Detroit Tigers: Michael Fulmer Putting Team Over WBC Exhibition
By Adam Tabakin
Michael Fulmer returns to the mound Sunday after suffering a sprained ankle, but he won’t be pitching for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.
Michael Fulmer missed a start last week after suffering a Grade 1 sprain of his right ankle during an agility drill. He’ll be back on the hill for the Tigers on Sunday, but he has been removed from Team USA’s pool of potential pitchers for the rest of the World Baseball Classic.
I think this is absolutely for the best. Fulmer is coming off a triumphant rookie season in which he took home American League Rookie of the Year honors. He turns just 24 on Wednesday, but the Tigers will be relying on him to slot into the second spot in their rotation for a full season behind Justin Verlander.
I am probably in the minority among the folks here, but I don’t care much for the WBC. The problem isn’t so much with the hitters who participate, it’s with the pitchers. There are only so many bullets each arm has to fire in a month, in a season, in a career. Using a good chunk of them up in an exhibition like this seems wasteful.
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When preparing for the grind of a 162-game season, pitchers — especially those as young and promising as Fulmer — need to be under the watchful eye of a manager and coaching staff who have the team’s best interests in mind. Pitchers need to use Spring Training to get ready for the season, not participate in a competition that does not simulate the marathon of the six months that lie ahead.
The World Baseball Classic probably isn’t going anywhere. It’s a money grab. It’s immensely popular with Latin American nations who find a great sense of pride in their national sport. But is it really a big deal in the United States? It certainly doesn’t seem like it.
One of the biggest Cinderella stories so far in this year’s WBC has been Team Israel. Perhaps there should be quotation marks around Israel. Do you know how many Israelis are on Team Israel? Just one: Shlomo Lipetz. I know that as a Jew I’m supposed to feel some sort of connection to this team. But it feels very, very strange that in a tournament of nationalities, there is a team based solely on religion.
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Could Fulmer have pitched in the later rounds of the WBC should the US advance that far? Probably. But it’s in his and the Tigers’ best interest for him to remain with his ball club in preparation for his first full major league season.