Other nations danced for joy at the World Baseball Classic. Team USA played toy soldiers

"Venezuela played with heart and national pride (the players even had a drum in the dugout, each base hit a party), the Dominicans with the verve characteristic of the Serie del Caribe, and in a surprising semi-final run, the Italians adopted the underdog spirit of a soccer nation intent on proving they can swing the lumber, too all while sipping espresso in the dugout."

"The revived rhetoric of America First, once a restoration of the isolationist, often Nazi-sympathetic sentiments of the 1930s, has coalesced into current policy, status, attitude: America by itself, making its own rules, intent on largely playing alone by them."

"Last October, Cal Raleigh and Randy Arozarena were teammates as the Seattle Mariners nearly reached the World Series. But when the US played Mexico last week, Raleigh went tough guy, refusing to shake hands with his Mariners teammate. Underneath his jersey, Raleigh wore a T-shirt that read Front Toward Enemy."

The 2023 World Baseball Classic showcased baseball's emergence as a global sporting success, with teams like Venezuela, Canada, Dominican Republic, and Italy competing with national pride and enthusiasm. However, Team USA's participation was marked by isolationist attitudes and military posturing that clashed with the tournament's celebratory international atmosphere. Players wore military-themed apparel and refused to engage respectfully with opponents, reflecting broader American isolationist policies. Venezuela ultimately won the final 3-2 over the United States. The contrast highlighted how other nations embraced the tournament as a cultural celebration while the American team projected aggression and detachment, nearly undermining what had become one of baseball's greatest international competitions.

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