Having spent the better part of the last decade watching a decent portion of its fan base throw up its hands and proclaim “Why am I watching this?,” Major League Baseball has decided to go nationalistic with the World Baseball Classic.

Nations from around the globe will be competing in the WBC, with the venues for the first round being: Japan, San Diego, Arizona and Puerto Rico. Games have begun in Japan, and will begin in the other locations tomorrow.

The WBC could very well be the bellwether moment for baseball’s continued popularity. The Bay Hill Invitational will be concluding on the WBC’s penultimate day. Arnold Palmer’s home course makes for a good tournament, but can it compete with the WBC for viewers?

I say yes. With players unsure of whether they want to play or not, players quitting because they’d have to change positions, and some Major League Baseball owners like George Steinbrenner throwing darts at the competition whenever possible, I really think the WBC should be an unwatchable mess by its end.

A true “World Series of Baseball,” in theory the WBC should be a fantastic event. Nations like Cuba, Venezuela, Japan and the Dominican Republic are all represented and all are dying for the opportunity to play and beat the United States.

At least one will. There are just too many “stars” for the U.S., and egos will win out in the end, as they do in Olympic basketball and hockey. And play will suffer. And interest will rapidly wane.

Then watching Ernie Els, John Daly and Sam Saunders (Palmer’s grandson) may not sound like too bad an idea.

Dear Mike Piazza: You are not Italian. Please stop playing for Italy.

–WKW