Out of Left Field: Did Ian Kinsler cross the line at the World Baseball Classic

We are 1 week away from the start of the 2017 MLB season and we are in no shortage of topics to talk about.

The World Baseball Classic ended with the United States defeating Puerto Rico in a decisive victory to claim their first title in the tournament. Unfortunately, it was the seemingly culturally insensitive comments made my Ian Kinsler after the win that seemed to overshadow the victory. Did he cross the line saying he hopes kids “appreciate the way we play the game as opposed to the way Puerto Rico or the Dominican plays”?

Plus, the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays have made news again. This time, instead of a bench clearing brawl, it is from two new deals inked withing the organizations. Rangers 2nd baseman Rougned Odor signed an extension and the Blue Jays extended manager John Gibbons’ contract for 2 more seasons.

Finally, Mike Trout made an interesting statement about umpires in spring training and allowing the A and AA guys to get some reps in on the “big field” and some baseball executives think it is a great idea. What does out resident umpire think about this?

All that and more including our 2017 picks for the postseason teams this week on Out of Left Field.