Pan Am team: red, white and Royal blue
The 24-man squad features six Kansas City farmhands, the most players from one organization ever named to a single USA Baseball professional team. The Colorado Rockies are represented with three prospects, and the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies each have two.
USA Baseball serves as the National Governing Body of our national pastime and is responsible for assembling professional, amateur and age-group teams to represent the U.S. in international competition. The Pan American Qualifying Team begins training Sept. 25 under an experienced coaching staff headed by 2000 Olympian Ernie Young. The team will then play against the Canadian and Puerto Rican teams before heading to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to compete in the 13-team Pan American Games Qualifying Tournament.
The top eight clubs earn a spot in next fall's 2011 Pan American Games Tournament in Mexico, and the top six also qualify for the 2011 Baseball World Cup.
Preparing for the future
The six Kansas City Royals prospects named to the team are left-handed pitchers Tim Collins, Danny Duffy, Mike Montgomery and Everett Teaford, as well as infielders Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas. This highly touted half-dozen all played with Double-A Northwest Arkansas and/or Triple-A Omaha in 2010 and is projected to make an impact in Kansas City as soon as 2011.
Moustakas was recently named the winner of the 2010 Joe Bauman Award, given annually to the Minor Leagues' most prolific home run hitter (he bashed 36 between Northwest Arkansas and Omaha). Hosmer, Duffy and Teaford are currently competing in the Texas League playoffs as the Naturals play a do-or-die Game 5 in their semifinal series against Springfield on Monday.
J.J. Picollo, the Royals' assistant GM in charge of scouting and player development, was gratified at his organization's strong presence on the USA roster.
"One thing we tend to do as an industry is overvalue our own players," he said. "But [the Royals] don't have any say in who Team USA adds to the roster, so this serves as an affirmation that we've got some good players.
"The [Team USA] scouts recognized the ability of our players and put them on their recommendation sheets," he added. "And as the committee went through their selection process, they saw that a lot of our players would make a good fit for the club. We're proud that they're on the team."
But the baseball season is nothing if not a grind, and there are, of course, concerns that a grueling tournament coming on the heels of a 140-game season could result in overwork and injury.
"That's something we certainly discuss, but in all honesty, if you can't get excited about representing your country in a tournament like this, then you can't get excited about anything. It's an adrenaline rush, the kind of experience that can help guys develop," said Picollo. "To go from the Minor League season and the playoffs right into the tournament creates a sense of unity, and we know our guys will handle it well."
And playing baseball through the end of September and into October helps to prepare prospects for that ultimate grind: the 162-game Major League season.
"One thing that's lacking in Minor League Baseball is that very few guys are playing through the month of September, but in the big leagues that's the stretch run," said Picollo. "Obviously the goal for all of these guys is to have them play in the big leagues. They're going to have to extend themselves into September at some point, and [the tournament] helps them prepare for that."
Putting the pieces together
The Pan American Qualifying Team is comprised of players who are currently not on a big league club's 40-man roster. The team is selected by USA Baseball with significant input from a network of professional scouts.
"We're blessed with a deep talent pool of U.S.-born players, so that leads to some very difficult decisions," said USA Baseball CEO Paul Seiler, who is responsible for assembling the roster. "We work with a dozen scouts who give us their time, energy and expertise, even though they're not getting paid. We don't have tryouts. We have to make these decisions based on the players' performance and what the scouts are telling us."
With this being the case, Seiler concedes there is a "fantasy baseball" element to putting the team together. Flexibility is key, and there are a seemingly endless array of factors to consider.
"Here we are, at the end of a long season, and some guys are nicked up, others may be getting offseason surgeries, and some might have just received a September callup," said Seiler, providing three of many examples that can keep a player off the roster. "But sometimes you might even get to a point where the club is in support and everything seems good to go, but then you contact a player and find out he's getting married or his wife is having a baby."
It's all part of the process, however.
"It's like a puzzle in that you have so many pieces, and you've got to make them all fit," said Seiler. "You could fall in love with nine shortstops, but that's not going to make an effective team. Looking at this club, it's well-rounded. You've got guys like Moustakas and Hosmer, who've become known names in the Minors. Brad Eldred has spent time in the Majors, and Todd Redmond played on last year's World Cup team. I'm just as excited about a big leaguer and former Olympian like Brian Barden as I am about [Angels outfield prospect] Mike Trout, who's just starting to make a name for himself."
And no matter what the player's age, experience or background, they'll be united by a common desire to represent the United States on a global stage.
"Once the players put that uniform on, they realize they're all in this together and they're part of something bigger than just 24 guys," said Seiler. "Representing your nation is a heavy responsibility, but our players are excited for the opportunity. To a man, the response has been 'Let's get going.'"
Benjamin Hill is a reporter for MLB.com.