It won't be easy, but it won't be so tough this time for Canada's Olympic baseball team.
In 2003, the Canadians headed to Panama for the Olympic qualifier and were longshot winners of one of the two spots, along with Cuba, as Team USA was eliminated.
Team Canada, managed by Ernie Whitt of the Blue Jays, left for Arizona today for a six-team qualifier, of which four teams will advance to the next round for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
"This is a much more fair setup," Team Canada general manager Greg Hamilton said. "Team USA lost only once -- the quarter-final game to Mexico -- but it was the same as when we lost our first game in the quarter finals to Cuba at the Pan Am Games in 1999 in Winnipeg."
Team USA, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Guatemala and Canada are the six countries bidding for four spots. The rosters are made up of minor-leaguers who were not on 25-man rosters as of Aug. 31. Cuba has an automatic berth as the host team.
Canada kicks off its tournament schedule Nov. 15 against Nicaragua.
Three players on the roster were at the triple-A level in 2005: First baseman, Scott Thorman of Cambridge, with Richmond of the Atlanta Braves system; righty Steve Green, of Longuieul, Que., (Toledo, Detroit Tigers) and reliever Eric Cyr of Montreal (Salt Lake, Los Angeles Angles).
The other area players on the 24-man roster are Chris Begg of Uxbridge (double-A Norwich, San Franciso Giants); Scarborough infielder Todd Betts (Somerset, of the independent Atlantic League); Etobicoke's Joey Votto (class-A Sarasota, Cincinnati Reds); High Park grad Jon Lockwood (class-A Wisconsin, Seattle Mariners); Guelph outfielder Jeremy Ware (Edmonton, of the independent Northern League) and Mississauga infielder Lee Delfino (Quebec City of the independent Can-Am League).
Other Ontario players on the roster are Canada's Mr. Baseball, Stubby Clapp of Windsor (Edmonton); T.J. Burton of Ottawa (class-A Lake City); Sebastien Boucher, of Ottawa (class-A Inland Empire, Mariners); Mike Meyers of London (double-A Huntsville) and Ottawa's Mike Kusiewicz (Edmonton).
Cyr, Begg, Betts, Ware, Clapp and Kusiewicz represented Canada at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, while Votto was all-World at the world championships in Holland two months ago.
The top arms are Adam Loewen of Surrey, B.C. (class-A Frederick, Orioles) and Scott Mathieson, of Aldergrove, B.C. (class-A Clearwater, Phillies).
