Play Ball! 2023 World Baseball Classic Proves to Be All Kinds of Wacky

On Mar 11, 2023

The 2023 World Baseball Classic is true to its name, with celebrations of what used to be called “America’s Pastime” taking place in several international locations this weekend. It’s hard not to get swept up in the love of our great game being displayed by fans and players from countries worldwide.

One of the locations for the Classic is Taiwan, where the home team faced off against Team Italy on Friday night. And it wouldn’t be an understatement to say things were getting all kinds of wacky.

In most Major League dugouts, you expect to see bags of sunflower seeds, maybe some paper cups filled with Gatorade. But the Italian team has something unique to help them feel at home: espresso:

Team Italy has an Espresso machine in the dugout ☕️ #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/ml5Q1bFeGK

— Growing Up Italian (@GrowingUpItalia) March 10, 2023

Check out the Taiwanese fans going wild at the same game:

What an absolute scene at the World Baseball Classic in Taiwan pic.twitter.com/FeV191IUsO

— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) March 10, 2023

(Taiwan ended up beating Italy in the contest, winning by a score of 11-7.)

Also among the teams playing in Taiwan is the curiously named Taipei of China, along with Team Cuba:

#ClasicoMundialDeBeisbol ⚾ | Parece increíble, pero podría haber quíntuple empate en el Grupo A🔥

🇳🇱 Países Bajos 2-1
🇹🇼 Taipei de China 2-1
🇵🇦 Panamá 2-2
🇨🇺 Cuba 1-2
🇮🇹 Italia 1-2

📍Lo que viene ⏰
🇨🇺 vs 🇹🇼 / 🇳🇱 vs 🇮🇹#WBC2023 #elCubaClasico #worldbaseballclassic #TeamAsere pic.twitter.com/GxIubOx21Z

— DeporteCubano (@CubanoDeporte) March 11, 2023

Though the Classic is already underway both oversea and on our shores, a boatload of gameplay happens Saturday in Arizona during “Cactus League” spring training:

A Saturday full of baseball across the globe! #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/TX7ZGOFhNA

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 11, 2023

This fan from the Dominican Republic shows off her team spirit:

pic.twitter.com/fKrBajAiDy

— Dswavey401🇩🇴 (@dswavey401) March 11, 2023

And a Puerto Rico fan was hyped up on Saturday, too:

PUERTO RICO PLAYS TODAY #worldbaseballclassic pic.twitter.com/hMHs58Evfe

— devilette¹⁶ ~ WBC szn (@deviIette) March 11, 2023

Here are some of Great Britain’s players sporting their World Baseball Classic uniforms. They play against the U.S. team later tonight:

Game day ready.#LetsGoGB
🇬🇧⚾🦁 pic.twitter.com/a6jOvToxxs

— Great Britain Baseball (@GB_Baseball) March 11, 2023

If you’d like to keep up on more wacky shenanigans, one of the games happening in Phoenix (inside Chase Field, the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks) on Saturday is Mexico vs. Columbia, which is airing nationally on Fox and tied up at 3-3 (at the time of this writing). Here’s the last big play, with current Tampa Bay Ray and Team Mexico player, Randy Arozarena hitting a homer to tie the game at 3-3.

Play ball!

Randy Arozarena loves the big stage. #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/i2BQ0CmsTx

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 11, 2023

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