Pathetic performance by United States in WBC loss to Mexico

Mexico 1B Adrian Gonzalez

So baseball is America's game?  The United States' performance in their first World Baseball Classic game of 2013 did quite a bit to prove that theory wrong.

I have seen most of the top teams in this tournament, and I am always amazed at how emotional the players play the game, and how emotional the managers manage the game.

Take Cuba for instance.  Cuba has a manager, Victor Mesa, who is more animated during one of their games than Mark Cuban sitting baseline at a Mavericks game.  Mesa is a former player for the Cuban national team, and if you watched his demeanor during the Cubans first round games, you knew without a doubt that he was setting the tone for his entire team and would do whatever it took to win the game.

If you watched the United States on Friday night, you saw Joe Torre and Greg Maddux leaning on the rail of the top step all night, never uttering a word to anyone except themselves.  I am not saying that Torre should be as demonstrative as Mesa is, but showing a little fire would not be a bad thing, would it?

The most animated member of this United States team is Larry Bowa, who has been relegated to a role as the bench coach under Torre.  Unfortunately for fans of the American team, only one player on the field wearing red, white and blue appeared to have the same fire as Bowa, and that was David Wright.

David Wright made a couple of really clutch plays in the field, mainly a backhand deep down the line that he was able to turn into a force out at second base.  In addition to his defensive performance, Wright went 2-4 at the plate with an RBI to score the United States first run in the bottom of the fourth inning.

It was definitely frustrating to watch hitter after hitter head to the plate just to be sent back to the dugout a pitch or two later.  I can understand the United States struggling against Yovani Gallardo of the Brewers, as he is one of the best in the game today.  Gallardo pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowing just one run on two hits and striking out four United States hitters.  But for the life of me I cannot understand how Luis Mendoza, who is a below average major league pitcher, can shut out the American lineup for two innings when the team needed to take advantage of their offensive strengths.

I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat when the team was down, but in scoring position.  Then I realized that the guys at the plate seemed disconnected and far from focused.  Joe Mauer was 2-4, but struck out looking twice.  Brandon Phillips struck out twice and to quote the movie "Mr. 3000", quite a few of his swings looked like his first few hours out of the womb.

What is the problem with this team? What can be done to turn this thing around?  Italy is 2-0 in Pool D, with their game against the United States on Saturday night.  Mexico is now 1-1 and faces Canada on Saturday afternoon.  If Canada can overcome their 14-4 loss to Italy on Friday, and knock off Mexico, the United States can win their final two games and reach the second round.  If Mexico knocks off Canada, the United States is in more of a tricky situation, needing to rely on run differential in their game against Italy to advance instead of Mexico, if that is even possible still.

Italy has been on fire so far in their first two games of the World Baseball Classic, coming from behind to knock off Mexico, 6-5,  on Thursday before invoking the mercy rule against Canada on Friday in a 14-4 win.  Italy has all but assured themselves of a berth in the second round, which has to be biggest surprise of the tournament so far.

Italy will send Luca Panerati to the hill to start against the United States on Saturday. Panerati is a left-handed pitcher, which will favor the United States right-handed heavy lineup.  The United States will be starting Ryan Vogelsong of the Giants.

If things do not improve greatly on Saturday, your last chance to see the United States play will be Sunday in a meaningless game against Canada.  Maybe before Saturday night this team will find some pride.