Morning Sports Update
“I enjoyed every single second, every single part of it. I soaked that in, and it was the best.”
Red Sox players return to camp after the World Baseball Classic: Following a thrilling World Baseball Classic in which the Red Sox were prominently involved across several national rosters, players have reconvened at the tail end of Boston’s spring training.
Opening day comes for the Red Sox next Thursday (March 26) in Cincinnati against the Reds at 4:10 p.m. But until players return to the games that officially count, it means those who were recently playing in front of huge crowds are left with a slight let-down in the short term.
Boston starter Ranger Suarez, who pitched for Venezuela against Japan on March 14, noted that his live batting practice scenario on Thursday didn’t quite have the same vibe.
“I pitched a couple games in front of 30-35,000 people,” said Suarez, per MLB.com’s Ian Browne. “Today I pitched in front of 13 people. I counted. But it’s all about getting the work in, building my workload up.”
Venezuela emerged as the unlikely champions, defeating powerhouses Japan and the United States along with tournament darlings Italy to claim the nation’s first WBC crown. Along with Suarez, Red Sox players Wilyer Abreu and Willson Contreras were also on the roster.
“To be honest, I can’t describe that because that feeling is something different, something that you can’t describe in words,” Abreu told reporters of winning. “It’s very difficult to describe it, because there’s nothing compared to that feeling.”
Contreras didn’t end up playing as much as he would’ve wanted (he did not start the final three games of Venezuela’s run), but became a vocal supporter from the dugout.
“It was for Venezuela. It wasn’t about Willson Contreras,” he explained of his playing time. “It was about Venezuela and the whole country. I knew that everybody has their own role, and I couldn’t say anything to hurt the team. I’m just proud of the team they created, the family we created in there, the chemistry that we had and everybody fulfilled their role. So I’m happy that I became a WBC champion.
“I think it’s the best experience of my life,” Contreras added. “I played in the World Series in ‘16, and it was big, but playing in the WBC for your country, for 37 million people, means a lot more to me. And I enjoyed every single second, every single part of it. I soaked that in, and it was the best.”
And while the tournament ended differently for Team USA and Roman Anthony — the talented Red Sox youngster struck out to end the championship — he echoed Contreras in his takeaways.
“For me, being the young guy, I was trying to soak in every last moment that I could,” Anthony told reporters. “We stayed a while after every game. We enjoyed each other’s company. We hung out in the hotels. We got a lot of dinners. It was amazing.”
Trivia: Who was the first (and so far only) Venezuelan inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: He is also currently the oldest living Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, and finished his MLB career with the Red Sox in 1973.
Scores and schedules:
The Bruins defeated the Jets 6-1 on Thursday. Boston will face the Red Wings in Detroit on Saturday at 8 p.m.
Tonight, the Celtics play the Grizzlies in Memphis at 8 p.m.
On Saturday, the Fleet host the Torrent at the Tsongas Center, with the puck set to drop at 4 p.m.
Legacy FC also kickoff on Saturday at 4 p.m., and will travel to Houston for the club’s first road game against the Dash.
And at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday night, the Revolution play St. Louis City SC on the road.
More from Boston.com:
The newest Bruin scores: Lukas Reichel scored in his Boston debut.
On this day: In 1987, the Celtics defeated the SuperSonics 112-108, with Larry Bird pacing Boston (42 points, 12 rebounds). Elsewhere, Providence — led by Rick Pitino — were preparing to face top-seeded Georgetown in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament (the Friars would win and advance to the Final Four).
Roger Clemens continued his brief holdout, though the calm confidence of Red Sox GM Lou Gorman — having uttered his famously placid press conference soundbite, “The sun will rise, the sun will set, and I’ll have lunch” — would eventually be vindicated. Clemens went on to return to spring training, sign a new deal, and win the 1987 American League Cy Young Award.
Daily highlight: Mass. native (and potential NBA No. 1 pick) A.J. Dybansta may have played his final college game in BYU’s first-round loss to Texas, but he dropped 35 points in an impressive showing. This included an emphatic two-handed reverse dunk.
AJ DYBANTSA WITH THE TWO-HAND REVERSE 😳😳 @BYUMBB pic.twitter.com/ndGhR6PM0K
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 20, 2026
Trivia answer: Luis Aparicio
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