MLB

After a six-year hiatus, the World Baseball Classic is back. Rosters are stacked with elite talent from around the world, and the excitement and stakes seem higher than ever. It’s all building toward a tournament that should be quite entertaining.

The vibe around the World Baseball Classic feels different this time. There’s anticipation. There’s excitement. There’s intrigue. I’m looking forward to it, which is kind of saying something. On the surface, it makes sense.

Seiya Suzuki was going to be one of five MLB players representing Japan in the World Baseball Classic, but on Monday he was a late scratch from the roster. Suzuki suffered an oblique injury that will keep him out for spring training and the World Baseball Classic.

This is the era of long-term contracts in baseball. Counting contracts that started with the 2019 season, 13 different players currently have deals that are at least 10 years in length.

Babe Ruth returned in November 1922 from a baseball barnstorming trip, described in The Sporting News as a “frosty tour of the sticks,” chastened by the relatively light attendance he drew.