Every four years, sports fans are reminded of how the forces of nationalism dominate our beloved pastimes. Soccer fans -- or football, depending on your reference point -- pack stadiums, pubs or anywhere with a large TV to raucously cheer for their respective countries during the World Cup. Across the world, medal counts and broken records dominate the conversation for more than two weeks as the Olympic Games play out. And for the World Baseball Classic, the mood is largely the same.
Fans from the sport's traditional powerhouses, like Japan and the Dominican Republic, pack venues across the globe in a show of support for their nations' stars. But even the most unlikely participants, like the Netherlands and Australia, revel in the experience as fans rally behind them, decked out in their countries' colors and rooting hard for an upset.
The World Baseball Classic runs from March 6-22. In the U.S., games will air live exclusively in English on MLB Network and on an authenticated basis via MLBNetwork.com/watch, while ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN will provide the exclusive Spanish-language coverage. MLB.TV Premium subscribers in the U.S. will have access to watch every tournament game live on any of the streaming service's 400-plus supported devices. Internationally, the tournament will be distributed across all forms of television, the internet, mobile and radio in territories excluding the U.S., Puerto Rico and Japan. Get tickets for games at Marlins Park, Tokyo Dome, Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, Estadio Charros de Jalisco in Mexico, Petco Park, as well as the Championship Round at Dodger Stadium, while complete coverage -- including schedules, video, stats, and gear -- is available at WorldBaseballClassic.com.
