On a team with an impressive collection of talent, it was a trio of 20-something kids from Curacao who most impressed Kingdom of the Netherlands team members in preparation of the World Baseball Classic semifinals. That trio — Andrelton Simmons, Jonathan Schoop and Jurickson Profar — are future stars of Major League Baseball and current stars for the Dutch.

A journey practically around the world and to the very pinnacle of the World Baseball Classic finally ended for the Kingdom of the Netherlands on Monday night, but not before the Dutch helped spread the word that baseball is indeed an international game.

Miguel Tejada, a Kansas City Royals roster hopeful and the de facto captain of a Dominican Republic squad on the precipice of its first World Baseball Classic title, has the leadership ability and desire to coach of manage once his playing days are over.

Throughout the run by the Dutch during the 2013 World Baseball Classic, San Francisco Giants hitting coach Hensley Meulens bolstered his already impressive resume with his work managing the Kingdom of the Netherlands to its first semifinal appearance.

After a rocky start, Edinson Volquez settled in on Monday night and gave the Dominican Republic what it needed: five strong innings in a 4-1 win over the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic semifinals.

Dominican Republic left fielder Moises Sierra dove in the seats down the line at AT&T Park in a semifinal game of the World Baseball Classic to grab a pop fly hit by Andruw Jones.

It’s time for veteran pitchers to move toward regular-season form, and that happened for the Rockies and the Reds on Monday night in a game the Reds took, 4-3, at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.

Fernando Rodney celebrated his 36th birthday on Monday night with his sixth save of the World Baseball Classic, authoring a perfect ninth inning in the Dominican Republic’s 4-1 semifinal win over the Kingdom of the Netherlands in San Francisco.

Derek Lowe just wants to earn a spot on the Rangers’ pitching staff. After turning in an impressive three scoreless innings on Monday, he was reluctant to discuss the possibility of it being as a starter.

Manager Tony Pena had all his firepower on display Monday, thanks to one big inning by the club’s best-known players. A breakout fifth frame led to a 4-1 win over the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels, who recently assumed the role of team president previously held by CEO Nolan Ryan, doesn’t think the restructuring of the Texas front office will have any impact on the players’ focus leading up to Opening Day.

Reds center fielder and leadoff hitter Shin-Soo Choo still wasn’t ready to return from back spasms on Monday. Chris Heisey started in his place vs. the Rockies.

The battle for the fifth spot in the Royals rotation was narrowed to two candidates on Monday — left-hander Bruce Chen and right-hander Luis Mendoza — when lefty Will Smith and righty Yordano Ventura were sent to the Minor Leagues.

Robinson Cano, who struggled mightily with the bat for the Yankees in the playoffs, doesn’t necessarily believe the freedom and camaraderie he feels with his countrymen from the Dominican Republic is a major factor in his offensive eruption five months later.

Veteran relievers Josh Lindblom and Evan Meek, both seeking a prominent role in the Rangers’ bullpen, had nearly identical line scores over the weekend. Lindblom pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts against the Dodgers on Saturday, and Meek did the same against the Padres on Sunday.

Draft Watch is back for Week 3 as MLB.com continues to look at amateur baseball action after each week, checking in with scouts around the country to find out who’s doing what and when. There were some marquee matchups, both at the high school and college level, to keep everyone more than busy.

Rockies All-Star left fielder Carlos Gonzalez did not bring back his best hitting stroke when he returned to the club after participating with Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. All he brought back was a nasty cold that he’s still trying to shake.