With the 2023 World Baseball Classic upon us, Ariel speaks with one of his longtime best friends, Jason Takefman, who Ariel believes to be one of the smartest men in the business of baseball. On today's episode, Jason gets you pumped up for the WBC by getting into the following:

• Why Jason feels this year's Classic is the biggest one in the history of the tournament (4:40 )


• The history behind the WBC, which began in 2006 (6:01 )


• The top teams to watch out for in this year's Classic (19:05 )


• The age-old question: When is the best time of year to hold the WBC? (24:18 )


• His MVP prediction for the tournament (33:44 )


• How he thinks the United States will perform this year (40:08 )

And more, including top story lines and the team he's betting on to take home the WBC trophy.

Jason Takefman is currently a sports business consultant. He spent nearly 10 years with the Vancouver Canadiens, a minor league affiliate of MLB's Toronto Blue Jays. He's also worked with the UFC and the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL.

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