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Unless I’m mistaken, today’s matchup against Team Brazil is the first time the ball club has ever competed against a World Baseball Classic team?? Can anyone fact check that? Google has really taken a dive and I’m having a difficult time locating any type of database that says otherwise. Although I want to say I remember there being an A’s vs Team Venezuela game back in 2017. Did I make that up? Classic case of the Mandela effect? Brent Rooker played the genie in Kazam!, right?
Making his A’s debut against Team Brazil is none other than Aaron Civale, who recently signed a one year deal worth about $6 million with the green and gold. Now I’d be lying to you if I said I was super pumped for the Civale era. Not very often does a pitcher with a 65.1 % flyball rate and a high 80s cutter get me all hot and bothered. In fact, I don’t think there’s ever been more of a turn off. That being said, his success is our success so I will gladly sit back and support.
Go Aaron!
I don’t see the righty going more than two innings today as it is his first outing. Still, it’ll be interesting to see him shake off the rust against Team Brazil’s trio of Nepo babies:
Lucas Ramirez (son of Manny Ramirez)
- Do you think he knows that his pops is an A’s spring training legend?
Joseph Contreras (son of Jose Contreras)
Dante Bichette Jr. (I won’t patronize you fine readers)
There’s something very “Straight-to-Video” about this Team Brazil squad. But that doesn’t mean we should expect them to roll over. No, in fact Civale and the A’s should be careful as, if American Pie: Band Camp has taught us anything, it’s that sometimes greatness comes from places you’d least expect. It’s been over ten years since the last time Team Brazil punched their ticket to the WBC, and manager Daniel Yuichi Matsumoto, who was captain of that squad back then as a player, will be damned if the club doesn’t walk away from this whole affair without at least one victory. Beating the A’s could either be the feather in their cap when it’s all said and done, or the very victory that propels them towards being a cinderella team (they play Team USA on Friday btw).
It is worth noting, not a single position player on their roster has Major League experience. Literally not a single soul with a bat. With all due respect to Team Brazil, I hope the A’s put up fifteen runs. Losing isn’t the end of the world (baseball classic 😉 here but it is still embarrassing. Especially knowing that Mark Kiger has seen more action in the bigs than every one of their position players combined.
(In Robert Stack’s voice) UPDATE: I looked a bit harder and found that the A’s actually squared off against Team Colombia back in 2023 and…lost :/ Final score 3-2. Freddy Tarnok got the L. Brent Rooker did, however, go 2-2 with a walk.
I turned back the clock a little further and discovered that in 2017 and 2013, the A’s took two wins away from Team Italy, and 2009 saw them beat Team South Africa. MLB.com lists their match up against Team South Africa in 2006 as a scoreless exhibition, but according to SFGATE – – the A’s dropped thirteen runs on their heads while only giving up one.
Combing through these games made me curious to how they map out who plays who. Like why have the A’s played Team South Africa and Team Italy twice? Why is Team USA playing the Rockies and Giants this year? If anyone knows the answer to this question, please feel free to word vomit in the comments. If not, I’m sure our amazing broadcast team will hit us with a little trivia throughout the game.
Checkout the lineup below as we get ready for a fun little day of baseball!