One of the biggest moments in his career left Brett Eibner conflicted, and the U.S. team without one of its key players just hours before the Premier 12 final on Saturday at Tokyo Dome.
The deadline for MLB clubs to promote players to their 40-man roster, thereby protecting them from the Rule-5 draft, was set for 8 p.m. on Friday night in the U.S. and, as usual, there was a flurry of activity as clubs adjusted their rosters accordingly, calling up minor leaguers they want to keep in the fold. Eibner, who is a part of the Kansas City Royals' system, was among the players called up.
Eibner had also started all seven of Team USA's games at the Premier 12 and was serving as the No. 3 hitter for manager Willie Randolph. But because MLB had barred players on 40-man rosters from competing, the promotion meant that Eibner had to been removed from the U.S. roster just hours prior to the final against South Korea, which the U.S. lost 8-0.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.