蜜柚直播

After Pima County funded a $1.12 million project to upgrade Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium, which included a new playing surface that cost $425,000, the World Baseball Classic qualifiers spent the last week in 蜜柚直播.

The headliner, Colombia, punched its ticket to the World Baseball Classic for the third straight time after winning its first three games. The World Baseball Classic qualifiers, which concluded Thursday night, also hosted China, Brazil and Germany in 蜜柚直播.

The Star spoke to World Baseball Classic president Jim Small about 蜜柚直播 hosting the WBC qualifiers, the process of returning pro baseball to 蜜柚直播 and 鈥渢he beauty of the WBC.鈥�

Here鈥檚 what Small discussed:

How was the week for the World Baseball Classic in 蜜柚直播?

A: 鈥淚t鈥檚 everything for a lot of these guys. A lot of these guys are either major leaguers, former major leaguers or affiliated players. So they expect a certain level and they get that with the field, with the facilities. The best thing we can have is not hear anything from them, because that means we鈥檝e delivered a first-class facility.

鈥淭hat entire China team and most of the German team, they鈥檝e never played on a field like this. They鈥檝e never played in facilities like this and a lot of times they don鈥檛 have a crowd like this. So for them, it鈥檚 a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And I think that鈥檚 what 蜜柚直播 delivered.

鈥淲e had hoped to be here in 2020 and we couldn鈥檛, because of (the COVID-19 pandemic), so when we looked at coming back, we felt that we wanted to come back to 蜜柚直播. It wasn鈥檛 certain that we were going to come back. We didn鈥檛 owe anybody anything, but 蜜柚直播 earned us to come back. They came together and said, 鈥楲ook, this is what you鈥檒l get if you come to 蜜柚直播.鈥� And they blew us away. So that鈥檚 why we came back. And everything that they promised, they delivered on.鈥�

How many other cities were in consideration for the WBC qualifiers and what stood out about 蜜柚直播?

A: 鈥淭here were eight cities around the world that put in bids and we picked two. We picked Taipei (City) and 蜜柚直播. And the reason we picked 蜜柚直播 is multi-fold. There were some things that were advantageous about playing in the United States. A lot of these players are currently in camps with (MLB) teams, and so it鈥檚 a very easy trip, especially for the players that were up in Phoenix. Even for the players in Florida, it was easy for them to get over. We were so close last time.

鈥淲e bet on 蜜柚直播 in 2020 and wanted to go back in 2025, but the big thing was this group that came together and convinced us that 蜜柚直播 was a baseball town. The 100 major-leaguers that came out of U of A, all of the great youth baseball, particularly in Pima County. From top to bottom, they鈥檙e giving more kids an opportunity to play baseball. So, all of those things came together and it made an obvious choice to go to.鈥�

What鈥檚 noticeable about the stadium upgrades between your first visit in 2020 and this year?

A: 鈥淭he main thing is the field. One of the things that we promised all of these players, 鈥業f you鈥檙e in the World Baseball Classic, you鈥檙e going to play in a world-class facility. In order for us to agree to come to 蜜柚直播, we needed to replace the field and Pima County stepped up. That鈥檚 not a cheap thing to do. From what I understand, it鈥檚 been 20-plus years since the field was redone, and you look at it now, not only does it look beautiful, which is important, it is a first-class facility that鈥檚 going to weather the next 10 years, 15 years.

鈥淪o it was an investment in the future of 蜜柚直播 baseball, which I think they鈥檙e going to profit on with the Mexican League or other potential professional teams that come here, because you have a first-class field. Kudos to them for stepping up and doing it, because it wasn鈥檛 inexpensive to do it. It was an investment, the future of 蜜柚直播 baseball.鈥�

Earlier in the week, we talked to former 蜜柚直播 Diamondback Miguel Batista and he said the World Baseball Classic 鈥渋s the greatest thing to ever happen to baseball鈥� and representing a country 鈥渋s like a soldier going to defend his flag.鈥� How is it to see professional players take pride in representing their country?

A: 鈥淚t鈥檚 so amazing to see it, and it鈥檚 it鈥檚 universal. Every player says some version of that same thing. The ability to play for your country is so special and so unique and that鈥檚 what makes the WBC so cool. It鈥檚 about the players. Our job is just to take care of everything, so that the players could just focus on playing baseball.

鈥淲e want to give them the best environment and that鈥檚 the field, that鈥檚 the clubhouse, that鈥檚 the meals, that鈥檚 the hotels, that鈥檚 the travel, and there鈥檚 a lot to that. But if we do our jobs and step out of the way, players are always going to impress 鈥� any sport. Maybe that鈥檚 women basketball or American football or baseball, they鈥檒l always impress, because that鈥檚 the beauty of the sport.

鈥淚n the WBC construct, what that means is we allow them to have this exuberance and the pride and the passion that only exists when you鈥檙e playing for your flag. And it鈥檚 so special. We talked about one of our taglines for the WBC, it鈥檚 the 鈥楩estival of Baseball.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 the food, it鈥檚 the culture, it鈥檚 the music, it鈥檚 baseball that鈥檚 different. I think that鈥檚 what Miguel was referring to and I think that鈥檚 what we see with all of the players, including the U.S. players. In the last WBC, when you saw when Trea Turner hit that grand slam against Venezuela, you saw those players celebrate in ways that was so special and so unique, because it was for their country, and I think that鈥檚 what is the beauty of the WBC.鈥�