Las Vegas, NV (My Sportsbook) - Former MLB manager Davey Johnson has been named as the manager for Team USA for the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Johnson, who has managed the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers, managed the USA baseball team to a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in China. He also managed Team USA in the 2005 Baseball World Cup, and served as bench coach for the U.S. during the 2006 World Baseball Classic. New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter was named as the first member of the 2009 USA roster. Jeter started for Team USA in the 2006 World Baseball Classic, batting .455 during the tournament. In 14 years with the Yankees, Jeter has posted a career .316 batting average with 206 home runs and 1,002 runs batted in. Team USA begins tournament play on March 5, 2009 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada as a member of Pool C. The U.S. will be joined in the first round by host Canada, Italy and Venezuela. |
