What a difference a week makes.
Adrian Gonzalez was all-in on the World Baseball Classic last week, basking in the pride of playing for Team Mexico while questioning those players who declined invitations. But now Gonzalez’s country is eliminated from the tournament, and the Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman took quite the different stance when asked Wednesday about his WBC experience.
Adrian Gonzalez has returned to camp. He says he will never play in the WBC again: "It's good to be the hell out of that tournament."
— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) March 15, 2017
Adrian Gonzalez on the WBC: "They're trying to be the World Cup. But they're not even the Little League World Series."
— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) March 15, 2017
Gonzalez said he harangued MLB brass. He said he told them, "You have no integrity. Everything you guys are doing is a bunch of BS."
— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) March 15, 2017
All right, then.
There’s a reason for Gonzalez’s anger, as Mexico was sent home on controversial terms. The club went 1-2 in Pool D to finish in a three-way tie with Italy and Venezuela. That meant two teams would play a tiebreaker game while one club would be eliminated.
Per WBC rules, the deciding tiebreaker in that scenario is average runs allowed per inning. Mexico, with 1.12 runs allowed per inning compared to Venezuela’s 1.11 and Italy’s 1.05, barely finished last, meaning it was sent packing while Venezuela and Italy played a fourth game for the right to advance.
Gonzalez insisted at the time that Team Mexico hadn’t been informed of that rule, complaining Sunday night after Mexico defeated Venezuela 11-9 that his club had been told a different story.
Nos avisaron antes del juego que si ganamos por 2, pasábamos.
We were told before the game if we win by two, we play tomorrow.— Adrián González OLY (@Adrian_ElTitan) March 13, 2017
We win by two and lose by one, Venezuela loses by 2 and wins by 1? Way to set up a tournament.
— Adrián González OLY (@Adrian_ElTitan) March 13, 2017
Mexico filed a protest, but to no avail, as Puerto Rico and Venezuela advanced from Pool D. It appears the incident has left a permanently bitter taste in Gonzalez’s mouth, too, enough to make the 34-year-old veteran distance himself completely from the tournament.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
