At this time of year, GM's around baseball are thinking of ways to improve their clubs by throwing piles of cash at the plethora of free agents and drawing up countless trade proposals. However, there is a team being put together that will consist of baseball's biggest names and cost nothing; that team is Team USA, gearing up for the 2009 World Baseball Classic next spring. Three years ago, a stacked Team USA was bounced from the tournament with a disappointing 3-3 record, with many players citing a lack of preparation and team-gelling as the main downfall. This time around, players welcomed back to the team figure to fire-up the current roster into a much better showing. However, those 30 players who make up the roster are yet to be picked. There are numerous big names available, most of whose status is yet unknown, pending their team's approval. I believe that if Team USA was to be comprised of a close-knit group of superstars who were able to compete in a few of these tournaments and spend quality time together during them, it would be a valuable stepping stone to a possible United States gold medal journey at the 2016 Olympics in Chicago, (if baseball is re-admitted in the games) similar to the inspiring performance of Team USA Basketball in Beijing. Superstar teams in the Olympics, like basketball, not only inspire world audiences, but provide numerous marketing opportunities should baseball decide to go that path; as evident by the USA Basketball reality show, and Nike collection of Olympic apparel, as well as the high television ratings and commercial appeal. Back to this year's WBC, however, below is a detailed projection of what the 2009 USA Baseball team could look like, if those named decide to participate. This is one stacked team, if you ask me...
Pitching Staff
Bullpen
-Scott Shields -Kerry Wood
-Jonathan Papelbon -Huston Street
-Joe Nathan -Brian Fuentes (L)
-Bobby Jenks -David Price (L)
-Brad Lidge -Jonathan Broxton
Starting Rotation
1. C.C. Sabathia
2. Jake Peavy
3. Cole Hamels
4. Roy Oswalt
5. Matt Garza
(Other possibles: Beckett, Webb, Haren, Lester, Shields, Lilly, Chamberlain, Lincecum)
Starting Infield
1B-Mark Teixiera 3B-Alex Rodriguez
2B-Chase Utley SS-Derek Jeter
Starting Outfield
LF-Ryan Braun CF-Grady Sizemore RF-Josh Hamilton
Bench
IF-Evan Longoria, Chipper Jones, Michael Young
(Brian Roberts, Dustin Pedroia, Ian Kinsler, Dan Uggla, Jimmy Rollins, Stephen Drew, Ryan Howard, David Wright, Lance Berkman, Derrek Lee, Adrian Gonzalez, Prince Fielder)
OF-B.J. Upton, Carlos Quentin, Vernon Wells
(Torii Hunter, Nick Markakis, Carl Crawford, Curtis Granderson, Matt Holliday, J.D. Drew, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier)
Catchers
-Joe Mauer
-Brian McCann
-Jason Varitek
(A.J. Pierzynski, Kurt Suzuki, Taylor Teargarden)
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