MLB Showdown Obsession

 Puerto Rico is a tiny island, but they hold a disproportionate amount of baseball talent for their small size. This is a fact that they exploit the heck out of in international competition. They seemed like a lock to escape the opening round of the WBC like they did in 2006 and 2009, but they were ready now to push their run even further in 2013. While they shared Pool C with the powerful Dominican Republic, it just meant they needed to beat up on the other teams. And beat up they did as they were victorious over Spain 3-0, then Venezuela 6-3. Their advancement secured, their matchup with the Dominican Republic was merely for seeding, so their 4-2 loss wasn't devastating. What was more devastating was their round 2 loss to the United States, 7-1. Now at risk in the losers bracket, Puerto Rico had no room for error as they ousted Italy 4-3 to set up a rematch with the USA to determine who would advance to the semi-finals with the Dominican Republic. Victory this time belonged to Pu...

 The United States have a unique pressure when it comes to WBC play. They know they're home to the most elite baseball league. MLB is the destination for fame and fortune. So while 2013 was only the third iteration of the competition, people in the States were concerned that the US of A haven't already claimed a title or at least made the finals. With MLB being the elite league of baseball, that comes as a double edged sword, since many of the players in said league would rather concern themselves with their regular jobs and not so much for the WBC; Big contracts are awarded based on MLB success, not WBC. But, America being America, they wouldn't settle for the excuse that they don't have *all* the best players in their country participating like everyone else were enjoying. So, looking to put their lackluster results of the past behind them, they rolled into 2013 looking to finally raise the gold. Instead, they were humbled 5-2 in their opening game against Mexico. Ita...

 Venezuela was a 2nd round team in 2006, but took a big step forward in '09 when they powered their way to the semi-finals. The odds of a return trip was against them as 2013 began, with them in the same opening pool as Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. Falling 9-3 to DR and 6-3 to PR sealed their fate as both those countries were destined for a very deep run, but Venezuela could at least assure their spot in the next WBC if they could avoid a last place finish. In a fight for pride, Venezuela beat Spain in their final game 11-6 to at least avoid having to requalify. Prado should find a role on your team with that great defensive coverage with solid defensive numbers all around. The on base is a solid 9 and the chart doesn't aggravate. Alvarez may not be big on the strikeouts, but the control and chart hold up for a control pitcher. If you have a trustworthy defense in the field, you can feel comfortable pitching Henderson here. Elvis Andrus is a very classical type of Shorts...