Cubs' Lee chooses survival over WBC

Jim Hendry probably had a vision of Derrek Lee returning to the Cubs from the World Baseball Classic minus his spleen.

Now, contrary to popular belief, the spleen is a useful organ, so the Cubs' general manager, while something less than a full-time, practicing medic, likely consulted team physicians and then told Lee to stay with the club.

No GM will publicly admit it, but not a one of them really wants their players involved in this absurd exhibition that is averaging an injury a day and piling up a staggering body count by the week.

So not only did the WBC extend spring training by a week, it is once again affecting major-league rosters.

Just on the U.S. squad, the Braves' Chipper Jones is out with a strained oblique muscle, Boston's Dustin Pedroia - the AL MVP - suffered the same injury, and the Brewers' Ryan Braun has a rib injury in the area of, you guessed it, the oblique.

The oblique strain, in layman's terms, is the injury also known as, "I didn't stretch enough or get enough at-bats yet because who would have thought I'd be swinging this hard in March when the real games don't start again, for, what like, I don't know, another month?''

Then, there's Florida closer Matt Lindstrom, who hurt his shoulder, kind of an important part of the body for a pitcher.

And, of course, Kevin Youkilis, who's done for the tourney with an ankle sprain and Achilles' injury that might only bother him for the next three or four months. But if you're a Red Sox fan, don't let the walking boot scare you.

A couple of years ago, several pitchers came up lame within weeks or months of the WBC, and some, like Jake Peavy, probably hid an injury that occurred while throwing too hard, too soon because they pitched like crud that season.

A quick check of the numbers will tell you that Peavy's worst season was his 2006 campaign following the WBC.

So, yeah, Hendry has Lee already nursing a sore quad, coming off a down year, and the last thing he needs is for his first baseman to sacrifice a semi-vital organ during a meaningless practice game before the actual baseball season begins.

Of course, if you asked every GM in baseball to tell the truth and they weren't afraid of the repercussions, they'd say this idea is about as nonsensical as they come and they'd refuse to allow any of their players to participate.

For his part, Bud Selig will first deny that any injuries occurred in the WBC, insisting they would have happened in the course of normal spring training.

Sure, because players always swing - or throw - like it's the World Series during the second week of March.

Soon after, Selig will admit some injuries might have taken place due to bad hotel food or dangerous autograph sessions but that it's hardly the fault of the WBC.

That's in public. In private, he'll be hearing it from team owners and GMs.

Will Bud Cancel next time?

Not a chance.

It is, above all else, the World Bud Classic.

Ivan Boldirev-ing

Just when you think the splashy, summer 2008 signings of Brian Campbell and Cristobal Huet - that were so universally cheered - can't look worse, those guys actually play worse.

Amazing.

At least it's only costing the Hawks $12.76 million this year, next year, the year after that, and the year after that.

Winston Wolfe couldn't wipe away that mess.

Carl Spackler-ing

As we do each year, once again we ask the NCAA to open up the tourney to every team in the country, though we'd settle for 128 or 256.

You start on Monday, add byes for most of the teams and you can still reach 64 by Thursday, while creating a genuine national championship, complete with some stunning Cinderella runs.

Call me insane, as if you haven't yet today, but why not give every little guy a shot?

The line

Odds on making it to the Final Four:

N.C. (1-1), Louisville (8-5), Memphis (2-1), Pitt (2-1), UConn (2-1), Duke (3-1), MSU (4-1), Oklahoma (4-1), Missouri (5-1), Gonzaga (6-1), Syracuse (6-1), Villanova (6-1), Wake (6-1), WVA (6-1), Kansas (7-1), Purdue (8-1), UCLA (9-1) and Marquette (12-1).

Picks to drip

For what it's worth, and we know what that is, here was my Sweet Sixteen:

Louisville over Wake, WVA over MSU, UConn over Miss. St., Memphis over Missouri, Pitt over Wis., Duke over Villanova, Gonzaga over N.C., and Syracuse over Oklahoma.

Elite Eight: Louisville over WVA, Memphis over UConn, Pitt over Duke, and Gonzaga over Syracuse.

Final Four: Louisville over Memphis and Gonzaga over Pitt.

Champ: Louisville.

Hoop symmetry

Exactly 30 years ago, Jim Bagley helped lead his Benet Academy team to a third-place finish downstate.

Now, his son, Chris Bagley, has helped send Oswego downstate for a matchup with Leo today, and the elder Bagley serves Oswego as an assistant coach.

The quote

Chipper Jones, on the boredom of spending a week in Toronto for only three WBC games: "To say that we were plucking our eyebrows out one at a time would be an understatement."

Best headline

Sportspickle.com: "U.S. baseball team defects to Cuba.''

And finally -

Jeff Schultz of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, on the WBC: "The good news is that fans in Venezuela think this is really cool and T-shirt sales are going well in the Netherlands. Of all of baseball's dumb creations, this one ranks second only to Bud Selig, but slightly ahead of the designated hitter."

brozner@dailyherald.com