With Team USA and Team Venezuela competing in the final of the World Baseball Classic (WBC), there is no doubt that the excitement is through the roof. As the atmosphere of the WBC has been compared to the World Series by some, former player Alex Rodriguez speaks to that.

Appearing on “First Things First,”  Rodriguez would express what he has been told from players in the WBC about what this means to them. Rodriguez would say that some in the USA don't understand that for these players in other countries, as he spoke to some from the Dominican Republic or Venezuela, winning would mean a lot to them.

Some would even say to the legendary baseball player that winning the WBC is “bigger” than capturing the World Series with their MLB team.

“I don't think people understand in America how much this means to these prospective countries,” Rodriguez said. “This is like…I had like, four or five Dominican players and a handful of Venezuelan players tell me, ‘Alex, this is so much bigger to us to win this than to win a World Series.'”

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Alex Rodriguez speaks on the “pride” in the WBC 

As the difference between the WBC and the World Series is understood, the passion runs deeper than just being a part of the team; it comes down to their nationality. Rodriguez would speak about that emotion, singling out Ronald Acuna Jr., who has been visibly animated during Venezuela games.

“And it's because 20 countries come in, and they come in in a kind of March Madness bracket,” Rodriguez continued. “You see all the big scores, and then when it comes to cutting up time…they want to establish themselves as the king of baseball. And if you're able to beat the US, what a moment that is not only for the happiness and self-esteem of these countries, but you can see the pride there in Acuna. This is all in, and they're all in, and it's pretty awesome.”

At any rate, it remains to be seen how it ends with Team Venezuela taking on Team USA on Tuesday night.