LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Much has been made of the inability of Team USA to get all of the country’s top American major leaguers to play in next month’s World Baseball Classic.
But for three Braves who will play in the international tournament for the first time – Freddie Freeman, Ender Inciarte, Julio Teheran — there is nothing but excitement and anticipation over the opportunity. They didn’t hesitate to sign up.
Inciate will play a talent-laden Venezuela team and Teheran for his native Colombia in its first trip to the WBC, while Freeman, born and raised in Southern California, will play for Canada to honor his late mother, who died of skin cancer when Freeman was 10. Both of Freeman’s parents were Canadian. All three will leave for WBC training camps around March 6.
“It was a big decision for me,” said Freeman, who got the chance to play for Canada after Canadian first baseman Joey Votto decided not to play. “Obviously it means a lot to me with my mom. A lot of people don’t know my father is also Canadian, so it’s big roots for my family. And with my mom passing away when I was 10, it’s something I always wanted to do, is honor her.”
Canada and Colombia are both in the four-team Miami pool along with the United States, and Canada’s first game set for March 9 against the Dominican Republic. Teheran is expected to start for Colombia in its March 10 opener against the U.S., and Canada faces Colombia on March 11.
“It’s going to be a big day for my family,” Freeman said. “I don’t think my dad ever thought my dad would see a son in a Canadian uniform ever. I’m flying him out for it and he’s going to be sitting in the stands watching his son with a Canada uniform on. Just the emotions that are going to be going through, not only for me but for him, it’s obviously going to be thinking about my mom a lot during that time. It’s going to be a wonderful experience, and just hopefully we play well.”
Venezuela opens pool play March 10 against Puerto Rico in Mexico, in a four-team pool that includes Mexico and Italy. Braves pitcher Jaime Garcia was still considering whether to play for Mexico, and another Braves rotation newcomer, Bartolo Colon, will pitch for the Dominican Republic after the first round, assuming they advance as expected.
“(The WBC) means a lot in Venezuela,” Inciarte said. “I love my country and I love my teammates from Venezuela. We want to win it all. In Venezuela we have tough fans over there, and they don’t want to see us coming back to spring training (early). We want to win and hopefully we’re going to get the WBC (title). We have a solid lineup. Anytime you have Miggy (Miguel Cabrera), you have a solid lineup.”
Teheran will be joined in Colombia’s starting rotation by another All-Star pitcher, Jose Quintana of the White Sox.
“Oh yeah, we’re excited,” Teheran said. “It’s going to be the first time Colombia is in the WBC, and the whole country is waiting for us to do something.”
