Cleveland Sports Forum

USA beats Netherlands; 1-0 | 19-07-2012

Dutch fail to break through strong American pitching. Rodon and Child put up zero's for 9 innings as World Champions cannot put together a scoring rally. Strong pitching of Team Orange keeps US at bay, but cannot prevent a 1-0 loss.


Player of the Game: Carlos Rodon (7 IP, 9 K, 2 BB, 7 H).

July 19, 2012

U.S. shuts out Netherlands, 1-0

Carlos Rodon struck out nine in seven shutout innings

HAARLEM -

Carlos Rodon (North Carolina State) and Dan Child (Oregon State) combined to throw the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team's second straight shutout as it held on to defeat the Netherlands, 1-0, in front of a sold-out crowd on Thursday at Pim Mulier Stadium.

The U.S. pitching staff, which shutout Chinese Taipei on Wednesday, has not allowed a run over its last 20.1 innings of work and has a combined 1.02 ERA in the tournament as the squad enters the medal rounds at Honkbal Week. It will have Friday off before playing the winner of tomorrow's Cuba-Netherlands matchup on Saturday.

"Carlos Rodon was excellent today," Team USA manager Dave Serrano said. "It was his best outing of the summer for us, but probably the most exciting thing for me was Dan Child. He came in and gave us a real spark tonight. I've been very happy with the way our pitching staff has come together during this tournament.

"This was a good win, but I'm a realist and I know that we are going to have to score more runs to win this thing. Our guys are going to have to get out of their own way and just be aggressive. They are good hitters, that's why they are here. Hopefully, we can get turned around offensively when the new phase of this tournament starts on Saturday."

Making his final start of the summer tour, Rodon posted a stellar outing, striking out nine in seven shutout frames. He allowed seven hits, three of which were bunt singles, and walked two.

Child then came out of the bullpen to hurl two perfect innings, striking out the first four batters he faced en route to closing out the game and earning the save.

Offensively, the U.S. managed just three hits all night but didn't have to lift the bat off its shoulder even once to score the game's only run in the top of the fifth.

After a lineout to deep left to start the stanza, Austin Cousino (Kentucky) and Kyle Farmer (Georgia) were both hit by pitches and a four-pitch walk to Brett Hambright (Oregon) loaded the bases. Michael Lorenzen (Cal State Fullerton) then became the third hit batter of the frame to drive in the game's first run and put Team USA up 1-0.

Just two innings earlier, the U.S. had dodged an early bullet to keep the game scoreless as it worked out of a bases-loaded, no outs jam in the bottom of the third. The Netherlands used a little small ball to crowd the basepaths, laying down three straight bunt singles load the bases and put the U.S. in a tight spot.

It got a bit of a break, however, as Dwayne Kemp hit a pitch right on the nose, but D.J. Peterson (New Mexico) was able to make a lunging grab and double up the runner at first to put two outs on the board. Rodon then blew a high fastball past Bas de Jong to end the inning with the bases still juiced.

From that point on, Rodon and Child allowed just three runners to reach second, all with two outs, and none to third. After the third inning scare, the two pitchers would proceed to strike out 10 batters over the next six innings as well.

The U.S. had a pair of scoring opportunities slip through its fingers late in the game as it got leadoff singles from Kris Bryant (San Diego) and Trea Turner (North Carolina State) in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively, but couldn't cash in despite sac bunts in both frames that moved the runners into scoring position with just one out.

Netherlands relief pitchers were able to follow both sacrifices with a strikeout and a pop-up to leave both runners stranded in scoring position.

Fortunately it made little difference as Child struck out the side on 12 pitches in the eighth and retired the side in order in the ninth. In the game's final frame, he struck out the first batter, but the next two both hit balls sharply to second where defensive replacement Adam Frazier came through with two solid plays to end the game.

With the pool play portion of Honkbal Week complete, Team USA will have Friday off before playing the winner of tomorrow's Cuba-Netherlands showdown at either 2 p.m. or 7 p.m. Saturday.

Baseball:

Japan to host two rounds in 2013 World Baseball Classic:

NEW YORK -

Japan, which is aiming for its third straight World
Baseball Classic championship, will host quarterfinal round games for
the first time in 2013, it was learned on Wednesday. World Baseball
Classic Inc. is expected to announce the tournament format soon.

The Asian round in both the 2006 and 2009 editions of the
tournament was held at Tokyo Dome. Two-time defending champion Japan
will once more host the first round, but will also host one of the
tournament's two quarterfinal rounds next spring.

Soler, Almora sharing digs and a big league dream

By Jesse Sanchez / MLB.com | 07/20/12 1:30 AM ET

MESA, Ariz. --

A giddy Albert Almora walked into the cafeteria at the Cubs' Spring Training complex last week for his first day of workouts, extended his hand to a group of new teammates and began speaking English to the person seated in front of him.

Jorge Soler looked up with a puzzled looked on his face. He didn't understand what was being said.

"Oh, it's Soler," Almora said.

Then the pair smiled and began speaking in Spanish, resuming a conversation that began almost two years prior. Soler, the club's $30 million sign out of Cuba, and Almora, the team's No. 1 pick in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, once competed against each other on the international stage. Today the young outfielders are not only Arizona Rookie League teammates, they are roommates sharing the same hotel room and the same dream.

Soler, 20, who signed a nine-year deal with the Cubs last month, made his professional debut against the Arizona Rookie League Mariners on Thursday and went 0-for-3. Almora, 18, took batting practice but will not make his debut until the club believes he is ready, though that could be soon.

"I'm very proud to have signed with the Cubs," said the 6-foot-3, 205-pound Soler. "I like this team and am very happy they signed me. Clearly, I want to play in the Major Leagues. I don't know how much time I need here. It's up to [management], but that's my goal."

The short-term plan for Soler, who served as the designated hitter on Thursday, is to play the outfield on Saturday. The long-term plan is to play in the big leagues, but the club is not ready to set a timetable.

"You just want him to learn the system, get to know his teammates and his coaches," said Oneri Fleita, the club's vice president of player personnel. "When you have ability like he has, I'm confident everything will fall into place. To sit here and say where he is going to play next week or next month or next year is asking too much right now. Right now our plan is day to day, and let everything fall into place."

Soler's day-to-day life is fairly mundane, especially when you consider everything he has gone through to get to this point. He defected last year, attempted to establish residency in the Dominican Republic -- the first step to becoming a free agent -- and gained residence in Haiti. He was declared a free agent last month and shined during a series of showcases.

"Since we met him, the kid has always had a great smile and is very enthusiastic," Fleita said. "He's always engaged. He's a real big kid in a real big body. Soler has been great."

Soler is also far from home. Most of his family remains in Cuba, and he admits that leaving his loved ones behind was the hardest part of his decision to defect. His father is in the Dominican Republic and the two could reunite soon. Soler would love to see the rest of his family join him in the U.S., but he's not sure if that will ever happen.

"I've always adapted quickly to situations I'm in, and I'm still doing that," Soler said. "The life here, I'm adapting."

Almora is doing his part to help, and it appears the teenager has found a baseball brother in Soler. In some ways, Almora also sees his father. As did Soler, Alberto Almora Sr. left Cuba under difficult circumstances in pursuit of the American dream.

"My dad didn't understand English, either," Almora said. "I've heard all the stories from my dad, and I heard Soler's story and how he got here. It's crazy, but it's very real. Cuba is obviously a big part of my life."

Sometimes Soler and Almora watch DVDs of old games, recalling when Soler's Cuban Junior National team eliminated Almora's Team USA squad from medal contention in the IBAF World Junior Championships in Canada. Soler went 1-for-3, including an RBI double, in the 3-2 victory over the USA that day and finished with a .304 batting average in the tournament. Almora, then 16, went 0-for-1 and finished with a .125 average in limited action.

It's hard to blame Almora for not seeing much playing time that year. His 18-and-under team was loaded with talent, including eventual 2011 first-round picks Francisco Lindor (Cleveland), Bubba Starling (Kansas City), Blake Swihart (Red Sox) and Henry Owens (Red Sox), along with Lance McCullers, who selected by the Astros with the 41st pick last month.

The winning pitcher for Cuba that day was Omar Luis, who signed a Minor League deal with the Yankees last month.

But don't feel sorry for Almora. He has played for Team USA a record-tying six times and has won five gold medals.

"I like Almora," Soler said. "He's a good kid. He's young, very young, but he's a good kid. We have a good time."

Times could get even better for Soler, who hopes to eventually play on the same team as childhood friend Gerardo Concepcion, who is pitching at Class A Peoria. Concepcion, who signed a $6 million deal with the Cubs after defecting, and Soler have known each other since they were 13.

But in the meantime, Soler and Almora have games to play and work to do, and more baseball DVDs to watch.

"They are two young kids starting their careers out with great aspirations and dreams of playing in the Major Leagues with hopes to play next to each other for a long time," Fleita said. "It's a relationship that got off on a right foot, and it's going to be real fun to watch it grow and develop together."

Interest

Vladimir admits that the Tigers will play the Licey

07/20/2012 12:00 PM


Vladimir in the Licey camp. (Outside Source)


Vladimir Guerrero was very motivated to share with the children in "Licey Summer Camp."

At the same time Guerrero confirmed his intention to participate with the Tigers in the Dominican championships for the winter 2012-2013 and confessed that he has abandoned the idea of being active again in the majors, but ruled out going to any other circuit, such as Japan.

After expressing his satisfaction with the reception of children of both sexes, he signed autographs, and had pictures taken with the many that attended the session.

Vladimir reiterated that his aim was to join forces with the Tigers.

Guerrero received an opportunity to return to the majors with Toronto, with a test in the minors, after which he called for an end of the engagement. "I will be in training camp with Licey"said an always terse Guerrero,

Positive

Hernandez, close to getting a visa

07/20/2012 12:00 AM

The Indians are looking for another starter ahead of the deadline to make changes without the players pass through waivers. But at the same time, Cleveland is confident that another arm of his own organization is underway.

According to multiple sources, the Dominican Roberto Hernandez (Fausto Carmona) could soon get his work visa from the U.S. State Department.

Hernandez has a good time training at the Academy of the Indians in the Dominican Republic. "Things are going," said a person familiar with the situation. "The picture looks much better now."

July 19, 2012, 11:13 PM

Baseball Facts

The world classic

Written by: MICKEY MENA


Last week on the radio program Impacto Deportivo, the Dominican team that would be representing the country in the World Baseball Classic next year was selected and then ratified. the selection as follows:

DESIGNATED HITTER AND TEAM CAPTAIN.

David Ortiz.

RECEIVER.

Miguel Olivo.

FIRST BASE:

Albert Pujols.

SECOND BASE:

Robinson Cano.

THIRD BASE:

Adrian Beltre.

SHORT STOP:.

Jose Reyes.

OUTFIELDERS:.

Jose Bautista, Melky Cabrera and Nelson Cruz.

STARTING PITCHERS:.

Johnny Cueto, Ivan Nova, Francisco Liriano, Ubaldo Jimenez and Wandy Rodriguez (with Edinson Volquez alert).

RELIEVERS:.

Fernando Rodney, Jose Valverde, Rafael Soriano, Carlos Marmol, Santiago Casilla, Antonio Bastardo (left handed), Pedro Strop and Alfredo Simon.

SUBSTITUTES:.

Carlos Santana, Edwin Encarnacion, Alex Rodriguez, Hanley Ramirez, Aramis Ramirez, Emilio Bonifacio and Placido Polanco.

BATTING ORDER:.

Ours would be: Reyes, Cabrera, Cano, Pujols, Ortiz, Bautista, Beltre, Cruz and Olivo.

Fans disappointed by union's World Baseball Classic stance

OSAKA, July 20 (19:52) Kyodo

Fans expressed their disappointment on Friday over the pro
baseball players union's decision not to sign on for the 2013 World
Baseball Classic, a tournament Japan has won both times it has been
held.

A majority of the fans at Kyocera Dome for the first game of
Nippon Professional Baseball's All-Star series said they opposed the
union's position to skip the tournament until its demands over
sponsorship revenues are met.

"They ought to play," said a man in his 40s attending the
All-Star game with his family, all of whom were wearing replicas of
union chairman Takahiro Arai's Hanshin Tigers shirt. "Almost all the
players are going to the majors, and no good ones are left. (If they
participate) they can demonstrate the qualities of the Japanese
game."

Hitoshi Hattori, a 68-year-old fan who came to the All-Star game
from Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, said Japan's participation is a matter
of national pride.

"If they play, people will get fired up," Hattori said. "That's
why they should go."

If they wear the Japanese flag on their uniforms, we will cheer
them on just the same as we do for our Olympians," he said.

A 38-year female company employee who understood the dilemma
faced by the players said, "It's hard to understand the situation
clearly, but I think it's OK if they don't go. Even if they do play,
they aren't going to give their all if they're displeased."

The players are demanding that Japan control the sponsorship
revenues generated by the national team. Currently, the revenues are
pooled with other income and divided up among the participants.

Nippon Professional Baseball has agreed to take part, but for
that to happen, the players will have to sign on.

Central League wins All-Star opener

OSAKA, July 20 (21:15) Kyodo

The Central League defeated the Pacific League 4-1 on Friday in
Game 1 of Nippon Professional Baseball's All-Star series.

DeNA BayStars infielder Norihiro Nakamura hit a two-run homer at
Kyocera Dome, his home park during his days with the Kintetsu
Buffaloes, to win the game's MVP award.

"I'm glad I could show (my old fans) that I'm still going
strong," the 38-year-old said.

With one out, Nakamura blasted a ball off Nippon Ham Fighter
right-hander Yuki Saito into the second deck in left field, scoring
Yakult's Wladimir Balentien, who drove in the CL's other two runs.

The homer overturned the PL's early lead, which came when the
Fighters' Taiwan international Yang Dai-kang became the first
All-Star debutant to hit a leadoff homer in the first inning.

Six CL pitchers, however, combined to hold the PL squad to just
four hits. Yang, who doubled in the ninth, went 2-for-4.

The CL victory reduced the PL's lead in the summer series to
77-72. Game 2 will be at Matsuyama "Botchan" Stadium on Saturday. The
series wraps up on Monday in Morioka at Iwate Stadium.

Puerto Rico beats Chinese Taipei; 6-5 | 20-07-2012

Chinese Taipei unable to touch Puerto Rico's undefeated record. Power and pitching too much for Asiatic team, as Puerto Rico beats them 6-5


Player of the game: Antonio Candelaria (Puerto Rico) - 2-for-5, HR, 3 RBI

Some Ghosts from Winnipeg Come to Life Here in Haarlem

by Peter C. Bjarkman

Special from Haarlem, Netherlands (July 19, 2012)

For those of already arrived on the Cuban baseball scene more than a dozen years ago, one cannot help but note some eerie parallels between this week’s Haarlem Honkbal Week and a long-forgotten July 1999 Pan American Games tournament staged in Winnipeg, Canada. That Canadian venue was the first IBAF-sanctioned affair that employed big league-style wooden bats (rather than aluminum) and also the first that witnessed the use of MLB-affiliated professional ballplayers. It was also a sanctioned qualifier event for the 2000 Sydney Olympics (only the gold and silver medal finalists would qualify) as well as the first occasion for this writer to cover the Cuban ball club at an international venue.
Ariel Pestano signs an historic ball after a tournament record hit number 7,000 in Haarlem. (Photo courtesy: Michael Rosa)

Coming off a much-publicized spring exhibition series with the American League Baltimore Orioles, and boasting a celebrated national team that still featured such 1990s-era superstars as Omar Linares, Orestes Kindelán and Antonio Pacheco, the Cubans were quickly upended by the Americans (sporting largely a club of AA prospects) and the host Canadians (another minor-league-studded outfit). A rather miraculous stretch run was then required to reach Sydney and thus defend the pair of Olympic gold medals earlier captured in Barcelona and Atlanta. That nail-biting resurgence was launched by a quarterfinals sinking of the Dominicans behind a strong mound outing from future big league José Contreras; next came a gutsy 3-2 victory over host Canada in a contest marred by the ninth-inning field intrusion of an anti-Castro-government politic protester. The surprise turnaround was capped when the bats of Linares and Kindelán awoke during a gold medal pasting of the shell-shocked Americans.

Team Cuba’s start here in Haarlem this summer has been just about as frosty as (and far more rain-soaked than) the one back in 1999 in Winnipeg, and it now seems that the late-tournament reawakening and unlikely turnaround might be almost as dramatic. The initial downslide here was started by a cluster of missed offensive opportunities against a Puerto Rico nine that took full advantage of its own limited chances; what followed was a disastrous seventh inning verses an young American squad whose pitching is not easy to overcome under the best of circumstances. The result was an immediate 0-2 whole and the daunting task of defeating both Asian clubs to avoid playoff elimination – a rare scenario for the top level Cuban national squad that has only once failed to reach major tournament playoff action in more than a full half-century. The only such previous elimination came with the second-round ouster at San Diego during the 2009 edition of the MLB World Baseball Classic.

After the two initial surprise setbacks against veteran Puerto Rico and pitching-rich Team USA, nobody seemed to be taking the Cuban forces very seriously by mid-week. But all that changed rather dramatically with Thursday’s offensive onslaught against the fading Japanese squad. The needed reversal came early in the game when Mesa’s club broke out of the gate with four tallies in the opening two frames, the big blow again coming from Freddie Cepeda in the form of a ringing first inning double off starter Motoki Higa to open the day’s scoring. Other Cuban offensive heroes in the 12-1 cakewalk were Rusney Castillo (three safeties and three runs scored), Yulieski Gourriel (three RBIs on a pair of base knocks), and catcher Ariel Pestano, whose liner over the left field wall in the eighth provided the knockout ten-run margin. Southpaw Darian Nuñez logged four effective innings as a surprise starter – Victor Mesa opted to go with the hard-throwing lefty against a Japanese lineup featuring six southpaw swingers. Norberto González claimed the victory with three near-perfect relief innings. Dalier Hinojosa mopped up by striking out the side in the eighth.

A first much-needed victory over Asian opponents was easily more dramatic and also far harder to achieve. Managing only five unproductive base knocks over seven-plus innings against submarine throwing Taipei right-hander Meng Chen Fan, Cuba at the eleventh hour salvaged some long-absent bluster when reliable veteran Freddie Cepeda crushed a game-saving homer over the left-center field wall with Yulieski Gourriel already on the base paths. The late-inning blow staved off an almost certain playoff elimination and also seemed to finally ignite the dormant Cuban bats that had been so silent throughout more the twenty-five previous innings of tournament action.

The tight 2-1 victory over the winless but scrappy Taiwanese might have seemed to some just another signal of Cuban impotency here in Holland. But it no longer looked quite that way the following day when Chinese Taipei battled the strong Americans to a scoreless deadlock all the way until the home half of the eighth frame; Taipei’s eventual 2-0 defeat marked the second straight day that they had held one of the powerhouse teams scoreless through seven-plus innings. Tuesday’s Cuba-Taiwan shootout also featured a rare play that allowed Cuba to escape a potentially disastrous second inning misfiring. With runners lodged on second and third and two retired, a swinging third strike escaped Ariel Pestano and rolled to the backstop, appearing to allow the game’s opening run to scamper home from third. But the score was nullified when home plate umpire Winfried Berkvens ruled (after an immediate protest by Victor Mesa) that the ball had nicked batter Meng Hsiung Yu and had not glanced off Pestano’s glove. When a batter is hit by a pitch yet still swings, it is by rule a swinging strike.

There is a second Winnipeg ghost looming here in Haarlem that also merits some attention and this is the one involving veteran catcher Ariel Pestano. The stalwart Villa Clara receiver has caught every important national team match over the past fourteen years and that impressive string also began with an international debut during Winnipeg’s Pan Am tourney. With his career now entering its late stages, Pestano suddenly reemerged with a vengeance here yesterday – first stroking a history-making base knock in the home seventh and then – for a dramatic encore – slamming a knockout-producing walk-off two-run homer down the left field line to put a merciful end to Thursday one-sided affair. Pestano’s one-out liner in the seventh off Yoshiki Takehara was safety number 7,000 struck over 26 seasons of Haarlem Baseball Week competition; the blow was thus duly celebrated when game action was halted for a ceremonial signing of the historic ball at first base. The later round tripper lifted the veteran catcher’s tourney average to .364, trailing only Cepeda and Rusney Castillo among the five Cubans now stroking the ball above the touchstone .300-plus plateau.

That the historic base knock should be struck by Cuba’s veteran number “13” in the thirteenth game of this round-robin event only seemed to add an appropriate final touch of irony to what might well be one of Ariel Pestano’s final limelight moments on the international stage. The Villa Clara star has long sported number “13” for his home club back on the island, but in Winnipeg and then throughout the bulk of his Team Cuba career he would wear number “8” on his national team jersey. He once explained to me that the choice was indeed significant – number “8” (the special Santeria number celebrating the dead in Cuba) was always worn in international games to honor the memory of his mother who had passed away in the late 1990s before every seeing her son suit up of the national squad. Only in the past couple of tournaments has Pestano lately returned to number “13” on his red and white national team uniforms.

Friday night now finally brings the matchup that Dutch fans have been waiting for all week, but yet one that will have little or no direct impact on the tournament outcome. A sold-out crowd had packed Pim Mulier Stadium Wednesday evening to witness a celebrated rematch of the two clubs that had met in the IBAF world championship finale in Panama City only last September, and the throng was turned away disappointed when heavy rains washed out the scheduled proceedings. The two old rivals will now take the field in a makeup rematch this evening that ends the week-long preliminary round proceedings.

With Puerto Rico already securely locked in the top slot and the Americans assured of a second-place round-robin finish, the Dutch and Cubans (both now owning identical 2-2 ledgers) will merely be battling for third and fourth slots; the winner will finish above .500 and face Team USA in one semifinal on Saturday while the loser will be paired with frontrunner Puerto Rico. For Cuba it hardly seems to matter who the semifinal opponent might turn out to be, since a strong game will be needed against either opponent to keep gold medal hopes alive. My own preference would be a Cuba-Puerto Rico finale, and that would of course require the recent winning skein to continue tonight against the hometown favorite Dutch Orangemen.

Cuba beats Netherlands; 4-0 | 20-07-2012

Solid outing by Dutch starter Heijstek for naught, as two lesser innings are all the Cubans need to defeat World Champions. Dutch see scoreless streak following blowout win over Japan run to 18 innings, as they are shut out by Cuban staff in 4-0 loss.


Player of the game: Yulieski Gourriel (CUB) - 2-for-2, 2 RBI's, 3 BB, 1 R

July 20, 2012

Breakthrough Series kicks off Monday

Event features more than 80 top high school players

DURHAM, N.C. --

The 2012 Breakthrough Series, a joint effort by Major League Baseball and USA Baseball, begins Monday morning, July 23, with player testing and evaluation, followed by a first round of games set for 5 p.m. ET at the National Training Complex (NTC) in Cary, N.C. This year's event features more than 80 top high school players from 21 states around the country and Puerto Rico. Games will run from July 23-25, with a televised showcase game scheduled to be held at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park (DBAP) in Durham, N.C. on July 24, at 11:05 a.m. ET. The game will air on MLB Network on Saturday, July 28 at 2 p.m. ET.

The Breakthrough Series is designed to showcase a diverse group of rising high school players from urban areas throughout the United States. Invited athletes typically have not participated in other travel and high-end tournaments prior to the Breakthrough Series, providing them with an opportunity for exposure. The event moved to the Triangle-area of North Carolina in 2010, with the NTC and DBAP serving as hosts, after being hosted by the MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton, Calif., from 2008 to 2009.

Since 2008, 77 players have been selected in the MLB first-Year Player Draft, including three first round picks in 2012. Addison Russell was selected 11th overall by the Oakland Athletics, Courtney Hawkins was taken 13th overall by the Chicago White Sox and the Milwaukee Brewers picked Victor Roache 28th overall.

"We are thrilled to once again serve as host of the Breakthrough Series and to bring another premier amateur event to the Triangle-area of North Carolina," said Paul Seiler, USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO. "The event continues to provide more exposure for the invited athletes, and we are proud to partner with Major League Baseball on such an important initiative."

"Major League Baseball is proud to support the annual Breakthrough Series with USA Baseball," said Frank Robinson, Executive Vice President, Baseball Development, Major League Baseball. "This event is a great opportunity to showcase the country's best amateur ballplayers from urban communities, and it's terrific exposure to professional scouts, proven by the fact that 35% of participants from 2008 to 2011 have been selected in the First-Year Player Draft."

The five-day event officially begins Sunday evening as players will arrive and take part in a Major League Baseball and Major League Scouting Bureau symposium. After the showcase game on Tuesday, a second game is scheduled to be played at 3:30 p.m. at the NTC, and Wednesday games will be held at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Teams will also have practice sessions between games on Tuesday and Wednesday at the NTC. Players will depart on Thursday.

The tournament will consist of eighty players selected by the Major League Scouting Bureau, the MLB Urban Youth Academy, the Atlanta-based organization Mentoring Viable Prospects (MVP), the Chicago White Sox and USA Baseball. Many college coaches and professional scouts are expected to attend the event to recruit players who demonstrate outstanding potential but who may not have had the opportunity for exposure through other summer events.

"In its short history, the Breakthrough Series has proven to be an excellent avenue for Major League scouts and college recruiters to see some of the nation's best amateur players from urban areas," said Frank Marcos, Director of the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau. "The MLB Scouting Bureau is looking forward to identifying and scouting these players on behalf of Major League Baseball."