The 16 nations participating in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, which begins March 5, are in the process of putting their squads together, seeking commitments and absorbing rejections from MLB pros. Provisional 45-man rosters are expected on Monday, with final 25-man versions due on Feb. 24. In the first of a seven-part series, a look at who’s in and who’s out for some of the top teams:
JAPAN
Stylish Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki leads the defending champion Japanese team, one of two powerhouses stacked in Pool A. Team Japan also has recruited Kosuke Fukudome of the Cubs, Rays second baseman Akinori Iwamura and Red Sox hurler Daisuke Matsuzaka. Dice-K anchors a rotation hurt by the absence of Dodgers right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, who is rehabbing an injury, and likely closer Takashi Saito, who withdrew to focus on his debut season with the Red Sox. Koji Uehara, recently signed to a two-year deal with the Orioles, and sought-after 22-year-old Yu Darvish of the Nippon Fighting Hams will try to pick up the slack.
SOUTH KOREA
The 2008 Olympics champion, Japan’s chief rival in Pool A, suffered a blow when veteran pitcher Chan Ho Park quit the team as he tries to crack the Phillies’ rotation this spring. The South Koreans are turning to 2001 World Series goat Byung-Hyun Kim for right-handed pitching help. Also on board are Indians shortstop Shin-Soo Choo, who hit .309 for Cleveland in 2008, and 260-plus-pound slugger Dae-Ho Lee (nickname: “Big Boy”), whose three homers helped procure gold in Beijing.
MEXICO
Managed by former Rockies slugger Vinny Castilla, the Pool B contender has drawn commitments from a pair of Florida Marlins – infielder Jorge Cantu, coming off a career-best 29-home run season, and utility man Alfredo Amezaga.