Team USA Releases Final Roster

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Team USA Releases Final Roster

With its trials complete, USA baseball announced its final roster today. You can read the release here.

Here's the breakdown, starting with the good news. Eight players on Cape League rosters were left off the final USA roster:

Micah Gibbs - C - Y-D
Thomas Girdwood - RHP - Hyannis
Jedd Gyorko - IF - Brewster
Anthony Ranaudo - RHP - Y-D
Logan Verrett - RHP - Chatham
Alex Wimmers - RHP - Bourne
Kyle Winkler - RHP - Falmouth
Ross Wilson - IF - Harwich

Though that's not as high a number as last year, when 11 Cape Leaguers didn't make the final roster, it's still a good group. Ranaudo and Wimmers could be the two most highly-touted pitchers on the Cape if they do indeed make it. Same goes for Gibbs at the catcher spot, and Wilson and Gyorko on the infield.

The bad news is that 15 of the 22 who did make the final roster were slated for the Cape. That list includes Christian Colon, Bryce Brentz, Tyler Holt, Blake Forsythe, Gerrit Cole and Drew Pomeranz. It would have been cool to see all those guys in Cape League uniforms.

There are three names floating out there that I'm not sure about -- Hunter Morris (Falmouth), Deck McGuire (Orleans) and Danny Hultzen (Hyannis). All three were/are on Cape League rosters and were on the initial USA invite list. But the most recent trials roster -- even before the final roster came out -- did not include them. I'm not sure what that means for their summer destinations, but I suppose we'll find out soon enough. Morris and McGuire are still listed on the Falmouth and Orleans rosters, but Hultzen hasn't been on the Hyannis roster since the Team USA invites went out.

Update (11:29): Just realized I missed Casey Harman, as well. He was not on the most recent trials list either and isn't on the final roster. He's slated for Hyannis.

And Another Update (11:53): The fact that their trial roster kept changing is killing me. There's another name that falls into the unknown category, and it's a big one -- Fullerton pitcher Daniel Renken. He's on the Harwich roster and was, at one point or another, a Team USA invite. I hope I'm not missing anybody else.

Why not another one? (11:55): I'm losing it over here. Jarrett Parker. Brewster. Also a one-time invite who disappeared from the trials roster. Though I'm quietly going crazy, this is actually looking better and better for the Cape League if all these guys make it.

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as the fog settles in

The left-field sunset has faded. It is chilly now. You slip a sweatshirt on. The stat sheet you hold in your hands almost feels wet, the air is so damp. But the ink doesn't run. You can read it. That kid from LSU is still leading the league in home runs. That pitcher who they say throws 95 -- he's way up on the list in strikeouts.
The game is close, 3-2 through seven innings. You're staying till the end.
You look out at the field. Some fog has slipped in. It settles like smoke, just off the grass in front of the right fielder, like a cloud. When he runs through it to catch a fly ball, it looks almost magical, maybe even spiritual, like he's playing baseball in heaven.
Maybe he is.
The baseball is pure here. The players eager. The fans, maybe some of them don't know what they're seeing, maybe they just heard it was a fun night out, good for the family and everything -- but they know. They know somehow that this thing, this Cape League, is special.
Really, there's nothing like it.
I'm going to try and keep up.

Stop waxing poetic

The Cape Cod Baseball League is the top college summer league in the nation. Plenty of other leagues have cropped up of late, and some are having success, but the Cape League is still the model -- and the pinnacle. In 2006, 198 Major Leaguers had spent time in the Cape League.
The rosters are like a who's who of the best college baseball players. All the top prospects want to spend their summers on the Cape. The only better opportunity is Team USA. There are 10 teams in the league, divided into two divisions. Over the course of two months, they play 44 games. Scouts will watch many of them. They come because of the combination of talent and wood. Unlike college baseball, the Cape uses only wooden bats, providing an accurate picture of what players might do at the next level.
What else? Players live with host families. Some have part-time jobs (Jeff Bagwell worked at Friendly's). There's no admission charge at games. The level of baseball has been compared to Single A.
That should sum it up. If you have never experienced Cape League Baseball, you have missed out.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009