Melvin Mora is the latest defection from the World Baseball Classic, although his reason will strike some as egotistical:

Mora made his decision after being informed that Venezuelan team officials planned on playing him in center field, not at third base, for the March tournament.

"I know there's going to be a [controversy] in Venezuela: 'Why isn't Melvin [going] to be in the Baseball Classic?'" Mora said. "I'm not a center fielder anymore. I'm not an outfielder anymore. I'm a third baseman. I cannot go over there to look ridiculous in front of a million people to try to catch a fly ball and [have] the ball go over me. ... I'd just like to have a little bit of respect."

Mora, 34, who hasn't played the outfield since 2003, was particularly annoyed that he was chosen to move to the outfield, rather than Miguel Cabrera, the 22-year-old third baseman of the Florida Marlins who played outfield much of last season. Mora said that he would have backed off and played another position in favor of the Los Angeles Angels' Edgardo Alfonzo, 32, but he didn't think he should have to do it for Cabrera.

Mora makes a bit of sense here. Cabrera played the outfield more recently than Melvin. But if Mora is willing to embarass himself for Alfonzo, why not for Miguel?