JJ for the USA

The Detroit Free Press has a story about Michigan native JJ Putz ('00) as a kind of preview for him playing for the US in the World Baseball Classic.

When J.J. Putz returned home to Michigan last October, he visited his younger brother at work. That was nothing out of the ordinary, other than the fact that Brian Putz is a Taylor firefighter.

The elder Putz, an All-Star reliever with the Seattle Mariners in 2007, wanted to go on a run with his brother. For two nights, he waited up from 6 p.m. until 2 a.m. No calls.

Even though the quiet nights meant that J.J. missed seeing Brian in action, the time was well spent. J.J. has lived in Arizona for the past several years, so he relishes any opportunity to spend time with his family. And with those trips to the firehouse, the message from J.J. to his brother was clear: I’m proud of you.

Brian will return the favor on Saturday afternoon. He plans to be there, at Rogers Centre in Toronto, when Team USA opens the World Baseball Classic against Team Canada.

Putz, 32, will be in the Team USA bullpen – wearing his country’s colors for the first time in tournament play.

“He’s my big brother – I’d look up to him, anyway,” Brian said in a telephone interview earlier this week. “I have the greatest respect for what he does. And when he says the same thing to me, it means a lot.

There are two pages to that story so make sure to read it all.