Three Former Hurricanes To Play In World Baseball Classic
Feb. 25, 2009
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Former Hurricanes Ryan Braun (USA), Alex Cora (Puerto Rico) and Carlos Gutierrez (Puerto Rico) have been selected to play in next month’s World Baseball Classic. Cora, a shortstop at Miami from 1994-96, is one of six infielders on Puerto Rico’s roster, while Gutierrez, UM’s closer last season, is one of 14 pitchers on the squad. Braun, an All-Star last year with the Milwaukee Brewers, is one of four outfielders on Team USA.
Final rosters of the 16 participating countries were announced late Tuesday, a little more than a week before the second annual tournament begins on March 5.
Cora, a recent signee with the New York Mets, is an 11-year Major League Baseball veteran with 688 career hits in his big league career. Gutierrez, a first-round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins in 2008, went 3-1 with a 2.10 ERA with the Class A Advanced Fort Myers Miracle last season. Braun, the National League’s 2007 Rookie of the Year, hit .285 with 37 homers and 106 RBI this past season.
Team Puerto Rico, along with fellow Pool D members Dominican Republic, Netherlands and Panama, will play its first round games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico. If Team Puerto Rico is able to reach the second round of the Classic, Cora and Gutierrez will play in South Florida at Dolphin Stadium from March 14-19.
Other first-round games of the WBC are slated for Tokyo Dome (March 5-8), Toronto’s Rogers Centre (March 8-12) and Foro Sol Stadium in Mexico City (March 8-12).
In addition to Dolphin Stadium, San Diego’s PETCO Park will serve as the other second round venue.
Dodger Stadium will host the semifinals and finals from March 21-23. PETCO was home to the semis and finals in 2006, when Japan defeated Cuba to take home the first Classic championship.
All 39 games are slated to be televised this year by ESPN and MLB Network — 16 on the Network, which also adds a nightly half-hour wrap-up show of the day’s events.
For more information on the WBC, click here.
