A bunch of Dominican and Japanese guys might just be the perfect group to honor our troops. It’s been a very long time since “our” troops fought on “our” ground (for “our” freedom). Right now their fighting, primarily in Afghanistan and Iraq for the freedom of Afghans and Iraqis. Before that they were fighting in Vietnam, before that in Japan and Germany. Moving straight past the cynical explanation (that they fight for political power, oil, etc), and settling on the idea that even though they aren’t fighting specifically for “our” freedom, they are trying to spread (and perpetuate) the idea of America as a place of freedom and opportunity, a place that values freedom and opportunity so much that we’re willing to send our troops to defend those ideals all over the world.

Baseball, being, as you say, the American pastime, is a field in which, despite its recent popularity in the international arena, the best opportunities still exist in America. The fact that many of the best players came here from someplace else is, in itself, an honor for our troops…which, I guess, actually is still evidence for your primary point (that the gimmick they’ve created is unnecessary and, not just a little bit, crass).