lasorda wants you (to support usa baseball)

Being an underdog and making it as far as they can is fine for the United States in one world sport tournament. For Tommy Lasorda, the World Baseball Classic is not that tournament. The United States always surprises in the World Cup and continues to improve to the point where they can contend every four years. Lasorda, though, maintains that the World Baseball Classic should be won every three years by the American team.

Lasorda, quoted by AP, lets the American public that they have a duty when it comes to the World Baseball Classic, "Remember one thing: In your hearts, you better pull for the USA or you may not get into heaven."

Even though at the Summer Olympics, which is the only other international baseball tournament, the United States has won only one gold medal. The most dominant team in that tournament is Cuba, which has won 3 gold and 2 silver medals in five summers. The United States has a total of 3 medals, adding 2 bronze medals to the one gold. Japan, defending World Baseball Classic champion, has amassed one silver and two bronze medals.

Former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, puts pressure on the USA team in the World Baseball Classic to make this tournament different from the Summer Olympics, "It's our game. Baseball is America's game. It doesn't belong to the Italians or the Cubans or the Koreans or the Japanese," he said. "It's our game, and we're not going to let them beat us." He went on to talk about the one gold medal the USA won against Cuba in the Olympics, "When I took the Olympic team to Australia, everybody said to me, 'You've got no chance. Cuba has never, ever lost a tournament.' And I said, 'Did they ever lose a game?' 'Oh, yeah.' 'Then, they're going to lose one here in Australia.' "

Lasorda obviously believes that the Olympics is a barometer for who is the best baseball team in the world. His emotional response to this baseball tournament and his desire for the USA to win the World Baseball Classic, proves that he is disappointed in the less than dominant showing the USA team has brought to the Olympics year after year.

One might say the World Baseball Classic has major leaguers and is a better showcase of the true levels of talent in each country. While this may be true, it is also true for other countries and obviously helped the Japanese, South Korean, and Dominican teams who placed 1st, 3rd, and 4th respectively in the World Baseball Classic three years ago. The Cuban team, runners up in 2006, most likely fielded the same level team they have in the Olympics.

Tommy Lasorda wants the USA to show that with a full team of major leaguers they can be the best team in the World. He wants the Olympics to no longer be the barometer. He wants "to win this thing. And we've got to bear down and believe and be proud that you're wearing the uniform of their greatest country in the world."

From atop the Empire State Building, 81 year-old Lasorda may have blown more hot air than anything else that high in the sky.