USA Baseball’s Seiler talks about Olympics preparation

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Ever wonder what goes into preparing a baseball team for the Olympics? Paul Seiler, executive director and chief executive of USA Baseball, took part earlier today in a conference call with reporters about preparations for the Beijing Games.

Here are some of his thoughts:

‘The importance of every game, of every inning, almost of every pitch becomes magnified in these formats where we are playing seven games in pool play and the top four records go to the medal round. There are tie-breakers and different things, so when you have an opportunity to 10-run (rule) somebody, that means you are saving two innings of pitching for your staff and your bullpen.’

‘Where in the course of a minor league or big league season, you play 162 games, it is a different mental approach, ‘Well, we’ll get them tomorrow.’ Well, tomorrow in the international venue takes on a whole different meaning.’

‘All the other stuff will fall into place, in terms of travel, housing. We have that covered. What we really need to do is get 24 strangers together, make them understand that this is different than being a Rockie, or a Philly, or a Met or a Durham Bull or a Tampa Ray, and you now represent the United States.’

‘It’s a different responsibility, a different honor, and it’s going to be very exciting if we end up where our goal is at the end of this thing. This will be something these athletes and this staff will never forget for the rest of their lives. These 24 players are being presented with a very unique opportunity and one in which we think will be the highlight of their career, no matter what they do on the professional level.’