Re: No Team USA in Olympics........aarrgghh

Is this to be the death-knell for the sport in the Olympics ? I've heard
that there already was grumbling to get rid of it....this may finish it off.

"Clemfan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> Mexico Eliminates USA
> November 7, 2003
>
> What started so well ended so quickly.
>
> Team USA, after breezing through pool play with a three shutouts, fell in
the
> first round of elimination play with a 2-1 loss to Mexico. Mexico, which
went
> 0-3 in pool play, advances to the semifinals to play the winner of
Saturday's
> Canada-Colombia quarterfinal, while the United States heads home from
Panama
> without an Olympic berth.
>
> The loss in the Americas Olympic qualifier means the United States will
not
> play in the Olympic baseball tournament next summer in Athens. The top two
> teams from the tournament qualify to represent the Americas, and Team
USA's 3-0
> record in pool play meant it could avoid Cuba until the finals, thought to
be a
> critical advantage.
>
> But the advantage proved worthless because the U.S. didn't make it out of
the
> first round of elimination play. Luis A. Garcia hit a home run in the top
of
> the ninth off Team USA reliever Brian Bruney to put Mexico ahead, and
Mexican
> League veteran Isidro Marquez came on to preserve the win.
>
> Grady Sizmore and Graham Koonce led off the bottom of the ninth with
singles,
> and Joe Mauer came on to bunt them to second and third. With one out,
third
> baseman Justin Leone, Team USA's best hitter in the tournament, grounded
out to
> the pitcher. Gerald Laird popped out to first to end the game.
>
> Leone accounted for Team USA's only run with a solo home run in the bottom
of
> the fourth, his third home run of the event. Three Mexico pitchers limited
the
> U.S. to five hits, with Rigo Beltran going seven strong innings, followed
by
> Victor Alvarez and Marquez for an inning each.
>
> Team USA's staff was almost as good, with starter Jason Stanford giving up
> three hits and one run in five innings. John VanBenschoten came on for
three
> innings of shutout relief, and Bruney pitched the ninth.
>
> The game started under controversy as it was moved up to 3 p.m. Friday
after
> originally being scheduled for 8 p.m. Tournament officials switched the
time
> with that of the host nation's game against Puerto Rico, apparently in a
bid to
> bring more fans to the ballpark. Crowds for the tournament have been
miniscule
> with the exception of Panama's games.
>
>