Press Release USA Baseball, www.usabasbeall.com
BUCK COATS ADDED TO 2009 USA BASEBALL WORLD CUP ROSTER
Centerfielder, leadoff batter for AAA Las Vegas 51s hitting .306 with 25 steals
(DURHAM, N.C.) – USA Baseball has named OF Buck Coats of the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s (Toronto Blue Jays) as the 24th and final member of its 2009 World Cup Team.
USA Baseball announced the first 23 players who will represent the United States at the 2009 International Baseball Federation (IBAF) Baseball World Cup in Europe from Sept. 9-27 on Thursday. Players eligible for selection were those not currently on 25-man Major League Baseball rosters. The 2009 World Cup is the 38th installment of the IBAF’s biennial world championships.
Through Aug. 27, Coats was hitting .306 with six home runs, 56 RBI and 25 stolen bases, all with Las Vegas. Originally an 18th-round draft pick of the Chicago Cubs in 2000, he was traded late in the 2007 season to the Cincinnati Reds and was then dealt to Toronto in December of that year. Coats has played in 46 major league games with the Cubs, Reds and Blue Jays over the last three seasons.
About USA Baseball
USA Baseball is the National Governing Body of amateur baseball in the United States and is a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). The organization selects and trains the World Baseball Classic Team and World Cup Team (and all other USA Baseball Professional Teams); the USA Baseball National Team (Collegiate); the USA Baseball 18U, 16U and 14U National Teams; and the USA Baseball Women’s National Team, all of which participate in various international competitions each year. USA Baseball also presents the Golden Spikes Award annually to top player in college baseball. For more information, please visit www.usabaseball.com and www.goldenspikesaward.com.