GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) – Adrian Gonzalez had some harsh words for organizers of the World Baseball Classic.
“They’re trying to become the World Cup, but they’re not even close to being the Little League World Series,” the Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman said Wednesday.
Gonzalez’s Mexican team beat Venezuela 11-9 Sunday in Guadalajara, leaving both teams tied with Italy for second in Group D behind Puerto (3-0). The World Baseball Classic Twitter account initially announced Monday’s tiebreaker game would be between Mexico and Italy. But the WBC technical committee determined the tiebreaker – runs allowed per defensive inning – meant Italy (1.05) and Venezuela (1.11) advanced and not Mexico (1.12).
The Mexican Baseball Federation objected that the ninth inning of Sunday’s game should count as a partial inning, even though Italy scored five runs without Mexico getting any outs.
Gonzalez, a veteran of four WBCs, said he won’t play in any more. He said Mexico’s general manager called the two WBC representatives in Mexico seven times and sent several text messages and emails before Sunday’s game inquiring about what Mexico needed to do mathematically to advance. Gonzalez said WBC representatives never responded.