NEW YORK — Final rosters for the second World Baseball Classic were released Tuesday, with Jake Peavy, Roy Oswalt and Joe Nathan highlighting a 14-man U.S. pitching staff.
Nathan, an all-star closer for the Twins, figures to anchor an accomplished bullpen that also features B.J. Ryan, Brian Fuentes, Jonathan Broxton and Scot Shields.
Peavy and Oswalt headline the rotation, with Ted Lilly and Jeremy Guthrie rounding out the back end. Team USA, managed by Davey Johnson, will play a maximum of eight games in a span of 17 days next month, making four starters sufficient for the tournament.
Dustin Pedroia, Derek Jeter, Grady Sizemore and Rockies Brad Hawpe and Chris Iannetta are among the offensive stars who will try to help the U.S. improve on its 2006 finish, when it was knocked out in the second round. Japan beat Cuba in the championship game.
Players will leave their big- league teams and report to U.S. camp Sunday in Clearwater, Fla. The tournament begins March 5 in Tokyo, and the United States plays its first game March 7 against Canada in Toronto.
Griffey could get $5 million
PEORIA, Ariz. — Ken Griffey Jr. could get $5 million this year in his return to Seattle if he stays healthy and fans flock to see him.
The Mariners have layered performance bonuses based upon plate appearances and attendance that could net Griffey an additional $3 million — on top of the $2 million in base salary that’s in the one-year contract baseball’s leading active home run hitter agreed to Saturday.
Griffey, 39, could earn $3 million more if the Mariners have a paid attendance total of 3 million, he has 500 plate appearances and he does not go on the disabled list, according to salary figures obtained Tuesday.
Footnotes.
Barry Bonds’ personal trainer is likely to tell a federal judge Friday he has no plans to testify at the home run king’s perjury trial. Greg Anderson is key to the government’s case as it tries to prove Bonds lied to a grand jury investigating steroid use by athletes.
• Outfielder Garret Anderson completed a $2.5 million, one-year contract with the Atlanta Braves.
• The Athletics scrapped their plans to move to Fremont, Calif., capping months of speculation that the team would pull out over procedural holdups.
The Associated Press
