I've not been able to watch much of the World Baseball Classic, given that we don't get ESPN Deportes and that I've not been smart enough to DVR games that do find their way to ESPN2 (not to mention I don't think we've got room for whole baseball games, what with the Olympics-related backlog that we're working through). But when I get to see first round games in the Horizon League's men's basketball tournament in prime time, why should I complain about missing theoretically top-level baseball?

Adding a layer of interest to this is Barry Bonds saying he may want in if the US goes through to the next round (which, thanks to Mexico slapping around Canada, looks likely unless we can't find a way to beat South Africa). Your guess if this is something done at the behest of MLB to raise interest in the tournament, by Bonds and his management as a way to improve his persona in the wake of Game of Shadows, or both. I'll take odds on the likelihood of Bonds "injuring" himself representing his country so he can retire as a "patriot" and avoid another season or two of "did he or didn't he?" speculation.

Except that Bonds, whose connection to reality seems occasionaly tenuous (at least to me, a continent away), may just shrug it off in his Recliner of Solitude and keep chasing the Babe.