Episode 006: The WBC Game That Broke Dominican Hearts

A loss can be final on the scoreboard and still feel unfinished in your chest. We come in exhausted, emotional, and a little petty after Dominican Republic’s WBC heartbreak against Team USA, because the details matter: the strike zone that didn’t feel consistent, the force-out ruling that still makes no sense to watch back, and the bigger question of whether international baseball is being shaped for fairness or for TV money. 

We get into the bracket and scheduling quirks that seemed designed to protect certain matchups, plus the manager decisions and roster usage that made Team USA feel like a team with talent but no glue. And yes, we talk vibes: the weird intensity, the awkward hype attempts, the joy that never showed up even after big moments, and the list of players we can’t look at the same way anymore. 

Then we pivot to what we actually want to carry forward. DR’s roster felt unreal, but what hit harder was the unity: stars turning into a single force, teammates playing with love, rival teams hugging and joking like kids on a field, and a reminder that being loud and fully yourself can be a competitive advantage. We end with a real “wish of the week” inspired by the WBC’s energy: MLB expansion in the Dominican Republic (and why Puerto Rico belongs in that conversation too). If you felt that tournament in your bones, hit subscribe, share the episode with a baseball friend, and leave a review telling us what moment you still can’t stop replaying.

Transcript

The Loss Still Hurts

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome everybody to another episode of Sad Boys Mets Club. I am Giovanni Blanco.

SPEAKER_03 0:05

And I'm Franklin Blanco.

SPEAKER_01 0:07

And here we are, y'all. This is uh it's been a crazy week. Week and a half. Very intense for us, very personal, very emotional, very inspiring, traumatic. How you feeling, man?

SPEAKER_03 0:28

Tired. It's uh I mean the trip was tiring and then all the work is tiring, but also like emotionally drained. Um but okay. How are you doing?

SPEAKER_01 0:43

I'm I'm doing much better. I'm doing much better. I have to say that Monday was not a good day. Monday was possibly a very, very, very bad day. But uh it was a lesson for me, for me for sure. It was just that you you can't sit in these feelings for too long because they kind of they uh ferment, they they tend to infect everything. And it was that kind of day that I had on Monday, which is basically the day after. We're talking specifically the day after Dominican Republic lost to USA. Oh, sorry, USA stole the game from the Dominican Republic. Just to be specific, um it was just hard. It was just really hard. That day was, I mean, that night was just kind of like shock, pure shock. I mean, just like everybody was just you know, no matter what people say, people were saying that the uh umpire had called those shots all throughout the game, that he was calling them for both teams.

SPEAKER_03 1:50

I have there's a lot of excuses, and there's a lot of I have a lot of responses to those excuses, but um we can make this entire episode about that this week.

SPEAKER_01 2:01

Um, I mean, because it really was uh devastating. I can't I mean I did do a post about it because I had to say something. Um without uh I just had to say something because it was just burning.

SPEAKER_03 2:16

But if if I had said something, I think Trump would have made me an enemy of the state. So I kinda I had to keep quiet.

SPEAKER_01 2:23

I had a lot of strong words and opinions, but yeah, there's definitely like an interesting irony where uh you know we basically kidnap the president of Venezuela and then Venezuela goes and wins this, takes us away from it.

SPEAKER_03 2:48

He's the bad luck charm.

Umpire Calls And Shock Aftermath

SPEAKER_01 2:54

Let's go let's go back to the game. Let's let's talk about this. Let's talk about this because there's a lot to talk about. I mean, we were clearly, at least in our minds, the the the best team and the winners that we were going to take it on.

SPEAKER_03 3:07

Honestly, I here's what I will say. I think the way things panned out, we did win. Not to hold on to that, but I think we could have beat every team in that tournament, and we did beat everyone we faced except for the one that we got robbed. But it's over, it's done, we're past it. We're past it, but I I do I'm I'm happy on like three different levels that Venezuela won, or maybe even more, because I didn't want USA to win. That was my number one priority. If DR didn't win, I didn't want USA to win. Number two, I'm happy it was Venezuela rather than Italy. I won it because it that's kind of that was the trend anytime like one of the uh Hispanic countries lost, then it would be next one. Is like so it was like Puerto Rico, now they're rooting for the DR, DR's out, now we're all rooting for Venezuela, that kind of thing. Like that that was another thing, and then also the president thing. I feel like this was kind of their win. Like this this was their time to win. Um, so I'm really happy about that. And also the little selfish part of me that is uh we did already beat them, so that makes me feel in my head I can be like, well, if it was a final with us, but it wasn't, it wasn't.

Bracket Complaints And Money Talk

SPEAKER_01 4:43

Let's paint, let's paint the scenario because I had a question for you about the bracket lineup. I mean the bracket was rigged. Yeah, I mean that's I don't understand. Rigged to the bone.

SPEAKER_03 4:53

It's because they wanted money. They they rigged it for better, like better viewership ratings, profits, but what what it doesn't make sense because they they basically made it so no matter what Japan was gonna be the end, right? Yeah, they m they made it so no matter what USA and Japan couldn't face each other until the end, which is not my interpretation of the bracket before uh USA lost to Italy, and like even right after. My assumption was I had gone through all of it and I'd looked and I'd been like, okay, because we were assuming USA would win, obviously they're gonna be where they are in the bracket, and then Italy's gonna be down here. But if Italy wins, it should be reverse. Yeah. Because that's how it would have been with like the DR in Venezuela. Yeah, that would have been the reverse, that kind of thing. But it wasn't because they made it so no matter what, the US was gonna be up there. So we shouldn't have been playing them. But we did. But it's like it was that was kind of that was the first red flag in the like because the in the at the end of the day, the people organizing it, they want the best ratings, and they think the rematch will get them the best ratings, but um it just didn't, it wasn't it seemed funky. It was definitely, it was definitely funky, and then Japan loses. I didn't have much faith in them, to be honest, because I think I know it wasn't that impactful, but only having half of a Shohei Otani, I feel like that might also take a bit of a like morale uh hit, and then as well, their kind of star players are all probably trying to play it a little safe because their first year in the major leagues they don't want to like mess it all up and get injured. Like like the White Sox catcher, that one is so sad because they didn't have much going for them. Actually, no, honestly, they kind of the White Sox catcher. Uh we were watching, it was on Team Italy, he was running like a double, I think it was, and he like messed something up in his leg, and he had to just like straight away touch the base, walk off the field. Like he didn't even and that was that was a rough that was uh Italy US game. Yikes. Mm-hmm. But like, so I'm I I have a feeling they weren't making it as far because none of their guys wanted that to happen because they saw that and they were like, nah nah. These are because these are all guys who get massive contracts in like a couple of years, and that's I was gonna think about the guy who was uh on Team USA who played the pitcher that did one game and he was just like I'm doing I mean here's here's what I'll say it was like it was a team thing, but it's weird that he kept still showing up, and he like walked in and

Team USA Vibes And Player Grudges

SPEAKER_03 8:05

with the hockey jerseys. That was the most obnoxious thing, is that Team USA walked in wearing the USA hockey jerseys, um, and Terek Scooba was there. Uh everything about that team was bad vibes, and I'm so happy that uh I'm so happy that Nolan McLean was the only person with like class about that. And to be fair, Ernie Clement. Ernie Clement's getting big points in my book because he was the one guy he was talking to the interviewers, he was just like, I miss my team, he's on the Blue Jays, he's like, I want to go back to Canada.

SPEAKER_01 8:38

I'm like these people are boring and annoying, and no one's having fun, and and they brought in the guy who killed Osama bin Laden, and then I'm freaking out. You know, how freaky is that? How freaky is that? That's not exactly uh bringing in Ted Lasso and I don't even think it was like a hype up moment.

SPEAKER_03 9:03

Like it was kind of I I saw a little bit of it, and it was kind of also just played like that was pretty wacky. Like there was something was happening, we didn't know what was happening, and then they're like all the guys are like chuckling. It's like it wasn't like a America pump up kind of speech. He was just like the guy who killed us on it. He's just like it was it was strange. It was strange.

SPEAKER_01 9:27

So they didn't they didn't they didn't even use him for what they needed.

SPEAKER_03 9:30

Yeah, he was just that's what I will say. I think it's the military vibes were not it. Like that's oh my god, and the seriousness and the sort of I hate Paul Schemes. Like, I I will say this now.

SPEAKER_01 9:43

I have always like it's so funny because I feel like he's such a talent, and to watch him in interviews was completely annoying.

SPEAKER_03 9:54

I like it's I don't you know my opinion, I'm sorry, it just one All I'm saying, Garrett Crochet now has a new number one fan because he's like the third best guy. He's like he's the guy who gets swept under the rug when they're talking about Cyongers' best pitchers on the show. Because it's like his Tarek Scublin Pulse, obviously, and then Garrett Crochet. And I was like, yeah, no, I'm sure they're better, but I kind of like Garrett Crochet now more because he wasn't he wasn't on that team, he wasn't doing all that. But um what was I gonna say? Oh, I've always been not a fan, I've always been an Aaron Judge hater and a Kyle Schwarber hater. Yeah and I've been inclined to hate Bryce Harper, but I've I've tried not to in the past.

SPEAKER_01 10:37

I know you don't like him, but I've tried not to we what's weird is that I've never really liked him, and his interviews during this world baseball classic has made me change my mind about it.

SPEAKER_03 10:50

Really? I I just I like him because uh I think he's kinda he's getting some he's kinda always had things to struggle when he's doing like when he's playing, because he was always he always had the highest expectations. So I can appreciate something about that. And it's also it's less like he I know he used to be really cocky, but now I think he's kinda having to work for it more, so I can really. He's definitely like he's he's grown up, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:28

It's and and again, I don't know anything about him, I just never really liked him because of the sort of rivalry and all the stuff. But uh being a Mets fan, and uh but just to watch him in interviews, he was just very um talked good about Nolan McLean. Very supportive of Nolan McLean, very supportive of you know being there and saying, like, you know, I just we want to make sure that we do this and do that, and and it's in like the the whatever his his form of talking and what he was saying just wasn't echoed with all the other players. I mean I You know, like other other players were like, you know, like I said, this is why I don't like the false scheme's in interviews were just like he was just like I'm like, are you are you in the army? What the hell you what's wrong with me? I mean, he wanted to be. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It sounds like he was he was just very he was very like well, they have a decent team, but we're much better. Well, we're gonna both blue and just like this ain't wrestling. You know, it's like uh I was just like so upset because I wanted to like him too. I wanted to like him too. I wanted to like him too. He's like, it's uh again, we're not like you know, it's like he's got no reason to want us to like him. Like he doesn't need us to like him, but but damn man, it's like just you know, I I just I can't I just can't believe that what was going on with every other freaking team wasn't wasn't wasn't they didn't go for one second. It's like hey guys, are we not having fun?

SPEAKER_03 13:00

I mean I I think I think it was Bryce Harper who hit a home run in that last finale game to tie it up, and that was like big moment, and like nobody cared. Like there was no there was no hype, there was no dancing. He hit a home run and he got a high five from Aaron Judge, and that's like as far as we're concerned. He just passed on that he just bad you'd you.

SPEAKER_01 13:24

Here you go.

SPEAKER_03 13:25

God, that's I that's probably why they were doing so bad. Aaron Judge kind of cursed them all. He's the least clutch's hitter of all time. I saw a really funny video that was like struck out so much.

SPEAKER_01 13:38

It was this this this world baseball classic.

SPEAKER_03 13:41

There was a video and it was like proving that Aaron Judge isn't that bad in clutch situations as everybody says, because it was ironic, because it showed every single clutch situation he's hit in the past season, and it was like 15 things, and like five of them were strikeouts, and he had like two hits. It was like it was the most it's he's he just can't perform when it matters, which is sad because he's like probably the best hitter, like yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:12

I mean, there's so much hype for for him, and I mean we I think there was just uh and Bobby Wood Jr.

SPEAKER_03 14:19

I Bobby Wood Jr. I used to want to be a fan of him because he's kind of like uh he was kind of the only guy I knew from the Royals, and I like I like the vibe of a guy who's like the third best player in the league, and he doesn't do anything fancy, like he's just like because that's Bobby Wood Jr. is he's a he's a like he plays he plays the game, and that's why he has such good sets, and that's like I wanted to like him, and now I don't like I can I can list off all the guys that I now are on like my black list because of this. It's like him the Roman Anthony is my number one enemy because it's just all all bad vibes from him. He's the face of the he's like the face of the next generation of Red Sox players, and all he did was get up close and personal with Aaron Judge, and that's like not that I know you're on the same team, but this is like the most infamous rivalry ever. Two faces of a team, like two the the faces of the two teams, and you're like, I love you, Aaron Judge. And then he also didn't play for Team Italy, and he also hit that home run against the DR, and it's and I just don't like his face. Um, really quickly before we're gonna be.

SPEAKER_01 15:36

This is our petty episode, by the way. I think we're just letting all the anger out uh uh of uh losing uh I'm sorry, having that game being still with us.

SPEAKER_03 15:48

I also just want to say, if we look at the stats, Nolan McLean is still a rookie pitcher, like he still has rookie status. And if you compare his outing in single elimination games and Paul Skeen's outing, they are basically the same except Nolan McLean has more strikeouts and just one more run. I love it, and yeah, and it this is the difference between a rookie and the best pitcher in baseball.

SPEAKER_01 16:21

No, I mean, but that's you know, you can save rookie status. I mean, he got the pitch several times. It's you know, I mean it's like it's not like it's not that's that's not he's a superstar.

SPEAKER_03 16:32

He's and that's but that's what I'm saying. He like doesn't even have a single pitch several times.

SPEAKER_01 16:38

Open. It's open. Like, you know, this is like unheard of.

SPEAKER_03 16:43

I mean, there's a reason he was the USA final starter. Like, I mean, obviously, if they had Tarek Scoobyl, they would have played Terek Scoobyl, but they didn't. And he was the next, he was the next best, like that it's insane. Like, he's he was the third best option for Team America to pitch. And that is incredible.

SPEAKER_01 17:06

I'm saying the people who uh like I like him a lot. I think he's unassuming, I think he's just kind of like straightforward. Um, he's definitely he's probably a little racist, but it's okay. A lot of players are everybody's a little racist. I mean, come on, this is a race rock routine.

SPEAKER_03 17:29

Did you see how Bobby Witt Jr. played against the Mexicans? I think he's I think he has a vendetta. Oh really? He was like four for four with three almost like he was he wanted them out. That's uh joking, but it was like it's uh it's just bad timing, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 17:52

It's not, I wouldn't say that. I mean, come on. This is let's let's joke uh put things where they don't belong. Cast aspersions or anything like that. Uh but let's let's figure this out as far as like the truth. You know, they were a team that really should have done better. US. US. I mean they should have been putting numbers like the VR did.

SPEAKER_03 18:18

I think the issue is just that they had I think all of their players were prone to rough patches, like all together at the same time,

Manager Decisions And Pitching Choices

SPEAKER_03 18:33

yeah. And they didn't have they didn't they weren't a team. No, that's there's no unity.

SPEAKER_01 18:38

I mean, there was no unity at all. I mean it's like I give I give uh all the other teams, and in particular an awful manager, by the way. The manager so bad.

SPEAKER_03 18:48

Okay, so like by the way, Mason Miller, the like he throws 104 miles per hour. He was available to pitch that final inning when Venezuela got their final run. He was available to pitch, and instead he pitched a different guy, and he was like, Well, it's because we weren't ahead. And I kind of told the Padres that like we'll play this other guy if we're not ahead. It's like, dude, why not play your better guy when you're behind? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:13

I mean, that's why they lost to Italy, right? Because they basically they didn't even scared the major players in play.

SPEAKER_03 19:22

It was also crazy not playing PCA uh in center field. Like, Byron Buxton is great, but PCA carried that team on his back all the way to the finals, and then they didn't start him.

SPEAKER_02 19:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:34

And then they only realized later and they put him in, then then he kind of like then they started doing stuff.

SPEAKER_01 19:39

It was almost like he I feel like he got uh he got this job under a different uh pretext. Like he didn't realize how much work he was gonna actually have to do until he got there. He realized he'd have to actually manage the team.

SPEAKER_03 19:53

It's you know, it wasn't to be that guy, but when you compare the competency of Mark DeRosa versus a guy like, I don't know, Albert Pools, and then you look and it's like I know which one I would pick to manage a team. And it's like I think he just isn't he isn't the guy to do that because this is the second year that they've fumbled in the finals. Because it's like it's not a talent thing. They have the talent, he just doesn't like they underperform and he doesn't play them right.

SPEAKER_01 20:25

No, I mean that's you know, it's just pools wasn't perfect.

SPEAKER_03 20:28

There was a moment where he was.

SPEAKER_01 20:30

No, I mean he wasn't, but there was something there's also very hopeful, something very hopeful about Poopholes. He's very positive, he's great in the post-interviews.

SPEAKER_03 20:38

He's gonna be our manager next season, I feel. Mets? No, not the Mets.

SPEAKER_01 20:42

Oh, you mean the the World Baseball class?

SPEAKER_03 20:45

Yeah, he's I he's definitely gonna keep uh I mean that's another thing.

SPEAKER_01 20:48

I was wondering what's his what's his, you know, like he's is he looking for to manage manage a team? He honestly he should. I mean, he's like I mean it's like whack that's he totally should be managing like one of those, you know, Tampa Bay or whatever. You know, the the uh some so you know what I mean, like a like a rough and tumble team that needs like a property.

SPEAKER_03 21:09

He's like he's he's the kind of guy that you bring, like I I want to see more of him, basically.

SPEAKER_01 21:16

Like I do too. I just there was something about there was a certain calmness about him, but like intense he only made one big mistake in my mind, and I think that's really impressive.

SPEAKER_03 21:28

Um not pulling Luis Severino out after I think three because I think I I agree he it's great, it's like then he was like in the fifth with a fourth. They pulled him on like the fourth inning, but it was like because he it's apparently it's uh I'm talking, I'm basically in the air, out the mouth, what the commentators were saying, but uh it's because this is what happens with pitchers they'll like get themselves in a jam and then they'll pitch like monsters to get out of the Inning, but they use all of their energy on that, and that's what happened in the third, and then in the fourth, he gave up a home run. He was out, and you gotta take and it's like that's and that's not on him because he was pitching crazy good. It's like I think it is literally just sometimes you gotta be like, Yeah, we're getting less innings out of this guy than we wanted to.

SPEAKER_01 22:19

I was surprised that he didn't come out. I mean, because of the pitch count situation that they had for the WBC, and it's just you know, they went up for that game.

SPEAKER_03 22:27

And we had and also we had the day of rest. Yeah, yeah. That's that's that's another thing. USA still lost compared to Venezuela, who had to play right after each other. USA have two days. I know they I think they only had one, but I think you only need one to like refresh the pitchers into being eligible to play. And Venezuela didn't have that, and that's like such a flaw in the rules where like literally they just couldn't play some of their pitchers because they played or or the people setting up the bracket assumed that Venezuela wouldn't go. Or either team on that, in that yeah, they they didn't think they were gonna win. That's that's literally like uh they were playing and and I'm not I'm not saying that we weren't like uh objectively speaking, the DR had the best uh schedule in our pool in terms of like we played our second hardest guy first, and then we had a day break, and then we played our two easiest, and then we had a day break, and then we played our hardest. It was like it wasn't we we were scheduled benefited as well, but not to the degree that the US was.

SPEAKER_01 23:37

It's uh well, you know, I feel like we've uh wasted enough energy on on Team USA. Oh wait, there's more.

SPEAKER_03 23:48

There's more there's there's a couple of things I want to quickly address.

The Force Out Rule Argument

SPEAKER_03 23:52

First of all, rigged from the start because of the scheduling, whatever, because of the bracket. Um the awful ruling on the force out, I still don't agree with that. I think you have to- Oh my god, do you mean the fumble? They're gonna be able to get it. And then nobody was even talking about that because we're just saying that's like I feel like that's such a stupid rule to be like if he had possession of it while he was on the base, but he didn't, he would he fumbled the ball. I know he caught it after, but he caught it after off of the base. It's like it's a rules thing. I can't blame the umpires or whatever. It's just like it was just it was an offer.

SPEAKER_01 24:28

I understand the rule, but it was just it felt like it's we wouldn't have lost the game.

SPEAKER_03 24:32

It was just like it could it felt like it wasn't like if you if you catch the ball and then it comes out of the glove, that isn't a catch. So I don't think it should be counted as a catch until you secure the ball. At that time he was well off the base.

SPEAKER_01 24:50

Yeah, I mean, it's like also usually I would say that that would count if something for some reason pushed that ball. Like if a if it's like he had the ball and the guy hit him, ball came out, or some situation where physically it was just like something happened that he held he got it, he caught it, and then something happened and it came out, you know. But it was just like a routine, routine play, and he just like turned around the ball, like he thought he had it, and the ball went out. And it's like that's an error.

SPEAKER_03 25:23

It that's an error, and I agree that in the end he did catch it because it never touched the ground.

SPEAKER_01 25:27

So that is like like I do agree with the rules that he was on the base already, but by that point he was he had already re uh, you know, and and there was an argument for me and like other online, like you know, whatever, don't don't get on to into arguments on I I almost got into a couple arguments because it's like because it was just like this one person was just telling me it's like, well, they left too many people on base. I went back to see they left eight people on base in the game.

SPEAKER_03 25:53

We left a lot of people on base.

SPEAKER_01 25:54

We left USA Yankee the the I was called the Yankees. Team USA left six. And here's the thing.

SPEAKER_03 26:00

And then and if that call wouldn't have been we would have we would have won that game if that call was different. If that call was because then we got a guy, I think he got hit by a pitch or he walked, bases would have been loaded, that would have brought in somebody. One run at least. And then but like um the that's another thing I want to talk about is the people left on base thing makes me so mad. Like they were talking about like you just you gotta get the ball and like you gotta get the blah blah blah.

SPEAKER_01 26:29

You gotta make more hits, you gotta get hits.

SPEAKER_03 26:30

It's like and they struck out like 15 times that game. They were an awful team. It's like not it's not a brag to say, yeah, we had one more solo home run than you did. Yes. That was a game where all of the scores were flukes, except Yeah, no, I I think I think if it's just if it's a solo home run game, I love you, Junior Camonero, we just needed actual hitting of the other guy.

SPEAKER_01 27:01

It's like it's we got we had we got people on base. I mean, it's just it's just it wasn't to me, it's like these kind of games happen all the time. Actually, more often than not, where you know, we just we just had a run during the WBC where every game was like a uh uh uh pillage.

SPEAKER_03 27:20

Every game was just like it's we we had our uh like the entire time the USA was kind of having like a bit of a rough patch, we just had one

The Called Strike And What-Ifs

SPEAKER_03 27:32

rough. Okay, there's yeah, because I've I have a lot, because first of all, um then they say okay, if that final call wasn't uh was called the ball, then he would have gotten down first base, and then Fernando Tatis would have come up and struck out. I disagree with that because I believe that Tatis would because in my head, baseball is a game of averages, and if you look at the averages of that game, that's when he would have had his moment.

SPEAKER_01 28:01

Do more in certain moments. I mean, Tatis is a clutch player as far as like when things are on the line, he actually more often than not produces. And I it's like it's not it's not and it's not like an opinion. This is like a fact that like if you look at his record, more than half the time, if he's in put in that position, something's gonna happen. And a couple times in that game, something didn't happen. He was so he it was going to happen.

SPEAKER_03 28:30

He was put, and here's the other thing I think that's when you have a moment you take a break.

SPEAKER_01 28:35

I'm not sure if I like reliving this.

SPEAKER_03 28:38

That's when you have a moment you take you like take the moment and you have a break and you talk to him because in that situation, and I'm sure I'm sure somebody did talk to him because earlier in the game he wasn't producing because he was stressed out because this was the first time we were really behind. Yeah, and so he was swinging at pitches he wouldn't normally swing at, and that's why it was. We were patient with the things. But I think he was the best example.

SPEAKER_00 29:10

What you just said is the best example of why that called strike hurts.

SPEAKER_01 29:16

Because he was patient. Because he was patient, because it was the it was eight, there were eight pitches that were just like you know, it wasn't like a a clean, clean strikeout, and everybody says this is my biggest annoyance of that whole thing.

SPEAKER_03 29:30

Everybody who's pro-USA was saying, if you've ever played anything high ball or above, you would know you always straight, you always swing at that like full count, but that's such a stupid argument because this is the way. You can see the ball going down, the ball goes down. This is his whole style, like he is not a big flashy player. Geraldo Perdomo plays his defense and doesn't strike out.

SPEAKER_01 29:59

That is his best heals in the in the league.

SPEAKER_03 30:01

I mean, it's like it's not it's not like you know he just gets on base with things like that. Like he grinds out that that is his whole thing. He isn't going to feel the pressure of a full count and swing no matter what. He I don't think he would have hit that ball. Like what he fouls it off, and then the next one's a strike and he gets out. Yeah, that's so much worse. I there's no world where he does like that's and then uh another argument that I saw that was probably the most annoying argument I saw was that the umpire was affected by the way he started walking towards the dugout because he was walking towards the dugout to take his stuff off because he gotta walk, and this person's arguing that that's what he does when he strikes out, too, is he walks towards the dugout like that. So the umpire probably saw that and said, Oh, okay, it was an out. And that is the most that was where I almost got into a fight. That's it.

SPEAKER_01 30:55

Because that's because the virus already called him the shot before he even moves.

SPEAKER_03 30:59

The the things you have to jump through to come to that conclusion makes me so mad. And this is my final take, this is just my final thing. I did see one other person complaining, holding up a photo of a guy during the Venezuela game getting back on base, and he got apparently tagged right before he got on base, and it didn't get called like that. So he has a photo out, which by the way is from a bad angle, so it's like the glove is in front of the guy, so we can't even see if it was touching him. But he's like, he's arguing about that, and it's my favorite thing ever. Uh, not really, but I did almost get into a fight about this because it's like that is the most ridiculous thing to complain about when you only won the previous game because of multiple bad calls. Yeah. And then you're gonna get and he was like so m he was like a big whiny baby. And it was such like a this is what that team stands for, kind of thing. Like this is this is their it's it's such a I'm so happy that.

SPEAKER_01 32:04

And you know, my thing was it's like I was just kind of like uh let's say it was a discussion and had an argument with somebody online who just said, you know, no, we like we completely lost that game. We should have, you know, we did all this thing wrong or whatever. I'm like, I don't buy your, you know, it's like it baseball, every game is different. It's not like it's not like you know, we were supposed to win that game the same way we won the other three. It's like the it's it's unpredictable in that sense.

SPEAKER_03 32:36

What is predictable is that umpires are supposed to do their job, and umpires aren't supposed to be of the nationality of the teams playing in the WPC. Specifically, the home plate umpire is not supposed to be from one of the two countries playing. There are enough umpires from enough different places to get an unbiased umpire, and they did not, they did not.

SPEAKER_01 33:03

I think that would that's like that's that right there that's US. It's like that's the bias. The WBC and say, like, look, you guys didn't do this, and therefore the whole thing is annulled.

SPEAKER_03 33:19

But you know, but we wouldn't do that because Venezuela was if USA won, maybe we take it up with the courts, yeah. But and I was so mad because that was the story. Baseball is so romantic, and there's so many stories to be found, and the story was right there with that Julio Rodriguez catch to Rob the Homer. Yeah, that was like going back to the most infamous play in like world baseball classic history by the US against the Dominican Republic, like in a 1-1 game. That was like literally history reversed, and it was meant to happen if in any other world. That's all I have to say. And then now we can move on. We can talk about something less.

SPEAKER_01 34:14

I'm not ready to move on. I got something else to say. Okay. I do have I do uh not and I I don't have just one thing I'd like to add to this conversation because it was just uh you know to focus on this one game that felt like it was stolen from us,

Why Unity Made DR Special

SPEAKER_01 34:30

and and uh and and it was painful, and and we were you know busy about it for a day or two. But three or four. Or three or four, or still. Um I would just like to say that I want to focus on the positive for this team, this our team, Dominican Republic, and just say how I would argue it's the best baseball team like lineup I have ever seen. Yeah, it's one of the best baseball experiences I've ever had in my life. It was insane. Um, and uh, and uh just to have that experience alone, I'm very grateful to have been able to do it with you. Um to be there, to kind of feel that because it was just kind of I feel like almost we were kind of in shock as far as how unreal it was, and it's like kind of thing, kind of vibe, and and just like the little surprises, like me. Um I'm not as on top of all the players and all the teams as as Franklin is, and and um so it was just kind of like a nice refresher for me to see all these people and the people that we had on our team and realize the caliber of these players that they were just like that was just untouchable. I mean, these you know, just to have Cattel and Tatis and uh and you know, Soto and Perdomo and Caminero and Machado, it's just like Austin Wells, you know, like one of my favorite things that I've seen since then, um, and it's gonna almost gonna make me cry when I get emotional. But uh it was just like this thing that somebody said it was this woman, she posted something, she's like, you know what? Dominican Republic may have lost the game, but we won a Dominican. And it was Austin, that's the whole video was about Austin Wells, how we won a Dominican, we got a new Dominican, and it was all the clips from all the things that he had done, and whatever. It's like, oh my god, man, I'm getting emotional. Uh it's just like that kind of stuff, and then you see all the stuff, you see all the clips. Uh I'm you know, in the in the aftermath, seeing more things from the games and from before and after, and the press conferences, and and the sort of like the no uh there was no hatred, there was no like bitterness, there was no nastiness. There was definitely like a sadness after with the loss, but throughout the whole entire series, there was just so much positive energy. And then another clip that I saw that was amazing was just somebody had compiled the clip of uh it was ESPN. Actually, they compiled the clip of Venezuela and Dominican Republic and the love that they had throughout the game. So it's just like what their game, they're playing like the handshakes, the hugs, the like the K, like the moments, make joking around, switching hats and whatever, like two teams playing against each other. World baseball classic, one of the top, you know, uh international games of all time. And these guys are just like kids on a on a on a you know on the on the street and just like messing with each other.

SPEAKER_03 37:52

And I mean, I still think uh the the laddie slide into the plate and he's just like that's it's such like when we were there, we saw that uh when uh the the guy ran into the first baseman and it was just like that could have been like any other, you know, it would have been USA team, whatever, it would have been like a fight.

SPEAKER_01 38:16

These guys were like hugging, like, hey man, you just that was crazy. You almost ran me over, kind of things like kind of that, you know. But it was just like, man, I don't there's gotta be a word for that. I mean it's not camaraderie because it's like the different teams, but there's sort of like they were so they believed in each other so strong that there was no need for ego with the individually with the players because they were all united, and that's like a word that keeps coming up is a unity, and it's just like when when you were together, then there's nothing like you you let go of that ego, you let go of the sort of like that was a great game, like that oh my god, yeah, it was. I don't know, so to me, it's just like that was uh to kind of walk away from this whole experience and seeing like how you know what you can be the best you can be, you can be as loud as you can be. You don't have to be uh shrink or be small for anybody. You can be yourself, you can be as crazy and as amazing as you can possibly be. And guess what? You will not only inspire the people around you to be just like you and want to be around you and play with you and work with you and do stuff with you. But together, that power, that intensity, that love, that energy just grows exponentially. So it's like it's not just like, hey, we've got Soto on the team, we've got Catel, we've got Datis. It's just like the idea of who these players are was almost invisible because all of a sudden, you're not fighting Superman, you're fighting the fucking Justice League. You know what I mean? You're fighting the Avengers, I mean and even like even you know, even Austin Wells, who's like a Hawkman, but it's like you see, like you see the sort of like that they don't they uh everybody is important. You see those moments in the locker room, you see in the press conferences, like I said, you see them on the field and how everything they were celebrating, every single thing, and and you know, a catch of whatever, they just had each other, and I don't know. I it's just it kind of blows my mind, and I'm I'm I'm I've got goosebumps, and I want to carry this feeling. This is like my 2026 feeling is DR in the World Baseball Classic. That this is like the energy, this is the vibe that I'm stealing. I'm I'm taking this all the way. Like, like, watch out. Like, you know, like I'm gonna have some losses this year, but watch out for these wins because I'm clobbering. Like that's that's how I feel personally. Like, I that's how inspired I am by this whole entire series. Like, I just feel like it's okay to be freaking awesome. It's such a weird concept, but it's like a uh we live in a day and age that you're supposed to, you know, people equate respect with some sort of like uh uh uh bowing down and and not not allowing yourself to be as authentic and as real and as amazing as you can be. And it's like fuck that. Excuse my French. It's like we're fucking no, no, no, no, no. You get all of me, all of me. That's it. That was my point.

SPEAKER_03 41:52

I think that's a great point to end it on, honestly. That's for once let's end it on something positive.

SPEAKER_01 41:59

Yes, DR, thank you so much. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_03 42:02

I mean, it's like a once-in-a-lifetime, like yeah, long time coming.

SPEAKER_01 42:08

It was beautiful. Okay, so normally in the podcast, this will be our sixth episode so far. Um, six of 1800 episodes that we have lined up. Um

Players We Loved Across The WBC

SPEAKER_01 42:22

I don't know why I've been said that number. But uh normally we have other segments that we do, like player of the week. And to be honest, our player of the week is the DR team. Period, hands down. With a lot of, you know, people that we love from other teams. Like I just watched, like watching Acunya.

SPEAKER_03 42:45

Oh, that's another thing. I I mean, I'm a Mets fan, I have to hate the Braves, but this is this tournament has kind of made it so like I get a pass. Ronald Acunya Jr. can be one of my favorite players now.

SPEAKER_01 42:58

Like this Ah, he's so good, man. He's so good.

SPEAKER_03 43:01

And this is gonna be his year. Yeah, he's gonna be healthy the whole year. Yeah, I mean because that's his big problem. He's like an insanely good player who's just like injured half the year.

SPEAKER_01 43:11

Here in Sad Boys Mets Club, we're you can call us a little sensitive. Yeah, we have sensitive types. But to me, it's like, did you watch the the the ninth inning? They had like the video of Ronald Amina Bacunya, and it's like he's in the outfield. This is the whole ninth inning, and he's in the outfield, and it's just like tears coming down, and he's just like trying to get in his position. He's like because he can't believe that they're about to win this. And there's so much, like, you know, there's so much socio political uh uh uh sort of uh baggage in that sort of line, in that sort of team uh meetup uh that uh I can only imagine how. It felt. But but like I said, like that, the guy from Italy's team. I mean, come on, man. You know, it's like the that kind of stuff, this that kind of energy. I love the guy from the the the Czech team.

SPEAKER_03 44:16

That the electrician.

SPEAKER_01 44:17

The electrician.

SPEAKER_03 44:18

That's like these I I had to like watch a video about it because it's it was very clearly a blowout by the end of the game. But I didn't know he pitched like a perfect game for like six innings. And the other thing is it's so awesome. Like the the baseball culture in Japan. If you crush somebody's team, you are their new hero. Like you get added onto the podium. Like he walks around in Japan, he's famous because he struck out Shoey. Like that is uh I'd also here's what I will say. Um this isn't as much something crazy that happened. I just need to shout out DD Gregorious because that's the best walk-up song ever for notorious. Well, notorious.

SPEAKER_02 45:03

That's like no, no, notorious.

SPEAKER_03 45:07

If my last name was Gregorious, that would be my walk-up song. Like that's it was cool.

SPEAKER_01 45:14

It was cool to be in the stadium while that was happening. Come on. That was all right. So let's just say one, let's mention one more player.

SPEAKER_03 45:25

I'd like to mention Brazzabon because he was he was the little bit we had we had two Mets on that Dominican team, and Brazzabon did not disappoint.

SPEAKER_01 45:36

Yeah, so excited about that. So excited about that.

SPEAKER_03 45:39

He was on fire, he had passion, and he basically pitched that game and then immediately got a call from Carlos Mendoza like, you're on the team. You guys are on the thing. It was because there was a bit of a battle, and then he just showed up. Yeah. And I love that. That's awesome. Because I won him on the team. I like it's I'm so excited. It's I just have to say that. I'm so excited about him. He was a monster in that he pitched like complete. I think the thing is, I think the the stat is that he retired 12 of the 13 batters that he faced. So I think he gave up either one hit or one walk in all of his WBC appearances. Like that's he's kind of the perfect, like one inning guy.

SPEAKER_01 46:25

I'm so excited because he's gonna be he's going to be extremely helpful for us.

SPEAKER_03 46:29

And he's a Dominican. We need as many Dominicans as we can get on the team.

SPEAKER_01 46:34

Oh, one final thought. I said this in the post that I had before.

MLB Expansion Dream In The DR

SPEAKER_01 46:37

I mean, I think that if anything, there's a the the takeaway for the MLB is that they really need to consider having uh an expansion team in the Dominican Republic. So I'm gonna start in my mind, I'm gonna start like a like a LA to New York distance. It's it's I mean it's closer. If you're in Miami, if you're in like whatever, it's like it's just it's a hopping stadium. And the money that would bring in, like it's ridiculous. And people say that the stadium there is too small. That's okay. Play the first two, three years in that stadium and start building the state.

SPEAKER_03 47:07

The athletics are playing in a minor league stadium. Like, whatever's no excuse.

SPEAKER_01 47:13

It's no excuse. It's no excuse. And guess what's gonna happen? It's going to freaking boom. I mean, everyone is gonna freak out, and then everyone's gonna want to be on that team. But then guess what? It's just gonna have the sort of like the cop that the dichotomy of having like international players in a team that's based. It's like, you know, whatever, like the Toronto Blue Jays. You know, it's just kind of a thing where it's just we're just gonna mix it up even more. It's gonna be beautiful, but they have to do this. They already, every team already has a farm in Dominican Republic, every team already has a major investment in Dominican Republic. Get an actual major league team in the Dominican Republic, expansion team. And while you're at it, do one for Puerto Rico too. You know what I mean? And then just let's get this going. Let's get this, let's let's make this bunny as bad as possible. Like I mean, yes, turn it.

SPEAKER_03 48:05

Bad bunny will pay for the bad bunny will pay for the team. Bad bunny will own the team.

SPEAKER_01 48:10

It will be called the San Juan bunnies, bad bunnies, you know. Uh, but uh I feel like there's something there. Like, how what do you start a petition basically? Start a petition. Um, that's our plan right now. That's what that's our wish, too. At the same time, we we knocked all our things. We did the walk-up music, we did the we did the best player of the week, and and now we did the the the wish of the week. And on that, we're gonna end this episode.

SPEAKER_03 48:33

I just have one more thing to say.

Final Positives And Sign-Off

SPEAKER_03 48:35

Uh another positive thing. In the past, I've I've had a couple of players who just I I despise. Like, there's I there there are people like for different reasons. Um and one of them has always been Derek Jeter. Yeah. Because I kind of I've always hated his vibes and how uh he was very overrated, but he kinda he he lost a little hate from me post that DR game because he had some very sassy comments about uh he was like, yeah, they're bringing ABS next next time for sure. Like and that's all he had to say. That's it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 49:19

That the Yeah. No, I mean it's like I think it that's everyone's comment. That's it. That's really everyone's sentiment anyway. But I'm glad that he's uh he's become more likable for you.

SPEAKER_03 49:30

He's given a little more likability.

SPEAKER_01 49:33

On that note, y'all, more likability all around. We I'm glad that we ended on a positive note with this whole thing. The energy, the love, the excitement about this game is everything to us, and and uh uh we're honored to have been a part of this sort of thing. I'm so happy that we had the experience to do this together and to continue doing this together, this podcast. And you know, I feel like stealing that line from Ted Lasso. You know, like baseball is life. You know, baseball is life. We love you. Let's go, Mets.

SPEAKER_03 50:10

There's always next year. There's always this year, there's always next week.

SPEAKER_01 50:18

Here we go.