[Olympic Preview] Alumnus seeks to honor family with Olympic play for Greece

Nick Theodorou isn’t playing for his country.

The baseball player and former Bruin, like most people on the
Greek Olympic baseball team, is an American. 

He isn’t even playing for himself.

Even though the Los Angeles Dodgers have assured him otherwise,
the Triple-A all-star could be hurting his chances at being called
up to the major leagues in September by missing four weeks toward
the end of the Las Vegas 51s’ season.

So what is Theodorou playing for?

His family.

Though he is very excited about playing in the Olympics,
Theodorou is driven more by getting the chance to play for his
family.

And what better place is there to play than the country in which
his mother, father and grandparents were born?

“I’m really excited,” Theodorou said.
“To play for my grandparents’ and parents’ home
country makes it more special than playing for me. You get used to
playing for yourself, and it’s good to feel like you’re
playing for your grandmother.”

Theodorou isn’t a Greek citizen.

But, according to Olympic rules, a player can play for a country
that he of which he or she isn’t a citizen as long as a
parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was a citizen of that
country.

This rule has allowed for the heavy recruitment of Americans and
Canadians to play for Greece. And as baseball is virtually
nonexistent in Greece, only two actual Greek citizens are on
the Greek national team.

So even though the United States did not qualify for the
Olympics in baseball, over a dozen Americans will play for the team
from Greece ““ which by virtue of being the host country gets
to compete in any sport it wants.

Theodorou has played with the Greek team before when he competed
at last year’s European Championships. The core group of that
team remains on the Olympic roster.

“We have a good chance at a medal,” Theodorou said.
“Japan and Cuba are the favorites, but it’s between
Canada, Australia and Greece for the bronze. We’re going
there to bring home a medal. There’s no reason to go if you
don’t think you can win one.”

Theodorou will bring many skills to his team. He plays both
infield and outfield and excels at getting on base. He has an
on-base percentage of .370 for the 51s and still receives praise
from retired UCLA coach Gary Adams, who said Theodorou has the best
eye at the plate he’s ever seen.

“I don’t remember Nick ever swinging at a pitch
outside the strike zone,” Adams said. “He made the
pitcher throw him a strike.”

Theodorou played at UCLA from 1995 to 1998 and was the leadoff
hitter and second baseman for the 1997 team that made it to the
College World Series.

“There was nothing sensational about him, but there was
nothing bad.” Adams said. “Nothing sensational other
than his tremendous eye.”

But Theodorou may be best remembered at UCLA for the strike he
didn’t swing at. In UCLA’s World Series elimination
game against Mississippi State in 1997, Theodorou was the
Bruins’ last hope. He uncharacteristically struck out
looking, though replays later showed the pitch was a ball.

“Nick would never swing at a ball,” Adams said, not
referring to that specific call. “He’s very reliable.
Steady like the Rock of Gibraltar.”

Adams remembers Theodorou as much more than just a good
player, calling him one of his nicest players ever and the kind of
guy who makes you want to smile.

“I wish he would marry one of my daughters,” Adams
said.

Theodorou has been one of the 51s’ most reliable
hitters all season long but will miss four weeks of the Triple-A
season. When he returns from Greece, the 51s will have only 12
games left in the season.

Theodorou hopes the Dodgers will call him up to the major
leagues when major-league rosters are expanded from 25 to 40 Sept.
1.

But most teams usually only expand their rosters by only 2 or 3
players, especially teams in a playoff race, like the Dodgers. Even
though playing in the Olympics will be a valuable and unique
experience, it also means there’s less time for scouts and
officials to see him play in person.

“I really want to go to Athens, but I’ve thought
about that,” Theodorou said. “I’ve had a good
season with Las Vegas, but the Dodgers are doing really well, and
they’re not bringing very many guys up and down. The Dodgers
have reassured me going to the Olympics won’t be what keeps
me from being a September call-up because I have done so
well.”

In fact, Theodorou said, the Dodgers have been very supportive
of him all the way, letting him leave to practice with the Greek
national team whenever he needed to do so.

“They’re all for it. Both general managers
I’ve had (Dan Evans and, currently, Paul DePodesta) were very
excited.”