Red Sox discuss emotion behind playing in Classic
Ian Browne
@IanMBrowneFORT MYERS, Fla. -- There is suddenly a lot more room in the Red Sox’s clubhouse, and for good reason.
The World Baseball Classic is upon us, and for each Boston player who has left camp to participate, their country’s flag is covering their vacated lockers while they are away.
There was a buzz around the team as the opening of the Classic neared.
Manager Alex Cora had players put together presentations of their countries, most notably when Alex Verdugo did what looked like a full-fledged social studies school project on a poster board. For good measure, the outfielder hired a mariachi band to perform in the clubhouse and on the field during team stretch.
Red Sox fans will have a significant rooting interest in the international showcase this year.
Left fielder Masataka Yoshida left last week to represent Japan. Verdugo and Jarren Duran departed on Monday to join Team Mexico’s camp in Arizona.
Shortstop Kiké Hernández (Puerto Rico) and third baseman Rafael Devers (Dominican Republic) don’t have too far to travel. Their teams have their training bases this week in Fort Myers, and they will start the tournament with games in Miami this weekend.
Among the other Boston players joining in the fun are catcher Jorge Alfaro (Colombia) and lefty reliever Richard Bleier (Israel).
When Japan plays its first game at 5 a.m. ET on Thursday, Cora and other coaches and players will be watching from Fenway South with particular interest in Yoshida, not to mention the MLB player who captivates everyone, Shohei Ohtani.
Cora was the general manager for Puerto Rico in the 2017 Classic, so he gets what it is all about.
“We're trying to globalize the game,” Cora said. “There will be upsets. But I think at the end, the teams that are playing are the best of the best. In this tournament, it's about your country. It’s the only time as a professional, as a big leaguer, that you can represent your country.”
Verdugo was hyped up the night before his flight.
“I’m very excited,” he said. “It’s so much fun when you get to play in that environment. I would equate it to like the Little League World Series, with the same type of emotion as those kids. We’re big leaguers who have done it for a while, and that’s the kind of emotion it brings.
“It’s just something that means a lot to the guys -- it means a lot to me representing Mexico and just means a lot to play in, and it’s like a playoff atmosphere.”
“This tournament is a big thing for all of us,” Cora said.