Mexico was eliminated from the World Baseball Classic due to math and a tiebreaker. Mexico won its final game, against Venezuela, but it had a worse runs scored per defensive inning by virtue of losing in a walkoff to Italy a couple of days before. Even if they had still lost the game to Italy but had recorded an out in the final inning, they would’ve advanced because, with an out, there would’ve been a value in the denominator of the tiebreaking ratio.
Yes, Mexico could’ve advanced if it had, you know, won the game or not given up all of those runs, but it’s a pretty dumb tiebreaker rule if it comes down to mathematics that do not really reflect how baseball games are played. Even now, a few days later, confusion reigns over the tiebreaker procedure and Team Mexico continues to fume over the outcome. Or at least first baseman Adrian Gonzalez does:
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
Gonzalez said Mexico's GM asked WBC officials for clarification of the tiebreaker by email/phone 7 times before Venezuela game. No response
— Eric Stephen (@ericstephen) March 15, 2017
Given that Gonzalez will be 38 the next time the WBC comes around there’s a good chance he wouldn’t be involved anyway, but this is not the kind of endorsement Major League Baseball and the WBC would like from Mexico’s highest-profile player. Especially one who is widely considered a leader and role model of other players.
