Team USA Aims for Gold in Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Bruce Billings and Jordan Pacheco had no idea why they were being harshly summoned into their manager's office. Tulsa was on its final road trip of the regular season, and the Drillers -- Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies -- were on the verge of advancing into the minor league playoffs.

It was late August -- and early April Fool's Day.

Billings (pictured at right) and Pacheco were being quizzed about their recent drug tests before manager Ron Gideon came clean with the good news: Billings and Pacheco had been selected to Team USA, which is participating here in the Pan Am Qualifying Tournament.

"I was like, 'Oh my gosh,' where is this conversation headed because I knew I hadn't done anything wrong," Billings told FanHouse.

"After he told us we made (Team USA), I was kind of taken aback. This is exciting. When you have a bunch of good guys who come together and are pulling for one goal -- we are trying to win gold -- it's not about ego, or who you are, who you play for, it's about Team USA.

"I think everyone is humbled to be playing for Team USA."

Team USA, currently second in the International Baseball Federation world rankings, improved to 2-0 in pool play (five games total) with Sunday night's 14-0 victory over Aruba. A showdown against Cuba, ranked No. 1 in the world, possibly looms on Friday as long as both teams continue to win this week.

The top eight teams from this 12-team, nearly two-week long tourney will qualify for next October's Pan Am Games, to be held in Mexico. The top six also will qualify for the 2011 IBAF Baseball World Cup, tentatively scheduled for next fall as well.

Team USA features 24 minor league players, none of whom are on their organizations' 40-man rosters.

"It's an honor to be on this team, especially with this group of guys," said Pacheco, 24, a catcher who hit .323 with 89 RBI overall between High-A and Double-A this season.

"We are far away from where we want to be -- winning the gold -- but I think guys when they put on this uniform understand what they need to do and it's all about winning."

The Kansas City Royals' organization placed a record six players on the team -- Tim Collins, Danny Duffy, Eric Hosmer, Mike Montgomery, Mike Moustakas and Everett Teaford, a left-handed pitcher who fanned 10 in five innings against Aruba.

It's still early in the tourney, which is being played at four different venues on the island, yet Billings and his teammates are quickly growing accustomed to the nuisances of international baseball and their new surroundings.


There are the inflatable clappers and horns utilized by fans during games, the makeshift bars set up in the stands behind the dugouts at Paquito Montaner Stadium in Ponce and the mercy rule and extra-inning tie-break rule.

There's also the tropical island's lifestyle, diversity and landscape, from mountains to lush, green rain forests to sandy beaches with warm, royal-blue surf.

"The bus ride from San Juan to Ponce is beautiful," said Billings, 24, a right-handed pitcher who went 11-6 with a 3.28 ERA with 101 strikeouts in 109.1 innings for Tulsa. "It's all green. It reminded me of taking a helicopter ride through Jurassic Park. So far, so good.

"We are having fun."

The joke played on Billings and Pacheco may not have been too funny initially, but it certainly ended well. Team USA also is determined to end the Pan Am qualifying tournament on a good -- make that gold -- note.

"Everyone has been getting to know each other and feeling each other out in terms of how we are going to perform in pressure situations, but this team has meshed together quickly because you have to," Billings said. "It's a great group of guys and this is a great experience."

Editor's Note: Look for upcoming video diaries from Billings and Pacheco on FanHouse for behind-the-scenes looks at the tourney.

Please contact Jim Henry at jim.henry@teamaol.com and follow him at Twitter.com/JimhenryAOL.