Reigning National League Cy Young award-winner R.A. Dickey and former Most Valuable Players Ryan Braun, Jimmy Rollins and Joe Mauer headline the US provisional roster for the World Baseball Classic.
Dickey, the knuckleballer who won the Cy Young in 2012 with the New York Mets and was traded last month to the Toronto Blue Jays, heads an American starting pitching staff that also features Ryan Vogelsong of the World Series-winning San Francisco Giants, Kris Medlan of Atlanta and Derek Holland of the Texas Rangers.
Braun, the 2011 National League MVP from Milwaukee, will be joined in the outfield by All-Stars Adam Jones of Baltimore, Giancarlo Stanton of Miami and Shane Victorino, now with the Boston Red Sox.
Rollins, National League MVP with Philadelphia in 2007, is the top shortstop for the United States team managed by Joe Torre.
Mauer, the 2009 American League MVP from Minnesota, will head a catching trio that also features Milwaukee’s Jonathan Lucroy and Toronto’s J.P. Arencibia.
The team will begin training in Arizona on March 1 and will begin round-robin play in Pool D against Mexico in Phoenix on March 8. Canada and Italy are also in Pool D.
Two-time champions Japan will host Pool A games in Fukuoka March 2-6, Taichung Taiwan will host Pool B March 2-5 and Pool C games will be held March 7-10 in Puerto Rico.
“Having talked to all of these players, I sense a great deal of excitement about representing the United States in the World Baseball Classic,” Torre said.
The semi-finals and finals of the tournament will be staged in San Francisco from March 17-19.
Dickey, Braun tabbed for World Classic
