For God and Bud and Country

I have always found Tom Lasorda to be nothing but a blithering windbag, and his comments this week criticizing players not participating in the upcoming World Baseball Classic only reinforce that view.

According to Lasorda, the aptly named "ambassador at large" for the WBC, no one should turn down the chance to play in the WBC. "I don't like that one bit," says Lasorda. "I think you owe something to your country.''

What? Playing in a meaningless baseball tournament organized by Major League Baseball so that everyone can sell more stuff (get your official Dominican Republic World Baseball Classic jersey here for only $249.99) is doing something for your country? Of all the things wealthy and healthy young American men could do for their country, putting a lickin' on the Netherlands Nine should not be very high on the list. And, by the way, if all this is about doing something for your country, why are so many Americans (37 according to the list on the WBC web site) playing for foreign teams? Hey, Shea Hillenbrand is Dutch -- who knew?

I never thought I would yearn to hear Tommy tell just one more of his side-splitting Sinatra stories, but anything would be better than what he is talking about now.