Joe Benigno had to wait until Saturday to give his reaction to Edwin Diaz’s season-ending injury at the World Baseball Classic, but his frustration over the Mets losing their star closer had not worn off.
Even after Brandon Nimmo limped off the field at a Mets spring training game the night before, Joe was still convinced that the WBC needs to change, and Diaz’s injury wouldn’t have happened elsewhere.
“I can live a lot better with my guy getting hurt when he’s doing it while he’s playing for my team, than doing it while he’s playing in this stupid World Baseball Classic,” Joe said.
“They gotta play this in the middle of the year…it’s only a two-week deal, get rid of the All-Star Game…and that’s when you do it. You got guys that are at least in baseball shape.”
That is very likely to never happen, and the World Baseball Classic is here to stay as ratings overseas skyrocket, and attendance at games in the United States has been noteworthy. Even still, while he acknowledges the interest outside of the US, Joe doesn’t want his Mets players involved.
“There’s a difference to it…you care, but I don’t. I care about my team,” Joe said. “I care about the Mets. I don’t care about Team USA and the World Baseball Classic.”
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