FORT MYERS, Fla. -- On the day Team USA assembled to begin its journey through the World Baseball Classic, its Game 1 starter, Chris Archer, said Tuesday that the significance of this event, for this team, has grown because of "what's going on in the country right now."
Archer, who will pitch against Colombia on Friday in Miami, said he has wanted to play in the WBC since he was a senior in high school in 2006 because "I wanted to be part of something special." But against the backdrop of an unsettled world beyond the ballparks, Archer said this tournament now takes on even more importance, for both this team and for America.