U.S. baseball team roster announced

[Laura]

AP Wire[/url]"]The club, managed by Davey Johnson, will compete in qualifiers this month for the 2008 Olympics. ...

 

Only players not on 25-man rosters as of Aug. 31 were eligible for the games, to be played at the spring training ballparks of the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers and Oakland Athletics in Phoenix and Mesa, Ariz.

 

The United States plays Canada (Nov. 15 at Maryvale), Mexico (Nov. 16 at Phoenix Municipal), Nicaragua (Nov. 17 at Maryvale), Panama (Nov. 18 at HoHoKam) and Canada (Nov. 19 at Maryvale)

 

The top four teams advance to the Americas Olympic qualifying tournament at Havana in August 2006, where they will be joined by the top four qualifiers from both the Caribbean and South American regions. The top two nations in that tournament advance to the 2008 Olympics, and the third- and fourth-place teams go to a secondary qualifying event to be held in 2007.

 

The full roster:

 

Pitchers - Stephen Andrade, rhp (Toronto); Jonah Bayliss, rhp (Kansas City); Dave Haehnel, lhp (Baltimore); Chris Lambert, rhp (St. Louis); Jim Miller, rhp (Colorado); Bill Murphy, lhp (Arizona); Clint Nageotte, rhp (Seattle); Brian Sanches, rhp (Philadelphia); Matt Smith, lhp (New York Yankees); Nick Ungs, rhp (Florida); Jered Weaver, rhp (Los Angeles Angels); Stephen White, rhp (New York Yankees).

 

Catchers - Jeff Mathis (Los Angeles Angels); Jarrod Saltalamacchia (Atlanta).

 

Infielders - Travis Hanson (St. Louis); Brendan Harris (Washington); Howie Kendrick (Los Angeles Angels), Bryan LaHair (Seattle); Ryan Shealy (Colorado); Brandon Wood (Los Angeles Angels)

 

Outfielders - Billy Butler (Kansas City); Lastings Milledge (New York Mets); Brad Snyder (Cleveland); Shane Victorino (Philadelphia).

[wekse]

they'll lose

[Laura]

Isn't this the last time baseball will be an Olympic sport?

[1908]

Isn't this the last time baseball will be an Olympic sport?

Yep, unless they vote to reinstate it at some point.

[Marco4]

Isn't this the last time baseball will be an Olympic sport?

Yep, unless they vote to reinstate it at some point.

 

:( - not happy about this. The Olympics comes to England. Its a perfect way to get the UK interested in baseball and for me to see some decent quality ball. But NO!, after announcing where they were going to build the venue for the baseball/softball competitions, the plug is pulled.

 

I oughta!!!!

[Balsa]

Can't really blame them for cancelling it though. Unlike basketball, this is far from a collection of our best.

[LoneStarCubFan]

Can't really blame them for cancelling it though. Unlike basketball, this is far from a collection of our best.

 

The Olympic soccer competition is also far from any country's best. The men's tournament actually has an age restriction.

 

Baseball was dropped for one reason. It was a chance for the Eurotrash at the IOC to stick it to the United States.

[Balsa]

Can't really blame them for cancelling it though. Unlike basketball, this is far from a collection of our best.

 

The Olympic soccer competition is also far from any country's best. The men's tournament actually has an age restriction.

 

Baseball was dropped for one reason. It was a chance for the Eurotrash at the IOC to stick it to the United States.

 

Yeah, but at at least they have the World Cup for soccer.

 

As for the 'Eurotrash', whatever man. I suppose you've met tons of European people to make this assumption haven't you?

[Marco4]

Yeah, but at at least they have the World Cup for soccer.

 

Its nothing like the same (not least in historical weight) but they are adding the World Baseball Classic.

 

I just think its a shame for the UK - there's a market (of undetermined size) for baseball here, and the Olympics would be a great way of raising interest in it. Which would make my life easier.

[1908]

I just think its a shame for the UK - there's a market (of undetermined size) for baseball here, and the Olympics would be a great way of raising interest in it.

You think? I thought England beating Australia in the Ashes this summer has the UK cricket crazy again.

[Marco4]

I just think its a shame for the UK - there's a market (of undetermined size) for baseball here, and the Olympics would be a great way of raising interest in it.

You think? I thought England beating Australia in the Ashes this summer has the UK cricket crazy again.

 

You're not wrong :D

 

Having said that, this year is the first year I can really recall any kind of newspaper covering baseball other than the world series for more than just a paragraph (There was half pages for the LCS - final games, and quarter pages, too, for each match of the WS) come October. I would be interested to see the ratings for Channel 5's WS coverage, mind, but I get the feeling that interest is slowly growing.

 

Edit - There's a lot of room for sport in England, especially seeing as the country is a little disillusioned with football/soccer at the moment.

[Balsa]

Oh I don't know. My housemates seemed relatively interested in baseball, but go crazy when talking about soccer. One of them even does a soccer coverage on the uni radio.

 

Not only that, but there's a sports bar across the street, and not only was it packed for the England/Poland qualifying game, but even the Arsenal/Sparta Prague (right?) game.

[Marco4]

I can't really deny that Britain is still largely soccer-fanatical (there's a lot of history there to usurp) but - honestly - the interest is dropping as it becomes apparent that money, in the shape of Chelsea, is dominating the game. There is a chink in its armour that other sports, as cricket did over the summer, can replace.

[Balsa]

Yeah, a lot of people seemed pretty happy with the Man U win yesterday. I think there is quite a lot of hatred towards Chelsea.

[1908]

I just think its a shame for the UK - there's a market (of undetermined size) for baseball here, and the Olympics would be a great way of raising interest in it. Which would make my life easier.

Baseball America[/url]"][2008 Olympics in Beijing] are the last ones where baseball is scheduled, as the International Olympic Committee pushed baseball and softball off the docket. However, Major League Baseball has made moves to get another vote at being put back on the Olympic program for the 2012 Games in London. The IOC vote last summer was 54-50 to oust baseball, and a group of IOC voting members met with International Baseball Federations officials and MLB president Bob DuPuy in Switzerland in October to discuss baseball getting another shot.

 

“We presented the issues,” DuPuy told MLB.com. “Baseball is the national sport in 14 different countries, and everyone wants a chance to continue to participate in the Olympics. I feel pretty good about getting back in.”

[Marco4]

Thanks for that news, 1908. My only update so far was that

 

The IOC vote last summer was 54-50 to oust baseball

 

I'll monitor the situation, but this is slightly more encouraging than dropping it stone-dead.

[Laura]

Team USA squeaked out a win over Mexico today, 5-4. MiLB.com Link It's a good read.

[Laura]

If US fans don't care, it's no surprise that it was bounced from the Olympics.

 

Fun game, though.

[CubinNY]

It is amazing how much Jared looks like Jeff.

[DesMoinesCub]

Nick Ungs is from Dyersville, Iowa. I played ball with him through little league and against him in high school. He is a 26 year old in AA. Don't know if he will make it to the bigs, but kind of cool to have caught him when he was younger, and glad to see him playing for the US. Actually, cracked my cup after he bounced a fastball off homeplate. Needless to say I still remember that...

[hardcorecubfan]

AP Wire[/url]"]The club, managed by Davey Johnson, will compete in qualifiers this month for the 2008 Olympics. ...

 

Only players not on 25-man rosters as of Aug. 31 were eligible for the games, to be played at the spring training ballparks of the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers and Oakland Athletics in Phoenix and Mesa, Ariz.

 

The United States plays Canada (Nov. 15 at Maryvale), Mexico (Nov. 16 at Phoenix Municipal), Nicaragua (Nov. 17 at Maryvale), Panama (Nov. 18 at HoHoKam) and Canada (Nov. 19 at Maryvale)

 

The top four teams advance to the Americas Olympic qualifying tournament at Havana in August 2006, where they will be joined by the top four qualifiers from both the Caribbean and South American regions. The top two nations in that tournament advance to the 2008 Olympics, and the third- and fourth-place teams go to a secondary qualifying event to be held in 2007.

 

The full roster:

 

Pitchers - Stephen Andrade, rhp (Toronto); Jonah Bayliss, rhp (Kansas City); Dave Haehnel, lhp (Baltimore); Chris Lambert, rhp (St. Louis); Jim Miller, rhp (Colorado); Bill Murphy, lhp (Arizona); Clint Nageotte, rhp (Seattle); Brian Sanches, rhp (Philadelphia); Matt Smith, lhp (New York Yankees); Nick Ungs, rhp (Florida); Jered Weaver, rhp (Los Angeles Angels); Stephen White, rhp (New York Yankees).

 

Catchers - Jeff Mathis (Los Angeles Angels); Jarrod Saltalamacchia (Atlanta).

 

Infielders - Travis Hanson (St. Louis); Brendan Harris (Washington); Howie Kendrick (Los Angeles Angels), Bryan LaHair (Seattle); Ryan Shealy (Colorado); Brandon Wood (Los Angeles Angels)

 

Outfielders - Billy Butler (Kansas City); Lastings Milledge (New York Mets); Brad Snyder (Cleveland); Shane Victorino (Philadelphia).

 

should i quote the two construction workers in "Major League?"

Who are these freaking guys" Thank god there isn't any Cubs on the team. Let someone else sacrifice their players

[UMFan83]

Then, with most of the announced crowd of 603 chanting "USA, USA," Saltalamacchia poked Edgar Huerta's first offering through the hole on the right side for the game-winner.

 

Geez, no wonder baseball is being dropped from the Olympics

[Marco4]

Then, with most of the announced crowd of 603 chanting "USA, USA," Saltalamacchia poked Edgar Huerta's first offering through the hole on the right side for the game-winner.

 

Geez, no wonder baseball is being dropped from the Olympics

 

I noticed that myself but chose not to comment.

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

I was pretty awestruck when the two British students that transfered into my department were baseball fans. I asked them if they were going to go to any MLS games, and they made faces like they bit into a lemon, and mentioned wanting going to Rockies games.

 

I had no idea England even knew what baseball was.