Much_DA1 to_TO learn_VVI from_II WBC_NP1 The_AT World_NN1 Baseball_NN1 Classic_NN1 may_VM save_VVI the_AT sport_NN1 from_II its_APPGE home_NN1 country_NN1 ._. 
The_AT Japanese_NN1 and_CC South_NP1 Korean_JJ teams_NN2 were_VBDR a_AT1 joy_NN1 to_TO watch_VVI in_II the_AT first_MD Classic_NN1 three_MC years_NNT2 ago_RA ,_, playing_VVG a_AT1 brand_NN1 of_IO the_AT game_NN1 that_CST has_VHZ eroded_VVN in_II the_AT United_NP1 States_NP1 after_II years_NNT2 of_IO cartoonish_JJ sluggers_NN2 pounding_VVG at_II its_APPGE foundation_NN1 ._. 
They_PPHS2 've_VH0 been_VBN equally_RR impressive_JJ this_DD1 time_NNT1 around_RP ,_, with_IW Japan_NP1 winning_VVG the_AT title_NN1 5-3_MCMC Monday_NPD1 night_NNT1 after_II the_AT repeating_JJ champs_NN2 had_VHD earlier_RRR schooled_VVN the_AT Yanks_NN2 in_II fundamentals_NN2 and_CC Korea_NP1 eliminated_VVD Venezuela_NP1 ._. 
The_AT excuses_NN2 piled_VVD up_RP after_II the_AT Americans_NN2 '_GE loss_NN1 Sunday_NPD1 ._. 
This_DD1 was_VBDZ just_RR one_MC1 game_NN1 ._. 
The_AT Americans_NN2 are_VBR still_RR in_II spring_NN1 training_NN1 form_NN1 ,_, whereas_CS players_NN2 from_II the_AT Far_JJ East_ND1 play_NN1 a_AT1 lot_NN1 of_IO winter_NNT1 ball_NN1 ._. 
The_AT U.S._NP1 roster_NN1 had_VHD a_AT1 lot_NN1 of_IO injuries_NN2 ._. 
Some_DD of_IO the_AT best_JJT American_JJ players_NN2 sat_VVD out_RP to_TO protect_VVI their_APPGE bodies_NN2 for_IF the_AT major-league_JJ season_NNT1 ,_, rather_CS21 than_CS22 risk_VVI them_PPHO2 in_II this_DD1 charming_JJ ,_, though_CS utterly_RR meaningless_JJ ,_, exhibition_NN1 series_NN ._. 
Concede_VV0 every_AT1 point_NN1 in_II those_DD2 qualifiers_NN2 ,_, and_CC then_RT bow_VV0 to_II the_AT finalists_NN2 ._. 
These_DD2 are_VBR n't_XX one-hit_JJ wonders_NN2 ,_, although_CS both_DB2 of_IO them_PPHO2 could_VM happily_RR find_VVI a_AT1 way_NN1 to_TO win_VVI on_RP only_RR one_PN1 hit_VVD ._. 
Korea_NP1 took_VVD the_AT gold_NN1 in_II Beijing_NP1 ,_, Japan_NP1 the_AT 2006_MC WBC_NP1 title_NN1 ._. 
They_PPHS2 deserve_VV0 respect_NN1 and_CC ,_, even_RR more_DAR than_CSN that_DD1 ,_, emulation_NN1 ._. 
For_IF almost_RR two_MC decades_NNT2 ,_, the_AT American_JJ game_NN1 has_VHZ remained_VVN stuck_VVN in_II the_AT era_NN1 of_IO Jordan_NP1 Envy_NN1 ,_, a_AT1 syndrome_NN1 that_CST did_VDD n't_XX diminish_VVI a_RR21 bit_RR22 when_CS Michael_NP1 Jordan_NP1 himself_PPX1 proved_VVD he_PPHS1 could_VM n't_XX hit_VVI a_AT1 minor-league_JJ curve_NN1 ._. 
The_AT early_JJ 1990s_MC2 saw_VVD the_AT NBA_NN1 threaten_VVI to_TO supplant_VVI MLB_NP1 permanently_RR in_II this_DD1 country_NN1 's_GE affections_NN2 ._. 
The_AT 1994_MC strike_NN1 has_VHZ long_RR been_VBN blamed_VVN for_IF imperiling_VVG baseball_NN1 and_CC creating_VVG an_AT1 urgent_JJ need_NN1 for_IF long-ball_JJ bombast_NN1 to_TO lure_VVI back_RP the_AT fans_NN2 ._. 
But_CCB it_PPH1 did_VDD n't_XX act_VVI alone_RR ._. 
Basketball_NN1 's_GE golden_JJ era_NN1 helped_VVD lead_NN1 baseball_NN1 down_II the_AT road_NN1 where_CS it_PPH1 tarnished_VVD itself_PPX1 ._. 
In_II 1991_MC ,_, '92_MC and_CC '93_MC ,_, the_AT NBA_NP1 produced_VVD a_AT1 Dream_NN1 Team_NN1 in_II Barcelona_NP1 and_CC a_AT1 dream_NN1 team_NN1 ,_, barely_RR lower_JJR case_NN1 ,_, in_II Chicago_NP1 ._. 
Baseball_NN1 's_GE champions_NN2 in_II that_DD1 same_DA span_NN1 came_VVD from_II Minneapolis_NP1 and_CC Toronto_NP1 ,_, on_II patches_NN2 of_IO artificial_JJ turf_NN1 rather_II21 than_II22 fields_NN2 of_IO dreams_NN2 ._. 
Many_DA2 of_IO the_AT stars_NN2 who_PNQS later_RRR brought_VVN baseball_NN1 back_RP turned_VVD out_RP to_TO be_VBI faker_NN1 than_CSN the_AT green_JJ floor_NN1 of_IO the_AT Metrodome_NN1 ._. 
The_AT Steroid_JJ Era_NN1 ,_, if_CS it_PPH1 can_VM even_RR be_VBI considered_VVN a_AT1 single_JJ era_NN1 ,_, has_VHZ always_RR been_VBN credited_VVN with_IW saving_VVG the_AT game_NN1 ,_, and_CC at_II its_APPGE most_RGT obnoxious_JJ ,_, MLB_NP1 would_VM taunt_VVI its_APPGE critics_NN2 by_II saying_VVG that_DD1 attendance_NN1 and_CC revenue_NN1 had_VHD soared_VVN in_II31 spite_II32 of_II33 (_( read_VV0 :_: perhaps_RR because_II21 of_II22 )_) the_AT obvious_JJ drug_NN1 use_VV0 that_CST pushed_VVD so_RG many_DA2 balls_NN2 out_II21 of_II22 the_AT park_NN1 ._. 
The_AT home_NN1 run_NN1 got_VVD way_NN1 too_RG much_DA1 credit_NN1 for_IF reviving_VVG the_AT sport_NN1 ,_, without_IW much_DA1 consideration_NN1 for_IF other_JJ critical_JJ factors_NN2 :_: an_AT1 influx_NN1 of_IO Asian_JJ and_CC Latin_JJ American_JJ stars_NN2 who_PNQS surely_RR expanded_VVD the_AT audience_NN1 pool_NN1 ,_, the_AT renaissance_NN1 of_IO the_AT Yankees_NN2 and_CC a_AT1 slew_NN1 of_IO pretty_RG new_JJ parks_NN2 ._. 
Over_RP in_II the_AT NBA_NN1 ,_, a_AT1 late-90s_MC2 invasion_NN1 of_IO international_JJ players_NN2 was_VBDZ hailed_VVN as_II a_AT1 dramatic_JJ improvement_NN1 ,_, allegedly_RR pulling_VVG the_AT game_NN1 out_II21 of_II22 a_AT1 one-on-one_MC ,_, finesse-deficient_JJ phase_NN1 ._. 
At_II the_AT same_DA time_NNT1 ,_, baseball_NN1 got_VVN away_II21 from_II22 its_APPGE finer_JJR points_NN2 ,_, hammering_VVG the_AT ball_NN1 ,_, and_CC everyone_PN1 cheered_VVD ._. 
Ichiro_NP1 Suzuki_NP1 ,_, not_XX Mark_NP1 McGwire_NP1 ,_, should_VM have_VHI been_VBN the_AT model_NN1 for_IF a_AT1 new_JJ era_NN1 in_II baseball_NN1 ._. 
But_CCB small_JJ ball_NN1 seemed_VVD like_II a_AT1 harder_JJR sell_NN1 ._. 
Owners_NN2 and_CC marketers_NN2 did_VDD n't_XX really_RR believe_VVI in_II their_APPGE own_DA product_NN1 ._. 
They_PPHS2 led_VVD with_IW power_NN1 ,_, even_CS21 though_CS22 the_AT typical_JJ home_NN1 run_NN1 ca_VM n't_XX compete_VVI visually_RR with_IW the_AT crushing_JJ violence_NN1 of_IO football_NN1 ,_, the_AT soaring_JJ dunks_NN2 of_IO basketball_NN1 or_CC ,_, as_CSA other_JJ sports_NN2 become_VV0 more_RGR mainstream_JJ ,_, the_AT dramatics_NN1 of_IO professional_JJ wrestling_NN1 ._. 
At_II its_APPGE best_JJT ,_, the_AT sport_NN1 is_VBZ elegant_JJ and_CC cerebral_JJ ,_, like_II a_AT1 moving_JJ chess_NN1 match_NN1 ._. 
Two_MC of_IO the_AT greatest_JJT moments_NN2 over_II the_AT last_MD decade_NNT1 were_VBDR Derek_NP1 Jeter_NP1 's_GE backward_JJ toss_NN1 to_II the_AT plate_NN1 against_II Oakland_NP1 's_GE Jeremy_NP1 Giambi_NP1 and_CC Dave_NP1 Roberts_NP1 '_GE history-altering_JJ stolen_JJ base_NN1 in_II the_AT ninth_MD inning_NN1 of_IO the_AT 2004_MC ALCS_NP2 's_GE Game_NN1 4_MC ._. 
Defense_NN1 ,_, head_NN1 games_NN2 ,_, speed_NN1 ._. 
Sublime_JJ ._. 
The_AT WBC_NP1 finalists_NN2 played_VVN like_II purists_NN2 ,_, and_CC it_PPH1 made_VVD them_PPHO2 unbeatable_JJ ._. 
The_AT U.S._NP1 ,_, if_CS allowed_VVN to_TO play_VVI under_II their_APPGE ideal_JJ circumstances_NN2 ,_, might_VM be_VBI dominant_JJ ._. 
But_CCB then_RT again_RT ,_, the_AT Americans_NN2 got_VVD to_TO play_VVI at_II home_NN1 ,_, and_CC the_AT pitch_NN1 limits_NN2 imposed_VVN on_II WBC_NP1 teams_NN2 may_VM have_VHI held_VVN back_RP the_AT Asian_JJ teams_NN2 ,_, who_PNQS tend_VV0 not_XX to_II baby_NN1 their_APPGE arms_NN2 the_AT way_NN1 Americans_NN2 do_VD0 ._. 
The_AT only_JJ thing_NN1 we_PPIS2 know_VV0 for_RR21 sure_RR22 is_VBZ that_CST the_AT Japanese_NN1 and_CC Koreans_NN2 are_VBR n't_XX playing_VVG for_IF a_AT1 highlights_NN2 reel_VV0 ,_, or_CC to_TO lure_VVI an_AT1 audience_NN1 away_II21 from_II22 MTV_NP1 ._. 
They_PPHS2 should_VM be_VBI baseball_NN1 's_GE dream_NN1 team_NN1 ._. 
