+U.S. not the only ones missing from Olympic baseball+
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By Anthony Mormile 
SportsTicker Baseball Editor

BRISTOL, Connecticut (Ticker) - The United States baseball team
will not be defending its gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games,
but given the events of the last six months in the sport, you
will hear no one call it a tragedy.

When the eight-team, 11-day baseball tournament gets underway
August 15, a true sense of sadness that has nothing to do with
wins and losses between the lines will hover over the
tournament.

The field in Athens was hit hard by two recent tragedies, most
notably the death of Greece coach Rob Derksen, who suffered a
heart attack June 15.

Derksen, a 44-year-old scout with the Baltimore Orioles, was
assigned by Orioles owner Peter Angelos to put together a team
of players of Greek descent to represent the host country in the
Olympics.  He also coached Australia in Atlanta 1996 and Guam
in an Olympic qualifying tournament four years later.

"Rob was a fine man and great baseball teacher with unique
talents in scouting and developing players," Angelos said.

The tragic news of Derksen's death came three months after
legendary Japon coach Shigeo Nagashima suffered a stroke that
left him paralyzed on the right side of his body.  Despite
months of rehabilitation and Japan's insistence that he would be
ready to manage the squad, doctors confirmed Tuesday that due
to the long flight and oppressive heat in Athens, they could not
authorize Nagashima to make the trip.

"We just could not wipe away the risks of going to Athens," said
his son, Kazushige Nagashima.  "I personally opposed it, and my
father made the decision after thinking over the matter calmly
for several days.  He won't take charge in Athens, but his
baseball career is not yet over."

While Nagashima will remain as manager in name, Japan's squad
will be guided on the field by Kiyoshi Nakahata.

"Being formally asked like this to lead the team, I feel renewed
pressure," Nakahata said.  "But I fully understand the
intentions of the manager, and even more than this, the players
recognize the idea of competing for their flag."

The sadness has overshadowed the fact that for the first time
since baseball became a medal sport in 1992, the defending
Olympic champions will not be back to defend their gold.  After
providing such a stirring story in 2000 behind upstart minor
leaguers and fringe major leaguers, the U.S. failed to qualify,
losing to Mexico in the Americas Qualifying Tournament.

The absence of the U.S. leaves Cuba, which won gold medals in
1992 and 1996, as the favorite.  Japan, which perhaps has taken
the tournament more seriously than any country, is a strong
contender.

Cuba has undergone a radical transformation as many of the
staples of the squad that has achieved repeated international
success (Jose Contreras, Maels Rodriguez and Yobal Duenas) have
defected.  Others have grown old and ineffective, and coach
Jorge Fuentes has been replaced by Higinio Velez.

The Cubans put together a highly competitive league featuring
its top prospects in order to be ready for the Games.  In the
absence of the U.S., they are expecting nothing less than a
third gold medal.

Canada, which finished second in the Americas Qualifying
Tournament, is making its Olympic Baseball debut and offers a
few names major league fans should know.  Among the Canadians
set to compete are Orioles pitching prospect Adam Loewen, former
Tampa Bay Devil Rays catcher Pete LaForest and righthander Paul
Spoljaric, who pitched in six seasons in the majors.

Danny Klassen, who spent five seasons with the Arizona
Diamondbacks, will play shortstop for Canada, with former St.
Louis Cardinals utility man Stubby Clapp and veteran major
league outfielder Rob Ducey also on the squad.  They will be
coached by long-time Toronto Blue Jays catcher Ernie Whitt.

Australia, which features former Milwaukee Brewers teammates
David Nilsson and Graeme Lloyd, rounds out the field.  Nilsson,
once an All-Star catcher, and Lloyd, who won two World Series
rings with the New York Yankees, head a team that could be the
darkhorse.

With the help of Derksen. Greece also has some players with
major league ties, including Clay Bellinger, Lloyd's former
spring training teammate, and Erik Pappas, who spent time with
St. Louis and the Chicago Cubs in the early 1990s.  Lefthander
Sean Spencer, who had a cup of coffee with Montreal and Seattle
from 1999-2000, also is on the team.

While those players enjoyed major league careers, there will be
a couple of Japanese pitchers looking to make a name for
themselves, including Japan's Hisashi Iwakuma, who won 15 games
and his first 12 decisions this year.  He is joined on the staff
by Koji Uehara, who is known as "the Japanese Greg Maddux," and
Tsuyoshia Wada, a promising young lefthander.

Italy and the Netherlands, the top teams from the European
Qualifying Tournament, will be making their fourth and third
appearances, respectively.

Chinese Taipei, which finished second to Japan in the Asian
Championships, is making its second appearance in the tournament
and first since 1992.

The games will be at the Hellinikon Olympic Stadium complex,
which features two baseball fields, including one with a seating
capacity of 9,000.

st 08-09-04 12:39 et