Left-handed pitcher Bruce Chen of the Kansas City Royals is not suiting up for China in the upcoming 2013 World Baseball Classic. The southpaw who played for Panama in the 2006 and the 2009 WBC events, but didn’t in last November’s World Baseball Classic Qualifier, tried to provide as much as documentation as possible to be eligible to play for China. But official approval has been still outstanding and it seems he was tired of waiting. In the end the 35-year-old decided to stay in Spring Training with the Royals.
Meanwhile Andy Pettitte talked about his decision not to play in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. As Spring Training is starting for Major League organizations in Arizona and Florida the 40-year-old held court with the media on Wednesday. He cited pressure from the New York Yankees as main reason for skipping the international tournament. Otherwise he would have been happy to compete for Team USA in the WBC.