• Submitted by: manso
• Sports
• 10 / 17 / 2010

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Cubs starter Archer and Sox reliever Carter open eyes in beating Cuba 4-1

1:10 p.m. CDT, October 16, 2010. Before  Stephen Strasburg blew onto the scene with the Nationals, he faced Yuniesky Gourriel, Ariel Pestano and Team Cuba.

Evan Longoria, Colby Rasmus, Trevor Cahill, Dexter Fowler, Justin Smoak, Ike Davis and Pedro Alvarez are on the list of players who joined Strasburg in ascending to the big leagues shortly after playing starring roles for Team USA.

International baseball does not get a lot of attention in the United States but events like the just-completed Pan Am Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico are more significant than you might think. Because USA Baseball does a great job scouting and selecting players from among the top talent not on a 40-man roster, Team USA provides a great indicator of when players are ready to graduate from prospects to big leaguers with staying power.

Players know that too.

"When me and (Brett) Jackson found out we were on the team, we were really stoked,'' right-hander Chris Archer said, referring to his teammate at Double-A Tennessee, a Cubs' affiliate. "Looking back, the players on Team USA are unbelievable. You see them all over the big leagues. They're everywhere. You hear stories that a guy like Tim Lincecum got cut from the team. It's pretty awesome.''

Ernie Young, the Mendel Catholic product who once starred for Team USA and now manages the White Sox's Kannapolis (N.C.) Intimidators, managed the team that lost to the Dominican Republic in the semifinals in Puerto Rico — that loss coming one night after Archer had pitched the U.S. to a 4-1 victory over always powerful Cuba. White Sox minor league pitching coordinator Kirk Champion served as Young's pitching coach, working his fourth event for Team USA.

"The intensity level of these events is amazing,'' Champion said. "We're never an underdog. We always get everybody's best game.''

Despite the absence of big leaguers, Team USA had won 23 consecutive games before losing to the Dominican Republic.

"It's a good experience because there's something about the situation that brings out the best,'' Champion said. "Nobody gets special treatment. All the players really are equal, which isn't always the case in the minor leagues.''

Archer, the Cubs' minor league pitcher of the year after a 15-3 season between high-A Daytona Beach and Tennessee, staked out a lasting place in Team USA history when he overpowered a Cuban lineup including Alexei Bell, Michel Enriquez and long-time stars like Frederich Cepeda, Gourriel and Pestana (the A.J. Pierzynski of Cuba).

The 6-foot-3 Archer, just 22, throws in the mid-90s with a power slider. He threw everything for strikes against Cuba, working six shutout innings. He gave up two hits, walked none and struck out 10.

"He amped up his game,'' Champion said. "We had an older catcher, (Erik) Kratz, handling him, and they really worked well. To strike out 10 and only throw 85 pitches shows how good he was.''

Archer, acquired from the Indians in the Mark DeRosa trade, will be added to the Cubs' 40-man roster in November. If there are openings in the rotation he should get an outside chance to compete for a job next spring.

White Sox right-hander Anthony Carter, who saved 22 games for Double-A Birmingham, earned a save against Cuba.

"He has opened some eyes,'' Champion said. "We're sending him from here to the (Arizona) Fall League. He's not a high-profile guy but hopefully he will be a nice surprise.''

Jackson, a center fielder who was the Cubs' first-round draft pick in 2009, was killing the ball before a bruised heel sidelined him. He played only three games in the tournament, going 6-for-9 with one home run and six RBIs.

The other star players for Team USA were Angels center fielder Mike Trout, Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas, Pirates shortstop Chase D'Arnaud, Reds outfielder Todd Frazier and Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer.

Huge task ahead:

Having overseen the Indians' collapse from a new World Series team in 2007 to one that has averaged 95 losses the last two years, general manager Mark Shapiro is being kicked upstairs into the team president's role. His job is to sell the Indians to a public that has lost faith.

Attendance has slipped from almost 2.3 million in '07 to 1.3 million, last in the majors. Shapiro says the slide largely is related to the Cleveland area's economic climate, which he points out has caused the market size to shrink. But he must know the lack of a competitive team is an even bigger issue.

Chris Antonetti, 35, is taking over the baseball operation.

"There cannot be a human being more prepared for this job than Chris,'' Shapiro said.

His first job is deciding whether Shin-Soo Choo is serious about wanting to be traded to a winner. He's the only player in Indians history to have back-to-back years hitting .300 with 20 homers and 20 stolen bases. He's three years away from free agency but will demand large salaries in arbitration. This actually might be the right time to move him if the Red Sox or another contender needing outfield help would send multiple parts back.

Phil Rogers On Baseball

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Source: www.chicagotribune.com/sports/