Boo-S-A! Boo-S-A!

Is it just me, or is Team USA starting to look like a bunch of bullies? I had fears of such going into the WBC, with a team loaded with MLB All Stars, four of which are members of the Yankees. Too many inflated salaries and egos on one team are not a good thing (as the Yankees can attest for the past four years).

Pounding a South Africa team into submission with a mercy-rule win was just plain cruel. There isn’t one solitary player on the South African team with major league experience; one was concerned he’d fail mandatory drug testing due to his acne medication. These aren’t exactly seasoned professionals, yet Team USA didn’t pull a single starter during the 17-1 romp.

And yesterday against Japan, a disputed call in the 8th inning turned the tide in Team USA’s favor. On what appeared to be a routine sac fly that scored a run for Japan, the USA flexed its influential muscle and got the call overturned; it was ruled the runner at third left early, and was called out to end the inning. In the bottom of the ninth, A-Rod knocked in the winning run with a little squibbler that just glanced off the second baseman’s glove. The same second baseman, mind you, that was called out for leaving third base too early.

We should be embarrassed for Team USA, because they obviously don’t care about the image they’re portraying so far. My beer-league softball team could probably beat that South Africa squad on a good day, yet they felt the need to redeem their embarrassing loss to Canada by pummeling a bunch of South African teenagers. And USA’s manager protesting the tag-up by convincing the home plate umpire to overrule the initial call of Safe made by the second base ump was just a tad bit more than sketchy. Do you think for one second that same call would have been made in Japan's favor if the roles were reversed? Yeah, me either.

I’m almost rooting against the USA squad at this point. Any victory beyond today will be tainted with the classlessness they’ve displayed in what should be a tournament of pure competition between countries that love the game of baseball. Instead, we’ve managed to turn it into another shameful reminder of American greed and political influence. With the United States as a nation coming across as bullies of the world, I suppose its only appropriate that our Team USA continue the image.

The United States of America: strongarming nations both on and off the field.