Team USA has announced their roster for the 2011 World Cup and the Pan Am tournaments, with Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Jordy Mercer being named as a member of the team. This is the second year in a row that a Pirates shortstop prospect has played for Team USA. Last year Chase d’Arnaud played for the team, after being a late season addition to replace catcher Austin Romine. Team USA begins their training schedule on September 27th. The World Cup begins on October 1st and runs through the 15th, with the event being held in Panama. The Pan Am tournament runs from October 18th through the 25th, taking place in Mexico.
Tim started Pirates Prospects in 2009 from his home in Virginia, which was 40 minutes from where Pedro Alvarez made his pro debut in Lynchburg. That year, the Lynchburg Hillcats won the Carolina League championship, and Pirates Prospects was born from Tim's reporting along the way. The site has grown over the years to include many more writers, and Tim has gone on to become a credentialed MLB reporter, producing Pirates Prospects each year, and will publish his 11th Prospect Guide this offseason. He has also served as the Pittsburgh Pirates correspondent for Baseball America since 2019. Behind the scenes, Tim is an avid music lover, and most of the money he gets paid to run this site goes to vinyl records.
