Chicago Cubs: Former, current players making their mark in World Baseball Classic

Dempster gets lit up in his Team Canada return

After not pitching in the big leagues since 2013, Ryan Dempster needed a lot of work to prepare for the WBC.

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And, despite all that hard work, the results were less than ideal. Dempster and Team Canada squared off against the formidable Team Dominican Republic – arguably the best lineup in the entire tournament.

He lasted a mere two innings, surrendering seven hits and four earned runs.

"“That’s probably the least upset I’ve been after pitching as poorly as I did in that second inning in my entire career,” Dempster said. “I really did just soak it all in. I was proud of myself for not being afraid to fail.”"

Dempster told the New York Times he hopes to appear again in the tournament. Team Canada certainly appears to lack the star power of other countries. Then again, as we’ve seen with Team Israel’s improbable run, things aren’t always as they seem.