Griff and Mal discuss Team Canada advancing further than ever in the World Baseball Classic despite a 5–3 loss to United States national baseball team. They break down the pros and cons of the game and why the Americans remain hard to like — from Cal Raleigh refusing to shake hands to manager Mark DeRosa nearly creating a tiebreaker-rule disaster.

Looking ahead, is there hope for Canada and should Ernie Whitt return as manager? Griff and Mal also highlight Canada's best players, the infectious joy of Caribbean teams, and whether Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s dominant WBC and World Series performance pushes him into MLB's elite hitters.

Finally, the focus shifts back to the Toronto Blue Jays with Opening Day less than two weeks away and injury concerns for José Berríos and Shane Bieber. This and more.

INDEX:

0:00 Intro

0:44 Canada vs USA Quarterfinal

4:30 Why Team USA Is Hard to Like

6:38 Celebrating with Team Dominican

8:55 Mark DeRosa's Costly Mistake

14:56 Team Canada's Top 5 WBC Performers

21:42 Ernie Whitt's Future as Manager

27:08 Should WBC Eligibility Rules Change?

30:39 Caribbean Joy & Showmanship

34:20 New Appreciation for Vlad Jr.

38:20 Mal Picks All 8 WBC Pool Winners

41:20 Berrios Shut Down — What It Means

48:27 The Yesavage Dilemma

53:32 Leo Jimenez's Utility Role in Danger?

56:58 Is Eloy Jimenez in the Jays OF Mix?

59:56 One Bullpen Spot Left

1:01:27 Wrap Up

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Get the video version of "Exit Philosophy" and "Conversations with Griff" on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@ExitPhilosophy

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For the full catalogue of Richard Griffin's work, including weekly Blue Jays/MLB columns, a weekly MLB Power Rankings column, exclusive conversations with some of the game's greats, past and present, and the Exit Philosophy podcast, visit https://www.griffsthepitch.com/