BEHIND THE PLATE: WBC needs help; World Series trophy heads to Reno

What was developed as a global baseball championship that features countries battling to determine a true world champion is slowly losing its place in the baseball world. Fans hardly show up, even at the United States locations (Arizona and Miami), and MLB players are forced to get into October shape nine months early. Country pride is one of the main — or even the only — reasons why players skip a couple weeks of their team’s spring training to battle for a WBC title.