Adam Jones: US was motivated by Puerto Rico’s celebration plans

The United States beat Puerto Rico 8-0 on Wednesday night in the championship game of the World Baseball Classic to clinch their first ever title in the event.

After the game, Adam Jones, who was stellar as a team leader, said on MLB Network that the team was motivated about some celebratory plans for Puerto Rico they heard about before the game.

“Before the game, we got a note that there was some championship shirts made — we didn’t make ‘em — and a flight. That didn’t sit well with us. And a parade — it didn’t sit well with us,” Jones said.

“So we did what we had to do. Stroman went out there and gave us his all. The players — they battled. The offense swung the bats, and we brought it home for the United States!”

Whether the information they got was accurate or not didn’t really matter. All that mattered is that it served to motivate the team and have them at their best.

ESPN’s Marly Rivera even says the flight and parade was happening win or lose, so it doesn’t sound as if Puerto Rico was getting ahead of itself.

Puerto Rico had a flight and parade scheduled: WIN OR LOSE. That's what I was told this morning.

— Marly Rivera (@MarlyRiveraESPN) March 23, 2017

Hey, whether slights are real or perceived is insignificant if it ends up leading to motivation in the end.