With two of the Giants’ most important players – Brandon Crawford and Buster Posey – featuring for the USA, this year’s iteration of the World Baseball Classic has a newfound relevance for baseball fans in the Bay Area.
Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow admits that he hasn’t been able to take his eyes off the tournament so far, but told Murph and Mac on Tuesday that he is also frustrated by the fact that the US team is missing a handful of notable stars.
“Where are some of our really big players? I understand the argument for not bringing out (Clayton) Kershaw or (Madison) Bumgarner, the pitching thing is a little bit different, but where’s (Mike) Trout, where’s (Bryce) Harper,” Krukow said. “This is something that, I think the pressure should be on these guys, and they are not showing up.”
Krukow’s partner Duane Kuiper has been a frequent critic of the WBC, even saying he wished it would go away on KNBR last month. Krukow said that the amount of relevant players participating has even Kuiper interested in this year’s tournament. With the frequently derided competition’s stock at an all time high, Krukow believes there is more incentive than ever for the US to send it’s best possible squad.
“What is another obvious I think is the emotion on the field with every team and that includes the Yanks,” Krukow said. “The Americans are into it. All those guys there are into it. I just don’t think there is an excuse for all of those guys not showing up. I like what Ernie Whitt said, the manager of the Canadian team: If we are not gonna send our best players, why even come. I think there is some sentiment in regards to that with every team. Certainly in regards to the US team, and I think some of these big time players need to step up and play, because they don’t have an excuse to keep them off the roster.”
Listen to the full interview below.