David Ortiz blames Team Dominican Republic's shock WBC 2023 exit on early scheduling 

One of the Dominican Republic's greatest baseball players, David Ortiz, came to his team's rescue after their shock exit in the first round of the World Baseball Classic (WBC). The team was defeated by Puerto Rico 5-2 in its last pool fixture at LoanDeport Park in Miami.

David Ortiz has been one of the biggest ambassadors for the sport in his home country. Despite never representing his country in the WBC, he was named the global ambassador for the 2023 edition. Unsurprisingly, he was rooting for Team Dominican Republic to make it deep into the tournament.

After their surprising exit in the group stage, David Ortiz took to Instagram Live to discuss the team's failure.

Ortiz maintained that the scheduling of the tournament had a lot to do with the current form of the star-studded Dominican roster. Due to offseason inactivity, the players weren't up to the level they reached during MLB seasons.

"If that series takes place in June when everyone is ready, you have to sit down and talk with us. Those guys (Dominicans) who were playing there are the killers in MLB, but they aren't ready in March," he said.

A Hall of Famer, Ortiz spent 20 seasons in the majors after moving from his hometown of Santo Domingo. He made his way through the Minnesota Twins before establishing himself as a powerful hitter at the Boston Red Sox, where he won three World Series.

Dominican Republic's underwhelming display at WBC 2023

The Dominican Republic team was billed as one of the favorites to win the 2023 WBC. They finished the tournament with a .500 PCT, winning against Nicaragua and Israel and losing to Venezuela and Puerto Rico.

With Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Jeremy Pena, and Sandy Alcantara in the lineup, it would have felt like a missed opportunity for the Dominican Republic.