Baseball Canada names Olympic roster

Last Updated: Thursday, July 10, 2008 | 5:07 PM ET

CBC Sports

Second baseman Stubby Clapp helped the Canadian men's national baseball team to a fourth-place finish at the 2004 Athens Olympics. (Elaine Thompson/Canadian Press)

Six players who powered Canada to a fourth-place effort at the 2004 Summer Games are among the 24 players named to Canada's roster for the upcoming Olympics in Beijing.

Baseball Canada announced its roster and staff for the 2008 Olympics on Thursday, with a handful of veterans featured alongside a decidedly younger group of players.

Terry Puhl, a veteran major leaguer of 15 seasons, returns as manager of Team Canada and has high hopes for his team, which earned an Olympic berth by finishing first among eight teams at the final Olympic qualifying tournament in Taichung, Taiwan, in March.

"We have a very good mix of experience and youth on this ball club," Puhl said in a statement. "The World Cup and qualifier was a chance to give our younger guys some invaluable international experience and I believe that this team is more than capable of winning a medal."

Windsor, Ont., native Stubby Clapp, considered Canada's most popular and scrappiest Olympic baseball player, is among the returnees to the latest Olympic edition of the team.

Also returning to Olympic competition are pitchers Chris Begg and Mike Johnson, outfielders Ryan Radmanovich and Adam Stern along with infielder Peter Orr.

Their experience will be vital with the team's younger core, which features Seattle Mariners draft pick Mike Saunders, 21, and Cleveland Indians prospect Nick Weglarz, 20, who will join Stern to form a potentially potent starting outfield.

"That's a definite plus," Clapp said in an interview of the veteran core. "We have a lot of guys who have been there and done that and a lot of other guys who bring good international experience to the table."

Canada aims for podium

Joining Clapp and Orr in the infield will be first baseman Scott Thorman and third baseman Matt Rogelstad. David Corrente and Chris Robinson will take on catching duties as Pete Laforest, who backstopped Canada at the 2004 Olympics, recently underwent surgery.

At designated hitter, Puhl can go with James VanOstrand or Brett Lawrie, 18, who was recently drafted 16th overall by the Milwaukee Brewers at the MLB draft.

Begg and Johnson are two probable candidates for the starting rotation with Scott Richmond and Brooks McNiven likely to garner consideration. Former Mariners reliever Chris Reitsma is also a candidate for a starter's role, but the Calgary native suffered a pectoral injury recently and may work out of the bullpen as a result.

Should Reitsma move into a reliever's role, he'll join a strong group that includes veteran Steven Green and Rheal Cormier, a veteran of 16 major-league seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, Montreal Expos and Cincinnati Reds.

Puhl will also have the option of going to Jonathan Lockwood, Dave Davidson and R.J. Swindle, if the left-hander is returned to the minors by the Philadelphia Phillies as expected.

Rounding out the roster are pitcher Tim Burton and first baseman/catcher Emerson Frostad.

The team meets in Toronto on July 28 to begin its Olympic training camp before it takes on the United States in an Olympic tune-up series in North Carolina from Aug. 1-4. Canada will then face the Netherlands in Beijing for their final two exhibition games before the Olympic competition kicks off.

After a heartbreaking loss to Cuba in the semifinals of the Athens Games, Canada will aim for a podium finish in Beijing when they open the tournament on Aug. 13 against China.

The rest of the field includes the United States, the Netherlands, Cuba, Chinese Taipei, Japan and Korea.

"This is a tremendous time for Baseball Canada and we are very excited about our Olympic team," said Ray Carter, the president of Baseball Canada. "The Olympic Games are the pinnacle of competition and to represent our country this summer is a great honour we hold very dear."