On the night that Venezuela won the WBC, Jake Berman, who I interviewed about his MLB relocations map, shared on social media that Ronald Acuña Jr’s compression sleeve was actually patterned on the tile design of the floor of an airport in Venezuela.

That art piece, created by Venezuelan artist Carlos Cruz Diez, was often the last thing that people saw before leaving their country. I made a video about that connection, and dozens of Venezuelan refugees and diaspora commented that the floor was seared into their memories, and some mentioned that there had even been a social media trend of taking a photo of your shoes on that tiled floor before leaving the country.

Pride in one’s country is a complicated thing. There are beautiful and ugly parts of every homeland, which becomes obvious in moments like these, when we’re meant to root for countries that we love and struggle with. It was fitting, I think, for Venezuela to win, but for me the WBC wasn’t just about its conclusion, but also about how each team was able to develop its own personality and shape its own story through their play, their messaging, and celebrations.

The WBC is wacky, as a newer tournament, with teams like Czechia’s featuring day jobbers, teams like Italy’s filled with Americans lightheartedly downing espresso, and teams like Venezuela’s, filled with pros who come from a country that has gone through schism after schism.

From the 17 year old who struck out Aaron Judge to the pitcher who also works as an electrical engineer to Austin Wells getting a Dominican-style fade, the personal stories were the real winners of this tournament. There’s something magical about the professional and the layperson being stuck together, about the high stakes being smushed in with the low stakes. It made the drama fun, exciting, and deeply moving at times.

It really goes to show that sports aren’t just about the game that’s being played, about the motions and the rules, they’re also about culture, and when we let those bits of culture in, the game can be so much richer.

I don’t think the takeaway from the WBC is to simply encourage louder celebration in regular season play (though I like the energy, I think it would be hard to maintain for a full season), but I do think that there should be more focus on the human element of the game - on what people are playing for, their likes and dislikes, and the little things that keep them anchored to their homes.

One of my favorite events in each baseball season is Player’s Weekend, when players are allowed to customize their bats with interesting designs and wear non-regulation gloves and cleats. It gives us a chance to see the men behind the uniform, and gives the players a chance to showcase more of their personality. For me, if there is a takeaway from the WBC, it is that more personality should be allowed into the regular season, instead of being relegated into a game or two.

Seeing those little details during the WBC like Acuña’s compression sleeve and Jonathan Araúz’s Bluey cleats, both of which would not have been allowed during the regular season, made watching the tournament so much better and really made the players come to life for the fans. These bits of personality, which I assume MLB considers too unserious for regular games, allow the players to bring their own lives and stories into the game, and allow us to connect with the players beyond their gameplay.

MLB keeps saying that they want to grow the game, but right now, they’re leaving one of the greatest assets on the table - their very own players. And, while making superstars and players who are likeable outside of what they can do for a team might not be good for the owners’ ideal bargaining agreement, it is good for the game. And giving players the space to have a little personality allows allows them to represent something bigger than their teams, to connect with different types of fans from around the world, and to feel human and relatable in a way that I don’t think the sport affords now.

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