After the Gold Rush

How members of the U.S. baseball team that won the gold medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics have done this year:

BRENT ABERNATHY 2B. Age: 23. Team USA stat: Team-high 15 hits.

Long on hustle and short on tools, the slap-hitting Abernathy eventually should inherit the second base job in Tampa Bay. However, he’s off to a dreadful start at triple-A Durham, batting .231 in 34 games.

KURT AINSWORTH RHP. Age: 22. Team USA stats: 2-0, 1.54 ERA.

The former Louisiana State star has a fastball and a makeup the San Francisco Giants love. He’s 2-4 with a 7.11 ERA at triple-A Fresno, but don’t be surprised to see Ainsworth audition in September.

PAT BORDERS Catcher. Age: 38. Team USA stat: Team-high .429 average.

A triple-A catcher for an expansion franchise, Borders, then 37, was Team USA’s joke turned hero. Brought into guide a young pitching staff, the career .256 major league hitter and 1992 World Series most valuable player nurtured it to a 0.94 earned-run average in 58 innings. He had two hits and an RBI in the gold-medal game against Cuba. Still at triple-A Durham, he’s batting .223 as the backup to Toby Hall, Tampa Bay’s catcher of the future.

SEAN BURROUGHS 3B. Age: 20. Team USA stat: .375 average.

Burroughs is one of the youngest players in triple A, batting .297 for Portland in the San Diego organization. The former Long Beach Wilson High star hasn’t developed power yet (no home runs and four extra-base hits in 74 at-bats this season), but San Diego isn’t worried.

JOHN COTTON DH. Age: 30. Team USA stat: Six RBIs in eight games.

Cotton had 4,391 career minor league at-bats entering this year and not one in the major leagues. Currently batting .316 for the Dodgers’ triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas, his ninth organization in 13 years.

GOOKIE DAWKINS INF. Age: 22. Team USA Stat: No hits in six at-bats.

Reds’ prospect can pick it, but can he hit it? Batting .220 at double-A Chattanooga. Biggest asset is speed: 128 stolen bases in four minor league seasons.

ADAM EVERETT SS. Age: 24. Team USA stat: .043 average.

Everett didn’t hit international pitching and isn’t hitting triple-A pitching, batting .226 for New Orleans, a Houston Astro affiliate. He’s solid on defense, and his glove should get him to the big leagues despite a .245 career minor league average.

RYAN FRANKLIN RHP. Age: 28. Team USA stats: 3-0, 0.00 ERA.

After four consecutive triple-A seasons, Franklin’s Team USA efforts significantly raised his stock. Franklin (3-1, 2.55 ERA) is a solid member of the Seattle Mariner bullpen.

CHRIS GEORGE LHP. Age: 21. Team USA stats: 0.00 ERA in four innings.

George didn’t pitch often for Team USA but soon will be starting for Kansas City. He’s 4-1 with a 2.78 ERA for triple-A Omaha and should develop into a quality major-league starter.

SHANE HEAMS RHP. Age: 25. Team USA stat: 7.71 ERA

Heams flopped as a hitter early in his career in the Seattle organization. Detroit signed him and made him a reliever. At 3-0 with a 2.70 ERA at double-A Erie, he could have a future in the Tiger bullpen.

MARCUS JENSEN Catcher. Age: 28. Team USA stat: Six RBI in five games.

Jensen, a dependable backup catcher, is batting .258 with three home runs and 11 RBIs for Pawtucket, the triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox--his sixth organization in five years. A .194 hitter in parts of five major league seasons.

MIKE KINKADE INF. Age: 28. Team USA stat: .207 average.

A two-time minor league 100-RBI man, Kinkade is with the Baltimore Orioles as a backup infielder and outfielder, batting .261 with two home runs.

RICK KRIVDA LHP. Age: 31. Team USA stats: 0-1, 18.00 ERA

Former Baltimore and Cincinnati starter now pitches for triple-A Memphis in the St. Louis organization. He is 3-3 with a 3.53 ERA.

DOUG MIENTKIEWICZ 1B. Age: 26. Team USA stat: .414 average.

A .235 career major league hitter entering this season, Mientkiewicz shed the label of a punchless corner infielder and jump-started his career with Team USA. He’s now among American League batting leaders for the Minnesota Twins at .362.

MIKE NEILL LF. Age: 30. Team USA stat: Team-high three home runs.

Neill homered in gold-medal game, a career highlight for the 11-year minor league veteran, who is batting .255 with four home runs and 12 RBIs at Pawtucket.

ROY OSWALT RHP. Age: 23. Team USA stat: 1.38 ERA.

One of Team USA’s four starters, Oswalt is the Houston Astros’ top prospect. He’s 2-3 with a 4.35 ERA at triple-A New Orleans. Oswalt has 531 strikeouts in 534 minor league innings.

JON RAUCH RHP. Age: 22. Team USA stats: 21 strikeouts in 11 innings.

The 6-foot-11 pitcher was heralded as the White Sox’s ace of the future, but reconstructive shoulder surgery this month clouds his prospects. Rauch was 1-3 with a 5.79 ERA at triple-A Charlotte.

BOBBY SEAY LHP. Age: 22. Team USA stat: 0.00 ERA in one inning.

An injury-prone prospect, the Devil Rays are still waiting for a return on their $3-million investment. Seay is 0-3 with a 6.00 ERA at double-A Orlando.

BEN SHEETS RHP. Age: 22. Team USA stats: 1-0, 0.41 ERA.

Sheets’ three-hit shutout against Cuba in the gold-medal game sealed his name into Olympic lore. He is 4-4 with a 3.83 ERA with the Milwaukee Brewers.

BRAD WILKERSON OF. Age: 23. Team USA stat: .216 average.

Wilkerson, a former batting and pitching star at Florida State, should find his way to Montreal as a left fielder or first baseman when his power develops. He’s batting .286 with three home runs and eight RBIs at triple-A Ottawa.

TODD WILLIAMS RHP. Age: 30. Team USA stats: 0.00 ERA in four innings.

Sidearm reliever’s road took him from the Dodger organization to four others. He had a Pacific Coast League record 32 saves last year at Tacoma, thrived in Team USA’s bullpen, and has a 2.38 ERA as a New York Yankee reliever this season. He is currently on the disabled list.

ERNIE YOUNG RF. Age: 31. Team USA stat: .385 average.

Young drove in two of Team USA’s four runs in the gold-medal game. A .224 hitter in 280 major league games, he is batting .227 with five home runs and 14 RBIs for Portland, his fifth organization in five years.