by www.baseballeurope.com
The fifth-annual Major League Baseball European Academy will take place at the Italian Olympic Training Center in Tirrenia, Italy from August 11 – August 29.
With the 2009 European Academy, Major League Baseball is continuing its commitment to provide promising young players with the opportunity to reach their full potential. The Academy will bring together the brightest up-and-coming talents in Europe and Africa with the best in Major League coaching and instruction.
The Academy will consist of up to 55 players from Europe and Africa who are between 15 and 19 years old and are a part of their nation’s national team programs. A rigorous selection process will ensure that the best young players from the two continents attend the Academy.
Players will work for three-weeks in an intensive Major League training environment featuring skills instruction, strength and conditioning and a complete schedule of games. The program will be run by top Major League instructors, including John McLaren, Bruce Hurst, Lee Smith and Barry Larkin.
Since 2005, 158 players from 25 European and African nations have attended the Academy with impressive results. 28 Academy players have signed professional contracts with Major League clubs, 12 players have played university baseball in the United States and many others have gone on to play significant roles in their domestic leagues and national teams.