[新聞] Ziegler named to Team USA
PHOENIX (AP)—Brad Ziegler wanted to be an Olympian last summer. Playing for
Team USA during the World Baseball Classic in March will be a satisfying
substitute.
Ziegler learned late Tuesday that he made the American roster, realizing a
lifelong dream to play for his country.
“I've wanted this opportunity for a long time,”Ziegler said Wednesday.“I
campaigned to get on the Olympic team last year but then I was called up. To
have the opportunity to wear the stars and stripes, and play with some of the
elite names in baseball, is just incredible.”
Oakland manager Bob Geren thinks Ziegler's participation will only help his
progress as a top reliever.
“An experience like that is good for anybody,”Geren said.“The intensity of
those games are a little higher than spring training games.”
Players will report to training camp in Clearwater, Florida, on March 1 for a
brief camp and three exhibition games before meeting Canada on March 7 at the
Rogers Centre in Toronto.
“I heard they've already sold 40,000 tickets,”Ziegler said.“It will be like
going to Anaheim on a weekend. It will be a playoff atmosphere in March.”
At this time last year, Ziegler was barely on anybody's radar. He was
struggling to continue his transition to reliever from starter and recovering
from a fractured skull.
Ziegler began the season at Triple-A Sacramento and made his major league debut
, at the age of 28, May 31 and its been a whirlwind ever since.
He started his big league career with a 39-inning scoreless streak, which set
three records and tied another.
His 1.06 ERA was the lowest by an A's pitcher with at least 50 innings pitched
since Dennis Eckersley's 0.61 in 1990, and the second lowest in franchise
history since 1913.
“Everything happened so fast that I haven't had time to sit down and think
about the magnitude of all this,”he said.“As long as I'm still doing it,
though, it's OK.”
Ziegler did get a sense of his place in history when he brought his family to
visit the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown during the offseason.
His shoes and the game ball were on display, accompanied by a plaque
proclaiming:“Oakland A's reliever Brad Ziegler wore these spikes in an
appearance against the Texas Rangers on July 27, 2008, when he set a Major
League record for consecutive scoreless innings to start a career. The ball
comes from the record-setting inning which broke the old mark of 25 set by
George McQuillan in 1907. Ziegler's record finally ended at 39 innings.”
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