Before Julio Rodriguez joined his Dominican Republic teammates in Miami ahead of the World Baseball Classic, he had already noticed something different about his star-studded team. This year, everyone seemed to be talking more. This year, everyone seemed more connected. And this year, after stunningly failing to make it out of pool play in the 2023 tournament, there was added motivation. "That’s why I feel even more excited to play," Rodríguez told me in February during Mariners spring training in Arizona. "We all know we’re talented, and we all know we’re really good at this game, but I feel...
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