Editor's Note: WBC Needs USA

As USA advances through the World Baseball Classic, more and more heads are turning. Just not enough to give the tournament a real following. While the ratings are sky-high in Korea and the Netherlands, they continue to be abysmal in the States. The lack of real stars on the team is a contributing factor. It's a dark and scary day when the face of America is Kevin Youkilis or Adam Dunn (both above). Players are focused on their teams, not their countries, and while superstars like Ichiro Suzuki play, guys like Ryan Howard sit it out. Injuries are also a factor. Team USA has more hurt men than any other team, and must rotate players around so there are no holes in the field (See Adam Dunn at first base). But for the WBC to survive in America, it needs America. Like with all other championships, nobody wants to watch cinderella-stories and giant-killers. Those teams are often little-know and play basic fundamentals, not flashy-strikeout-homer-strikeout-homer baseball. Just look at the ratings for the World Series with Tampa Bay and Philly, or the 2007 NBA Finals with San Antonio and Cleveland. The WBC needs a big team to stand up and be the face of the tournament, and the US needs to be that big team.