Jon Deeble to lead an All Star Coaching Staff into 2009 WBC Campaign

Olympic Games Silver Medal winning coach Jon Deeble will return as Australia's Manager for the 2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC)

Deeble, the Australian National Team Manager since 2000, heads what he views as the "best-ever" coaching staff to guide an Australian team
Baseball legends Phil Dale, Tony Harris and Paul Elliott will team with Major League veterans Graeme Lloyd and Pat Kelly to form the six man staff to back Deeble in Australia's '09 World Baseball Classic campaign

Drawn in Pool "B", Australia will face South Africa, Cuba and Mexico in the opening round of the Classic, set to commence March 8, 2009 at Foro Sol Stadium, Mexico City, Mexico

When questioned about his reappointment, Deeble was noticeably excited about the prospect of sharing the international stage with such an exceptional line-up of coaches
"It's pretty encouraging to look at the guys to your left and right and know they have a wealth of experience at the game's highest level" Deeble said
"Add to that some of the emerging Major League talent we hope to be able to put on the field, and it’s the most excited I’ve been about an Australian team in a very long time"

Australia has retained the nucleus of the coaching staff that took the country to its finest international moment - the Silver Medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games

However, Deeble described the inclusion of Lloyd, a two-time World Series winner who boasts an impressive eleven year career in Major League Baseball, as a 'huge plus' for Australian baseball
"He is a pioneer for professional baseball players in Australia" Deeble said
"He played for years in the Majors for seven different clubs, won two World Series and an Olympic Silver Medal ... he's done it all"

Lloyd, who played for the New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Montreal Expos, Kansas City Royals and Florida Marlins during his eleven year career, joins fellow Yankees alumnus Pat Kelly, already a seasoned member of the Australian staff

"When you think about where these guys have been and what they have achieved in the game it's very humbling to be able to lead them on the field" Deeble said
"I am confident that everyone on the Australian team is looking forward to tapping into the vast knowledge and experience that Pat and Graeme bring to club"

Bolstering the inclusion of Lloyd and Kelly, are the more seasoned members of the National Team staff - Phil Dale, Tony Harris and Paul Elliott - all of whom are veterans of the 2004 Silver Medal campaign
In addition to their extensive domestic experience leading teams in the Australian Baseball League and Claxton Shield, Dale (Atlanta Braves), Harris (Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets) and Elliott (Toronto Blue Jays) also boast impressive international resumes both scouting and coaching for US Major League organisations