Pete Maestrales is a native of Delray Beach, Florida. Chris Van Rossum calls Turlock, Calif home. But the two members of the Newark Bears have something in common – namely their Greek heritage – and beginning this week, they’re going to put that background to great use, serving as members of the Greek National baseball team that will participate in the upcoming Olympic Games in Athens next month.Maestrales, an infielder, and Van Rossum, an outfielder, have been selected to be among the 24 players who will represent the host country in the Olympics.
They have taken a leave of absence from the Bears, which began last Friday, to begin full-time training with the Greek National team at Camden Yards in Baltimore, the home of the Orioles. The reason for that is Orioles’ owner Peter Angelos is the main funding source and supporter for the Greek National baseball team.
Maestrales and Van Rossum joined their Greek National teammates in Baltimore from August 1 through 5, then will head to Greece for more training with the team before the start of the Olympics.
“This is the highlight of my career,” Maestrales said. “It’s the experience of a lifetime and an honor to play for the host country in the Olympics.”
“It’s a big thrill to be going to the Olympics,” Van Rossum said. “I’m very honored to be chosen to represent Greece. I know a lot of other countries (including the United States, whose baseball team did not qualify to participate in the Olympics) will not be there, so it’s really an honor.”
While it may seem strange that two Americans who play for the same minor league baseball team are representing the Greek National team, it’s really pretty common. Most of the athletes who will represent Greece in the upcoming Olympics are American. In fact, 22 of the 24 players who comprise the Greek National baseball team are American-born, including former Yankee Clay Bellinger and former major leaguers Erik Pappas and Clint Tavares.
“We’re basically an American team,” Maestrales said. “But we’re playing with pride for the country we represent.”
Maestrales, whose grandparents were born in Greece, first learned about the possibility of playing for the Greek National team two years ago from his college roommate at the University of Delaware, Andrew Salvo, who currently plays for the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League, the same league that the Bears play in.
“Andrew is half Greek and he learned that the Greek National team was looking for players to put together for the 2004 Olympics,” Maestrales said. “I was playing in the San Francisco Giants organization at the time, but I decided to give it a shot.”
Maestrales made that first Greek National team and represented Greece in the European championships, where the team won the silver medal.
“I became familiar with international baseball,” Maestrales said. “It’s a lot different, because every game is a must-win. It’s not like here, where you play 140 games and you can afford to lose here and there. In international ball, you have to win every game.”
Van Rossum, whose mother is 100 percent Greek, which gives him the access to participate in the Olympics, also received word that year. He played for Greece in a pool tournament in 2002, where the Greek team won a gold medal.
As it turns out, both Maestrales and Van Rossum’s families come from the same village on a Greek island called Chios.
“We could possibly be related,” Van Rossum said. “We don’t know yet.”
The two became friends while playing for the Greek National team and training with the team, like a pool tournament in Greece last March.
Maestrales played for the Bears last year and also played for Bears’ manager Bill Madlock in Colombia in winter ball. Maestrales recommended Van Rossum to Madlock, so the manager brought Van Rossum to the Bears this season.
“I guess it was like a chain reaction that brought us both here together,” Maestrales said.
Maestrales has been the Bears’ jack-of-all-trades this season, playing five different positions while batting .237 with two homers and 18 RBI. Van Rossum has been predominately the team’s starting centerfielder, batting .279 with one homer and 18 RBI.
“We don’t want to leave the team now, because we’ve been playing better of late,” Maestrales said. “We’re going to be gone for the better part of August. But this is too good of a chance to pass up. I know our teammates are excited for us. No one doesn’t want us to go.”
Van Rossum said that he always dreamed about playing in the Olympics.
“But as you get older, you realize that your hopes and dreams of making the American team filter away,” Van Rossum said. “When a chance like this comes around, it’s pretty amazing. I can’t believe I’m getting this chance.”
Maestrales said that he feels he’s representing more than just the name of the country on the front of his jersey.
“Deep down, even though we’re representing Greece and our Greek heritage, I feel I’m representing two countries, Greece and the United States,” Maestrales said. “We’re all Greeks and Americans. Since the United States doesn’t have a team in the Olympics, we’re hoping that everyone back home will be pulling for us.”
There were some reports from the Greek National representatives that the team was facing funding problems, but those reports were squelched Sunday by Orioles representatives, who said that Angelos has picked up the tab for everything and will continue to do so.
“We’re talking about him putting seven figures into the Greek Olympic team,” Maestrales said. “Those reports are ridiculous. We’re going to be in Greece no matter what happens. I don’t know what the Greek federation is talking about. We’re going to be there.”
Maestrales said that he’s looking forward to becoming an ambassador for the game of baseball.
“It’s a great opportunity for the game of baseball itself, going to a country where the majority of the people don’t play the game,” Maestrales said. “But it is in the process of becoming big there. There’s the Greek National team and a bunch of leagues as well. They’re really getting to enjoy the game over there.”
Both Maestrales and Van Rossum realize that they’re getting a chance of a lifetime.
“I’ve been playing sports since I can walk,” Maestrales said. “For me to be able to walk into that stadium [during the opening ceremonies] with all the other great athletes in the world, well, it’s the highlight of my career. It makes everything I’ve done in my life worthwhile. All the trips to the small towns and dingy hotel rooms with stadiums and clubhouses in the middle of nowhere, making no money. This makes all of it worth the effort.”
“It’s pretty amazing we’re getting this chance,” Van Rossum said. “We know that there’s going to be some stiff competition over there, like from Cuba and Japan, but we have a shot to get a medal, I think. In the game of baseball, anything can happen.”
Just like two American teammates getting a chance to represent the country of their heritage in the Olympic Games. Baseball can truly make dreams come true.