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19.3.24 0636
The W - Baseball - Team USAs 30
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skorpio17
Morcilla








Since: 11.7.02
From: New Jersey

Since last post: 5844 days
Last activity: 5844 days
#1 Posted on | Instant Rating: 3.24
this team is looking real good, very strong infield and great relief pitching which is needed given the new pitch counts. Everyone made a deal of no Hudson, but I'd rather take a guy like Nathan or Shields any day.

The outfield is underwhelming. Holliday outside of Colorado and Winn is no Pinella. Griffey is clearly the standout, hopefully the classic won't get blamed for his next injury. A-Rod and Varitek working together is nice.

My lineup would by Jeter, Utley, A-Rod, Tex(dh),D.Lee, Griffey, Francoer, Varitek, Damon.

This team should win it all.
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BigSteve
Pepperoni








Since: 23.7.04
From: Baltimore, MD

Since last post: 6276 days
Last activity: 6004 days
#2 Posted on | Instant Rating: 5.72
It should be good enough to win the tournament (though you never know with the pitch counts and single elimination format in the semis and finals), but it's not the best roster they could have put together.

The OF in particular is kind of sketchy. It's nice to have Griffey on the team, but besides him, there's no one there to be even remotely excited about. It would have been really nice to have a Bonds, or a Dunn or any other "name" outfielder on the team. On the other hand, the infield is really great with ARod at third and Tex and Lee at 1B and DH plus the best options at short and second being on the team.

The pitching staff is heavy on (very good) relivers which is probably a good move with starters only throwing four to six innings, but I'd have liked to see Carpenter or Halladay instead of Sabathia, but oh well. Peavy/Willis/Clemens is as good as it gets. Bring on the Dominicans.

(Oh and here's (sports.espn.go.com) the full thirty man roster.)



He's got that hand-waving deal. He can become INVISIBLE! This means MONEY, Dawg! - AWARulz on Cena.
redsoxnation
Scrapple








Since: 24.7.02

Since last post: 3914 days
Last activity: 3914 days
#3 Posted on | Instant Rating: 3.36
I know they are both Boras clients, but Varitek and A-Rod being on the same team is just morally wrong. First pop-up between 3rd and home could be interesting. Very well could be a single team bench clearing brawl.
Although the Domincan Republic vs. USA is the marquee final, a Venezuela vs. USA with Santana facing Willis in a preview of the two best pitchers available in the dispersal draft after the Marlins and Twins are contracted after '06 could be very entertaining.



Any complaints about the preceding post can be directed at the time traveling aliens who edited it.
thecubsfan
Scrapple
Moderator








Since: 10.12.01
From: Aurora, IL

Since last post: 938 days
Last activity: 318 days
#4 Posted on | Instant Rating: 10.00
Odd they had a 30 man roster and brought only one guy who played 2B last year. Figure Young can play there if he has to, but I'd want even a field-only guy so I could pinch hit for Utley close and late without any worry.



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Quezzy
Scrapple








Since: 6.1.02
From: Pittsburgh, PA

Since last post: 1899 days
Last activity: 1898 days
#5 Posted on | Instant Rating: 2.95
Ugh, my two favorite players (David Wright and Eric Chavez) don't make the team thanks to my two least favorite players (A-Rod and Chipper). I can't watch this.



Lance's Response:

THAT IS AWESOME!
Corajudo
Frankfurter








Since: 7.11.02
From: Dallas, TX

Since last post: 3541 days
Last activity: 3044 days
#6 Posted on | Instant Rating: 4.06
    Originally posted by thecubsfan
    Odd they had a 30 man roster and brought only one guy who played 2B last year. Figure Young can play there if he has to, but I'd want even a field-only guy so I could pinch hit for Utley close and late without any worry.


Young is an outstanding fielder, so he'll be fine. He had no trouble switching from 2b to SS and really didn't have much time to prepare, so I'm sure he'll be fine going back to 2b. In fact, I'd start Young over Utley. But, I'm biased.

Given the OFs, I'm surprised they don't move Chipper to OF and put one of the other 3bs on the team. But, maybe they don't want to play. On Mike & Mike, Jayson Stark said that MLB basically told players to stop publicly saying they didn't want to play. Instead, if they quietly tell MLB or their agent, then they would simply be left off the team. So, I wonder how many of those players not among the 30 were left off voluntarily. My guess, given the OF situation, is a good number of them quietly opted out.



"Teach children that they have great potential because they are human." -Warrior
skorpio17
Morcilla








Since: 11.7.02
From: New Jersey

Since last post: 5844 days
Last activity: 5844 days
#7 Posted on | Instant Rating: 3.24
The best outfielders are just not Americans. The only one I know that opted out is Sheffield. Berkman maybe had some injury concern or he should've been picked. I don't think the our outfield could've gotten much better... (maybe Podsednik to pinch-run if Pierre was already on team France.)

I'd also have taken Wright instead of Chipper (much too early for E.Chavez, he can't hit until June)

How desperate would the USA have to be to have chosen Al Leiter?

And why are you pinch hitting for Utley?
thecubsfan
Scrapple
Moderator








Since: 10.12.01
From: Aurora, IL

Since last post: 938 days
Last activity: 318 days
#8 Posted on | Instant Rating: 10.00
Utley has his uses, but (assuming we're starting AL East-types), I've got 3 guys who'll be all stars this year (Young, Teixeira, Chipper) and one HOF-er (Griffey) who I'd love to use and no better person to replace.

My championship game lineup, though I reserve the right to rethink in five seconds:

RF Damon (totally cheating)
SS Jeter
3B A-Rod
1B Lee
DH Chipper
CA Varitek
LF Winn
CF Wells
2B Utley

I agree about thinking Chipper in LF.

In the opening rounds especially, I'm sure they'll try to keep everyone fresh and not put the 100% lineup out ther unless they have to. With 8 games to play, there's going to be 2-4 where the top guy at a position doesn't play. Young's fine as a temporary option, but I'd hate for him to have to play out of position in games that don't matter because they need to give Utley a day off.



thecubsfan.com - CMLLBlog
BigSteve
Pepperoni








Since: 23.7.04
From: Baltimore, MD

Since last post: 6276 days
Last activity: 6004 days
#9 Posted on | Instant Rating: 5.72
    Originally posted by thecubsfan
    RF Damon (totally cheating)
    SS Jeter
    3B A-Rod
    1B Lee
    DH Chipper
    CA Varitek
    LF Winn
    CF Wells
    2B Utley



You have to have Teixeria in there over Chipper as your DH. Actually, if they really wanted to put the best team on the field, they'd shift Teixeira to third, his natural position, move Arod over to short and take Jeter out of the lineup. (if you really think you need another table-setter type guy like Jeter, I'd move him to DH and Chipper Jones to left). Plus I'd move Young over to 2B in favor of Utley. Then you have:

DH Jeter
2B Young
SS Arod
1B Lee
3B Tex
CF Griffey
LF Chipper
C Varitek
RF Damon

Of course, I don't anticipate them moving anyone from their natural position, and you really don't need to overthink the lineup and batting order in an eight game tournament where pretty much any US lineup will be second best in the tournament.



He's got that hand-waving deal. He can become INVISIBLE! This means MONEY, Dawg! - AWARulz on Cena.
redsoxnation
Scrapple








Since: 24.7.02

Since last post: 3914 days
Last activity: 3914 days
#10 Posted on | Instant Rating: 3.36
If Damon is put in right, you are just engraving an invitation for teams to go from first to home on balls hit to right. It would be a nice compare/contrast though between the Domincan Republican having Vlad's cannon in right while the U.S. would have Damon's pop gun in right.
And, I'd take any member of the Tampa outfield over Randy Winn any day of the week.

(edited by redsoxnation on 15.2.06 2143)


Any complaints about the preceding post can be directed at the time traveling aliens who edited it.
Quezzy
Scrapple








Since: 6.1.02
From: Pittsburgh, PA

Since last post: 1899 days
Last activity: 1898 days
#11 Posted on | Instant Rating: 2.95
Any place to view the other teams' final 30 man rosters?



Lance's Response:

THAT IS AWESOME!
BigSteve
Pepperoni








Since: 23.7.04
From: Baltimore, MD

Since last post: 6276 days
Last activity: 6004 days
#12 Posted on | Instant Rating: 5.72
    Originally posted by Quezzy
    Any place to view the other teams' final 30 man rosters?


Here (worldbaseballclassic.com) are the rosters. Most of the countries only have provisional rosters because the 30 man rosters are not due until March 2nd. A few (USA and Canada) have been announced, but not too many.



He's got that hand-waving deal. He can become INVISIBLE! This means MONEY, Dawg! - AWARulz on Cena.
Mr. Boffo
Scrapple








Since: 24.3.02
From: Oshkosh, WI

Since last post: 3886 days
Last activity: 3847 days
#13 Posted on | Instant Rating: 5.12
An interesting note is that Eric Chavez was disappointed that he didn't make Team USA, and so tried to be on Team Mexico instead. While ordinarily he would be eligible (his father was a Mexican citizen) he is not eligible because he wasn't on Mexico's provisional roster.

Italy and the Netherlands didn't make that mistake. It seems like they listed every MLB player who is eligible, just in case. Good for them, but it's weird seeing American born athletes playing for the other team. Of the 13 MLB players on Italy's provisional roster, 12 were born in the USA, and one (Marco Scutaro) was born in Venezuela. 5 of Netherlands' MLB players are from Dutch territories in the Carribean (including Curacao, Aruba, and Netherlands Antilles). The other 5 were born in the USA.

But at least both those teams should be better off than South Africa. South Africa is one of only three teams with no MLB players on their provisional roster (the other two countries are Communist). In fact, South Africa has only has 4 players on their team with professional experience (2 in double-a leagues, 2 in rookie leagues). Here's a quote from their manager: "At some point," said Magnante, a longtime Oakland A's scout, "we're going to be sending high school guys out there to face like Derek Jeter and Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey [Jr.] in a big league ballpark." Anyone want to give me odds on the mercy rule being enforced in games against South Africa?



In the real world, WWE believes that no matter what our race, religious creed or ethnic background in America, we all share the common bond of being Americans. American-Arabs are a part of the fabric of America, and they should be embraced by all of us.
Merc
Potato korv








Since: 3.1.02
From: Brisbane, Australia

Since last post: 4723 days
Last activity: 4702 days
#14 Posted on | Instant Rating: 6.62
    Originally posted by Mr. Boffo
    South Africa is one of only three teams with no MLB players on their provisional roster (the other two countries are Communist).

Technically, Australia has MLB players.
Practically, we're counting Glenn Williams, Damian Moss and Dave Nilsson, so it might as well be 4 teams.
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