Ground Report

U.S. taking team approach for Classic
Jones, Rollins both open to sharing playing time in tournament

ATLANTA — Looking back on his opportunity to represent his country during the inaugural World Baseball Classic, Chipper Jones savors the memories created while sharing a clubhouse with the likes of Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Ken Griffey Jr.
But when the veteran Braves third baseman reflects on the reality that this star-studded team totaled eight runs in three second-round games and didn’t even make it to the semifinals, he hypothesizes that "there might have been too many chiefs and not enough Indians."

While constructing the roster that will compete in this year’s Classic, USA Baseball’s executive director/CEO Paul Seiler and manager Davey Johnson have attempted to form a more versatile bunch that is better suited to compete in an international format, while simultaneously creating a more cohesive clubhouse atmosphere.

"You just had so many stud athletes and egos flying out the door," Jones said in reference to the 2006 U.S. team. "It was crazy. It was a lot of fun, don’t get me wrong, but I think this team is put together a little better, from the standpoint that it’s a little more well-rounded."

With the start of this year’s Classic just a month away, Seiler compares his growing excitement to the anticipation children feel as Christmas approaches. The U.S. team will gather in Clearwater, Fla., on March 1 and play the first of three exhibition games two days later.

During these exhibitions games, which will be played against the Yankees, Blue Jays and Phillies, Jones likely will be able to gauge whether this year’s U.S. team has a different approach than the one he was part of three years ago.

"I think some guys thought we were just going to throw the bats and gloves out there on the field and we were just going to crush everybody with the names and the bats that we had on that particular team," Jones said.

This year’s Classic begins with Pool A play in Japan on March 5. Placed in Pool C, the United States will open its tournament play against Canada in Toronto on March 7.

Having the opportunity to play three exhibition games will provide the U.S. team a chance to be better prepared than it was entering the previous Classic, when the lone exhibition game was played against the Giants.

Entering the inaugural Classic, Jones had recorded just four live at-bats — two against the University of Georgia and two more against San Francisco.

Before facing Canada, this year’s U.S. players will get at-bats during their three exhibition games and during the three or four Grapefruit League games their respective Major League clubs are scheduled to play during February’s final week.

"It’s going to be a great competition again," Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins said. "We’re looking to bring the title home. We’re not looking to share that anymore. So if everything goes according to plan, we’ll definitely do that."

While this might not have been a prediction that would be deemed as strong as the fulfilled one he made before his Phillies won the first of two straight National League East titles, it was a statement that shows the confidence and comfort Rollins possesses while entering this Classic with the understanding that Derek Jeter likely will be utilized as the starting shortstop.

"I have no problem with Derek Jeter being named the starting shortstop," Rollins said. "He’s a great representative for USA Baseball. It has nothing to do with pride or ‘I think I’m better’ or ‘I think he’s better; he should do it.’ It has nothing to do with that.

"This is baseball. This is a team. It’s not about me and it’s not about him. It’s about the USA going out there and trying to bring this [Classic] title home. If I was named the starting shortstop, then so be it. I’m just fortunate to be on this team."

Rollins’ feelings provide some indication that this club might not have the "ego" problem that Jones viewed three years ago. In 2006, then-manager Buck Martinez tried to do the seemingly impossible by attempting to provide many members of his star-studded roster equal playing time while simultaneously aiming to win games against top-caliber opponents who weren’t utilizing the same All-Star Game-like approach.

"It’s a totally different approach this time, and one that we feel is going to serve our country well in this event," Seiler said.

Knowing the importance of allowing his players to get into a flow of the game, Johnson has said he won’t shuffle his lineup with midgame substitutions, like you normally would see in an All-Star Game. This altered mind-set will be easier to utilize with the Classic rosters trimmed from 30 players to 28.

Taking this reduction one step further, Seiler said that when Team USA’s roster is announced on Feb. 24, it likely will only consist of 26 players. Looking at the schedule and the reality that pitch counts exist during every round, it’s been decided that just four of these roster spots will be filled with starting pitchers.

Seiler and other members of his management team also have decided that there isn’t any reason to carry more than four outfielders. Having a versatile bench player like Mark DeRosa provides Team USA the opportunity to enhance the number of at-bats players get while simultaneously attempting to get into the flow of Classic games and making necessary preparations for the regular season.

"It doesn’t make any sense to have All-Stars stacked at each position if there aren’t enough at-bats to go around," Seiler said.

During the inaugural Classic, Jones shared time at third base with A-Rod and also served as a designated hitter. The reigning National League batting champion’s role this year likely will be the same, as he shares time at third base with David Wright.

Sharing time with Wright won’t bother Jones, who obviously has great admiration for the Mets third baseman.

"You can learn a little something from everybody if you just pay attention," Jones said. "Certainly with David Wright probably being the best all-around third baseman in the National League, if not all of baseball, how could you not want to sit back and see how he goes about his business?"

With a starting quartet headed by Jake Peavy and Roy Oswalt, and a bullpen that could be anchored by Joe Nathan, B.J. Ryan and J.J. Putz, the U.S. team potentially has a pitching staff that could prove as successful as the surprising ones South Korea and Japan utilized in 2006.

"We know that good baseball is played in Venezuela, Puerto Rico, the Dominican and Mexico," Jones said. "Let me tell you something, there’s good baseball played over there in those Asian countries as well. They took it to us, and they took it to the whole tournament. They came in, they were ready and nobody pitched as tough as Japan and South Korea the whole tournament.

"Me, personally, I was a little bit surprised, and I think all of us were. I think this time around, having seen that, if those guys come into USA camp this year and they’re not ready to play, the same result will happen and we’ll probably get beat rather soundly. But again, if they’re prepared and ready and come into camp and are prepared for what they’re going to see, I think we should be pretty successful."

Mark Bowman MLB .com