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Venezuela's Shock: How Team Beat the USA at the World Baseball Classic · D-constructing Topics

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  What's going on, everybody? And what's going on, folks?
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  And good day. And today we got another good one, another sports episode here
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  because we are talking baseball.
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  Well, not baseball, but baseball.
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  Now that a few days ago, the World Baseball Classic ended with an upset and
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  a one that perhaps many, many people that follow baseball,
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  whether it's in an international stage or even here in the Western Hemisphere,
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  Team Venezuela beat Team USA 3-2 And we're going to kind of do what we do here
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  in this podcast We're going to grab that little thing because we always got
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  something to discuss And once again, even in sports,
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  we got to bring a little bit of politics We got to bring a little bit of history
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  We got to bring a little bit of everything Let's go Welcome to the legendary
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  podcast of Deconstructing Topic Podcast We're going to grab that little world baseball,
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  classic baseball I mean, we're going to deconstruct a little bit the best way
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  that a legendary host like myself,
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  David, and the legendary audience. They're my deconstructors.
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  Let's go. Let's make it happen.
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  Yeah, sadly, I am. It is kind of disappointing for me.
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  My team, Puerto Rico, we lost in the tournament there to Italy.
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  Hey, listen, shout out to Italy. I think a lot of people have been asking those
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  questions like, you know, Italy plays baseball. Again, there's a lot of Italian-Americans
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  and there's those people out there who, whatever the case might be,
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  just want to play for that team.
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  But listen, for the most part, that Italian team consists of many,
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  many good Italian-Americans.
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  But this is about, again, Team Venezuela. Shout out to Venezuela.
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  Am I surprised? Not really that they won, but they beat USA,
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  the team that probably had the best baseball team out there.
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  Perhaps Dominican Republic?
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  Japan, Korea, who knows, Puerto Rico,
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  but the fact that team Venezuela won this game, and it's going to be interesting
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  because that team, look, my thing is that team is loaded, and when I'm talking
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  about loaded, I'm talking about loaded with baseball players from Wilson Contreras
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  and, you know, future Hall of Fame,
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  Salvador Perez, which is the catchers,
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  infielders, Michael Garcia.
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  Cleber Torres, you know, Eugenio Suarez is doing his thing, Luis Arreyes,
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  you know, obviously maybe one of the best baseball players in the league,
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  in the major league right now, Rana Acuna Jr.
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  And, you know, they had Big Up Cabrera. I think he was one of the coaches,
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  Johan Santana. These are plays.
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  So this is my thing with Team Venezuela. And why am I not surprised?
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  I always, for some reason, when it comes to the world baseball classic,
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  right, and even international baseball, as baseball is a big thing in Puerto Rico.
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  Being that we got so many Hall of Famers, you know, obviously,
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  Roberto Clemente being that part.
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  And then in the Dominican Republic, you already know, Dominican Republic should
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  have its own Hall of Fame.
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  They should just have a Hall of Fame in Dominican Republic, but great players come from there.
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  And then you got Team USA, the rest is history. Baseball, you know,
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  it's a national pastime.
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  Or wash, maybe. Hey, listen, don't get mad at me for those baseball fans out
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  there, But I'm just saying that, yes, Cooperstown, Hall of Fame,
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  all that good stuff in the U.S.
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  And all this time, I kind of have always have said, especially in the last 20 years.
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  It's been a lot of legendary or great baseball players that have come from Venezuela.
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  Not in the same rate as, let's say, Puerto Rico, obviously, Dominican Republic.
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  But there come that day, Johan Santana, pitcher. I believe he pitched over here.
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  If I'm not mistaken, play for the Twins, the Mets, Miguel Cabrera.
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  That's a player there, Bobby Abreu from the Phillies.
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  You know, he had a good, nice little thing going on. So it's not that if this
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  team or this country couldn't produce, like, you know, it's a staple of baseball,
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  but they were trickling little by little.
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  Now I'll bring the Venezuela when it comes to their government and their regime
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  under Chavez and, you know, under Maduro. And now I don't know what the hell is going on.
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  I don't know how these players feel. I do remember there was a baseball player
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  by the name of Maglio Odoñas.
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  And for some reason, ESPN had this Spanish reporter.
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  I'm trying to think of his name. For some reason, it's Pedro.
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  And I believe he's Cuban descent, if I'm not mistaken.
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  He had a tendency. And I remember he was interviewing a Cuban player.
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  I think it was Jacelle Puig in an All-Star game a long time ago.
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  Where he's talking about, well, I guess now you're in the United States.
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  Can you talk about the regime?
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  And he's kind of like pushing the player, not only Jacelle Puig from Cuba.
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  He was talking about Odoñez how he's a
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  Chavez supporter for some reason you
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  know people know that Chavez is it's a 50 50 thing
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  in certain parts certain circle but you know I remember this baseball I mean
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  baseball writer whatever he was I mean and it kind of ticked me off because
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  it's like okay like can you just not think that these people that come from
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  this country whether Cuba, Venezuela,
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  especially those two countries because of their political thing and clash with
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  the United States government.
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  Perhaps they're just coming over here to play baseball and have fun, you know?
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  Now, sometimes things get a little bit political, but, hey, he made it political.
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  But for some reason, I always remember that.
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  And seeing people like Maglio Donets, again, Bobby Abreu and all these players, hey, listen.
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  You know, you start. So, basically, with Venezuela, there's an interesting,
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  you know, dynamic there.
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  But if you had these baseball players and now they're coming back with certain
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  money, building these camps, then you're going to get some of the younger players coming.
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  It's kind of the same thing in Dominican Republic where now because there's
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  been many great Dominican baseball players that now they are making money in baseball.
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  They're not being exploited like they did 20, 30, 40 years ago that now they
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  could give back. Now they could open camps. Now we could have...
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  The more control versus, let's say, the Major League Baseball.
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  So Team Venezuela, once again, shout out. I might not surprise.
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  Like I said, I always felt that Venezuela is always Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic.
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  In terms of the land countries, Mexico, once in a while, they'll sneak in.
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  Because Mexico, despite being, when it comes to sports, they're more of boxing, obviously.
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  You already know. MMA, they're doing their thing.
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  Soccer, they're doing their thing. They'll be hosting one of the three host
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  nations in the 2026 FIFA.
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  So I always saw Venezuela like, damn, like it ain't like this.
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  You know, how can I say they're not like Nicaragua, right?
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  They're not Guatemala. They're not of these other land countries.
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  I mean, this is with all due respect to those land countries and,
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  you know, great baseball players that come from there.
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  But Venezuela just had something going on little by little by little by little.
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  And then now, boom, they beat the United States.
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  And to the surprise of many people, again, they did their thing.
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  And shout out to Venezuela.
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  So that's the situation with that, the World Baseball Classic.
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  I tried to watch, but again, it's like I'm doing podcasts.
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  I'm doing other content.
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  I'm a guest in other people's podcasts, which I love, love, love. I'm doing my thing.
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  I'm trying to do so much in my life. and I got a regular so-called nine-to-five job.
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  So basically the time, it's there.
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  So hang there with me because you already know, you got to hit that like,
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  subscribe, and all that good stuff, and we're going to be talking about a little bit of it all.
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  But the word baseball classic is something that I've always enjoyed because baseball,
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  even though it's deeply rooted here and founded here in the United States of
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  America, the fact that I always find so interesting how this American sport
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  got to Japan and Japan, wow.
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  I've seen a couple of documentaries and,
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  a couple where they train these boys and sometimes the girls too so boy but
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  they train these boys like military style baseball and and you would think like
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  wow you know Dominican Republic,
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  have been you know again my understanding that it has been exploited by Major
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  League Baseball and certain teams you know let's just not forget that let's
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  just not forget for a young age,
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  By the time I've heard stories of baseball players in the Dominican Republic
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  that are 20, especially pitchers that are 20, 21, who are already,
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  how can I say, over the hill, wasted.
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  Because in order for certain parts of, in the Dominican Republic,
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  especially poverty, baseball is the way to go.
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  But Japan might be a little bit different. Japan is just a discipline of if
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  you want to be a baseball player, just don't pick up a bat and don't pick up
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  a glove and don't pick up a baseball and pleats and, oh, I want to be a baseball player, don't we?
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  You know, the documentaries, the minute that you say either you're a parent
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  and you put your kids in these baseball camps, I mean, I've seen it all.
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  I mean, hey, listen, I ain't going to discriminate.
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  I ain't going to point the finger again. We all in this world get exploited.
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  But things are real with it in Japan. Wow, no wonder why they got some of these
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  great Diotanis, all these great baseball players.
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  And it's disappointing if they don't end up in the top three.
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  But I'm just saying, this is a little bit different. Once again,
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  Venezuela, all around great players.
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  Great, great thing, great atmosphere for the World Baseball Classic. Again, I enjoyed it.
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  I'm hoping for maybe every three years, perhaps. But listen,
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  I think they're doing every four years or maybe I think it's three years,
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  if I'm not mistaken. But again, it's something that it brings certain things.
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  And you see the Dominican fans that by far, by far, I think they win it.
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  Like, that's why I wanted Dominican Republic to win. They lost to USA.
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  It's because, I mean, these fans, I mean, and Venezuelan Dominican Republic,
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  they have a little rivalry going on here.
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  Because Dominican Republic, even though, again, they were the number one team.
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  They were the best team. Now, it's Venezuela.
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  They saw Venezuela as that team. Like, wait a minute.
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  That team got, you know, they got a little swag going on, but they are more of, how can I say?
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  Look, listen, we're going to play baseball, and we got nothing to prove.
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  You guys do the crazy thing, but, hey, listen, once again, Dominican Republic
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  fans out there, shout out to you guys. So Puerto Rico as well.
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  Japan got a little bit of flavors and so on and so forth. Venezuela got a little
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  flavors, so on and so forth. So let's see.
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  The atmosphere for the fans, it looks like it's great. I would love to attend a baseball game.
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  You know, we're a baseball classic. I would love to.
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  So, you know, because it's a different atmosphere. Again, people are having
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  fun. Players are having fun. Let them do their thing.
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  It's not like they're playing these high-scoring games that nobody's pitching,
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  you know, like let's say in these exhibition or so-called exhibition basketball.
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  Where you play one team, it's like 150 to 140. You know, these are intense games.
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  It kind of not too far from, you know, some of the hockey games,
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  especially United States and
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  Canada, that no matter where, if it's exhibition, tournament, Olympics,
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  heaven, hell, earth, whenever these two teams are playing, you're going to see
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  something crazy, and they don't care.
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  And the players don't care if I get injured and if I'm playing for the New York
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  Rangers or LA Kings or NHL, KSL, whatever league, as long as I put Team USA
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  and Team Canada, we're going at it.
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  So World Baseball Classic, it brings that. It brings that pride and joy of your
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  country, representing the many people in certain countries. So more power to them.
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  Look, there's some people out here that they don't care about it,
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  whatever the case. For the most part, it's Americans. I'll be honest.
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  It's Americans are the ones that are saying, I mean, you know,
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  where's baseball classic?
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  Because, you know, fans are not, you know, they're not that fun.
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  I mean, I love the Yankees. I be straight up.
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  I go there and I'm like, which is this? It's like, oh, how can I say it to you?
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  Like, where am I going? Am I going to church?
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  Now, you got the people that are out of here, the people, you know,
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  shout out to the fans in the bleachers.
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  Shout out to those fans. But then, you know, you get clusters of fans that are
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  going there to watch their baseball in the room.
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  Then you got these rowdy fans that are basically drinking and don't know how to act.
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  So, I mean, I've seen highlights of some Dominican, you know,
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  fans that were drinking and they still was having fun, you know,
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  smacking those, you know, the merengue, the dembo and all that good stuff.
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  So, shout out to those people. So, let's say, let's hope, hopefully we could
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  definitely get this World Baseball Classic. I got to check it out if it's every
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  three years or every four years or so.
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  It's definitely for me. It brings a different atmosphere. Of course,
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  I know that my team, Puerto Rico, is always going to do.
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  But this year, you know, I don't know what happened. There was a lot of politicking
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  going on that certain players couldn't play with the team and whatever.
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  Listen, Puerto Rico, start getting other people to play for your country.
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  Go to Venezuela. Hey, listen, be like Venezuela and Puerto Rico is one country.
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  But you got to play for Puerto Rico.
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  But anyways, definitely so much fun. Let's see what, you know,
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  what the next three years brings in,
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  whatever it is, the next baseball award baseball classic hopefully major league
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  baseball and the fans in itself the american fans come on you could do it i'm
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  pretty sure there's certain stadiums that are louder than others and have more
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  fun but sometimes we need a little bit of that thing in praise.
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  My thing has always been with the American fans, and when I say American fans,
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  those who are born here in the United States,
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  that a lot of times, and again, and when I say born in the United States,
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  you're leaning towards more like, you know, let's say white,
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  black that were born here.
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  That when it comes to baseball, baseball has changed. Baseball is international.
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  Baseball has a lot of great plays international.
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  And there's a lot of stadiums that have cater.
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  And I remember when the New York Yankees, and I'm trying to,
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  you know, whether it's Hideki Matsui and Japanese baseball, there was a section
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  where they started serving Japanese food, sushi, and so on.
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  And I would love for baseball to embrace these different cultures.
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  They throw the little rice and
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  beans, something, you know, appropriate to certain people of your team.
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  Because baseball, it's international.
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  You know, yes, that's why it's no longer, you know, the national pastime,
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  as they would say. That belongs to football.
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  Football is a different story, even though football have many international
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  players as well. But in terms of baseball and football and international,
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  two different monsters.
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  Baseball definitely covers so many countries. And people that were born in those
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  countries that are playing here.
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  For the most part, I think that in NFL, I believe like 90, 95% of the players are born here.
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  Even though some might say, oh, you know, I'm from this certain,
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  you know, background because of my parents.
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  But baseball in itself is no longer, my opinion, it's no longer a national pastime.
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  It's an international pastime.
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  And let's enjoy, let's embrace, let people from other countries,
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  let the Dominican fans trickle, whether it's the, you know, Cedarville and the
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  Mets, Yankee Stadium, doing a little merengue.
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  I see Boston. Boston had a history of Dominican players, Big Papi, Pedro Ortiz, Manny.
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  You already know. And in other parts where there's other people,
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  you know, L.A. with the Japanese crowd, with Otani. You already know.
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  But let's make it happen. You already know. This is your boy,
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  the legend, David, deep consulting type of podcast.
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  Once again, we're talking baseball.
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  Hopefully, baseball coming soon, the media leaks. Let's go, Yankees.
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  Let's go. Peace out. I'm out. Peace.