World Baseball Classic fans react to the rest of the games in Miami selling out: "Baseball is hot in the streets" "This is how you grow the game"

The World Baseball Classic has pulled in some unprecedented viewership. From fans watching on TV to fans who purchased tickets to watch their favorite players live, 1,010,999 people attended the event live across the various venues through pool pay, almost a 100% increase from the last tournament.

The tournament should continue to see impressive numbers. The rest of the games scheduled at LoanDepot Park have sold out.

After pool play is when the tournament really heats up. The talent gap between the teams left standing is small. Fans who have already bought tickets will be in store for great matchups.

The first game of that sell-out takes place Saturday at 6 p.m. ET. Team USA takes on Team Venezuela, who have looked red-hot all tournament long.

Baseball fans have been impressed with the passion these players have been playing with. Winning a World Baseball Classic title means a lot to these guys, and you can see it.

Some baseball fans were certain this tournament was going to flop. They think it is meaningless as players should focus more on winning a World Series. You can't blame those fans, as MLB teams pay these guys a ton of money.

The World Baseball Classic needs to be held more often

One of the reasons the World Baseball Classic isn't more popular is that it only happens every couple of years. This tournament was especially delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many baseball fans, especially younger ones, had never heard of this tournament until this year.

The tournament is in a tough spot to run more often. Oftentimes, teams have trouble getting guys to commit since it is so close to the start of the MLB season. Players fear risking injuries, while some front offices refuse to let their players play.

There's no other time of the year when the tournament could be run that doesn't disrupt a professional season. It's also unlikely that any league would take a break to allow their players to participate in this tournament. It's a shame because the best players on the planet should be playing in it.

This tournament could be something so much bigger, but there are too many complications along the way. It's a shame because the passion for what these players are playing with and the environment is electric.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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