Q&A with Former Grizzly Joe Sclafani on playing for Team USA

Former Fresno Grizzlies infielder and member of the 2015 Triple-A National Championship team Joe Sclafani competed in the WBSC Premier12™ Tournament in Taipei, Taiwan, Nov. 9 to 21. The U.S. roster featured 27 players not currently on Major League Baseball 40-man rosters. Sclafani appeared in 72 games for the Grizzlies in 2015, accumulating 66 hits in 220 at bats for a .300 batting average, including a notable 49-game on-base streak.

Q: How did you get selected by the team?

Joe Sclafani: From my understanding, the Astros submitted my name to their organization and I was selected based on what I've been able to do during my career. The major stipulation was that they couldn't select anyone who was actively on a 40-man roster. I was so honored to be selected and have the opportunity to represent my country.

Q: What were your first impressions of Taiwan? How is baseball perceived there as opposed to America? What is the atmosphere like for games?

JS: Taiwan was a really interesting place. It was really special to be able to experience a completely different culture. They love baseball there, and in all of Asia to be honest. The atmosphere was really cool. Especially when Taipei was playing, or Japan and Korea. The fans are engaged through the entirety of the game. They have individual chants and cheers for every player. Some people bring instruments to add to the chants. It was awesome. Reminded me of what I've seen at European or South American soccer games.

Q: What other activities do they have you involved in besides the games? Are there community initiatives or are you able to use the down time to be a tourist?

JS: We didn't have too much free time to really go out and explore, but we did do some touristy stuff when we got the opportunity. The Taipei 101 building is like the third tallest in the world or something like that. We got to go up there. We went to the Times Square of Tokyo when we were there (no idea what it was called). We were playing pretty much every day and practicing on our off days, but we definitely tried to make the most of our opportunities to see both countries a little bit.

Q: What motivates you to participate in this schedule after having gone through an entire minor league season?

JS: There was no way I could pass up the chance to represent my country. I've always dreamed of how cool that would be and it lived up to all my expectations. It was incredibly special.

Q: I feel like worldly experiences tend to give foresight in future goals. Is this experience giving you thoughts about where you'd like to take your post playing career?

JS: Not necessarily eye opening in that regard. I've always had a general idea of potential job opportunities I might want to pursue post playing career.

Q: Ten years from now, what will you remember or utilize from this experience?

BS: I'll just reflect on how special it was to have USA across my chest while competing against the best baseball playing countries in the world. I'll remember lacing em up with some great new teammates in pursuit of bringing home the gold. Unfortunately we ultimately fell a little short of that goal, but it's definitely an experience I'll never forget.