WBC Rosters

[Clapp]

17 guys in our organization. I bet at least a few of them don't play though, especially Harden of course. These are the 45 man provisional rosters so they'll change quite a bit. By the way, it sounds like the Canadians are pretty pissed/shocked that Demp's not on the team, and Harden almost surely won't pitch for them like I said.

WBC Rosters

[Destined]

Don't know why Demp isn't on there...that's really odd.

[Clapp]

<!--quoteo(post=12473:date=Jan 19 2009, 09:35 PM:name=Destined)-->QUOTE (Destined @ Jan 19 2009, 09:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Don't know why Demp isn't on there...that's really odd.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I assume he chose to not play in it. This is from the Canadian Press:

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Pitching was always going to be Canada's soft spot at the World Baseball Classic and things are looking worse now that Ryan Dempster has bowed out and Rich Harden is questionable.

The 45-man provisional rosters for all 16 teams at the tournament were unveiled Monday by Major League Baseball, with Dempster's stunning omission the only major surprise from the national team's entry.

Harden's name did make Canada's list but health concerns are putting his participation into serious doubt. The Chicago Sun-Times reported over the weekend that the Cubs right-hander from Victoria has a slight tear in his shoulder, and with US$7 million committed to him in 2009, the NL Central champions aren't likely to be pleased if he pulls on the Maple Leaf jersey.

His absence from the final 28-man roster that's due Feb. 24 would be understandable under those circumstances, but Dempster's is a little tougher to explain.

The Cubs right-hander signed a US$52-million, four-year contract extension in November and sources suggest he pulled out because of a sense of responsibility to the team after getting the big contract. That's why he also missed the 2006 event, as he had just agreed to a $15.5-million, three-year deal at the time.

In an interview last summer, Dempster explained that decision by saying, "I love where I'm from and I love the opportunity my country has provided me with, but at the same time I had to do the right thing for our team."

He was coming off Tommy John surgery then but is healthy now.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Destined]

Sucks for the canucks, because they got the bats.

[PcB]

Good. I would be fucking pissed if either of them pitched in this pointless exhibition. I mean I think it's cool, and I like it, but I think both of them made the right decision.

[veryzer]

<!--quoteo(post=12473:date=Jan 19 2009, 10:35 PM:name=Destined)-->QUOTE (Destined @ Jan 19 2009, 10:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Don't know why Demp isn't on there...that's really odd.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->


because he's smart?

[Auz]

Go Australia!

[Googly]

<!--quoteo(post=12499:date=Jan 21 2009, 03:28 AM:name=Dingo)-->QUOTE (Dingo @ Jan 21 2009, 03:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Go Australia!<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
No Trent G. on the Australian roster?!?

[PcB]

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->NEW YORK -- The thought of Derek Jeter and Dustin Pedroia turning double plays together is probably enough to make Yankees and Red Sox fans cringe.

World Baseball Classic, here they come.

On opposite sides of the New York-Boston rivalry, Jeter and Pedroia could make up the United States' middle infield at the WBC in March.
Stark: Breaking It Down

The World Baseball Classic doesn't get underway until March 5. But with the provisional rosters revealed on Monday, get the early take on which team has the best chance to win it all. Jayson Stark

Jimmy Rollins, Evan Longoria and Grady Sizemore also were among 43 players on the provisional U.S. roster. All 16 teams in the tournament had until Monday to submit lists of up to 45 players under consideration for their final rosters, which will be whittled down to 28 spots.

Not all of the players chosen to provisional rosters will get to play, however. Vladimir Guerrero was chosen for the roster of the Dominican Republic, but he is recovering from offseason knee surgery. Angels general manager Tony Reagins said he doesn't want him to play, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"It's a provisional roster. It doesn't mean they're going to play," he said.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

This link has a provisional list of team U.S.A

[Clapp]

As expected, Harden said today he's not playing.

[Auz]

<!--quoteo(post=12548:date=Jan 21 2009, 05:01 AM:name=Googly)-->QUOTE (Googly @ Jan 21 2009, 05:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=12499:date=Jan 21 2009, 03:28 AM:name=Dingo)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dingo @ Jan 21 2009, 03:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Go Australia!<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
No Trent G. on the Australian roster?!?
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I said no as soon as I learned we can't have beers in the dugout.

[Tailgater]

<!--quoteo(post=12639:date=Jan 20 2009, 06:49 PM:name=Dingo)-->QUOTE (Dingo @ Jan 20 2009, 06:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=12548:date=Jan 21 2009, 05:01 AM:name=Googly)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Googly @ Jan 21 2009, 05:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=12499:date=Jan 21 2009, 03:28 AM:name=Dingo)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dingo @ Jan 21 2009, 03:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Go Australia!<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
No Trent G. on the Australian roster?!?
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I said no as soon as I learned we can't have beers in the dugout.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Holy crap! I kinda know a guy on Austalia's roster. Brad Dutton played the last 2 seasons in Rockford, IL for the Frontier League's Rockford Riverhawks.

[DaveB]

<!--quoteo(post=12463:date=Jan 19 2009, 09:32 PM:name=Clapp)-->QUOTE (Clapp @ Jan 19 2009, 09:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->17 guys in our organization. I bet at least a few of them don't play though, especially Harden of course. These are the 45 man provisional rosters so they'll change quite a bit. By the way, it sounds like the Canadians are pretty pissed/shocked that Demp's not on the team, and Harden almost surely won't pitch for them like I said.

WBC Rosters<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I don't like this, I don't like it one bit.

Obviously Harden isn't going to play, hes just trying to make it through the MLB season without his shoulder falling off.

But guys like Zambrano, Soriano, and ARam, guys who are likely to participate and have had injury issues in the past (notably last season), should NOT be playing.
A guy like Soto, who is already going to have the wear of a full season as an MLB starting catcher, should NOT be playing.
A guy like Marmol (high number of IP last 2 seasons) and Lilly (highest IP of his career last season), should NOT be playing.

With the Cubs luck, this is just a disaster waiting to happen. Guys trying to get ready too fast and injuring themselves, or guys playing competitively without being ready for it and injuring themselves.

The Angels did a very smart thing by denying Vlad and others from participating due to injuries last season, which allowed the club to veto their participation.
I don't know if this is just an individual club rule or a rule for all ML teams, but I really hope Henry and others in the organization have some common sense and keep some of these guys focused on what their job is (AND WHAT THEY ARE GETTING PAID MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR!), which is playing for the Cubs.

[Clapp]

Z's not likely to be playing with his lasik eye surgery from what I've heard. Marmol might not pitch either. Hasn't he been pitching this winter in the Dominican? I'd rather our position players didn't do it, but the rest of the teams have the same problem to deal with. I don't know, it's not a huge deal to me. I could see Alf not wanting to do it as you know he wants to focus on staying healthy this year. Anyway, if they're playing a lot in the WBC, just cut some of their playing time in ST. You're right though, with our luck somebody probably gets hurt, but we'll see.

[Clapp]

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols wants to play in the World Baseball Classic in March, but an insurance issue could prevent him from representing the Dominican Republic in the tournament, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
"I'm real excited, looking forward to it, but I guess there are a couple things about the injury list - there is something going on with the Classic and Major League Baseball," Pujols said. "I don't know if I'm even going to be on the roster right now because of the insurance. Something weird is going on with the whole thing. It's not just myself. It's a lot of different players from different countries. I guess insurance doesn't want to take the chance to cover us because we come from surgery."
Major league teams' policies on players do not cover participation in exhibitions such as the WBC, the newspaper reports. A corporation formed by MLB and the Players Association obtains insurance to cover players in the WBC, but finding that coverage for a player who has had surgery since last season is a challenge.
Pujols had surgery three months ago to move a nerve near his right elbow. Pujols also has a strained ligament near the same elbow that was operated on. Pujols says his rehab was finished a month ago and he is ready to play. He said he would not jeopardize the Cardinals by playing in the WBC ad anything less than 100 percent strength.
"If I get down to spring training and I feel any tweak - any kind of tweak - I'm not going to go," he told the Post-Dispatch. "That's the only thing that's going to stop me. Right now I'm feeling really good. I'm looking forward to representing the Dominican Republic."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->