Sports: Crusader helps U.S. to silver at Pan-Ams

Crusader helps U.S. to silver at Pan-Ams

By FRANK PASTOR

TAMPA -- Denard Span doesn't remember the name of the pizza, just how it tasted.

"Best pizza I ever had in my life," he said.

Span, who will be a senior at Tampa Catholic, had just returned from Cuba where he played for Team USA in the Pan American Junior Championships.

Eating mostly chicken and rice, Span estimated he lost 5 to 10 pounds during the two-week trip.

Shortly after his plane landed in Miami, he headed for the pizza stand. When he got back to Tampa, he stopped at McDonald's for Chicken McNuggets.

"It was nice to come home," he said.

The return trip marked a rare respite for Span, whom Baseball America ranks as the sixth-best high school player in the class of 2002.

Making the most of the exposure he received for helping Tampa Catholic win the Class 3A state title in May, Span has spent much of the summer attending tryouts and showcases around the country.

None were bigger than the Pan American Junior Championships in Camaguey, Cuba, where he faced some of the top 18-and-under players in the world.

Span helped Team USA to the silver medal in the 11-team tournament, its best finish ever. The United States won bronze medals in 1997, '99 and '00.

Span, playing centerfield and batting sixth, hit .455 with 15 hits, a home run and 12 RBI. He also stole three bases in 11 games.

The United States won eight of nine pool play games before defeating Panama 12-0 in the semifinals. Only a 3-2 loss to Cuba kept it from winning the gold medal.

"This doesn't compare to a state championship," Span said. "It was a whole another experience. We had USA across our chests. We represented our country."

The experience started in Lakeland, where Span participated in a Team One showcase. There, he was asked to join 143 other players at a tryout for the Pan American Championships in Joplin, Mo.

Span performed well enough at the two-week tryout to earn one of 20 spots on Team USA.

But there was one problem. He didn't have a passport. It arrived the day before he left for Cuba.

"I was kind of nervous, but I don't think I would have been upset if they told me I couldn't go because I didn't have a passport," Span said. "I probably would have been upset if they told me I couldn't go because I didn't make the cut."

In June, Span joined some of the nation's top juniors and seniors at the Perfect Game Showcase at Tropicana Field.

Next week, he will travel to Wilmington, N.C., for another invitation-only workout, the East Coast Professional Showcase.

Span was selected to play in the Area Code Games Aug. 6-12 in Long Beach, Calif., but reconsidered after realizing he would have to leave one day after returning from North Carolina.

"I need to sit down for awhile," he said.

Span, who normally uses his summers to prepare for football, said he has no regrets about his hectic schedule.

"I hope that it will get me some recognition for the future -- colleges and, one day, the draft, hopefully," he said. "That's every kid's dream that plays baseball, to get drafted."