Watson, the general manager of the 1996 world champion New York Yankees, and Johnson, the manager of 1986 world champion New York Mets, are responsible for putting together and leading USA Baseball in the Beijing Olympics.

Before going to China, the U.S. Olympic team will play four games against Canada in the Triangle.

On Aug. 1, they'll play at the national training complex in Cary, and the final three games will be played at Durham Bulls Athletic Park from Aug. 2 to Aug. 4.

Even working for George Steinbrenner in the Big Apple, Watson, the general manager of the Olympic team, never faced pressure like this. The International Olympic Committee voted baseball out of the Olympic games in 2012, which means this tournament needs to impress the IOC in order for baseball regain official status in 2016.

Then there's the pressure that goes with every international competition the United States enters that it is favored -- when it wins, it's no big deal because it's supposed to win. But when it loses, it's considered a failure.

"This tournament is important for the U.S. for the longevity of international baseball [and] because it could be the last one in the Olympics," Watson said Tuesday in Durham.

Despite baseball's deep, rich history in this country, it has been an Olympic sport only since 1992. The U.S. team has won the gold medal once, in 2000, and the bronze in 1996. It did not qualify for the 2004 games.

"That was a huge disappointment," said Watson, who is also a vice president of operations for Major League Baseball. "At least we've made it. But this is not going to be easy."

Putting together the 24-man roster presents the first challenge for Watson. Major-league players aren't allowed to compete, and USA Baseball needs permission from major-league clubs to use minor-league prospects.

John Manuel, editor in chief of Baseball America, expects the roster, which won't be set until mid-July, to include the best prospects from the past two MLB drafts who are still playing in low-level minors.

Perhaps Watson's biggest challenge is to find pitching. If you're young and good, chances are you're in the majors.

"And if you're young and you're good, in Double- or Triple-A, the major league club doesn't want to send him because he's an injury away from the big leagues," Watson said. "It's my job to hit that floating target."

Manuel said Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Clayton Kershaw and Tampa Bay Rays prospects David Price and Jerry Hellickson would be logical candidates for the pitching staff.

"It's going to be a big challenge," said Johnson, who managed the Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers. "The good thing is this is basically an all-star team and this is a chance they'll never forget."