Dear Captain Judge: You are about to make history. Don't let them turn you into a prop.

O Captain, our Captain...

It will soon get crazy. And tumultuous. And, maybe, dangerous.

Your name. Your image. Your legacy, that is. 

The World Baseball Classic is about to replace what should be two weeks of lollygagged, easy-going afternoons with some of the pressurized games in our time.

The series will pit nations against each other, as the world surges toward war. 

As captain of Team USA, you will be scrutinized, sanctified and maybe defined for years to come by malignant forces that seek to turn ballgames into political points. 

Your job is to win those games, not to prop up a leader, or resistance to one.

Your job is to unify a team, not rouse the nation to the right or left.

Your mission is to win the tournament, not to let yourself or your teammates be used as a prop.

None of this will be easy. America always demands a winner, and baseball will always be the national game. In this tourney, there shall be no wild card, no finishing 2nd - and no quick returning to normal. 

When it's over, if you fail, there will be no excuses, no silver medals, no reward for having played the game. 

And if you prevail, there will come a moment when you are expected to pose for pictures, for photographs that might just define your place in history. 

Your time in the hot seat is coming. I know you will represent the Yankees with pride. I know you will represent America with dignity. 

But please... whatever happens... don't let them use you.