The Rising Apple Report, Ep. 11: Is the WBC Worth It, and Jordany Valdespin Gets Hit…Hard

The Rising Apple Report hits the airwaves tonight for Episode number 11 on the year. I will be taking the reigns as host, as Sam Maxwell and Michael Lecolant join for a half-hour of chatter about the Mets. News has been slow the last couple days, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have plenty to talk about; Spring Training is in full swing down in Port St. Lucie, and the second round of the World Baseball Classic is underway for David Wright and Team USA down the street in Miami.

There’s been plenty of discussion about the World Baseball Classic, with a number of people with differing opinions about the tournament. Is it worth the trouble of Major Leaguers leaving Spring Training for at least a week to participate in? Should they find another time for it to take place, or should they get rid of it altogether? We’ll discuss what we think about the WBC, and we’ll definitely have to talk about how David Wright is tearing up opposing pitching while donning the Red, White, and Blue.

Mar. 10, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA: USA third baseman David Wright (right) celebrates with Eric Hosmer after scoring in the eighth inning against Canada during the World Baseball Classic at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

It’s looking more likely that Johan Santana will be starting this season on the disabled list, but even though he should be focusing on getting his shoulder strong enough to face Major League hitters, he’s busy being upset with the Mets. There is reportedly no dialogue going on between Santana and the Mets officials, as the southpaw took to the mound for what was an “unscheduled” bullpen session. So, that only adds more fuel to the fire. Does Johan have the right to be upset with the Mets, or should he be keeping his mouth shut? Tune in and you’ll hear what we have to think.

As it’s been a month since pitchers and catchers reported in PSL, we’ll all go over some of our biggest surprises in camp thus far (both good and bad). There has been more talk about the outfield this week, as no one is considered a lock to make the roster. And yes, that includes Lucas Duda. So, in the spirit of not having the outfield settled yet, we’ll pick our own outfield, and see how close we can get from the official decisions, which will be coming in a couple weeks. Also, did you hear about where Jordany Valdespin got hit with a pitch on Monday? We’ll talk about that too. Make sure you tune in to The Rising Apple Report at 6:30pm EST via the link below to join in the conversation!

The Rising Apple Report, Episode 11: Is the World Baseball Classic Worth the Trouble?

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