Baseball just isn't America's game

Jimmy Rollins did all he could do, but it wasn't enough. The U.S. will be sitting on the sidelines for a World Baseball Classic final between Japan and Korea that should have America's baseball managers thinking like America's auto plant managers were thinking in the 1980s, which is...how do we import the Japanese system? If baseball is anything like the global economy, look for China to take the field against India in the 2029 WBC final.

The WBC is fun diversion right now, but it's really just a diversion. With nothing like the prestige and career-making opportunities of soccer's World Cup, and with the decision to hold the event during spring training, when pitchers aren't able to work a full game, the Classic may never reach Olympian levels. There's always going to be injury issues, as with Chase Utley or A-Rod this year, but when players like Ryan Howard can sit it out for the heck of it, this will never be baseball's March Madness.

The good news is the stellar play of J-Roll and Shane Victorino for the Americans has to leave you feeling even better about the 2009 Phillies, who could be better than their WFC year with a healthier Rollins and Utley than last season, a slimmed down Howard and more consistent production from Raul Ibanez in left field. The question mark will be the health of the pitching staff -- Cole Hamels' elbow, Chan Ho Park's hamstring, and the fragile heads of Brett Myers and maybe Kyle Kendrick, who seems to have clawed his way back into the mix.

Meanwhile, Curt Schilling has something he wants to tell you.