Frank Robinson's lifetime in baseball took one more turn this week with his selection to manage the U.S. baseball team that will try to qualify for the Athens Olympics.

It's a job that begins Oct. 3 in Phoenix with a roster of 30 professional players selected Wednesday to compete for 24 spots on the team. And Robinson, a Hall of Famer and the manager of the Montreal Expos, is excited about the opportunity.

"It is a challenge," he said. "I've done a lot of things in baseball. The thing that keeps people going is a challenge. At first, I said no. Initially, I felt it was a lot to take on. The season ends, you've got two or three days to go home and then you start working again. That's a little much.

"Then I started thinking about it and decided I would love to do it. My health is good. My energy is good. This is completely different from anything I've done. There was another attraction. This was something I could do for my country."

The players will report to Phoenix on Oct. 3 and play 12 exhibition games against teams in the Arizona Fall League over the next three weeks. Robinson will pick his roster Oct. 23, and the team will travel to Panama City for the Olympic qualifying tournament, which begins Oct. 30.

The United States will compete with Cuba, the Dominican Republic and others for two spots from North and South America. The Netherlands and Italy will represent Europe, and host Greece has an automatic berth.

There will be two teams from Asia, and the final spot will go to the winner of a playoff between Oceania and Africa.

Robinson said that if he returns to manage the Expos next season, he will step aside and turn the Olympic team over to another manager for the Athens Games.

"It won't have any effect on my decision on whether I come back next year to manage the Expos," he said. "If I'm not working next year, I'd like to be considered to manage the Olympic team."

Robinson's roster includes a dozen players with major league experience, including outfielder Ernie Young and right-handed pitcher Todd Williams, who played on the U.S. team that won the gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Games.

The others who have played in the majors are infielder Graham Koonce, infielder Mike Lamb, catcher Gerald Laird, infielder Garrett Atkins, outfielder J.J. Davis and pitchers Andy Pratt, Justin Duchscherer, Jeremy Fikac, Jason Stanford and Derrick Turnbow.

There were nine first-round draft picks and nine who have played for USA Baseball before.

That group includes catcher Joe Mauer from the Minnesota Twins organization and infielder Chris Burke from the Houston Astros. Mauer played for USA Baseball junior teams in 1999 and 2000. Burke played for USA Baseball in 2000.

"For me, it was quite an honor," Mauer said. "It was a big deal for me and my family and a great experience every time."

"I had a blast," Burke said. "I met some outstanding people. It was an honor to have the opportunity."

They were among 500 players originally considered by the selection committee co-chaired by Bob Watson of the commissioner's office and Dean Taylor of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The roster was cut over two months and includes some high-profile prospects such as reliever Royce Ring, who had 31 saves and 93 strikeouts in 85 innings this season in the Mets' organization, and 19-year-old Cole Hamels, who had 147 strikeouts in 18 games in his first professional season in Philadelphia's organization.