Diamondbacks plan ‘tea social gathering’ as USA followers prepared for WBC opener vs. Great Britain

The wait is sort of over. Team USA makes its 2023 World Baseball Classic debut in opposition to Great Britain on Saturday at Chase Field in Phoenix, the same old residence of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

But whereas the D-Backs are blissful to host all 5 Pool D groups within the WBC’s opening stage, they’re feeling additional patriotic upfront of the United States’ opening sport. The crew’s official Twitter account promised that staffers will dunk a tea bag into the Chase Field pool on the sport’s first pitch if their tweet acquired 1,776 retweets — a quantity that was shortly exceeded.

The D-Backs are in fact paying homage to the Boston Tea Party, one of many historic occasions that ultimately helped result in the American Revolution in opposition to Britain and the founding of the United States in 1776. If this additional dose of patriotism earlier than a giant sports activities occasion between a U.S. crew and a British one squad sounds acquainted, Saturday’s sport will mark the second time in 5 months groups from these two nations have confronted off on a serious world stage.

And in contrast to in soccer, the place an underdog United States Men’s National Team fought a well-liked England facet to a scoreless tie within the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup final November, this U.S. baseball squad shall be closely favored over its British counterpart.

[2022 World Cup: Social media reacts to scoreless USA-England draw]

Team USA baseball enters with a crew stuffed with present MLB greats comparable to Mookie Betts, Nolan Arenado, Trea Turner and Paul Goldschmidt. But no star will shine brighter than the crew’s captain, Los Angeles Angels famous person Mike Trout, who shall be making his WBC debut Saturday. 

[Adam Wainwright to start Game 1 for Team USA in WBC]

There might even be a 3rd massive sports activities matchup between the “Yanks” and the “Brits” later this 12 months. Though the United States and England Women’s National Teams won’t share a gaggle within the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup like the boys’s groups did, the 2 squads are at present ranked No. 1 and No. 4 on this planet, respectively, by FIFA. It isn’t an enormous stretch to suppose they might be destined for a high-stakes matchup in that match’s knockout stage this coming summer season.

Speaking of the USWNT, a number of stars from that crew shall be rooting on their baseball countrymen Saturday night time.

You can catch the United States vs. Great Britiain within the World Baseball Classic on FOX and the FOX Sports app at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday, and you’ll see each WBC matchup by means of the March 21 championship sport completely on the FOX household of networks, Tubi and the FOX Sports App within the U.S.

FOX may even be the unique U.S. residence of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, which kicks off from Australia and New Zealand on July 20.

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