Major League Baseball is pleased to announce that the 2008 MLB European Academy will take place at the Italian Olympic Training Center in Tirrenia from August 7 - 28.  The Academy will once again bring together the best young players in Europe and Africa to work for three-weeks with top Major League coaches and instructors.  Our previous editions of the Academy were very successful – with 22 players signed to professional contracts – and we are looking forward to an even better Academy this year. 

Attached you will find a document briefly outlining the Academy as well as information on the selection process for players.  As in previous years, we will be holding try-outs for 15 - 18 year olds who are considered strong candidates for the Academy.  The sessions, run by MLB staff and scouts from the MLB Scouting Bureau, will offer players a chance to demonstrate their skills in front of professional evaluators.  In an effort to give each player a chance to be seen thoroughly, we will be limiting the number of participants at each session.  A maximum of 50 players will be invited to each try-out, so we ask that you recommend only the best players from your cadet, junior and senior national programmes. 

The attached Academy Try-out Session Brief will provide you with information regarding the try-outs.  Sessions will run from April 30 – May 8 at six locations around Europe: 

• April 30, 13:00 – Italian Olympic Training Center (Tirrenia, Italy)
• April 30, 15:00 – Stade Toulousain Baseball Club (Toulouse, France)
• May 2, 14:00 – Stockholm Baseball Club (Stockholm, Sweden)
• May 6, 13:00 & 16:00 – Krc Altron Baseball Club (Prague, Czech Republic)
• May 7, 15:00 – Amsterdam Pirates Baseball Stadium (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
• May 8, 16:00 – Bad Homburg Hornets Baseball Club (Bad Homburg, Germany) 

To nominate players from your federation to attend the try-outs, please complete the attached Try-out Invitee List and return it to our office by March 17.  Please make sure you indicate the session each player would like to attend.  After March 17, MLB will reply to you in writing confirming which players from your federation are invited to attend the sessions.  As stated before, sessions will be limited to 50 players so everyone from your list will not necessarily be invited to try-out.  You can assist us in the selection process by limiting the number of players you nominate for the sessions.  

Please note that if players from your federation attended the Academy in 2005, 2006 or 2007, these players WILL be required to try-out for the 2008 Academy.  Participation is not guaranteed to players from previous years and we will need to evaluate their improvement in the off-season. 

Thanks to everyone for your help with this programme, particularly those who have agreed to host a try-out session.  We are looking forward to another successful edition of the MLB European Academy this summer.

• 2008 MLB European Academy
• 2008 Try-out Session Brief