With the World Baseball Classic beginning today, March 5, let’s talk about the international tournament and the St. Louis Cardinals as spring training continues.
Of the 30 players who comprise Team USA for the WBC just two are Black. Representing Black America are outfielders Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees and Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins…Michael Hill, who worked in the Miami Marlins organization for 20 years and now serves as senior vice president of on-field operations and workforce development for Major League Baseball, is the general manager for Team USA…Former MLB player Michael Young is serving as an assistant manager for skipper Mark DeRosa…DeRosa is not my choice for manager. The USA could do better…
Future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols is manager of the Dominican Republic squad, which will help him land an MLB managerial position soon…Yadier Molina, who is working with the Cardinals, at least for now, is manager of Team Puerto Rico…Another pair of former Cardinals have Team USA roles. Skip Schumaker, Texas Rangers manager, is Team USA bench coach and Matt Holliday is hitting coach…Andruw Jones, the former Atlanta Braves star who will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in July, will manage the Netherlands team…
The USA is a solid betting favorite to win the WBC followed by Japan, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. If Shohei Ohtani were pitching in the WBC, Japan would likely be the favorite.
As for the Cardinals…To the chagrin of many fans, manager Ollie Marmol has received a two-year contract extension. The team’s record in 2026 will determine whether Marmol manages in 2027…Marmol will navigate a team that is without Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras, who were traded…
Shortstop Masyn Winn, a 2025 Gold Glove winner who underwent knee surgery shortly after the season, did not play Monday as he deals with a sore arm. He had two hits in 10 at-bats before Monday’s absence…Granted it’s a short sample size, but outfielder Jordan Walker is just 3-for-13 (.231) with no home runs and one RBI in five spring training games…Center fielder Victor Scott II is also off to a slow start with two hits in 10 at-bats…Pitching prospect Tink Hence threw a solid inning in his first spring training appearance, then had a disastrous one. He sports a 16.20 ERA after giving up three runs, including a home run, in just 1 2/3 innings…Top prospect JJ Wetherholt is hitting .375 with a home run and four RBI. He seems a lock to make the Opening Day lineup…Wetherholt would play second base and Nolan Gorman would play third base if the season began today, according to MLB.com writer Will Leitch.
The Reid Roundup
Belmont is the top seed in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, which begins at Enterprise Center on Thursday, March 5. The Bruins are on a 13-1 run entering the tournament, shooting 62.2% from the field and 40.7% on 3-point attempts. They are dealing with the loss of starter Nic McClain (10.4 points per game) to a knee injury…Players to watch include Drake’s Jalen Quinn, who leads the MVC with 19.7 points per game. Jaquan Johnson of Bradley is averaging 17.4 and Belmont’s Tyler Lundblade is averaging 15.8 with five rebounds…Southeast Missouri State is a favorite to win the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. Luke Almodovar leads the way with 14.2 points per game and 3.5 rebounds…Former Cardinals George Hendrick, Brian Jordan, Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols are nominated for the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2026. Here’s the catch: Just one can be voted in by fans. I’m voting repeatedly for Hendrick although he realistically has no chance this year…Hendrick will be eligible in the Veterans category in 2028, which will be his ticket into the Cardinals Hall…Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis Mathews-Dickey Club and the PUSH Flag Football League will host a free flag football skills camp for youth in grades 3-12 from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 7, 2026, at Mathews-Dickey Field, 4245 N. Kingshighway Blvd., St. Louis. Participants can also register for the upcoming free NFL Flag Football summer league, which runs April 25 and May 2-23.