World Baseball Classic 2009 Team USA Taking Shape

Friday, January 09, 2009 12:23:00 PM

Peavy, Lackey, Oswalt lining up in rotation for ’09 Classic

Team USA’s roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic started last month with Derek Jeter of the Yankees as the starting shortstop and Davey Johnson as the manager.
Now with provisional 45-man rosters due in a week, the remainder of the tentative roster is starting to take shape, with San Diego’s Jake Peavy returning as a starting pitcher from USA’s 2006 Classic team, joined on the staff by the Angels’ John Lackey and Houston’s Roy Oswalt. Jeter, the Angels’ Brian Fuentes and Scot Shields, the Braves’ Chipper Jones and the Twins’ Joe Nathan are also returnees. American League MVP Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox is the starting second baseman.

On Friday, USA Baseball announced 22 players who have made commitments to play in the second running of the tournament, which begins in Tokyo Dome on March 5 and ends at Dodger Stadium on March 23. In addition, Reggie Smith will be the batting coach and Marcel Lachemann will serve as the pitching coach.

"The excitement shown by the players to participate in this event has been incredible," said Paul Seiler, the executive director and chief executive of USA Baseball. "This is still far from a completed process, but we’re thrilled with the commitments to date."

Jeter said last month that early doubt changed to exhilaration as the 2006 tournament went on.

"I think when the World Baseball Classic first started there was a lot of skepticism, especially on behalf of the players," he said. "No one knew if it was going to work and no one knew if they wanted to play and if it would take away from the season and Spring Training.

"Then when we had the opportunity to get on the field, every player to a man was so excited to represent that country. Obviously, I have not had an opportunity to represent our team in the Olympics and this is the closest I’ll ever get. But there is a lot of pride there."

Jeter and the rest of what could be a 28-man roster will report as a squad under Johnson on March 2 in Clearwater, Fla., the spring home of the defending World Series champion Phillies. The Americans’ first game in the tournament is March 7 against Canada at Toronto’s Rogers Centre. They play in Pool C along with Venezuela and Italy.

In between, the U.S. will play the Yankees in Tampa on March 3, the Blue Jays in Dunedin on March 4 and the Phillies in Clearwater on March 5.

The same 16 teams are back from 2006, when Japan went on to the win the title and Team USA was eliminated in the second round: Australia, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, South Africa, the U.S. and Venezuela.

Provisional rosters of up to 45 men per team will be announced on Jan. 19. Final rosters of 28 players — including a mandatory 13 pitchers — must be set by Feb. 24.

Team USA’s tentative roster has Boston’s Kevin Youkilis at first base, Pedroia and Cleveland’s Mark DeRosa at second, Jeter and Philadelphia’s Jimmie Rollins at shortstop, Jones and the Mets’ David Wright at third and Brian McCann of the Braves behind the plate.

In the outfield so far, it’s Ryan Braun of the Brewers, Curtis Granderson of the Tigers and Grady Sizemore of the Indians.

The starters are Peavy, Lackey and Oswalt and the bullpen has Fuentes, Nathan, Shields, Jonathan Broxton of the Dodgers, B.J. Ryan of the Blue Jays, J.J. Putz of the Mets, Matt Thornton of the White Sox and Matt Lindstrom of the Marlins.

Alex Rodriguez, who played for the U.S. in 2006, said he’s committed to the Dominican Republic this time around.

Taking Shape

Twenty-two players have preliminarily committed to playing for Team USA in the 2009 World Baseball Classic

Number.. Name.. Pos.. B/T.. Height.. Weight.. Birthplace.. Team

8 Braun, R. OF R/R 6-foot-1 200 Mission Hills, Calif. MIL
51 Broxton, J. P R/R 6-foot-4 290 Augusta, Ga. LAD
7 DeRosa, M. IF/OF R/R 6-foot-1 205 Passaic, N.J. CLE
40 Fuentes, B. P L/L 6-foot-4 230 Merced, Calif. LAA
28 Granderson, C. OF L/R 6-foot-1 185 Blue Island, Ill. DET
2 Jeter, D. IF R/R 6-foot-3 195 Pequannock, N.J. NYY
10 Jones, C. IF S/R 6-foot-4 210 DeLand, Fla. ATL
41 Lackey, J. P R/R 6-foot-6 245 Abilene, Texas LAA
22 Lindstrom, M. P R/R 6-foot-4 210 Rexburg, Idaho FLA
16 McCann, B. C L/R 6-foot-3 230 Athens, Ga. ATL
36 Nathan, J. P R/R 6-foot-4 225 Houston, Texas MIN
44 Oswalt, R. P R/R 6-foot 185 Weir, Miss. HOU
44 Peavy, J. P R/R 6-foot-1 193 Mobile, Ala. SD
15 Pedroia, D. IF R/R 5-foot-9 180 Woodland, Calif. BOS
40 Putz, J.J. P R/R 6-foot-5 250 Trenton, Mich. NYM
11 Rollins, J. IF S/R 5-foot-8 175 Oakland, Calif. PHI
52 Ryan, B.J. P L/L 6-foot-6 260 Bossier City, La. TOR
62 Shields, S. P R/R 6-foot-1 180 Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. LAA
24 Sizemore, G. OF L/L 6-foot-2 200 Seattle, Wash. CLE
37 Thornton, M. P L/L 6-foot-5 245 Three Rivers, Mich. CWS
5 Wright, D. IF R/R 6-foot 215 Norfolk, Va. NYM
20 Youkilis, K. IF R/R 6-foot-1 220 Cincinnati, Ohio BOS

Barry M. Bloom MLB.com.