You can breath easier now, Pirates fans.

John Grabow didn't get hurt during the World Baseball Classic.

But Dustin Pedroia did. And David Wright. And Kevin Youkilis. And Chipper Jones (well, I'm sure Chipper would have gotten hurt even if he didn't play in the WBC. Getting out of those rocking chairs can be quite the strain on the ol' quads).

Owners, managers and fans alike were holding their collective breath for weeks hoping a major league baseball player participating in the WBC didn't tear a groin, suffer a sports hernia — or any other kind of hernia for that matter — or break one of the billion bones in the wrist in a glorified spring training tournament.

Yes. I said it. The WBC was nothing more than spring training on steroids, pardon the pun.

The rest of the world certainly cared a great deal about the WBC.

Most American baseball fans like myself, though, just hoped the players on my favorite teams — and those potentially on my fantasy team — escaped without a trip to the disabled list.

That's why I jumped for joy when Cleveland Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore missed the tournament.

One fastball to Sizemore's hamate bone and the Indians are an 81-81 team again.

One snap of Jake Peavy's rotator cuff and the Padres might not win 33 games this season.

That's the danger of playing this thing inMarch. And it's the No. 1 reason not to play it in March again three years from now.

Why not November or December or even January?

There are warm places in the world in those months. In fact, I hear its summer in Australia then. And when the Dominican Republic goes down the drain against The Netherlands Down Under, they will go down it counterclockwise this time.

And if A-Rod rolls an ankle, he'll be silently envious of Derek Jeter in the Yankees dugout by opening day.

When the United States lost Sunday night to Japan, most analysts said aloud, "The U.S. is not the best in the world at baseball anymore."

That's not necessarily true.

And even if it is, so what? We invented the game, but we don't own it.

The U.S. wasn't the best this year because the U.S. fielded a team devoid of its best, period.

No CC Sabathia. No Josh Hamilton. No Tim Lincecum. No Ryan Howard.

No chance — not against the rest of the world, which was throwing their best of the best out there on the field.

So, the U.S. was ousted in the semifinals.

Good.

That's less chance for Shane Victorino to run full speed into the outfield wall and miss three months for the World, er, U.S. Champion Philadelphia Phillies.

The Phillies aren'tWorld Champions, really.

Technically, Japan is.

Good for them. Good for Bud Selig. Joy to everyone.

Now, let's concentrate on the season that

really matters to the U.S.