Canada recruits Koskie for Baseball Classic

Former Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Corey Koskie confirmed Monday that he will play for Team Canada in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

Koskie, 35, hasn't played in the major leagues since he sustained a concussion on July 5, 2006.  

Koskie received a clean bill of health 10 days ago and has been working out in Fort Myers, Fla., with the Minnesota Twins, for whom he played from 1999 to 2004.

"I'm sure that [joining Canada] puts a smile on his face, as it does for everyone else who wants to see him play," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.

Koskie, from Anola, Man., will report Saturday to Canada's training camp in Dunedin, Fla.

He will likely serve as a backup infielder — Mark Teahan of the Kansas City Royals and New York Mets prospect Shawn Bowman both can play third base — but see action in Canada's three exhibition games against the Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees on March 3, 4 and 5, respectively.

Koskie was a lifetime .275 hitter with 124 home runs, 506 runs batted in and 516 runs scored in 989 games over nine MLB seasons with the Twins, Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers.

But playing third for Milwaukee on July 5, 2006, he raced into shallow left field to catch a pop fly and tumbled backward, landing on his head and sustaining a concussion.

The Brewers later declined to pick up his $6.5-million US contract option for 2008 and bought him out for $500,000 on Oct. 19, 2007.

Koskie became a free agent, but he hasn't played in the majors since, needing nearly three years to recover from the headaches, dizziness, fatigue and nausea associated with post-concussion syndrome.

All 16 countries competing in the WBC must submit final rosters on Tuesday, with the tournament running March 5–23.