{"id":549223,"date":"2026-03-20T15:18:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T15:18:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/549223\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T15:18:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T15:18:10","slug":"red-sox-players-discussed-return-from-world-baseball-classic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/549223\/","title":{"rendered":"Red Sox players discussed return from World Baseball Classic"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Sports Update\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t“I enjoyed every single second, every single part of it. I soaked that in, and it was the best.”<\/p>\n

\"Wilyer
\n\tVenezuela’s Wilyer Abreu celebrates after hitting a home run against Japan in the World Baseball Classic. AP Photo\/Lynne Sladky\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBy Hayden Bird<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMarch 20, 2026 | 10:53 AM\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

4 minutes to read<\/p>\n

Red Sox players return to camp after the World Baseball Classic: Following a thrilling World Baseball Classic in which the Red Sox<\/a> were prominently involved across several national rosters, players have reconvened at the tail end of Boston\u2019s spring training.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Boston starter Ranger Suarez, who pitched for Venezuela against Japan on March 14<\/a>, noted that his live batting practice scenario on Thursday didn\u2019t quite have the same vibe.<\/p>\n

\u201cI pitched a couple games in front of 30-35,000 people,\u201d said Suarez, per MLB.com\u2019s Ian Browne<\/a>. \u201cToday I pitched in front of 13 people. I counted. But it\u2019s all about getting the work in, building my workload up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Venezuela emerged as the unlikely champions, defeating powerhouses Japan and the United States along with tournament darlings Italy to claim the nation\u2019s first WBC crown. Along with Suarez, Red Sox players Wilyer Abreu and Willson Contreras were also on the roster.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be honest, I can\u2019t describe that because that feeling is something different, something that you can\u2019t describe in words,\u201d Abreu told reporters of winning. \u201cIt\u2019s very difficult to describe it, because there\u2019s nothing compared to that feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Contreras didn\u2019t end up playing as much as he would\u2019ve wanted (he did not start the final three games of Venezuela\u2019s run), but became a vocal supporter from the dugout.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was for Venezuela. It wasn\u2019t about Willson Contreras,\u201d he explained of his playing time. \u201cIt was about Venezuela and the whole country. I knew that everybody has their own role, and I couldn\u2019t say anything to hurt the team. I\u2019m 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\u2019m happy that I became a WBC champion.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s the best experience of my life,\u201d Contreras added. \u201cI played in the World Series in \u201816, 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

And while the tournament ended differently for Team USA and Roman Anthony \u2014 the talented Red Sox youngster struck out to end the championship \u2014 he echoed Contreras in his takeaways.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, being the young guy, I was trying to soak in every last moment that I could,\u201d Anthony told reporters. \u201cWe stayed a while after every game. We enjoyed each other\u2019s company. We hung out in the hotels. We got a lot of dinners. It was amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trivia: Who was the first (and so far only) Venezuelan inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame?<\/p>\n

(Answer at the bottom).<\/p>\n

Hint: He is also currently the oldest living Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, and finished his MLB career with the Red Sox in 1973.<\/p>\n

Scores and schedules: <\/p>\n

The Bruins defeated the Jets 6-1<\/a> on Thursday. Boston will face the Red Wings in Detroit on Saturday at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tonight, the Celtics play the Grizzlies in Memphis at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, the Fleet host the Torrent at the Tsongas Center, with the puck set to drop at 4 p.m.<\/p>\n

Legacy FC also kickoff on Saturday at 4 p.m., and will travel to Houston for the club\u2019s first road game against the Dash.<\/p>\n

And at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday night, the Revolution play St. Louis City SC on the road.<\/p>\n

More from Boston.com: <\/p>\n

The newest Bruin scores: Lukas Reichel scored in his Boston debut.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

On this day: In 1987, the Celtics defeated the SuperSonics 112-108<\/a>, with Larry Bird pacing Boston (42 points, 12 rebounds). Elsewhere, Providence \u2014 led by Rick Pitino \u2014 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). <\/p>\n

Roger Clemens continued his brief holdout, though the calm confidence of Red Sox GM Lou Gorman \u2014 having uttered his famously placid press conference soundbite, \u201cThe sun will rise, the sun will set, and I\u2019ll have lunch<\/a>\u201d \u2014 would eventually be vindicated<\/a>. Clemens went on to return to spring training, sign a new deal, and win the 1987 American League Cy Young Award.<\/p>\n

\"Larry<\/p>\n

Daily highlight: Mass. native (and potential NBA No. 1 pick) A.J. Dybansta may have played his final college game in BYU\u2019s first-round loss to Texas, but he dropped 35 points in an impressive showing. This included an emphatic two-handed reverse dunk.<\/p>\n

AJ DYBANTSA WITH THE TWO-HAND REVERSE \ud83d\ude33\ud83d\ude33 @BYUMBB<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/ndGhR6PM0K<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Trivia answer: Luis Aparicio<\/p>\n

Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.<\/p>\n

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