There's no doubt Tommy Lasorda loves his country.

Stephen Ellsesser

Lasorda could fill a hundred afternoons with tales of his proud Italian heritage, but at the core, he is first and foremost an American.

That is why he cried as the American flag was hoisted during the medal ceremony following the United States' upset of Cuba to win gold at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, and that is why the World Baseball Classic ambassador is excited about the March tournament.

It is also the reason he cannot understand Hideki Matsui's and Tadahito Iguchi's refusals to represent Japan in the WBC.

Whatever the reasoning, however, both Iguchi and Matsui have gone from big league stars to major league disappointments in the eyes of some.

"Let me say this, I know (Matsui) well," Lasorda said Wednesday at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan. "He is such a tremendous guy, but I am disappointed in him that he is not playing for his country. And Iguchi. Why? Why wouldn't he play for his country? . . . Matsui is a great player. If he walked through the door right now, I'd tell him the same thing."

Matsui mulled participation, leaving Oh and his countrymen holding their breath before turning down the Classic to focus on helping the New York Yankees win a World Series.

The bulk of George Steinbrenner's Bronx Bombers have also withdrawn from the WBC because of various reasons, stirring up talk of a Yankee conspiracy orchestrated by The Boss himself.

Such a thing would be against the rules, of course, which is why one way or another, Matsui will go to his grave saying it was his personal choice not to be involved with the WBC.

And that may very well be true, but we'll never know.

Steinbrenner was the only owner to vote against the WBC, and with his soaring payroll, he stands to lose the most on the field and off the field.

The Yankees have the most recognizable uniforms and strongest brand of any baseball team worldwide, so spreading his Yankee Empire is really no consolation for the owner who has everything.

Although Matsui may have had to play the company card, the Windy City Waffling was a little more surprising because Iguchi has the relative luxury of not having Steinbrenner breathing down his neck.

Iguchi, the second baseman for the World Series champion Chicago White Sox, agreed to play before backing off to focus on 2006, the second and final year of his deal with the Pale Hose.

And there's no doubt it has affected Japan's chances in the tournament.

Barring a major upset, Japan will have no problems finishing in the top two of pool play at Tokyo Dome against the likes of South Korea, Chinese Taipei and China, but once the second round commences and teams like the Dominican Republic, United States, Venezuela and -- Gasp! -- maybe even Cuba enter the picture, the road will become much more difficult.

With major leaguers Ichiro Suzuki and Akinori Otsuka as well as some of Nippon Professional Baseball's finest domestic products, Japan still is in the 16-team tournament's top five, Lasorda said, but it would be even stronger with Matsui and Iguchi.

"You wait till you see that Dominican team," Lasorda said. "You wait till you see Puerto Rico. You wait till you see Venezuela. . . . Matsui is a great player. The Japanese team needs him."

Should Cuba get the permit needed for it to play on U.S. soil in the Classic, Lasorda said it would be among the tournament's favorites.

Although several Cubans play in the MLB, all are defectors and will not be allowed to represent their homeland. Cuba's secret to success, Lasorda said, is the same thing that is stymieing Japan in the weeks leading up to the WBC.

"You know why Cuba is so good? It's because they have their pick of the nation's top athletes," Lasorda said. "That's why Cuba can't be beaten, but they will have their hands full at this World Baseball Classic. But think about it. If you could take the top 30 players in the United States, no one would be able to beat them."