Hulett Named to U.S. World Cup Team
August 27, 2009 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release
OMAHA, NE - Omaha Royals utility man Tug Hulett is on the roster of the U.S. World Cup team. USA Baseball today announced 23 of the 24 players who will represent the United States at the 2009 International Baseball Federation World Cup in Europe from September 9-27. Players eligible for selection are those not currently on 25-man Major League Baseball rosters.
Team USA is the defending World Cup champion heading into the 2009 World Cup, which is the 38th installment of the IBAF's biennial world championships. The U.S. squad defeated Cuba 6-3 in the 2007 final in Taiwan. It was the first World Cup title for the U.S. since 1974.
Entering Thursday night's action at Rosenblatt Stadium, Hulett is hitting .292 with 25 doubles, four triples and eleven home runs. In 94 games, he has driven in 53 runs and scored 59 times, while being successful in nine of eleven stolen base attempts. In his sixth professional season and his first in the Royals organization, the 26-year old native of Springfield, Illinois has played 59 games at second base, 19 in the outfield, five at shortstop and three at third base, in addition to seven games as the designated hitter.
Overall, the 2009 U.S. roster is made up of 15 Triple-A and eight Double-A players, with the 24th and final player to be named prior to September 1st. Hulett is the lone representative of the Kansas City Royals organization, although the team's field staff - which was announced last week - includes one current Kansas City coach and two former Royals players.
Eddie Rodriguez, who's a special-assignment coach with the Kansas City Royals, was announced last Friday as the manager of the U.S. World Cup team. Among his coaches are hitting coach Ernie Young, who played with Omaha in 1998 and third base coach Jamie Quirk whose 18-year big league career included three different stints with Kansas City and playing time with Omaha in 1974-75 and 1985. He was a member of the World Series Champion Kansas City Royals as a player and coached in one as well with the 2007 Colorado Rockies.
Twenty countries will begin IBAF World Cup competition in five groups of four teams. The U.S. will begin World Cup play on September 10 in Regensburg, Germany in Pool E and will be joined by China, Germany and Venezuela. Team USA will train from September 2-6 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.
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