HOUSTON — Team Canada received some extra motivation ahead of Friday night’s World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game against Team USA at Daikin Park.
Canada hockey legends Sidney Crosby and Jarome Iginla, as well as the Canadian Paralympic men’s hockey team, sent videos wishing their baseball counterparts good luck.
“It’s nice to have other athletes that have represented the country at a high level and are playing in a major sport, so they’ve been through it,” Canada infielder Edouard Julien said. “They know what it is, the competition between the U.S., and just playing big games. So, it’s always great to have some videos to motivate you.”
Canada manager Ernie Whitt also said he hoped that a win on Friday could help lessen the sting of losing the men’s and women’s hockey Olympic gold medal games to the U.S. in Milan-Cortina last month.
“There's always a rivalry between the U.S. and Canada. It's just the way it is,” Whitt said. “I guess it stems from hockey a little bit, I would think. But there's no question that the players in that locker room, they want to beat the U.S. tonight just to (avenge) the loss that the hockey team had.”
