Competition or exhibition? WBC’s pitching rules loom large

By DAVID BRANDT
AP Sports Writer

PHOENIX (AP) — Mark DeRosa said last week that one of his most important jobs as United States manager during the World Baseball Classic is making sure his players understand the tournament is a competition, not an exhibition. Just two games in, he sort of undercut his own message. DeRosa said he wants nothing more for the U.S. than to defend its 2017 WBC title. But he’s also not going to do anything to jeopardize players’ health — particularly pitchers. DeRosa had to make difficult pitching decisions multiple times during Mexico’s 11-5 win over the U.S. on Sunday. The WBC has limits on how much pitchers are used. Major League Baseball teams also want WBC managers to be careful with high-priced pitchers.