:

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Texaggie7nine said:

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So we play canada?

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7:30pm Friday at Daikin

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Hopefully USA will get their act together.

Any explanation from De Rosa or USA Baseball for their ineptitude or did they just explain his comments away as a misspeak?

Team USA should take this tournament more seriously or just not take part.

CFTXAG10 said:

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Blasting Por Ti Volare after the game at Daikin

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"Boats and hoes!"

CFTXAG10 said:

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Texaggie7nine said:

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So we play canada?

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7:30pm Friday at Daikin

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thanks. I was hoping my app was wrong

Peter Piper said:

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Captain Pablo said:

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gambochaman said:

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This team italy playing som great ball right now

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You do realize there are only 3 Italian players on the 30 man roster, right?

They have 26 American professional ball players

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You care too much. Just enjoy the baseball.

If you restrict the teams to only have players that are actual citizens of that nation, it would be one boring ass tourney.

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Nah

A couple of ringers? Fine whatever

An entire team is ridiculous

This whole concept is stupid

Captain Pablo said:

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Peter Piper said:

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Captain Pablo said:

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gambochaman said:

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This team italy playing som great ball right now

---

You do realize there are only 3 Italian players on the 30 man roster, right?

They have 26 American professional ball players

---

You care too much. Just enjoy the baseball.

If you restrict the teams to only have players that are actual citizens of that nation, it would be one boring ass tourney.

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Nah

A couple of ringers? Fine whatever

An entire team is ridiculous

This whole concept is stupid

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This is the 10th time you've made this point. We get it.

Farmer1906 said:

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Captain Pablo said:

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Peter Piper said:

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Captain Pablo said:

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gambochaman said:

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This team italy playing som great ball right now

---

You do realize there are only 3 Italian players on the 30 man roster, right?

They have 26 American professional ball players

---

You care too much. Just enjoy the baseball.

If you restrict the teams to only have players that are actual citizens of that nation, it would be one boring ass tourney.

---

Nah

A couple of ringers? Fine whatever

An entire team is ridiculous

This whole concept is stupid

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This is the 10th time you've made this point. We get it.

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Well in fairness that post was a response

Captain Pablo said:

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Peter Piper said:

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Captain Pablo said:

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gambochaman said:

---

This team italy playing som great ball right now

---

You do realize there are only 3 Italian players on the 30 man roster, right?

They have 26 American professional ball players

---

You care too much. Just enjoy the baseball.

If you restrict the teams to only have players that are actual citizens of that nation, it would be one boring ass tourney.

---

Nah

A couple of ringers? Fine whatever

An entire team is ridiculous

This whole concept is stupid

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. Don't watch the Olympics

Tex100 said:

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Captain Pablo said:

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Peter Piper said:

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Captain Pablo said:

---

gambochaman said:

---

This team italy playing som great ball right now

---

You do realize there are only 3 Italian players on the 30 man roster, right?

They have 26 American professional ball players

---

You care too much. Just enjoy the baseball.

If you restrict the teams to only have players that are actual citizens of that nation, it would be one boring ass tourney.

---

Nah

A couple of ringers? Fine whatever

An entire team is ridiculous

This whole concept is stupid

---

. Don't watch the Olympics

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Really? Not even close to the same thing

How many non-Canadians were on the Canadian hockey team?

How many non-Italians were on the Italian hockey team?

How many non-Koreans were on the Korean volleyball team

The list could go on

Like I said, a couple of players is one thing. An entire team is completely another.

It spreads the popularity of the MLB around the world. If they didn't have MLB players that once took a trip to a country be eligible to play for them, then the tournament would suck and other countries besides the few that already are crazy about Baseball like DR, Cuba, Japan ect would absolutely suck and the people in those countries wouldn't care to watch.

It's basically one giant promotion for American Baseball and MLB. I'm good with it.

You can have an 8 team tournament where everyone plays 3 game series like actual baseball with countries that actually care about baseball with "real" nationals with the top 2 playing for a "world" series. Or 4 in a knockout.

Why force it?

Texaggie7nine said:

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It spreads the popularity of the MLB around the world. If they didn't have MLB players that once took a trip to a country be eligible to play for them, then the tournament would suck and other countries besides the few that already are crazy about Baseball like DR, Cuba, Japan ect would absolutely suck and the people in those countries wouldn't care to watch.

It's basically one giant promotion for American Baseball and MLB. I'm good with it.

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Now that's a reasonable explanation

Well done, sir

I'm assuming it will be Webb against Canada? Then Skenes against DR if we win?

PascalsWager said:

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You can have an 8 team tournament where everyone plays 3 game series like actual baseball with countries that actually care about baseball with "real" nationals with the top 2 playing for a "world" series. Or 4 in a knockout.

Why force it?

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I don't believe they're necessarily "forcing" it per se as much as the national baseball federations of Italy, Great Britian, etc don't care enough to tighten their eligibility requirements. Or they see the heightened exposure of their team (even if none of the players are actual citizens) boosting the sport's popularity back home.

Not all European countries are doing this. The Czech Republic has a team almost solely of Czech professionals. France I believe has a team of French nationals but they never qualify for the WBC because of it. Two different lines of thinking, I'm not sure either is wrong.

Bunk Moreland said:

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That being said, here's some fodder for ya

When my mom asks if I want to join in family dinner tonight, but I have to explain how I have to watch a baseball game between American Italians and American Mexicans to determine if American Americans can keep playing baseball pic.twitter.com/FXj85Z3Iuk

— River Cracraft Fan Club (@CracraftFan) March 11, 2026

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That's gold Jerry. Gold!

We have meaningful baseball in March. I don't care how the teams were assembled, it's fun.

Captain Pablo said:

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Tex100 said:

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Captain Pablo said:

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Peter Piper said:

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Captain Pablo said:

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gambochaman said:

---

This team italy playing som great ball right now

---

You do realize there are only 3 Italian players on the 30 man roster, right?

They have 26 American professional ball players

---

You care too much. Just enjoy the baseball.

If you restrict the teams to only have players that are actual citizens of that nation, it would be one boring ass tourney.

---

Nah

A couple of ringers? Fine whatever

An entire team is ridiculous

This whole concept is stupid

---

. Don't watch the Olympics

---

Really? Not even close to the same thing

How many non-Canadians were on the Canadian hockey team?

How many non-Italians were on the Italian hockey team?

How many non-Koreans were on the Korean volleyball team

The list could go on

Like I said, a couple of players is one thing. An entire team is completely another.

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Plenty of athletes rep other countries than where they are from. They take spots on another country's team. Doesn't matter if they are an ice skater, skier, hurdler etc.

Captain Pablo said:

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gambochaman said:

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This team italy playing som great ball right now

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You do realize there are only 3 Italian players on the 30 man roster, right?

They have 26 American professional ball players

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They are still on team Italy. And team Italy is, objectively, playing great ball. Your point makes no sense in response to this post.

Got 2 club seats row 2 for tonight if anyone is interested half off face value.

At the game tonight. Pretty crowded and a bunch of people wearing Dodgers or Yankees stuff.