When is the best time to play the World Baseball Classic?

According to MLB, I guess, in the middle of spring training.

I've written before about the hazards of playing the classic before the season starts, so I won't re-hash them here, except to say that I can't find a rational explanation for it on the internet. If you can, I'd appreciate the help with my terrible internet-searching skills.

Gary Cohen suggested on today's broadcast that perhaps a better time would be in the middle of the season; to lengthen the All-Star break to 8 days or so, and play the Classic then.

Keith pointed out the problem with that proposal: managers already don't want their best players playing for more than a few innings in the All-Star game, in particular they don't want their best pitchers to go more than 60 pitches (and would prefer fewer). This managerial position makes plenty of sense, given that there's still half a season to go after the break, and who wants to risk their best players in the middle of the season? Moreover, if it were the WBC rather than the All-Star game in the middle of the season, national pride is likely to make the players push themselves even harder than they would for the All-Star game. Johan Santana would never pitch more than two innings in an All-Star game, but for Venezuela? He'd go longer, and it would be silly to pretend otherwise.

The only thing I really like about the idea of playing the Classic instead of the All-Star game is that it would put an end to the utterly stupid practice of having the winner of the All-Star game gain home field advantage in the World Series.

Keith Hernandez thinks the best time would be right after the World Series, in October. Of course, there are drawbacks to this plan, too; guys who played in the playoffs will be, to put it mildly, tired. Guys who didn't get to participate in the post-season will be much more ready to play after the World Series than the guys who did when it comes time to play for their country.

Never the less, as is so often the case, I think Kieth's proposal is the best. After the World Series is the only time of the year when the Classic would have no effect on the season, which is obviously the way everyone with a financial stake in MLB would prefer it be, as would most fans.

Plus, more competitive baseball in October! Yay!

What do you think?