There were drums – lots of drums. And whistles too. Lots of jerseys and tons of flags. Fairly, there was representation on both sides, but it was the yellow, blue, and red of Venezuela that dominated, accounting for over 75% of the just over 19K who filled the lower and middle levels of LoanDepot Park in Miami. It was Game 1 of World Baseball Classic Pool D. The Netherlands, managed by 2026 Hall of Famer Andruw Jones, took on the role of underdog as they faced one of the best players in all of baseball, Ronald Acuna Jr., Luis Arraez, and Ranger Suárez for Team Venezuela.
Acuna led the game off with a double and later scored on a single by Arraez in the first inning. The Netherlands tied the game when Diamondbacks prospect – and coach’s son – Druw Jones tied the game with an RBI double in the top of the second. The game broke open for Team Venezuela in the bottom of the 5th when they scored 4 runs and built a 6-1 lead. Team Venezuela took advantage of the Netherlands bullpen, a concern that may linger throughout the tournament for all teams — pitching depth.
BEYOND THE FIELD
The play of the field is only part of the WBC story. It’s the global beauty of the game that draws in fans. The WBC is baseball’s World Cup. Being in Miami, you are able to see the global presence of the game on full display. Miami has it all. They have the big stars: Acuna, Tatis Jr., Vlady, and Soto. They have the international population — the Dominican Republic and Venezuela are leading the way, but there are fans from the Netherlands, Israel, and, yes, even Nicaragua. And they are all proudly wearing their colors. But above all else, it is the energy and the joy of the game that registers the most. This is baseball in its most exciting form. It’s patriotic, but not toxic. It doesn’t feel political. Manager of Nicaragua, future Hall of Fame manager, Dusty Baker, was asked if politics had crept into the conversations with his team, and he said no. He went on to say there is a lot going on in the world right now, but his team is sticking to baseball and using the WBC as a sanctuary. That is the feeling throughout Loan Depot Park. Let’s have fun, play ball, and show the world the best each team has to offer.
Dusty Baker is managing Team Nicaragua
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