TAMPA, Fla. - A day after Ryan Braun, Joe Mauer and Team USA again failed to reach the championship game in the World Baseball Classic, there was plenty of talk around the sport about what this latest loss meant.
Some wonder whether the United States should send an even better team next time. Others say the U.S. has lost its hold on the game it invented. Many suggest the format of the tournament needs to be changed.
Whatever, there was only one thing for sure. A lineup full of big league All-Stars was shut down by a true journeyman who pitched a game that he'll cherish for the rest of his life. Sports fans in Puerto Rico will also long remember how Nelson Figueroa helped their side eliminate Team USA with a 4-3 win Friday night.
