USA Baseball has been struggling, including Gator and now Indians prospect Matt LaPorta. But all it took was one game against China to awaken the sleeping giant.
The US (3-2) defeated the Chinese 9-1, the first real blowout for an American squad with a number of highly rated prospects. The Chinese game was defined by the apparent bad blood between the two. The Chinese hit six batters, including Matt LaPorta in the head (in the earhole; clearly intentional) following this slide in the fifth inning. LaPorta was safe.
(Apparently the Chinese think you can not run over the catcher. But you can support genocide in Sudan and oppress people's rights.)
The LaPorta slide was tame compared to San Francisco farmhand Nate Schierholtz destroying the backup Chinese catcher after LaPorta injured the first one.
Of course, you will not see any of this on NBC. There is much more exciting beach volleyball and trampoline gymnastics going on. Also, good job by NBC in not challenging the Olympics to explain how the American women gymnasts are screwed over in every event. Smile and nod, NBC. We don't want to upset the hosts.
In other Gator Olympic news, with Kerron Clement's silver medal in the US sweep of the 400m hurdles, Gator athletes have nine medals (2 gold, 4 silver, 3 bronze). Clement has the only non-swimming medal.