Mister-Baseball: Looking back at the Baseball World Cup, while the results didn’t show it Germany received praise from the other teams for their good play. What did you take from the Baseball World Cup?

Greg Frady: I think the team did a good job at the World Cup. Certainly the results of winning weren’t there. We don’t make excuses, but you have to look where the team is at and the growth of the team. Five years ago, half of the games we may not played so well in. But every game with the exception of one was very competitive and we played good baseball. There are other factors in the world cup, the travel problems; no preparation was unfair to the players. And I think the players have great pride in playing well and getting a good result for Deutschland. And not getting that result is difficult for all of us, coaches, players. But I think we played with a lot of pride and earned more respect and improved the organization, even after this tournament.

Mister-Baseball: The scouts which were on site especially talked about Donald Lutz and Max Kepler for their play at the field and at the plate. What did you see in their development in comparison with previous years and what are their biggest challenges going forward?

Greg Frady: Well, it is easy to see the great talent both of those guys possess. They have something that is special. Donald has big league power and this is special. And every big league club needs a guy this size who can hit in the middle of the order that is left-handed, that can hit some homeruns. Everyone needs that. I think this is big contributing factor why he was placed on the 40-man roster with the Reds. First time a German player has been moved to that level. A fantastic accomplishment and we are very proud. We are all big fans of Donald, as he goes up the ladder and wish him well. Certainly they see that. As far as his improvement, he has a lot of power, but he needs to cut his strikeouts down and with more time and more games, more at-bats that will happen. He needs to improve his defensive play. He is a hitter first and defender second. He needs to make that more equal. A hitter and a defender with the same priority. If he stays in the National League he is going to play first base and he is going to continue to improve his defense. He is a very good athlete and he is pretty good there, but he needs to improve.

Max Kepler is just young. He has five tools. And I don’t say someone has five tools very often. But he does. And I was particularly surprised; I think this is the right word, on how much power he has. I think I expected him to do everything he did with exception of the power. I was surprised by that. Particular at this young age, usually power comes later. If he continues to develop his power, then he is going to be a big leaguer and he has the chance to be a big league all-star, which is really amazing for me to say that, because I don’t say that easily. But he plays the game with a great ease, he plays the game in a way that he stands out and he is very exciting to watch. The things he has to improve on. He is still a young player. Every aspect of his game needs improvement. One of the things he will continuingly getting challenged as he gets into baseball is the ability to focus and concentrate over long periods of time. I noticed in the games that he would start out very focused and concentrated and then he would go through periods of times, where he was waiting seemingly that something was going to happen. As he gets older and more mature I think he will become moving into the leadership aspect of the game versus being the younger guy watching all the things around him. But he is an extremely exciting player and he potentially has the chance to become the best player in German baseball history. And I think we are definitely all big fans of Max because he has the legitimate chance to become a big leaguer.

Mister-Baseball: Did you have a chance to see the Dutch play in the World Cup and what means the success for European Baseball.

Greg Frady: I did not get to see the Dutch team play in person, but I watched the Dutch play on TV, because we were in two different brackets in two different parts of the country. Why the Dutch team had success is because number one they have good players. But secondly what is important, they have a good organization, they are well coached, they are well organized, they scout well, they work on fundamentals, they are able to practice and get together collectively as a team. It is a great advantage in Europe when you can do that. I can only say that I am jealous, that they have that. Because the German team doesn’t have that capability. And what that means for European Baseball is, I am a big fan of the Dutch team. I like their coaches. I like their organization. I know a lot of their players, I feel when we go to these tournaments like World Cups or we’re at Olympic Qualifiers or maybe we are at other world type tournaments, the World Port Tournament, at one point I saw the Dutch team as our big rival enemies. Now I see them more as a fellow European country, where I am pulling for those guys. Not when we are playing head to head of course. But I have respect for the Dutch team, because they are working really hard there and they are trying to make baseball excellent. And I was a big fan of the win. And when the tournament was over I sent Robert Eenhoorn and Brian Farley, Steve Janssen all emails congratulating them on not just winning the World Cup. But congratulating them for the work, which has gone into this over the last ten years to put the team into a position for success and then getting that result is fantastic thing.

Mister-Baseball: Speaking for this DBV Academy. When you came here and saw the speakers and the program, what were you looking for the most before the event?

Greg Frady: Well, for one thing the DBV Academy attendance is really up, which I think that was important for me to know how many people are interested now in baseball and are we growing. And the people that are coming here are not just playing baseball. They are coming here now to learn how to coach better. How to be a better organizational manager in their organization. You are seeing umpire having clinics to work and improve. Scorers have clinics and work to get better at it. In general all of baseball during the winter is trying to improve here in Germany. The speakers here are fantastic world class speakers. There is great information being exchanged for the German coaches and players. I am always happy to come to Germany to talk about Baseball. But to be part of the DBV clinic is a great honor and I enjoy it very much.

Mister-Baseball: Looking ahead to 2012 there are two major tournaments ahead for Germany, the European Championship and the World Baseball Classic Qualifier. Also they are most likely going back-to-back. What are the challenges and keys for success?

Greg Frady: 2012 I think is my ninth year with the team. Every single year I’ve been here, we always made the statement, this is the most important year for German baseball, but easily we can say that now that 2012 is the most important year in the history of German baseball. And it is going to be a great challenge. First the European Championship. It is always my belief that the foundation of the German team starts in Europe. If you are competitive and you are at the top of European baseball, then we can work on these other things, other world tournaments and taking our place in World Baseball rankings. We can work on that in time. But we cannot lose our place in European baseball.

And the thing, that is so challenging about is, I believe that the Czech team gets better, the French team gets better, the Great Britain team is unpredictable in the way who they may bring, the Greece team is unpredictable, who they may bring. We’ve seen Spain to be not that powerful team at the last European Championship, but I know this championship they’ll show back up and will be a very strong opponent. The Dutch just come off the World Cup as the World Cup Champion. Italy returns as the European Champion. And then I look into our bracket and see who we have on our side, it is going to be a great challenge for the German team to play at high level. Yet, I know that we can, but all the European tournaments before are gone. The only one that matters is this one coming up. And we’ve got to get together.

Right now we are in the stages of planning about how we are going to make a preparation for this. One of the things which really got lost for the World Cup was no preparation. And it all comes back to funding. No one of the DBV wanted to go there without preparation, but money is the factor. We think we are going to be able hopefully to play two or three games as preliminary games prior to the European Championship. And we are really putting on a real focus on the European Championship. And that will be important. Our goal is to go there and do well, stay in the top of European baseball. For me to say, we are going to finish first or sixth or 12th, no one knows that. But we need to play consistently good baseball to give ourselves a chance to be at the top. Because I think European Baseball all as a whole is better than it has been ever before this championship.

And then we follow that up with the World Baseball Classic. But these are two total different tournaments. We know where the European Championship is going to be, I know the opponents, I know what the opponents are capable of doing and I can prepare for that. I don’t know where the World Baseball Classic is going to be, I don’t know when it is going to be played, I don’t know who the opponents are and I don’t know who our team is comprised of. So there are so many things that are out there that makes it difficult to plan, so we are talking about a lot of strategy, about the World Baseball Classic, but the European Championship is first. This is where our focus is right now. I know we need to take the step and win the Qualifier it is going to be good for German baseball if do that and go through to the World Baseball Classic. I will do everything in my power to that and we have to wait and see what the perimeters are, where we are playing, who we are playing, all these things.

Mister-Baseball: Two of your most important pitchers, Tim Henkenjohann and Enorbel Marquez-Ramirez are currently injured or are thinking about retirement. What can you say about them? Are they going to be healthy and are they going to continue to play?

Greg Frady: I can say about them that they have been great competitors for German Baseball. They have been very high performers and much of appreciation goes to both of those players. As far as, will they retire or will they continue, it’s too early to say now. Maybe they do retire. But then emerges Jan Niclas Stoecklin and Max Schmitz. Okay. The good news is that we still have some veteran players, which still can play baseball at a high level. And can help us with experience. And maybe they are getting a little older or they are injured or are returning from injury. But because they have experience and been there before that is something we have grown into now after some time. Five or six years ago we didn’t have this situation. These are veteran players with a lot of international experience and they can compete at a high level.

But because we have had some success and the Bundesliga clubs have worked really hard to improve the league and then the emergence of the academies and the junior national teams and the state games, baseball is at a higher level now then it is ever been in Germany. So there are more options to choose from young players. And these young players have gained more international experience and are exposed more, because the older players are coming back from these tournaments and talk to the players in the club and they seem to be more connected to that. So if we lose a player or players to retirement, I think we have a bright future with some young guys on the horizon. Enorbel Marquez and Tim Henkenjohann are heroes of German baseball and they always will be looked at that. But no club is just made up by one or two players.

Mister-Baseball: Going back to Georgia. You have two European players on the team this year. What will be there role and will it be different to their previous roles in Europe. So for example Max Schmitz is he going to be a reliever or a starter? Is Roy Seltenrijch going to be a starter or a backup infielder?

Greg Frady: First of, I am thrilled to have both of them to come play for me at a US Division I college. It is a big adjustment leaving and going to the US. As it is for European players to go to the MLB, to play with the Twins or the Giants or the Yankees. It is a big adjustment. You are leaving home, you are eating new food, you are living with people you never met or talked before, you left your girlfriend back home, you left your family back home, you are playing with players that equally are as talented as you are on your team, you are competing against guys that you have never seen, you are practicing every day, in the weight room every day. Roy just told me that he is so busy that he didn’t have time to go to the market to get food right now. So his days are all filled up.

So it is a big change for them. But both, Roy and Max, are very talented. And both are going to help the team immediately. Max Schmitz was brought to be a reliever, as a young player to grow into something. But we just lost our number one pitcher to a knee injury, so now he is going to a rotation. So now he looks like a starter. This has to work out as we get into the games. But Max has a great attitude and he is a great talent. And he can do any role and he it is going to be a wonderful development for him as a German player to get this kind of everyday baseball and routine.

Roy is going to be a middle infielder. He is in competition with three other guys for two spots. Two of those guys are freshman, the same age as he. So it is a lot of learning there too. Both of them have to make the adjustment to mirror the American player that is their age, to lift weights, which is something they are doing every day now. And they have done this in their clubs, but the commitment to do it every day and the physical conditioning of running and strengthening their body, is now every day for them. That is a big adjustment for them. That will help them. Being in baseball every day, literally every day, is going to be good for them as a development overall. They are talented players and they are going help our team, but they are going to be challenged greatly, because they are around players that are equally as talented as they are. But I know what they are capable of and I think they are continue to rise through the system and they will emerge as the top players at the Division I level.

Mister-Baseball thanks Greg Frady for the interview and wishes good luck for the upcoming season

More from Wikipedia:

She signed with the Big Bend Cowboys of the Continental Baseball League on March 4, 2010. After successfully completing Spring Training (April 30- May 4, 2010) in Alpine, Texas, Brooks became the first female to make an American men’s professional baseball Opening Day roster since Ila Borders in 2000. Brooks had a brief stint with the team before seeking her own release for ethical reasons and to seek other playing opportunities. Tiffany Brooks is also the first and only female baseball player ever to compete in all three Independent professional instructional leagues,(California Winter League, Arizona Summer League, and Arizona Winter League). She is the first and only female to compete in the California Winter League (2011) and the Arizona Summer League (2011), and one of two to ever compete in the Arizona Winter League (2010).

Gaétan Alibert: Can you present yourself and your sporting career so far?

Tiffany Brooks: As many people know, I’m really the only American pro-level female baseball player (RHP/1B) at the moment, and one of only two in the world who compete against men. Right now, I’m also the only female position player (as I not only pitch, but also play 1B) in the world at the moment. I signed a contract in 2010 in the Continental Baseball League (Independent Professional –now defunct) and made it through Spring Training and onto the Opening Day Roster. That made me the first Pitcher in the 21st century to sign a pro contract in American men’s baseball, and the first since Ila Borders.

Although I was on the roster, I sought my own release from the team a few days later without having the opportunity to take the field. I am the only female member of the Hollywood Legends Barnstorming Baseball team (all ex-MLB players and me) and am the first and only female to attend the California Winter League and Arizona Summer League (pro developmental/instructional leagues) and one of only two to attend the Arizona Winter League. I’m the only female ballplayer to attend all three.

I was also told I was the first female to ever play adult baseball in the Netherlands (3rd Division) in its 100+ year history, although I can’t verify that. I’ve frequently been the only female playing in men’s amateur national tournaments, and I’m the only female in our local league, where I play in the highest (18+) division.

I started baseball at 4 years old, with tee-ball, then played until I was given no other option but softball, then played Club Team Softball at Gonzaga University, going on to play softball in several countries, appearing in the European Cup and Joudr’s Cup after appearing in the 2005 Canada Cup and the Women’s A/B ASA National Championships. Thanks to my coach Quansio Quant, after picking up a baseball again in the Netherlands in 2007, I was given the opportunity to come back to baseball and haven’t looked back. I’ve recently converted to a submarine pitching style, and am hopeful this will give me the edge I need to be signed to a contract in 2012.

Gaétan Alibert: Why did you choose baseball and not softball like others girls do generally ?

Tiffany Brooks: Well, first, I would say that I didn’t choose baseball – it really chose me! It has always been a great fit for me. I love the rhythms of the game, the nuances and the pace. Softball is exciting, too, but in a different way. It’s a very, very quick game, and although similar, the two sports are not equivalent. Many men play softball around the world, of course, and are quite good at it (especially New Zealanders), and now there is a growing number of women returning to baseball.

So I don’t see either of the two sports as gender-specific in any way. We were playing baseball in the United States long before softball was invented – by men to play indoors in factories, with the “soft”ball invented to not hurt machinery – and around the world, there are more women who play baseball than softball. Another important point is that most girls do not just “choose” softball. Many are forced into it as the only option. I’d like to help change that!

Gaétan Alibert: How did you end up playing for a men’s pro team? Was it a draft or tryout? What was your motivation?

Tiffany Brooks: Before I signed on with my current agent (Nello Gamberdino at NPG Sports), I had to do all my own communication. I was reaching out to a number of teams to see if there might be any interest in my trying out or getting an invitation to Spring Training. Pure and simple, my motivation was to play baseball at the highest level I was capable of.

I saw then, and continue to see, the Independent Minor Leagues as a stepping stone for non-traditional or overlooked players. I sometimes think of the Independent Leagues like the “Isle of Misfit Toys” in the Christmas show “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer!” We’re all looking for the perfect home. I was really excited to have an invitation to Spring Training, and after a week or so, it turned out I had made the team and the Opening Day Roster. I’m very happy to have had that opportunity, and that it seems to be encouraging more women to integrate and play with men in local leagues. I hope it will also help open some doors for women at the professional baseball level.

Gaétan Alibert: Were you welcomed by the the coach, public and players, or did you have to battle sexism?

Tiffany Brooks: As you know, America is a large country (in both size and population), and with so much land and diversity in our population, attitudes and culture can be quite different in various parts of the country. Some places are more culturally enlightened than others and treat gender equity in a serious way, while others are more old-fashioned and religion-based and treat women as second-class citizens. Where I signed (Alpine, Texas) was a very Christian, “traditional,” rural place. Most of the people were pleasant to me in the town, and many who saw me play in Spring Training (including several of the Assistant Coaches) were very supportive and believed in me as a legitimate player.

Unfortunately, that attitude did not extend to the Field Manager (who was not at Spring Training until the last several hours on the last day), so I moved on to seek other playing opportunities that would preserve my integrity and do honor to all the other women seeking to play at the highest levels one day. In short, yes, unfortunately there is a tremendous amount of sexism still in many places in America. Sometimes that comes from other players, but mostly it comes from old-school managers and coaches or younger ones that have pre-conceived notions of what women’s roles in society are. Most of these outdated attitudes come from the notion that women are lesser beings and that they are incapable of physically competing with men.

In developmental and instructional leagues (like the Arizona Winter League), the male players can be a little wary or curious in the beginning, but after they see I can compete, they are normally really supportive and treat me as a teammate. I have many male friends who are ex-teammates – and we stay in contact pretty often. Some male players are not supportive, of course, but most of those are men that believe women exist only for sexual conquest. Beyond the instructional leagues are the actual professional leagues. For me, right now, this is the Independent Leagues, and there is a certain amount of anxiety that comes with playing in them to start with (for most male players), as it’s often seen as the “last shot” at trying to live the dream of making it to the Major Leagues. Many professional players are resistant to having a woman on the team, as they believe it will limit their opportunities at advancement. Because of this backwards thinking, they believe that if a woman can make the team, then they [the male players] must not be very good, so how will they ever be noticed and advance to the Major Leagues? Players’ mothers and girlfriends can be some of the toughest critics, as they sometimes let religion rule their thinking and believe it’s wrong for you to be in a “man’s role” or that you are taking playing time away from their son/boyfriend and thus you are limiting their opportunities to advance.

Many male professional players believe having a woman on the team is a joke or is purely for publicity purposes. Although this can happen, my goal is to be viewed as a legitimate, skilled player, whose only job is to help make the team better. It can be a tough road most of the time, but every time it seems to be too difficult, I think of my love of the game, and the girls and women coming behind me who want to play this great game. I think of their notes, e-mails, Facebook messages, and the look in their eyes when I autograph a baseball for them, and that gives me all the determination I need to continue.

Gaétan Alibert: Many people don’t want men and women to play together in adult baseball because some say say it’s too dangerous, too athletic for a woman, or that women can’t compete with men. You play with men What is your point of view ?

Tiffany Brooks: This idea that it’s too dangerous for women to play baseball with men, or that we’re not athletic enough to compete with men is utter nonsense, and has its roots in the latter part of the 19th century, when a few doctors advanced the notion that somehow physical activity would compromise our reproductive abilities or that we were somehow too “frail” for athletics. I will admit that there are some women who are not athletically inclined, who prefer to not be physically fit, or they willingly put themselves into outdated notions of “femininity” and a subservient role in society – and I absolutely agree that they most likely should not step onto a field and try to compete with men. But the same can be said of a vast majority of men in the world.

Not every man is a competitive athlete, and those that try to get on the field without proper training often get hurt. I see it all the time in the local amateur leagues I sometimes play in. Male “Weekend Warriors” come out to play. Many don’t train or work on their overall fitness, so they often get injured or don’t perform well. Women are getting taller and more sturdily built and now know better how to train, so many women can – and will be– competing equally with men in a number of sports very soon – not just in baseball.

Gaétan Alibert: Have you played with female baseball teams ? If yes, what are the differences ? If no, why not?

Tiffany Brooks: I’ve had the opportunity to compete with quite a few women’s amateur baseball teams. Just like men’s amateur teams, the skill level can vary widely. Some male amateur teams are quite good, while others struggle to make fundamental plays. This is true for female baseball teams as well. As you know, I was fortunate to win a couple of silver medals in women’s international play at the Hong Kong Phoenix Cup for Women’s Baseball. The teams there, and at the Women’s World Cup are quite good, and some could compete against men’s teams. At these highest amateur levels, the differences between men’s and women’s teams are very small or non-existent – but there are a few.

I think this will change as women get more opportunities to train, but in general, the women I have played with don’t have as much velocity when they throw, and in general, are not quite as fast on the bases as the average men playing at the same level. As a Pitcher, I find it very challenging throwing to a generally smaller strike zone with female players. The game is basically the same for both sexes as I see it (and the field dimensions are exactly the same), and the style of play is only different in the way players adapt to it. Someone like a David Eckstein or Dustin Pedroia — who are smaller in build — have reached to the highest levels in MLB.

To play baseball professionally with men, you don’t have to hit a lot of home runs, throw 90+ mph, or run a world class 60 yard dash – but you do have to have unique skills that will help your team, and I think a lot of female players have that. There are no professional leagues for women in America, so our only opportunities to play professionally right now are to integrate into “male” pro leagues. There aren’t many of us trying to do that right now – but there were over 1000 girls playing High School Baseball last year (on “male” teams) in America, and there are two female players playing college baseball this year. The day is quickly coming where Eri Yoshida and I won’t be the only women in the world playing professionally!

Gaétan Alibert: You played in the Netherlands. Would you like to play in other countries?

Tiffany Brooks: Playing in the Netherlands was a terrific opportunity, and one that was very friendly. Although I was not playing at the professional level in baseball there, my coach, Quansio Quant, took a big risk in asking me if I wanted to play. I had no idea at the time that no other woman had done that in Dutch Baseball! I was later told I was the first in the 100+ year history of the sport in the Netherlands. I was quite honored, of course, and it told me just how forward-thinking Coach Quant was! I have to thank him greatly for helping me go further in the sport I love.

His actions are indicative of one of the things I most appreciate about Europe – in general, there is more gender equity, and women are more often valued for their abilities, not just for their secondary sexual characteristics. In short, yes, I’d love to play in other countries. I’d like to play almost anywhere in the world where there is professional baseball, but I’d be very honored to play again in Europe, especially for a team that would like to take advantage of my experience and knowledge of the game and for whom I would be a valued member of their team.

I pitch submarine style now, and have played every position on the field as an amateur, and am a RHP/1B at the pro level. I give baseball and softball lessons, have coached, have pitched overhand and sidearm as well, so I know something of pitching mechanics, hitting mechanics, and good fundamentals in fielding and throwing, so I think in addition to being a player for a team, I could also bring some depth as a veteran player or player/coach.

Gaétan Alibert: Do you have any closing remarks for French players?

Tiffany Brooks: I do! I have only had the opportunity to visit France once so far, but it was a great experience, and I value your culture greatly. In my own personal history, one side of my family was from the Highlands of Scotland, and after fleeing that country under penalty of death, they settled in France before coming to Canada, and then into the U.S., so I have a very personal, historic connection to France. Many of the women I met in France were strong-willed and able to express themselves in society. This points to better gender equity in France, and great hope for the future of women in sport there. I would urge French baseball teams to explore developing women’s skills in baseball, and look to those female softball players who are very talented — the conversion from softball to baseball is an easy one for most female athletes, and they might just become one of your best players!

Finally, the French National motto, “Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité “ says much about your society and the liberated way it views its citizens. Isn’t it perhaps time to expand that to women in baseball? Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité et Sororité ? That sounds like a winner to me! Thank you all very much for taking the time to read this interview. It was an honor to be asked. If you are a French baseball player, I hope one day to be your teammate !

Mister-Baseball.com wants to thank Gaétan Alibert, Tiffany Brooks and the Honus Blog for providing us with the interview.

Jakub Janda: Patrick, could you tell us how have you enjoyed the 2011 season?

Pat Ahearne: The 2011 season didn’t end the way I would have liked after we lost in the Finals, but overall it was a good experience. The players with Draci are a good group of guys and it was fun to work with them this season. It was different for me this year because the last two seasons, I was brought over mainly for the European cup and for the Playoffs so I would go back and forth from USA a couple times during the season. This year, I stayed with the team for the whole season. I am pleased to see how the players on the team improved during the course of the year and I’m also happy with my performance overall during the season and proud to have received Nejlepsi Nadhozovac for Extraliga 2011.

Jakub Janda: How did you like your role with the Czech National Team?

Pat Ahearne: My work with the National Team was the most enjoyable part of the summer. I did some work with the Seniors, but I was mainly the pitching coach with the Juniors during Prague Baseball Week and the European Championships in Spain. The Juniors are an excellent group of players that work hard and have a lot of heart. We became the Cinderella story of the tournament making it all the way to the final game and having the best finish ever for the Czech Juniors in the Euro Championship (2nd Place). I am especially proud of how all of them played and how they played together as a team. It was great to watch.

Jakub Janda: You have played in many playoff games. Could you go into the Final Series and give us your look on how it went?

Pat Ahearne: The final series was four very exciting hard fought games which unfortunately ended in a Draci loss and an end to the 16 year streak of championships. I would like to congratulate Technika players and management on their win. They deserve it.
The one game we did win was quite exciting as we were down to our last strike in the ninth inning with Hajtmar battling at the plate to come through with a big hit.

The rest of the series was marked by exciting matches with the game in the balance on every pitch and every play. It’s how a championship should be. When every play could decide the outcome of the game, the team that executes and makes the right decisions will come out on top. Unfortunately for us, Technika came through with big hits, executed plays when they needed to and made better decisions. That is why they deserved to win.

I don’t want to take any credit away from our players as they put in their best effort. It’s just how baseball is – whoever does it better on that particular day will win the game.

Jakub Janda: How do you schedule your 2012?

Pat Ahearne: My schedule for 2012 is not set at the moment. As far as Czech baseball, they need time to settle things after the season and see how their budgets will be for next year. I hope I will be able to return to the league and help Czech baseball as a whole and especially to join the Juniors coaching staff again as they go into the World Championships next September in Korea.

Jakub Janda: Do you still have some career goal to achieve?

Pat Ahearne: I have some career goals to acheive however they are in the area of coaching. I enjoy the challenge of coaching and guiding players to improvement. I enjoy trying to find any way to get players to be better than they ever thought they could be.

Jakub Janda: What keeps you in baseball, generally?

Pat Ahearne: Baseball has been part of my life even since before I started little league at 8 years old. I’ve been able to play all over the world and at the highest level of the game. Love of the game is what keeps me in baseball generally. I enjoy pitching very much and more and more I get excitement and satisfaction in coaching. I enjoy the challenge of coaching and at the same time it is the best way I know to give back to the game.

Thank you.
Jakub Janda

Mister-Baseball: At which point did you think, you could win the Baseball World Cup? Was there a game, a situation, where you said, well, we could go all the way?

Brian Farley: The first thoughts occurred early once I saw how well we played in our four pre tournament games versus Venezuela (2X), Ch. Taipei and Panama. We won all four and did it in different ways.  However, a couple of things were in place that you look for as a coach.  Our defense and pitching were very solid and we were making the most of our opportunities to score. I was also very pleased with our perseverance and refusal to quit, which are crucial in this game.  We twice came back from being behind by 6 runs in our last game versus Venezuela.   There were a number of other moments which added to my and our team’s belief in our ability to go all the way.  The most important being when we beat Australia in a hard fought game which took place over two days.  We resumed the game tied 1 to 1 in the top of the seventh, with runners on 1st and 3rd for the Aussies and two outs and we got out of the jam on one pitch to a very dangerous hitter.  Then proceeded to win the game in the bottom of the seventh and hold on for a 2-1 win.  Three hours later we began a game versus Cuba and went on to win 4-1 in a tremendously well played game.  That’s when I think we all felt that we deserved to win it all!

Mister-Baseball: What were the keys to win the tournament?

Brian Farley: Well as mentioned above the key elements of pitching, defense and timely hitting.  Perhaps more important than this was our ability to stay in the moment throughout the tournament.  Not getting distracted by what just happened or what might happen but just playing and executing to the best of our ability at that moment.  Top sport people refer to this as the flow. It is easier in theory than it is in practice but we made this one of our key initiatives and the guys responded to it tremendously.  Last but not least was our preparation for each game which gave us a tremendous amount of confidence.  This was possible due to some great work from our staff members, in particular Dave Drayer our advance scout and Tjerk Smeets who assembled and organized all the information.  There is a great motto which goes “Fail to prepare then prepare to fail”.

Mister-Baseball: How important is the title for Dutch Baseball and European Baseball in general?

Brian Farley: Hard to say how the future will play out but given the amount of publicity we have received but I am hopeful that it will be extremely important.  I believe that Europe has an opportunity to show that they can no longer be overlooked when it comes to international baseball and I am hopeful that we will be able to capitalize on our recent success in the form of increased participation from young boys in our sport throughout Europe. I would also like to see a positive effect on those IOC members who have voted against baseball in the past.  Europe has enormous potential and hopefully this championship will act as a catalyst for both growth and recognition.

Mister-Baseball: How did you handle the long rain delay in the finals?

Brian Farley: At the beginning of the tournament I spoke to the team and told them that “whatever happens is exactly what we expect”.  We also reinforced the need for us to stay in control of ourselves and not allow things outside of our control to distract us from our mission.  We had an enormous amount of distractions during the tournament that will go unknown for the most part. The guys handled all these distractions in an incredibly professional manner. The rain delay was no different other than the fact that it was magnified due to it being a world championship game.  Each player has their own way of coping with these types of things.  Some are introvert and prefer to play games on their Ipads or phones.  Others release steam by being  with their fellow teammates and telling stories, jokes or playing games.  This is an individual thing and my advice is to allow them that time to do their thing.  We would have been ready whenever they said “Play Ball”.

Mister-Baseball: You won the Baseball World Cup in your first year as head coach. What is next?

Brian Farley: Great question…I’m going to ask that exact question of my players when I meet with them next week.  Keeping the hunger to perform at the top after such an extraordinary success is a big challenge for all of us.  However there are a number of big tournaments on the horizon and this will be where we will turn our attention.  We have the European championships next year here in The Netherlands and we will be very determined to recapture the title we lost to Italy in 2010.  Also the WBC is coming in 2013 and this will of course be a great challenge for us.

Even though the German team did not manage to secure a win, the three players are glad they could make the trip and help represent their country. We caught up with them shortly after their return to Bonn:

Are you satisfied with the tournament or is the disappointment over the win-less run overwhelming?

Lennart Weller: Of course we war disappointed about not being able to win a game, but we still played a good tournament. It was a great experience to be able to represent Germany and play against such high-class opponents.

Max Schmitz: We saw that Teams like Cuba still play on another level, but we played hard and professional baseball and got better every day. So personally I see the tournement positively, even though the results were not satisfying.

Tim Henkenjohann: We delivered really close games on a high level, but of course I‘d rather leave the field victorious, especially in the games against Italy and South Korea. We are not that far away from the world class teams.

Max, you played a great tournament in your first World Cup. You had the best ERA of all German Pitchers and finished the tournament with three perfect innings against Australia. How would you rate your rookie performance?

Max Schmitz: I am very proud of my performance as a pitcher for the German team. The feeling you get on the mound is unbelievable and Kai Gronauer and Chris Howard behing the plate really helped me with my game. I hope this was only my first of many tournaments.

It was Germany‘s third World Cup Qualification in a row and next year the European Championship is around the corner. What can we expect from Capitals‘ Players on the German team?

Lennart Weller: We can expect a lot, hopefully. But to be able to play in the Euro 2012, we all need to work hard over the winter and next season.

Max Schmitz: It‘s really hard to predict the future, but we all want to come back for the German team next year.

Tim Henkenjohann: I‘m pretty sure the Capitals‘ Players will be in the focus next year, concerning new talent on the national team. Our coach, Mirko Heid, has installed a very good program here in Bonn and it‘s only a matter of time, that new talent will make its way to the national team.

Even though winter is just around the corner, we want to know what the Capitals have planned for next season, after making it to the semi-finals of the German championship this year?

Tim Henkenjohann: The last couple of years have shown where we want to go. OUr perforrmance has been getting better every year and our goal is to compete for the championship.

Lennart Weller: After reaching the semi-finals for the first time in eleven years, we at least want to achieve that again next year and if possible make it to the finals.

Max Schmitz: I‘m pretty sure the Capitals will be a contender next year. We want to establish ourselves as one of the top-4-teams in Germany.

Coach Mirko Heid can only agree with his players: „I‘m very proud of my Players. Tim has been a regular on the national team for years and I‘m very happy that Lennart and Max get the chance to show their talent for Germany after growing up in our organization and starting in our youth program. Time will tell, if we can get more Capitals‘ players on the national team.“

JJ: Andy, you have been nominated for the Coach of the year by the EBCA. Why do you think your performance in 2011 is considered as one of the best among European coaches?

AB: First, I think it’s a great honor to be recognized as a candidate for the EBCA Coach of the Year Award, especially considering how many dedicated coaches there are in Europe and how strong the other finalists‘ resumes are.  I think the Czech Republic’s achievement of it’s first ever medal at the European Junior Championships and all the time and effort we’ve been putting into developing the future here with our Academy work especially, was a factor.  When I took the positions I did as head Czech Republic Senior and Junior National team coach and with the Eagles Praha, my goal was to make an immediate impact.  And I think we’ve made definite changes for the better this past year.

JJ: Could you recap your 2011 with the Senior national team?

AB: We just had a 2-day training camp with 24 guys in Brno over the past weekend.  It was important for me because I really wanted to see which players were still hungry even after their seasons, to represent their country next year and build chemistry with the new coaching staff.  It was also important because we really didn’t have a lot of time to spend together this year besides the Prague Baseball Week and our exhibition game versus Austria.  We went 7-1 in those games, with our only loss (6 to 5) coming to a strong AIST American team in the PBW final.  We hit over .400 in the tournament as a team and had strong pitching, so I was pleased with what I saw.  A number of guys are fighting for our final 24-man roster that will be going after the first medal in Czech Republic baseball history next year.

JJ: Could you do a brief recap of the 2011 with the Junior national team?

AB: We had a special group of players and coaches that accomplished history for Czech Junior National baseball.  I don’t think many people would have predicted that we would wind up in the final, but we won the key games that we needed.  We really played with passion those final four games versus Spain, France, Germany and Holland and it paid off for us.  It all started back in March with a message that our team goal was to compete for the gold medal on July 10, 2011.  After the Prague Baseball Week, we picked the team that we thought would give us the best opportunity.  The whole week in Gijon, Spain was special.  That semifinal victory over Germany on a rain-soaked field to qualify for the World Championships was also a moment I know I will always cherish.

JJ: Please, give us an outlook of your plans for the 2012 season.

AB: We’re working on all the details now of a packed schedule for all the categories.  My focus will be preparing the Seniors for our quest for a medal in Holland in September at the European Championships.  We’ll have a detailed spring training in March, play in the Prague Baseball Week in June, schedule games with another A-pool National Team in July, do a preparation week before the Euros, and cap off the season with the World Baseball Classic Qualifiers.  So we have a lot to look forward to.  I’ll also be involved with selecting and preparing the Junior National team for the World Championships in Korea.  Our offseason programs and our Academy programs will be crucial to the success of both our Senior and Junior National teams.  Players are beginning those programs as we speak.

JJ: Regarding your coaching duty with the Extraleague team Eagles Prague – could you coment on the 2011 season?

AB: To finish with a 20-win season and reach the semifinals, after the horrendous start we had was a major turnaround for the club.  There was not much structure and discipline when I first got there, and once players realized how crucial that discipline is to winning games and growing together, it became a much better environment.  Teamwise, Jan Drabek had another solid year and showed his leadership by stepping in as our starting shortstop.  Matej Husek really pitched well this year and established himself as a strong starting pitcher.  We also had a lot of young guys step up this year, that the Eagles should be excited about for the future.  We gave Draci Brno all we had in the playoffs, but they were the better team.  My hats off to Technika Brno and coaches Tomas Svoboda and Roger Deago for accomplishing what we couldn’t.  They played Draci extremely tough in the finals.

JJ: There has been a talk about limits for foreign players in the Czech league. Could you give us your insights?

AB: There’s a few ways to look at it.  Ultimately, I’m am all for anything that makes the Extraliga and the Czech National programs stronger.  I think the foreign players definitely help strengthen the league and the competition here.   When Czech hitters get to face former MLB pitchers like Ahearne, McCarthy, and Deago, it raises the standard of baseball and forces hitters to step their game up.  The same goes for Czech pitchers that must face tough foreign hitters in the lineup.  As a national coach, I want the Czech guys to play against the best competition possible on a regular basis, so we are prepared to face the best European teams come European Championships.

PUC. You played for PUC in 1990. How were you recruited and what was it like when you arrived ?

Brian Farley. I played for Puc in a tournament versus Villadecan in Barcelona. The head coach was a Japanese legend named Yoshida. We beat Villedecan in a great game that I pitched and it was a wonderful time of which I still have fond memories. I was recruited by Gene Gremaldi who is a friend of mine to this day.

PUC. Given your vast experience in university baseball, the minor leagues and in the Dutch league, how would you compare all that with baseball in France when you joined PUC ? In other words, the level of play, the quality of coaches and players, and how the sport is organized in France.

BF. French baseball has come a long way since I played in 1990. The coaching and development of players is much higher and they are producing quality athletes who know how to play the game. I have had the pleasure of working with some of these players during our European Showcase tours of the US in 2009 and 2010. France is no longer a team to take lightly at all and we have a great deal of respect for their coaches and players. I am less familiar with the current club environment in France as it has been a long time since I have visited the country for baseball purposes.

PUC. At PUC, you were coached by the great Japanese star, Yoshio Yoshida. What stood out to you about his coaching ? How was his approach to coaching different from that in the U.S., particularly in the minor leagues ?

BF. I wasn’t with Coach Yoshida for very long and the language barrier was a bit difficult. However he was a very impressive man who impressed me by his calmness and discipline. It was clear that we were in the presence of a great baseball player. The Japanese way is different to ours in the level of discipline and the attention to detail that the Japanese enforce. They are very strong at pitching, defense and in situational play. They rarely beat themselves and never quit. All in all their results in the last two World Baseball Classic speak of perhaps the best style of baseball on the planet.

PUC. PUC was the French national champion when you were here. What stands out most in your memory of that time ? The players ? Their team spirit ? How they played ?

BF. PUC was indeed a very good team when I was there. Again, I wasn’t with them for very long but I have fond memories of the time and still run into some of the players I played against who are now coaching from time to time.

PUC. Have you followed the evolution of French baseball since that time? What do you think ? What’s your evaluation of those teams that have taken part in international competitions?

BF. As I mentioned above, I and the Dutch take the French program very seriously. They have done a tremendous job at the academies and we are seeing many more French players who are able to play at the highest international levels.

PUC. Your Dutch team won the World Cup of Baseball, an historic achievement. What was that like ? How did the Dutch react ?

BF. The response to our winning the world title has been overwhelming. It started out slow with very little media interest at the beginning. Once we made the finals and beat Cuba for the first time, the media took a new look and all of a sudden we were everywhere in the Dutch media. Since arriving home to a tremendous reception we have been on many of the nation’s top television and radio shows and have been in all the major papers. It has been just tremendous.

PUC. Ten of your players on your championship team were professionals. How did you deal with the chemistry between those players and those who were amateurs ? Was it difficult ? Were there any problems ?

BF. Our success did not come overnight. We have had this system in place for a number of years so the majority of the players know and genuinely like each other. The atmosphere and chemistry was one of the main reasons for our success.

PUC. What are your plans or goals for Holland’s national team ?

BF. Our result goal will now change towards winning back the European title which we lost to the Italians in 2010. Our process goals will remain the same. Stay in control of those things you have within your control and let the rest go, stay in the moment, develop yourself to the best of your ability and compete, compete, compete !

PUC. And finally, how do you see baseball evolving in Europe ?

BF. Hopefully this will have a very positive impact on both Dutch as well as European baseball. In order for us to grow as a nation we need to grow as a continent. I dream of the day when every kid in Europe signs up to play Little League baseball. I know that this is unlikely to ever happen but we can certainly look to double the number of boys choosing baseball as thier primary sport. In any case I believe that if you stop dreaming you might as well stop living!

Mister-Baseball thanks Paris UC for giving us the opportunity to re-publish their interview with Dutch National Team head coach Brian Farley.

How did your Team qualify for the 2011 Baseball World Cup?

Greg Frady:   We finished 3rd at the 2010 European Championships in Germany.

What selection process did you went through to complete the roster for the BWC?

Greg Frady:  Always we had several meetings and discussions about the final roster.  For 2011, I wanted to get a mix of veterans and young guys to keep German baseball growing for now and the future.  We had a large group of players to select from and I divided them up using the World Port Tournament and the World Cup to continue with our National Team development.   Each roster features players that are skilled in their area and can help the team play at a competitive level.

What are your expectations for the BWC? Which teams are favored in your group and to win it all?

Greg Frady:  My expectation for the German team is to play each day at a very high level.  I expect the team to be in a position for positive results each day.  We are playing in a very difficult group, but this is the World Cup and each team is going to be very strong.  Our focus will be on playing the game hard, executing our game plan and finishing strong.  Baseball across International borders continues to grow stronger and each team in our pool has a chance to be a finalist.

How important is the BWC for the German Baseball and Softball Federation?

Greg Frady:  Our primary goal for the German Senior National team, is always the European Championship because it presents us with an opportunity to secure a spot in the World Cup.  Following the European Championship, the World Cup has been the next important event for the German Senior National Team because for years the WC has been the highest tournament we could play in.  The 2011 WC will be our third opportunity to participate, since I started with the team.  These tournaments have been the spring board to other invitations.  The consistency of playing at the WC level has helped us gain invitation to many international events, like the World Port Tournament, the World Baseball Challenge in Canada, series with the USA National Team, the Final Olympic Qualifier and now an invitation to the World Baseball Classic qualifier in 2012. Furthermore, the WC has been very important to development of German baseball.

Did/will you hold a training camp in preparation of the BWC? Did/will you play any exhibition games and if yes, against which team(s)? How important was the World Port Tournament for the German Team?

Greg Frady:  The World Port Tournament  this past summer was very important to the team because, we used that tournament to get ready for the World Cup.  Additionally, any tournament  we are able to participate in, is an opportunity to continue to help grow German baseball.  We will not be together before the WC, but time together from this past summer will serve as our preparation.  Loss of Olympic funding, university, jobs and family considerations made it difficult for us to be together for prior traning.  This is not perfect, but this is the best we can do at this time.

Any players missing due to injury or other obligations?

Greg Frady:  My focus is on the 24 man roster that we have selected and we will spend our time and energy on these guys.  Many factors create change to our roster each tournament, but the players chosen always represent German baseball well.

You selected Daniel Thieben to the German roster. He hasn’t played much in the Baseball-Bundesliga so far. What was the reason for this surprise selection?

Greg Frady:  Daniel is a very good young pitcher.  His talent and ability is the reason he was selected.  This tournament will serve as a very good learning experience for him as he continues a bright future in baseball.  I will pick the right spots for Daniel in this tournament, so that he will be in a position to have success in his Senior National team introduction.

Can you tell us something about your coaching staff?

Greg Frady:  Troy Williams is our pitching coach and he has been with me and the team for 8 years.  He brings consistency to the staff and the players feel a good comfort level with him.  Dirk Fries returns as Bench coach and brings a lot of experience to the Senior team.  He is in his 2nd year as a coach, but had a long a successful playing career.  Dirk is closer to the player’s age and speaks the native language; this is beneficial to me and for the success of the team.  Nick Hogan will fill the last spot on our staff.  He is a Division 1 college coach and is an excellent teacher with emphasis on base running, bunting and outfield play.  These are areas in which we pay a lot of attention to and must continue to improve.

How did your Team qualify for the 2011 Baseball World Cup?

Marco Mazzieri: We are currently the Champions of Europe. The 2010 European Championship, that we won, qualified the top 3 teams to the World Cup.

What selection process did you went through to complete the roster for the BWC? Any problems recruiting professional players for Panama?

Marco Mazzieri: We have been working on a group of players since 2007. Of course, we asked we follow every player who qualifies for the National Team and then concentrate on the players made available by their organizations. Basically, our team is made by the best Italian players of the Italian Baseball League.

What are your expectations for the BWC? Which teams are favored in your group and to win it all?

Marco Mazzieri: Italy wants to compete. If we play at our best, we can make it to the second round and once we are amongst the top 8, we will play one game at a time and see how far we can get.

The best teams in our group are Cuba and the Dominican Republic, in my opinion. But it’s a tough group indeed. Korea and Australia look like young squads, but they have plenty of talent. Venezuela is one of the world baseball powers, Nicaragua plays solid baseball and Germany was tough to beat in the 2010 Euros. I repeat: we will need to play 100%, if we want to make it amongst the top 4 of the group.

How important is the BWC in your country?

Marco Mazzieri: It is a very important tournament for the baseball community. But when you play baseball in the Fall, with all of the pro leagues (soccer, basketball, rugby) already active, you need to perform at the top, to get some interest outside of the baseball community

Did/will you hold a training camp in preparation of the BWC? Did/will you play any exhibition games and if yes, against which team(s)? How much helped the Spring Training in Florida?

Marco Mazzieri:  The Spring Training was a very important moment for us. We realize we cannot work out too often during the season and we were aware of the fact we would have had the team together only in July for the All Star Game. As I told to the players, there are many players we consider, but only 24 go to the World Cup. So we pick the ones we consider more fit to the tournament we are going to play.

We will play four games against Instructional League teams (2 vs The Marlins and 2 vs The Nationals) while in Florida. We went back to Vero Beach Sports Village (former Dodger Town) and will stay until September 30th

Any players missing due to injury or other obligations?

Marco Mazzieri: We don’t have relevant injuries. The biggest name we are missing is Alex Liddi, who just made is Big League debut. Also Francisco Cervelli would like to play for us, but he’s a Big Leaguer too.

Could you introduce your coaching staff to us?

Marco Mazzieri: Fortitudo Bologna manager Marco Nanni is my Bench Coach. FIBS Academy MLB Coach in Residence Bill Holmberg is my pitching coach. The hitting coach will be once again Mike Piazza, who is a regular on the staff. Former Team Italy’s second baseman Alberto D’Auria is our third base coach (the same position he has for Nettuno in the IBL) and Claudio Vecchi, a veteran coach who was with the National Team before I was named the manager) will be our first base coach.

How did your Team qualify for the 2011 Baseball World Cup?

Jim Essian:  We participated in the 2010 European Seniors Championship in Stuttgart Germany where we placed 4th behind Italy, The Netherlands, and Germany.

What selection process did you went through to complete the roster for the BWC? Any problems recruiting professional players for Panama?

Jim Essian:  Since the provisional team roster could include as many as 60 athletes, we included all active players who had played for Greece in the past and added young prospects that our coaching staff and scouts had identified both in Greece and in North America. We had several professional players with MLB contracts. However none of them were unfortunately available to particiate in the World Cup.

What are your expectations for the BWC? Which teams are favored in your group and to win it all?

Jim Essian:  We hope to qualify for the 2nd round of the competition despite the fact that our group is packed with baseball powerhouses.  The obvious favorites in our group are the U.S.A. and Japan, but ultimately all the teams in group 1 are potentially capable of reaching the 2nd round.  I believe that Greece will win it all, but otherwise I would guess that a close runner up would probably be the U.S.A. or Japan.

How important is the BWC in your country?

Jim Essian:  Although baseball had never been of any particular interest to the general Greek population, an interesting series of events has changed that status dramatically.  Basically, the Greek government sanctioned betting corporation, OPAP, recently started a betting program where Greeks can now bet on MLB baseball game results.  Since then, Greeks have suddenly gained an interest in the sport, which has surpassed even the most optimistic expectations.  As a result, more and more young Greeks are expressing an interest in the sport and are looking for means through which they will be able to watch our games.  Six months ago the BWC would have been of very little importance in Greece, but now it has become the topic of discussion amongst an ever growing number of Greeks.

Did/will you hold a training camp in preparation of the BWC? Did/will you play any exhibition games and if yes, against which team(s)?

Jim Essian:  Due to the fact that the overwhelming majority of our players are amateurs, they obviously pursue other vocations and play baseball only as a hobby.  Consequently, we did not have the luxury of holding a training camp for the BWC.  No exhibition games were or are planned.

Any players missing due to injury or other obligations?

Jim Essian:  We have several key players who are going to be missing from our roster.  Some because of injuries and others because of professional obligations.  Some of these players include Clay Bellinger, Alex Cremidans, Jim Kavourias, Kevin Pickford, Troy Pickford, Robert Kingsbury, George Pipergias, Billy Arvanitis, Kostas Arvanitis, George Lebesis, Jim Chatzikyriakou, Jim Lomis, Byron Patsis, Peter Soteropoulos, and Greg Spanos to name a few.

Could you introduce your coaching staff to us?

Jim Essian:  James Sarkis Essian,  Manager:  Mr. Essian is a 12 year MLB veteran catcher and infielder who worked as a Chicago Cubs Coach for several years before becoming the manager of the Cubs in 1991.  Mr. Essian managed the Greek National Team in the European Qualifier Tournament in Portugal in 2008 and managed the Greek National Team in the 2010 European Seniors Championship in Germany.
Mike Riskas, Bench Coach:  Mr. Riskas was the Head Baseball Coach for Pomona College for over 30 years.  He was assigned as the “Coach in Residence” for Greece by MLB International in 1991 and he had the same position in France in the late 80’s when he led the Junior National Team of France to a 2nd place finish in the Junior European Championships.
Joseph Vreonis, Pitching Coach:  Mr. Vreonis is the Head Varsity Baseball Coach for the Pittsburg High School team.
Tom Mazarakis, Coach

How did your Team qualify for the 2011 Baseball World Cup?

Brian Farley: Qualification was achieved during the 2010 European Championships in Germany.

What selection process did you went through to complete the roster for the BWC? Any problems recruiting professional players?

Brian Farley: The selection process is very detailed and requires a number of steps.  All teams must submit a provisional roster to MLB which indicates which players you wish to approach.  MLB then contacts the organizations to get their permission to approach these players.  Once that is in place, we are allowed to contact the players.  No current major league player or any player on the 40 man roster is eligible for the BWC.

What are your expectations for the BWC? Which teams are favored in your group and to win it all?

Brian Farley: My expectations are high as I feel we have a very talented team.  A place in the quarter finals should be the absolute minimum goal.  We have the ability to beat any team that we play however we need to be at our very best to do it.  I think that you have to look again at the US and Cuba as the outright favorites to play in the finals.  The Canadian team roster is also impressive.  A number of teams have yet to submit their rosters so it’s difficult to say how talented they will be.

How important is the BWC in your country?

Brian Farley: Very important in terms of having an international tournament where we can benchmark ourselves against the rest of the world.  Now that the Olympics are, for the near future, no longer on the agenda, the World Cup becomes even more vital for us as one of the few remaining worldwide tournaments.  Of course the World Baseball Classic remains the granddaddy of all baseball tournaments, however  I feel that we need to have a worldwide event at least every two years and the BWC fills that role nicely.

Will you hold a training camp in preparation of the BWC? Will you play exhibition games and if yes, against which teams?

Brian Farley: We currently have three exhibition games scheduled and we are looking at this moment for a fourth.  We will play them in Panama and they will be against Panama, Chinese Taipai and Australia.

Competition in the Netherlands ended several weeks before the Baseball World Cup. Except for the players of L&D Amsterdam, how will you try to make up for the lack of playing time?

Brian Farley: This is a challenge as you can imagine.  We want to keep our hitters and pitchers sharp during this non competitive period.   We do this by running simulated games with our pitchers going live versus our hitters.  It’s not ideal but it’s as close as we can get until we play our exhibitions.

Any players missing due to injury or other obligations?

Brian Farley: We miss a number of players who are either in the Major Leagues or who are on 40 man rosters.  As well as a couple of players with late season injuries.

Can you introduce to us your coaching staff?

Brian Farley: Steve Jansen is our pitching coach, he is very well respected in his area and has done a great deal to invest in his own development.  He was the Head Coach of Neptunus in 2010 and they broke all records in going on to become national champions.
Tjerk Smeets is in his second year as coach. Tjerk is very bright and hard working which is a very desired combination for a head coach.  He has taken over the job of hitting coach and done a great job for us thus far.
Wim Martinus has been with the staff for a number of years and is our trusted 3B coach and throws the best BP on the continent.
Last but by no means least is Ben Thijssen who is based in Curacao and is our main contact on the island.  He has been with the National Team for many years and served extremely well.

JS: My goal from the beginning of the season was to get my guys to understand the game of baseball better, and to play the game aggressively. In terms of wins and losses, I did not have a concrete goal for the team other than improving our record from last year. We absolutely achieved both of those goals. Paris UC had a terrible season last year, and we didn’t have six of the top players from that team on the roster this year. Additionally, we were unfortunately hurt by some very key injuries during the season. All things considered, I am very proud of my team for accomplishing what they did. Last season, we were 3-21. This season, including the Challenge de France and 2 preseason games, we were 12-21.

PUC. What are we missing, what do we need in order to reach the playoffs and compete with the best teams for the championship?

JS: The answer to this question is not simple. If I had to point out two of our major weaknesses as a team it would be our pitching and our athleticism. We were last in the league in pitching, and relied too much on our foreign pitching to help us win games. The best teams in this league have solid French pitching, and until we manage to develop our French pitching, winning will be difficult. Concerning our athleticism as a team, we suffered in the outfield and on the base paths because of our lack of speed and versatility. I am a coach that likes to play baseball aggressively, and in order to do this, we need to improve our athleticism.

PUC. Generally speaking, what do you make of the 2011 Elite season? In particular, how would you compare the level of play here with that of American universities?

JS: I had a great time coaching in the Elite division during my first season. The glaring observation is that there is a big difference between the best teams in the league, and the worst teams in the league. For baseball, I do not believe it is a good thing when a league is unbalanced, so I hope the league will be better balanced next season. Compared to the level of play in American universities, I believe there are players in the French Elite division that could perform well at American universities. The biggest difference between American university baseball and French baseball is absolutely the depth of pitching. Every major university baseball program in the United States has someone on their staff that can throw 90+ mph and a solid group of pitchers than on any day can beat any other team. In our league, each team might have 1 or 2 solid pitchers, and then after that the level really drops.

PUC. Among our opponents, which teams or players impressed, surprised or disappointed you?

JS: Impressed : I liked the way that Montpellier played the game. It’s clear that Jean-Michel (Head Coach) demands his players to play the game the right way. Although they weren’t the most talented team, I think they play the game with class and determination. Surprised : I was surprised by the reception I received by all of the opposing teams. I am a foreign coach new to this league, and all of the teams made it a point to openly welcome me to the league and to France.
Disappointed : I do not think I was « disappointed » in anything this season. Instead, I think « confused » would be a better term for how I felt about the mentality of my team against the better teams in the league. It is a fact that there is no team in this league that my team should be intimidated by. None of the teams in the league are unbeatable, and we should never be intimidated by any other team in the league. However, I feel that my team played scared against the better teams in the league.

PUC: What about players on our team?

JS: Impressed : There are 3 names that come to mind when it comes to making an impression on me during my first season : Oscar Saavedra, Maximin Monbeig, and Camille Mesguich. Oscar’s approach at the plate improved throughout the season, and he will become an even better hitter when he sees more pitching with his new approach. Maximin needs to mature a lot as a baseball player, both physically and mentally, but he was a much better pitcher at the end of the year than he was at the beginning of the year. Lastly, Camille, like Oscar, improved his approach at the plate throughout the year and became a much better hitter later in the year. As a catcher, he improved his receiving and game calling with every game. I hope to rely on Camille more in the future as a cornerstone of our team.
Surprised : I was definitely surprised by the play of secondbaseman Francisco Arriagada. Well into his forties, he gave me fantastic effort at practice and during the games. He was easily our most reliable defensive option in the infield, and even came up with a few keys hits. Disappointed : Again, I do not like to think that I was disappointed by anything. If there is any disappointment in my mind, then I should be help accountable as the Head Coach. I will surely work hard to improve our mentality against the more talented teams in the league next season.

PUC. How do you see the play-downs at this time? What are you hoping for?

JS : I told my team that we will treat the play-downs like our « play-offs. » With Paris UC baseball, our goal is always to play the game well, and if we do that, we will win most of the time.

PUC. What, for you, was the highlight or best moment of the regular season?

JS: Our season was difficult because of the off-season losses and in-season injuries. So, for me, when we went 2-2 against Pessac and Toulouse with no foreign pitching and no French catcher, that showed the heart of our team. We beat one of the best pitchers in the league when we beat Briones of Pessac, and we came back from a 2-run deficit to beat Toulouse in extra-innings. Those were great wins for the team.

And the worst?

JS: I do not know if there was a worst « moment, » but I was most frustrated by our team’s lack of confidence against the better teams in the league. Like I said before, there is no team in the league that is so good that we can not beat them, and I want our players to play like they know this.

PUC. In addition to being coach or manager of the Elites, you are also sports director for the entire PUC baseball and softball program. What’s your evaluation of how the other PUC teams did this season?

JS: I am extremely proud of all of the accomplishments of the Paris UC baseball teams. PUC2 has an opportunity to advance a division, PUC3 qualified for the play-offs, U21 won some games despite their inexperience, the Cadets and the Minimes were IDF champions, and the Benjamins had another great season finishing 4th. I bring a new attitude to baseball at Paris UC, and what I am most proud of as Technical Director is how all of the teams took my advice to heart and played baseball with more of a competitive and fair spirit. I want all of our teams to set an example for how to play baseball competitively and with class. We took a step in the right direction this season.

Paris UC: Sean, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background, both in sports and personally?

Sean O’Hara: I hail from Gloucester, Massachusetts- a medium sized fishing town on the North Shore of the state- about 45 minutes northeast of Boston. I am the youngest of three- having 2 sisters who are 26 and 28 that live in San Francisco, CA and Little Rock, Arkansas respectively. My parents still live in the house that I grew up in which is located in a small village called Magnolia. The year in Magnolia consists of beautiful summers where we spent most of our time at the beach/in the water and winters which are miserable from the cold/rain/snow. The spring and fall are a mixture of both.

As for athletically, i played baseball/basketball/soccer from when I was very young. When I moved on to high school, I continued to pursue both basketball and baseball. After a successful career in high school I was recruited to play baseball at several schools in the Northeast and as you know, I chose Harvard. I figured it provided the best of both worldsin regards to athletics and academics. Also, I had difficulty turning down the opportunity to go to one of the best schools in the world.

Lastly, after visiting the school and spending a weekend with the team(one of which was PUC Head Coach-Jeff Stoekel) and having a great time it was obvious that Harvard was the place for me.

Paris UC: How were you recruited? What was it that prompted you to come to France and join PUC?

Sean O’Hara: As you already know, I played baseball at Harvard with Jeff during my freshman and his senior year. Through Facebook I saw that Jeff had taken the job coaching here in Paris and it immediately sparked my interest. It was always an interest of mine to travel a bit after school and playing here gave me a great opportunity to both see the world and continue to play baseball. Once again, the best of two worlds. Seems like we have quite the trend here. But anyway, i contacted Jeff in the middle of the Spring and he told me to get back to him as the year came to end. Luckily my graduation was on May27th enabling me to get here before June 1st the playoff eligibility deadline. The rest is history.

Paris UC: What’s your perception of baseball in Europe and, in particular baseball in France? Is it what you imagined?

Sean O’Hara: In all honestly, I knew that the baseball here was going to be nothing compared to what it is the States. After all, baseball is our National Past-time. Coming in didn’t really have any expectations because I was simply happy to be given the opportunity to come over to Paris and do my best to help the team out.

As for French baseball, I find it promising that there are so many people putting in the effort to help the sport grow. I notice this especially among the younger teams where both the parents and Federation appear to be trying so hard. From my observation, baseball simply hasn’t been here long enough for the French to understand all its nuances- but with time this will change. Baseball is a very complicated game when it is played the correct way and without decades of experiences playing it is difficult to understand everything.

Paris UC: In your first game last two Sunday, when you faced the Templiers of Senart and after the Huskies of Rouen (actually champions), two of the teams favored for the championship, you really distinguished yourself with your hitting. Even though you are still a new guy here, what are your impressions of the level of play in France?

Sean O’Hara: Unfortunately, right now, our team is suffering from a myriad of injuries and constraints which has reduced our roster to a difficult number. As a result, it is very difficult for our team to compete with the top 4 teams- such as Senart and Rouen. As far as I can see, there appears to be two distinct levels of play in the Elite league- the top 4 and the bottom 4. The top 4 teams would be competitive in some college leagues back home, whereas the bottom 4 would have no chance at all. Hopefully within a few years- under the command of Jeff- PUC can get us back in the top 4.

Paris UC: The biggest different between ball in the states and the ball here is the pitching. Do you have a favorite team or player that you respect, that you look to for inspiration and who represents the kind of baseball you admire?

Sean O’Hara: If I had to pick one player I would choose Dustin Pedroia from the Boston Red Sox. However, it should be noted that i am a Red Sox fan and as a result this is quite a biased assessment. Pedroia is undoubtedly inspirational and admirable because of the way that he goes about playing the game. He plays in a very aggressive manner, yet he respects the way that the game is supposed to be played. At all times, he is playing at 100 percent and this is extremely difficult to do when you play 160+ games in less than 200 days. I really wish the French players could spend a day with him to see how he goes about business- I think they would be shocked to observe such dedication and diligence.

Paris UC: What was it exactly that drew you to baseball and made you want to play it?

Sean O’Hara: When I was young, I played baseball because that is what everyone did in the summer. I just happened to be a good athlete which allowed for me to excel in the sport. As with anyone, it is fun to do things that you are good at–so i continued as time went forward. Eventually it provided me the opportunity to go to Harvard so despite the long hours of endless groundballs and BP swings I can’t complain. And look at me now, I get to play baseball in France! I am a lucky kid that’s for damn sure.

Paris UC: Thanks again, Sean, for answering these questions. We look forward to seeing you soon on the field.

Ty Eriksen: Justin, news is out that you’re returning to Hamburg for your 5th season in Europe. Can you tell us how you got into baseball in Europe to begin with?

Justin Prinstein: I got into the whole European baseball thing by sheer coincidence. Before my senior season at George Washington University I felt that I may have some draft possibilities if I put together a good season. I ran into our former volunteer assistant coach from the previous season who had gone over to play and coach in Holland. He gave me his number and told me if the draft didn’t work out to give him a call. I didn’t get any serious consideration to be drafted because I’m undersized for a RHP. While trying to hook on with an independent team I got in touch with Brad and he put me in touch with his agent who specialized in recruiting Americans to Europe. I got offers in winter 2006 from teams in Austria, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France, England, and Belgium. I ended up choosing the Hoboken Pioneers in the Belgium first league, their pitcher the year before was Leon Boyd who had a great season and went right into the Dutch Head Class, which became my goal from the beginning – to be a foreign player in the Dutch Head Class,

Ty Eriksen: Tell us about your different stops and your journey through the leagues in Europe:

Justin M. Prinstein: Starting in Belgium in 2007, Hoboken release me after only 4 weeks even though I pitched a no-hitter and a one-hitter in my two first regular season starts. It was my first pro ball job and I was already out, and I felt like that could have been the end of my career right there. A team in the Belgium league (who I no-hit) tried to sign me but Hoboken blocked any move. I had the options of trying my luck at independent ball or signing with the upstart professional league in Israel that was getting a lot of publicity. In May I heard that the Israel Baseball League offer was still open, and it turned out to be a great experience. The league had a lot of talent, Tel Aviv was an awesome city to live in and I ended up being an All-Star pitcher for my team.

I had the opportunity to go down to Adelaide, Australia, to pitch for 3 months in winter of 2007/08. I decided to go straight back to Holland to play in 2008 because I thought it would give me the best chance of reaching my goal of pitching in the Dutch Head Class. I didn’t know much about the Netherlands baseball but I took a chance on a team in the Dutch First Division (2nd league) – Tex Town Tigers. I had a great season and a wonderful experience in Holland – I really took to the culture and I established myself as a dominant pitcher and DH. The Almere Magpies, demoted from the Dutch Head Class and looking to get back, they signed me for the 2009 season. We had one of the greatest teams I had ever been around, losing maybe 3 times all year . We faced off against RCH in the promotion/relegation series, and in the 5th game I came out of the bullpen, down 2 runs and pitched 6 innings of 1 run ball to get the win that gave us a promotion into the Dutch Head Class. I came back to Almere the following season, 2010, after playing the winter in Perth Australia. It was a great experience, but the team was bankrupt and both of us foreign players left. I had a great opportunity to finish the season in the German Bundesliga season with the HSV Stealers in Hamburg. I pitched the best I had all year throwing 2 complete games and helping them get into the playoffs and I recently resigned with them for this upcoming season.

Ty Eriksen: You’ve seen a lot of baseball from all over the continent, what is your view of the talent level in Europe?

Justin M. Prinstein: It’s a difficult question. It’s kind of all over the place… there’s no one consistent level where you can say – “Belgium is like college ball or Holland that’s like AA.” I had teammates in Belgium that would have been starters on my D1 college team, on the same team a young 15 year old kid was our starting Right Fielder and was signed by the Mets the following year. We also had guys on that team who probably couldn’t play on my varsity high school team. I think that dichotomy makes things very interesting in Europe. At its best – as the Dutch, Italian and German national teams have proven – they compete with Major League caliber players, and yet I always feel that in team sports, especially in baseball, you are only as good as your weakest link. When you get into the individual leagues sometimes that weakest or least talented player is a kid, 16 years old, because European teams struggle to get numbers sometimes, the kid is talented enough and playing on a top European team with guys twice his age. I thought that in my 3 years in Holland, between the First Division and Head Class – the level of baseball fell somewhere between college ball and low level minor leagues, even independent ball at best. My two seasons with Almere, I could easily place some of our guys on a good college team or some lower level of pro ball. Facing DOOR Neptunus, Dutch Head Class champions last year, I thought was one of the best hitting lineups I had ever seen, and they could have definitely been competitive, stacked with ex minor league and major league guys, in pro ball in the States.

As a scout I’ve seen a lot of young talented prospects throughout the various countries, but these days those guys are signing to play in the States which brings down the talent level of the leagues a lot, however those spots are being filled by foreigners, Americans like myself, Latin Americans, Australians, Canadians: guys with some great experience. Eventually the talent ends up back in Europe at some point and those experiences in pro ball infuse the league with more well rounded players that European leagues probably lacked a few decades ago.

Ty Eriksen: Between Hamburg, Hungary, and MLB, tell us about your commitments for the coming season:

Justin M. Prinstein: I’m really excited for this year. I’ll be the game 2 (foreigner game) pitcher for HSV Stealers in the German Bundesliga. We had a good finish to last season in the North Division, sneaking into the playoffs. We’re shooting for first place with the team GM Sven Huhnholz and Manager Jens Hawlitzky built this off-season. I’ll probably do some clinics and youth trainings in Hamburg while I’m in town.

I was also recently named Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach of the Hungarian National team that will be competing in the European Championships Qualifier this July in Barcelona, and I will be travelling to Hungary every month to do training with the national team in preparation for the tournament. Part of my role is actively recruiting players with Hungarian ancestry in the States, and I hope that I will be able to provide the Hungarian national team and the region with valuable baseball instruction and resources from my experiences for the years to come.

For the last two years I was working as a scout for the Houston Astros in the Netherlands. In going to play in Germany this year I had to leave the major recruiting ground of Holland, but allowed me to look at a more expanded scouting role in Europe with an MLB team that I am currently in the interview process with. I’ve also been assisting the Almere Magpies on management/personnel/sponsorship decisions and will be visiting Holland quite often to scout and look forward to helping out at Almere as much as time will allow.

Lastly, I’m very excited to play this year with a sponsorship from 3n2 Baseball company, they’re outfitting me with some awesome products including their cleats/turfs/running shoes and they’re hoping that they can enter the European market.

Ty Eriksen: You’ve been involved in the full range of the business side of baseball, what do you see as the biggest barrier for US companies like 3n2 when looking at the European Market?

Justin M. Prinstein: Shipping costs. Whether the American company has a distributor (like Covee or Sidney de Jong’s company in Holland), or if they are just looking to sell through their own website and ship themselves, there has to be enough demand that they can ship over in bulk. A small company like 3n2 or Sam Bat make such good niche products that they can be a bit more expensive, especially to ship. Once they have the definite demand for their products it will be much easier to send over in bulk or work out a distributor partner. I the mean time, they talk to top players and especially foreign players because of the attention, and get their name and product out into the market through this attention.

Ty Eriksen: What has been your best experience over the years in Europe?

Justin M. Prinstein: The girls. Just kidding, the whole experience is pretty amazing – learning new languages, new cultures, seeing great cities and the lasting friendships with teammates and other people you meet along the way. Without a doubt, being the winning pitcher in the Dutch First Division championship with Almere in 2009 against PSV-Eindhoven, and then a few weeks later winning the decisive Game 5 of the Dutch Head Class promotion series, just pitching on adrenaline and fumes. Proving that I could be “the foreign ace” on the highest level. I’ve been fortunate to be in the position to train a lot of great young players, and it’s been really fulfilling to see a lot of them become really good ballplayers over the years – from Tex Town to Scimitars Academy to Almere, I’ve worked with hundreds of Dutch youth players … and I get a lot of satisfaction sharing my baseball knowledge and helping young players.

Ty Eriksen: How long do you see yourself staying involved in European baseball

Justin M. Prinstein: After graduating from GWU in 2006, my goals were to play professional baseball and eventually work in government. I had never been to Europe, let alone outside of North America. Now, heading into my 5th year, I can’t foresee a time not involved. Either playing, coaching, scouting, or administrative/consulting level. I know I have a few good years left to play, but I also really look forward to my post-career with scouting/coaching and finishing up my law degree. I like to live by the motto that if you want something you have the ability to make it happen, I hope that I can continue to be involved with European baseball as long as others (teams, MLB, etc.) want me to be involved here.
In my wildest dreams I never really imagined these opportunities happening and you can’t plan for it – you can only just hang on tight and go along for the ride while it lasts.

Ty Eriksen: Any last thoughts or comments?

Justin M. Prinstein: I’m looking forward to this season with my teammates at HSV, and I appreciate the support of my family and friends along the way. TT, and my law school, University of Detroit Mercy, for allowing me to work towards my degree while I continue my professional baseball career. I do a bit of blogging on www.justprin.blogspot.com about my experiences along the way. Thanks to Mister-Baseball, its a great service for baseball in Europe, and you for this interview, I appreciate your time.

Mister-Baseball thanks Ty Eriksen and Justin Prinstein for the interview.

Mister-Baseball: How did you like your stay at Butler University?

Benjamin Kleiner: It was impressive, formative, and motivational. The people at Butler gave me the access all areas pass.

MRBB: What was your daily schedule?

BK: my daily schedule was different every day and pretty busy. Here is a sample of a day.

In the morning: Having a cup of coffee and writing the EBCA coaches exchange blog. Eating breakfast (French toast and homemade maple syrup) with Head Coach Steve Farley and talking about how to get the Butler Baseball team to come over and do a camp + play in Berlin. Getting into Butler University at about 11.30 am. Meeting up with Coach Matt Tyner, Coach Throneburg and talk about the line up for the game.

In the afternoon: Catching lunch with coaches and players at the college cafeteria. Going to class (how to become a masters student) with a student/baseball player Jordan Goldschmidt. Walk back to Butler baseball field and get changed for the game. Watch Butler play Taylor University, a D2 school, and win 16-5.

Night program: A player, Radley Haddad, and his family invite me over for dinner, his step dad is originally from Germany. After that, assistant coaches D.J. Throneburg and Scott Jackson show me some of the Indy nightlife.

MRBB: Did you get a chance to work with the players too?

BK: Sure, I was hitting fungos during practice and throwing batting practice. Coach Farley had me talk to the players about what opportunities they are for college graduates to pursue a pro career in Berlin Germany and in European Baseball. Hopefully one or two are going to be coming over here as soon as they graduate this year.

MRBB: What things stood out for you?

BK: Indianapolis overall is just a great place to be. The heart of the nation.

MRBB: What are the differences in comparison to German baseball?

BK: The ranking of the sport baseball in the society. Everybody knows there is baseball in the U.S. but nobody really knows there is Baseball in Germany.

MRBB: You are about to start a Baseball Academy in Berlin. What are your plans for that?

BK: Helping get the sport more popular and professional in the Berlin area. Make better baseball players and coaches. The DBA (German Baseball Academy) is supporting the project with quality coaches who help run clinics. Also the Baseball Club Berlin Roadrunners support the Academy by letting me use their Indoor and Outdoor facilities, which includes the only indoor batting cage in the Berlin area. Also supporting is the Cologne baseball School by sharing valuable information and more.

MRBB: The Berlin Sluggers are back in the German Baseball-Bundesliga. What do you expect for the 2011 season?

BK: The first goal is to make the game day more interesting for the fans to come, stay and get back there, the second Goal is to stay in the league, the third goal would be getting into the playoffs.

I met Kristaps Aldins at the ABCA Convention in Nashville in January, thanks to one of my former players, Morgan Brown, former captain of the Harvard baseball team and probably the most brilliant person I have met. Morgan is currently assistant coach at Harvard and he introduced me to the other assistant coaches on Crimson’s staff.

Amongst these guys, sitting at his desk, was Kristaps, working on a computer.

It didn’t take to be a scientist to understand how much passion he had for the game.

He was very animated as he was talking about his work with Latvian baseball and you could only like that type of personality.

I’m not a journalist or even a writer but I felt the need to let baseball people across Europe know about his story.

So here it is.

Chris Dassy: Kristaps, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Kristaps Aldins: My name is Kristaps Aldins and I am a Latvian- American from Boston, Massachusetts. Both sides of my family are from Latvia, and I grew up in a bilingual/bicultural family, active in both the American and Latvian communities. I also have a younger brother, Gints, who recently graduated from The Hartt School of Music (University of Hartford).

As a child, I grew up playing baseball and the game has always been a big part of my life. I played on teams throughout my childhood, in high school, and then also in college. I attended Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York and graduated in 2005. While there I was a four-year starter and team captain. I have visited Latvia a couple of times in my life, most notably in 1993-1994 when I was 12 years old. During that year we lived in Riga, the capital.

My parents have always been committed to their Latvian roots and were active in Latvian exiled communities worldwide, particularly as professional musicians. They were original members and founders of the vocal and instrumental ensemble Kolibri. In 1988, they made history as the first exiled Latvian musical ensemble to be invited to participate in the folk festival Baltica 88. Their visit coincided with the movement for independence from the Soviet Union, and all their performances were emotionally and politically charged, as people rallied for the cause of freedom.

CD: What is your background?

KA: This is my sixth year coaching college baseball and my second as an assistant at Harvard University, a Division I institution in the Ivy League. I also am the Director of the Rising Star Academic Prospect Camp, which helps draw baseball prospects to the Harvard program. During the summers I participate in numerous camps and clinics across the country in addition to a rigorous recruiting schedule. Prior to Harvard I spent 4 years as the recruiting coordinator at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Division III institution. While there MIT appeared in two conference championship games and set a program record for wins in 2009.

CD: How did you get be in touch with European Baseball?

KA: My experience with European baseball started in the summer of 2002 when I was contacted by current Clark University Head Coach, Jason Falcon, to travel to Brasschaat, Belgium to participate in the Flanders Invitational Tournament. Representing the United States Athletes International organization, I was exposed to the quality of European baseball and always knew that I would like to return some day in some capacity.

CD: What do you know about European baseball?

KA: I know that the game has been growing by leaps and bounds. While in Europe in the summer of 2002 I was impressed by the quality of play from various European national teams including Belgium and Sweden. I’m sure progress has continued to take place ever since thanks to the efforts of MLB International, MLB Envoy and, most importantly, the passion and dedication of the baseball enthusiasts in each individual country. Although this has been my only true overseas baseball experience, I have been doing research on European Baseball ever since… The level of play in countries such as Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain is obviously tremendous as all are rated highly in the IBAF World Rankings.

Although it has been disappointing to have baseball taken away as an Olympic sport I am confident that it will reappar in the near future. I know that there are many dedicated people out there who are working hard to make this happen. The efforts to promote the game on a global basis through events such as the World Baseball Classic have been tremendous and there is no doubt that baseball has the potential to continue growing in popularity around the world.

CD: What led you to accepting the position of head coach of the Latvian National Team?

KA: The chance to serve as Latvia’s Head Coach in the European Qualifiers is an opportunity that I cannot turn down as there are not too many opportunities that involve representing your native country in international competition!  I am very grateful to Harvard’s longtime Head Coach, Joe Walsh, for allowing me to pursue this exciting endeavour.

Ever since I have been a college coach I have actively worked with the National Team in Latvia. In fact… Upon returning from my trip to Belgium with USA Athletes I decided to Google “Latvian Baseball” and was excited to find the following website: http://www.beisbols.lv/. Since that day I have assisted the Latvian National Team as a consultant in numerous capacities.

A major factor in making this summer’s trip to Latvia a possibility has been the  assistance and guidance of MLB Envoy. During the 2011 ABCA Convention in Nashville, Tennessee I met with representatives from MLB International and Envoy. The result of these meetings was an agreement to send a MLB Envoy representative to Latvia for first time in history. I believe that this visit has the potential of making a major impact.

CD: Could you tell us about Latvian baseball?

KA: Baseball has been played in Latvia since the mid 1980′s but experienced a rebirth 2003. Its popularity has grown markedly over the past few years led by the efforts of a couple of dedicated enthusiasts, including Igors Aleksejevs (chairman of the Latvian Federation) and board members Didzis Doveika, Rudolfs Budze, Liga Usane, Andis Ansons, Ilgvars Ebels, Zigmars Lapa, and Maris Zviedris. By 2011 there are now 10 teams competing for the Latvian baseball Championship.

Additionally… Latvia  has a national team (governed by the Latvian Baseball Federation) which competed in the 2008 European Qualifier In Czech Republic. At that tournament they competed against Czech Republic, Poland, Belarus, and Slovenia. The national team has also gained international experience competing in tournaments in Sweden, Estonia, Lithuania, Belarus, and Poland. The national team was formerly supported by the Latvian National government, but that support has evaporated since the Olympics dropped baseball as a sport.

Over the years Latvia has benefited from generous donations from organizations such as the U.S. Embassy in Latvia and “Pitch in for Baseball.” This support will continue to be important while baseball continues to grow in Latvia. The biggest goal this summer, with the assistance of MLB Envoy, will be the development of an effective youth system. In order to continuing growing the game, much effort will need to be pouted into this endeavour.

CD: What will be your preparation for the Qualifier?

KA: There will be quite a bit of preparation prior to the qualifier, much of it being off the field! Due to my coaching responsibilities at Harvard I will only be able to spend three weeks with the national team, which is not alot of time. As a result.. the two weeks I will have with the team in July in preparation for the Qualifier will need to be well-organized. Currently I am working with Professor Leslie Hitch of Northeastern University to help develop an effective program for the two-week training session (I am one course away from obtaining my Master in Sports Leadership from NEU). During the two weeks on the field with the team I anticipate that we will work hard on the fundamentals of the game and develop our own unique and aggressive brand of team baseball.

Behind the scenes there is already a great deal of preparation taking place. In addition to fundraising efforts, I am communicating with team representatives about various baseball-related activities that should take place in preparation for July’s training sessions with MLB Envoy. My goal is that the team is in good physical shape and 100% ready to train as soon as I arrive in mid-July. There are alot of things that will need to happen before this can be the case!

CD: In your view, what will be your biggest challenges for this event?

KA: The biggest challenges will certainly be cost and lack of time. The Latvian National Team is working hard to raise funds for the trip to Belgium and it is not a guarantee that all of the country’s top players will be able to make the trip. Most have jobs and many do not have the financial resources to be able to pay for the trip. As a result, we all are working hard to raise awareness and possibly receive financial assistance from both the Latvian government and various businesses.

The other major challenge will simply be a lack of time to prepare. Although modern technology has allowed for free and easy communication between myself and the team, having only two weeks on the field to prepare will be challenging.

CD: What are your expectations for this qualifier?

KA: This is a hard question for me to answer because I have never seen my players on the field. I know that each member of the National Team takes a lot of pride in the game of baseball and thus I am expecting that they will play hard and with a lot of heart. I am not planning on measuring the success of the trip simply by wins and losses. The development of baseball in baseball in Latvia is still in its early stages and our participation in the European Qualifier will serve as an important measuring stick. The way I see it is as that we are ranked #72 in the world. We can only go up from here!

CD: Give some background about Latvia as a country?

KA: Latvia is a country in the Baltic Region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, and Belarus and is across the Baltic Sea from Sweden. The largest city is its capital Riga and its total population is 2.22 million. Latvia has been a member of United Nations since 1991, European Union since 2004 and NATO since 2004. After a long period of Soviet rule, Latvia gained its long sought after independence in 1991.

Latvia is 64,256 square km large. Climate is humid, continental, and temperate. Summers are warm and spring and fall are typically mild. Winters can be extreme with large snowfall totals and very short days (northern location).

Latvians are very proud of their culture and traditional folkore, especially dance and folk songs. Records of these date back over a thousand years.

Most popular sports in Latvia are hockey, basketball, soccer, tennis, and cycling. Latvia has had numerous players in the NHL and currently has one player in the NBA. Latvia men’s hockey team qualified and competed in the Winter Olympics in 2002, 2006, and 2010.

USEFUL LINKS:

http://www.beisbols.lv/

http://www.gocrimson.com/sports/bsb/index

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latvia

http://www.latvia.travel/en

Jakub Janda: Andy, you signed a two-year contract with Czech Baseball Association to serve as head coach for Junior and Senior national team. Generally, do you have any itinerary for the next two years?

Andy Berglund: I have signed a one-year contract with the CBA and am in discussions with them on the possibility of lengthening it thereafter. They’ve put together a comprehension program for 2011 with the Junior and Senior National teams and have placed me with the Eagles Praha in the Extraliga so that I will have a great chance to see all of the players currently competing in the Czech Republic on a regular basis. I’ll also be working with the Academies as often as possible.

I have a pretty clear understanding on the itinerary for 2011, but will much clearer once I sit down with the CBA in a few weeks. The Juniors have a very busy schedule building up to the European Championships in Gijon, Spain in July. I would like to be as proactive as possible with the Seniors in 2011—scheduling games, camps and training—so they are firing on all cylinders by the time the 2012 Euros in the Netherlands arrive. I’ll sit down with the CBA soon and find out what they have in mind to make that a reality. That has to be a priority.

JJ: You worked for MLB as an Envoy coach. What was such experience like?

AB: Working as a Major League Baseball Envoy Coach has been one of my top highlights working in baseball. I’ve been working for MLB in Europe since 2001, and every time I make my way overseas, I am blown away at how much the game continues to grow. I think the fact that more and more players from countries like Germany, Italy, Holland and the Czech Republic (like recent signees Marek Minarik with the Phillies and Stepan Havlicek with Tampa Bay) are getting signed is proof of that.

The MLB Envoy program gives us coaches the opportunity to meet so many great people that are passionate about developing their clubs and their players. We get to work with them on anything and everything we can—to educate their coaches and work with their practice plans and develop game awareness. And the clubs and players are always hungry for more. It really makes you appreciate what these clubs are all about. I love Europe—and I’ve been fortunate to be around a lot of great, passionate baseball people in Europe by being an Envoy.

JJ: Your previous episode with Senior national team was in Sweden. What was it like?

AB: I was on the coaching staff for the Swedish National Team in 2009 when they competed in the Baseball World Cup. It was an awesome experience, even though the team didn’t make it out of pool play, because Stockholm (Sundbyberg) had just built a brand new stadium for the event and drew some great crowds for the three days of the tournament. I played and coached for Stockholm in 2008 when we won the Swedish championship, so I got to be reunited with guys like Bjorn and Peter Johannessen, Joakim Claesson and Magnus Pilegard, all of whom I think the world of—along with a lot of the Swedish players. I’m hoping to build that same sort of connection with the Czech guys, where you become like family.

JJ: What do you know about Czech Senior national team?

AB: I know they are loaded with talent. I’ve spent a lot of time looking at the current roster and to me it’s very impressive. I have seen them play and know that they’ve got a good mix of veterans and a great group of younger players that keep getting better and better in international tournaments. All the players on the roster have something to contribute. But I know Thomas Polansky, Jakub Malik, Jan Drabek, Jakub Hajtmar, Petr Baroch, Karel Hrusovsky—all performed pretty well offensively at the last European Championships.

Then you mix in up-and-coming players like Michal Ondracek, Jakub Sladek and Matej Hejma, who I saw at the U21 championships with the veterans and strong signal callers in Vojak, Cech and Chroust. The entire pitching staff is strong with some great arms—Minarik, Schneider, Bokaj, Kubat, Rehacek, Jelinek to name a few. To be honest, I think all the potential is right there. I’m extremely excited to be working with these guys, surrounding them with strong coaching, building chemistry and taking that next step towards greatness and a shot at a medal in 2012.

JJ: Do you plan on any major changes regarding the two-year period?

AB: I just plan to be as proactive as possible with both the Junior and Senior National teams. I would like to work with the CBA on putting together a schedule so that both national teams are getting in as much quality competitions as possible with the resources we have. I want to make more opportunities for these guys to compete at the highest level. I’m talking about very detailed, beneficial spring training, more regular training, and games and tournaments against great competition on a regular basis. For the Czech Republic to compete with those upper echelon teams in Europe, it can’t be a part time schedule. We’ve got to be as proactive as we can be.

JJ: What can senior national team players expect out of you?

AB: I read an article you did with one of the Czech captains, Jakub Malik, where he said he thought there was a need for an energetic coach to come in and keep building the team’s confidence. That’s what I want to bring to the table. I plan on sitting down with all of the guys and finding out what where we are at as a team, what we can build on, what is holding us back and what we want to accomplish. I plan on putting in a lot of hours and hard work with these guys and am willing to give them the shirt off my back—as long as they are willing to fill theirs with sweat and sacrifice for the goals we’re striving for.

JJ: You studied PR and spent some time with baseball in Europe. What are your perceptions about how is baseball marketed at the Continent?

AB: Since I first arrive in Europe ten years ago, I’ve seen the game grow incredibly. The CEB, IBAF, MLB and the national federations are doing all they can to promote and enhance the sport in a soccer-dominated Continent, and it certainly hasn’t come easy. I’ve spent a lot of time in Germany working for MLB and really think what they’ve been able to do has been remarkable. I think they had over 30,000 fans over three days for the 2009 World Cup in Regensburg and had great crowds at last year’s European Championships in Stuttgart and Heidenheim.

So how they are getting through to fans and growing their baseball population is something other countries can look to emulate. All of these countries can now watch games on MLB.com or ESPN America, so that’s another huge step to growing the interest in Europe. Baseball is still so young in Europe in comparison to how it’s our national pastime here in the States. It’s going to continue to take time to build the interest, and reach out to younger generations, but from my own experience, baseball has made tremendous improvements in how it was marketed ten years ago.

Jakub Janda: Andy, how did the contract negotiation process go?

Andy Berglund: Hi Jakub. Thanks for the great questions. As far as the negotiations, I went through a series of interviews with Petr Ditrich and Lucie Čubíková of the Czech Baseball Association to discuss the CBA’s goals for the national programs and both of our visions for the immediate future of baseball in the Czech Republic. There’s already a great tradition of baseball that’s been built in the Czech Republic and we both want to expand that to a tradition of even greater success for years to come–at all levels. The negotiation process was an easy one, because I want to be here. I want to bring a new energy and continue to build that success now and for the years ahead.

JJ: What was your motivation of coming over to coach for Czech baseball community?

AB: I knew from the beginning that I wanted to be involved because of my time spent in the Czech last summer working as an Envoy Coach for Major League Baseball there, and seeing the talent and passion at the clubs I visited and at the tournaments that I experienced. The upside to working with the Junior and Senior National teams, working with an extremely talented young team in the Eagles Praha, and the MLB Academies in Brno and Prague was tremendous, and made it an easy decision for me. I thank Petr, Lucie and the CBA for their consideration and selection. I’m very excited about the months ahead and working with the players and coaches that have laid the foundation of baseball in the Czech Republic. I am motivated by those people that want to accomplish the same goals that I have for the programs.

JJ: You work for Eagles Praha. What are you responsibilities and how will you cooperate it with your work for junior and senior national team?

AB: I’m going to be the head coach for the Eagles Praha. They had a solid season last year and we’re looking for an even better result in 2011. The team’s goals will be to improve all areas of the team’s offense, defense and pitching, and on their record from a season ago. I would like them to go deeper into the Czech playoffs and be playing excellent baseball from April to October. As far as cooperation with the national programs, the CBA has laid out a pretty detailed schedule of work to be done on all fronts, and I will prioritize and maximize my time with each. The immediate focus will be on preparing the Junior National team for the European Championships in Gijon, Spain in July, and getting the Eagles ready for the season to open in the Extraliga in April. The Junior National team really needs consistent work as a team this spring to be able to make an impact in Gijon. That sacrifice will bring success. My schedule also makes time to constantly be creating ways to work with the Senior National team by holding workouts, observing players, and providing feedback and with the Academies.

JJ: You have enjoyed your time in Czech baseball as an Envoy coach for MLB. What were your impressions from each and every club?

AB: I had a wonderful six weeks in the Czech Republic on my MLB Envoy assignment. I spent time at the baseball clubs of Hluboka, Trebic, Ostrava and Blansko. It’s always impressive to me to see how European clubs develop and maintain themselves from the grass roots level. It takes some very hard working and special people to make that happen. I saw that at the clubs in the Czech Republic. Hluboka has great young leadership, spearheaded by David Šťastný that is creating ways for the club to be successful on and off the field. I really enjoyed my time working with their main youth coach Radek Drmota and Trebic’s main youth coach Marián Krásný during our camps. I am extremely excited for the Trebic Nuclears and anxious to see their new baseball complex! I was there during the building stages and really enjoyed my time there because of the people, especially Jan Urbánek and Pavel Jozek, who are doing great things for baseball there. I believe the potential for a bright future is ahead for Hluboka and Trebic. I believe that potential is also there in Blansko and Ostrava because of their fine facilities and youth numbers, they just have to find more ways to conquer financial obstacles, which is a main concern for most European clubs I have visited. I met and worked with Jaroslav Krejčíř in Blansko and Radim Kepak in Ostrava and gained a ton of respect for how much effort they put forth for their respective clubs.

JJ: You will serve as head coach of Junior national team. What do you know about this team?

AB: I know that David Winkler from the Brno Academy and Zdeněk Josefus from the Prague Academy have already gotten a prilimary look at who the potential players of the 2011 squad will be at a workout last month. We’ll get a chance to evaluate them further during a two-week spring training at the end of March, at the Eltodo Cup, the MLB Academies Tournament in Regensberg, the Juniors All-Star Championships in Brno, and finally at Prague Baseball Week at the end of June. So there will be plenty of opportunities for players to showcase why they deserve to be on the team. A lot of the potential players will be putting in work at the academies in Brno, Prague and Ostrava leading up to Gijon. There’s a lot of talent there. But, we’ve got a lot of work to do.

JJ: Have you already set up any kind of schedule for this team?

AB: Our spring training is set for March 18-31 and we’re working out the details of where that will be located. All of the events mentioned above will be keeping the players and coaches quite busy as far as the schedule and getting ready for Gijon.

JJ: Who from the community comes to your mind when we say Czech baseball?

AB: Of course Draci Brno comes to mind with all of the success the organization has had over the past two decades. To win 16 straight national championships is a remarkable feat and I have a lot of respect for the players and coaching staff there. I’ve been in the baseball circles of Europe for 10 years and Pavel Budsky’s name comes up quite often as one of the most respected players in Europe and one of the faces of baseball in the Czech Republic. Draci has a ton of talented players and Coach Nesnal has done a great job utilizing that talent in Draci and on the national team. I’m looking forward to working with all of those guys and the talent that’s spread out throughout the country. I saw the U21 European Championship game last year in Brno and really liked what I saw from Pavel Chadim and his team. They played great, fundamental, aggressive baseball in that game to beat Russia. Seeing that has to make you excited about the future of Czech baseball.

JJ: You will get into the system of baseball Academies as well. Do you already know your role?

AB: My role will be set up after I arrive in Prague in a few weeks and meet with the CBA, the Eagles and Academies. I know Mike Griffin put in a great amount of work with the other coaches and players at the Prague Academy and I am hoping to follow in his footsteps and provide the Academies with further programs, training for the coaches and structure as a whole. I know from Major League Baseball’s standpoint and my standpoint, the academies in Prague and Brno have to become higher priorities because the academies are the natural feeder program for the Junior and Senior National teams. If you look at the configuration of the programs going on in Holland, Italy and Germany, for example, and how structured and technical they are becoming with their feeder programs and youth development, it’s an absolute necessity for us to develop detailed, year-round programs to keep pace with the stronger developing baseball countries.

JJ: Please, describe yourself as a coach.

AB: Dedicated, passionate, straight-forward, hungry for success, goal-driven, leadership-driven, constantly looking for ways to improve, constantly learning from this game and the coaches and players that I am around. All the coaches I’ve learned from, even the professional ones, reiterate that you can never stop learning and studying the game. I think in general, that I am a players’ coach that just loves being around the game and feeds off others and the hard work they are putting in. I come from a communication background and believe that constant communication and interaction between the players and the coaching staff is the backbone for any successful baseball program. We have to understand each other and what we’re trying to accomplish every day, as a team. For the Czech Republic Junior and Senior national teams, our goal is to finish in the top three at the European Championships, and be in position to play for the gold medal. It has to be. Otherwise you’re just striving for mediocrity. I want them to live and breathe baseball just as much as I do, put the time in at practice, workouts, and on their own, and develop that work ethic and winning mentality so that it becomes contagious. I love what Vince Lombardi said about coaching and being successful. Winning is not a sometime thing. It is an all the time thing. You don’t do things right once in a while. You do them right all the time.

JJ: Five words for your way of baseball.

AB: Aggressive, Situational, Mentality-Driven, Passionate and Team-Centered

Mister-Baseball: You are from California. How do you like the weather in Europe?

Matt Vance: While I’m originally from Southern California and definitely miss the constant warm weather and sunshine (it’ll be 18 degrees and sunny there today), I’ve moved around a lot the last seven years and have gotten used to all kinds of weather. I spent the last seven winters in Boston, MA which has weather very similar to here in Regensburg so it wasn’t too difficult of an adjust to live here, weather wise anyway.

MRBB: Could you give our readers a brief recap of your Baseball career so far?

MV: Well I’ve played baseball ever since I can remember. Growing up and playing in San Diego, I was surrounded by some incredible ball players so it was hard to standout. In high school, just on my travel team alone, I played with Sean O’Sullivan, a pitcher for the Kansas City Royals, and Stephen Strasburg (you may have already heard of him). But luckily I kept my grades up, caught the eye of some scouts on the East Coast, and was fortunate enough to be recruited to play for Harvard. Playing there was an incredible albeit rocky experience at times. After a tough Senior season in 2008, I went undrafted, and thought I was ready to hang ‘em up. But after a year of working, I got that ‘itch’ again and jumped at the chance to play for the Legionäre. Two seasons and a German Championship later, I’ve never had this much fun playing baseball.

MRBB: Did you ever have the chance to play professionally in the United States?

MV: Not really. I maybe could have tried to play Independent Ball after college but when I didn’t get drafted after a very discouraging last college season (we were 10-30), I really didn’t have the heart to try and get picked up by anyone. And when you’re in the situation I was in, unless you have that, “I’m going to make it no matter what anyone says” attitude, you’re not going to go anywhere. So I made a quick exit from the game but was lucky enough to be invited to play out here.

MRBB: You played two years for Regensburg in the German Baseball-Bundesliga. How did you like your time with the Buchbinder Legionaere and will you come back for a third season?

MV: I’ve really enjoyed my time here in Regensburg and the entire European Baseball experience. It’s hard to beat really. You get to continue playing baseball at a very competitive level, live abroad, and travel. A lot of friends who are still playing baseball professionally in the U.S. sometimes wish they could be out here doing what I’m doing. I say sometimes because they, of course, still have a chance to live every player’s dream of making it to the Big Leagues, and it’s impossible to walk away from that.

As far as playing for the Legionäre goes, I’m actually hoping to be able to play for them for the foreseeable future. I’m working in Regensburg full-time now so that I can live and train here all year round.

MRBB: Would you consider playing in Italy or the Netherlands? Did you get offers from other European teams?

MV: I’ve gotten a couple offers from other teams around Europe but I like where I am now and love all the guys on the team, so I hope to be able to play here for a while longer.

MRBB: In European Baseball most of the games are scheduled for the weekends. Could you give us some insight how your day looks like on days without games, especially with the Legionaere facilities in mind?

MV: The last two years my weekdays have been mostly focused on staying in shape throughout the long season and getting extra practice on the field. The other guys living in Regensburg just to play baseball, the sports army players, and I would go to a morning practice a few days a week to get extra swings or fielding practice, the gym pretty much every day, and a core training facility we have access to a couple times week. We’re fortunate enough to have some pretty great facilities so we definitely take advantage of them the best we can. In addition to all the training, last year, I started coaching some of the youth teams here in Regensburg and am now the head coach of the U16 Softball Teams.

MRBB: Besides the light schedule, what are the major differences between the Ivy League and the Bundesliga?

MV: One of the major differences, I think, is the depth of pitching. In college, a lot of teams have incredibly talented relief pitchers to back up their starters. In Germany, especially since we only play two games a week, teams tend to stick with their starting pitchers as long as they can because their bullpens aren’t always that deep. That, and the larger spectrum of talent and experience you see out here. In the First Bundesliga, sometimes teams have 30-year-old men who have played professionally in the U.S. playing with or against 17-year-old kids who are still learning the ins and outs of the game. It makes for an interesting dynamic.

MRBB: You split time in the outfield and at shortstop during your college career, but you solely played at short for Regensburg. What do you like more and what are the biggest differences from a mental aspect?

MV: While I really enjoyed playing CF in college, I think I prefer playing SS. It’s much more challenging. At SS you have to be in constant communication with everyone in the infield, know who’s hitting, and what pitch is going to be thrown, especially when there are runners on base. In the OF, you usually know who is at the plate but you can get away with not being completely invested in all aspects of the mental game.

MRBB: What would you consider as your career highlight(s) so far?

MV: Winning the Ivy League Championship in 2005 and playing in the Cal State Fullerton (the then defending National Champions) Regional on ESPNU & ESPN, getting to play in Fenway Park all four years in college, being named to the All-New England Team in 2007, winning the Deutsche Meisterschaft last year in front of our home crowd and being named the Bundesliga Süd MVP.

MRBB: What will you do following your baseball career?

MV: Good question. I’ll let you know as soon as I figure that out myself.

Mister-Baseball thanks Matt Vance for answering our questions.

Photo: © Walter Keller, www.catchthefever.de

Mister-Baseball: How did you become the head coach of the Dutch national team? Did you have to do an interview with the KNBSB or did they already know you good enough since you’re working with the Federation since years?

Brian Farley: Technical Director Robert Eenhoorn hired me without an interview. As you know, Robert and I had worked together on the Dutch National Team for many years so that we knew each other extremely well.

MRBB: You have worked with the Dutch national team before. What are the difference between being a manager, a bench coach and a pitching coach? What do you think will be the differences in coaching the Junior National Team and the Senior National Team?

BF: Bench coach and pitching coach are responsible for different specialist tasks during practice and games whereas the head coach is responsible for all that takes place. Assistant coaches are specialists similar to a Marketing Director or Financial Director in a business. The Head Coach is the General Manager. He needs to delegate to his specialists while making sure that the goals which are set are being met. His relationship with players is not as close as it would be if he were a Pitching or Hitting coach as he is required to make the decisions on who is on the roster and who is in the lineup. The differences between coaching the Junior or Seniors are mostly to do with the communication. At Juniors you are more involved with Instruction and Convincing players of the way to play. At Seniors there is more Discussing and Delegating involved in the communication. You should, in my opinion, create a culture where players and coaches at senior level feel comfortable sharing their knowledge with other to both coaches and other players. In the end, the Head Coach has to make the decisions but he should do so with as much information at his disposal as possible.

MRBB: One of the reasons because Jim Stoeckel is not coming back in 2011 was the fact that he wouldn’t have been available on a full-time basis. You are now a full-time national team coach. What does this mean exactly? What are you doing during the time when the players are with their club teams?

BF: It means that you have more time to get deeper into initiatives designed to help us to develop and improve our players throughout our system. Each player in our system has a personal development plan (PDP). Each is entered into our Talent Follow System and each is videotaped and analyzed on a frequent basis. We are also working with new ways to train using the latest evidence from the world of motor learning and skill acquisition. These initiatives are very time consuming as they involve research and trial and error to discover the best training methods and development plans. These things are only possible if you have people in full time positions.

MRBB: What can you tell us about your coaching staff and who is going to take over the juniors?

BF: Steve Jansen is our pitching coach, he is very well respected in his area and has done a great deal to invest in his own development. He was the Head Coach of Neptunus in 2010 and they broke all records in going on to become national champions. Tjerk Smeets is in his second year as coach. Tjerk is very bright and hard working which is a very desired combination for a head coach. He has taken over the job of hitting coach and done a great job for us thus far. Wim Martinus has been with the staff for a number of years and is our trusted 3B coach and throws the best BP on the continent. Last but by no means least is Ben Thijssen who is based in Curacao and is our main contact on the island. He has been with the National Team for many years and served extremely well.

The Junior National Team returns both Tom Geestman as pitching coach and Peter van Dalen as Hitting coach. Both performed extremely well during our two years together so I am certain the new head coach is pleased to have them back. The new head coach is Eric de Bruin, he was the former Jong Orange coach as well as successful Head Class Coach and highly capped international first baseman for many years. The Jong Oranje is in very good hands.

MRBB: In difference to many other national teams in International Baseball you have the opportunity to work with your players on a regular basis during the week all year long. What is on your agenda during the weekly practices?

BF: We cover many different things. Each practice will have different components based on the size of the group and the positions they play. We have both team workouts and specific group workouts. The team workouts will cover things like Situational Defense and Team hitting drills whereas the specific group will be focusing on areas of individual development shared within the smaller group.

MRBB: A few national team players like Orlando Yntema last year are not playing in the Netherlands. Since they obviously cannot attend the weekly practice sessions, do they have a disadvantage or are they receiving personal plans also to work on their own? How do you keep track of the large pool of players, which are in the minors or playing in different leagues around the globe?

BF: We remain in constant contact with the entire group under consideration for our team. This is done primarily through emails and occasionally telephone calls. All information they need to know is communicated properly including our expectations for their winter workouts. We also have Ben in Curacao to oversee our operations there. We track the performance of players through contacts within the specific organizations as well as sites where statistics and up to date info about the player is available. The internet is a great tool in managing the demands of having players overseas.

MRBB: In comparison to other European countries, the Netherlands have a relatively large pool of Minor League players. However they are usually not available for the national team during the summer tournaments. How do you keep track of their performances? Is it difficult to keep a balance between the Minor Leaguers and the Hoofdklasse players, as the pro might take a spot in the national team lineup, which is held by a Hoofdklasse player during most parts of the season?

BF: As mentioned above, we keep track of players through contacts and internet sites as well as direct email contact with the player himself. As for choosing players, there are many variables which go into choosing a roster for a tournament. Availability of professionals is an issue we have to deal with but their availability does not automatically mean that they are better than a player in the Netherlands. Many of our players here have professional experience as well but they also have the advantage of experience playing in tournament baseball which is much different than pro baseball. That experience should not be underrated. Other important variables include depth at a certain position as well as how familiar a player is with our system and culture. The bottom line is and will remain, does this player give us the best opportunity to win and if the answer is yes then we take him regardless of where he plays.

MRBB: You’re involved in Dutch and European Baseball as a player, a coach and a scout since 1988. Has the sport changed and what are the major differences since then?

BF: Both have improved a great deal from when I first arrived. Dutch baseball has benefited from the return of many very good baseball players including three major leaguers in Milliard, Faynete and Eenhoorn. These players have brought a knowledge of the game back which was missing. Eenhoorn has had the biggest impact with his professionalizing of the National team. There are also a lot of other people who have invested their time and money to further their development in the game and that is paying dividends as we speak. We have also seen the emergence of other European countries in that past years. Italy remains very competitive with us and the gap between us remains very tight. Germany has likely shown the greatest improvement and has emerged as a team to respect. They have shown they have the potential to beat anyone in Europe. As for the biggest differences, I would say that the development of the baseball academies in The Netherlands and other European countries is likely the biggest difference maker. We are finally able to offer our best talent a chance to train at better facilities, more often and with the best coaching available. This is, in my opinion, the best formula for success.

MRBB: If you had the opportunity to change anything in European Baseball, what would it be?

BF: I would get more funding from government to put money into the development of fundamental skills such as throwing and catching at younger ages. I am amazed how few children in Europe possess this fundamental skill. If these skills are not developed early in a child’s life, then the potential for the child to develop later is seriously and permanently retarded. It should be mandatory for all children to learn how to throw and catch from the ages of 5 to 9. This would increase our talent pool dramatically and result in the likely increase in the number of children who play both baseball and softball. This larger base would then allow for us to have a greater selection of ballplayers climbing the pyramid to top baseball, making European baseball a continent which could compete with any other. As the great Martin Luther King once said “I have a dream”.

MRBB: What tournaments are on the calendar for the national team next year?

BF: World Port Tournament in late June and the recently announced World Championships in September.

MRBB: What does the Netherlands need to do to make the next step and win a Baseball World Cup or the World Baseball Classic?

BF: I don’t know if a World Baseball Classic is possible at this stage given the level of competition we face but we will certainly play each game with the mindset that we are going to win it. The World Championship is something that we have been close to doing but have come up short in the semi finals. We will need to work on what I call the three A’s. Attitude, Adversity and Adjustment. Attitude is the belief in yourself and your teammates that you belong here and deserve to win. Dealing with Adversity is the ability to stay in the moment and respond in a positive way when things go wrong and believe me things will go wrong. Adjustment is the ability to handle everything the opponent throws at you, baseball is a game of adjustments as the game and tournament progresses. If we can manage to do these three things effectively then we stand a chance in any game regardless of the opponent.

Goran Supraha: May you say something about your career; playing and coaching, education…

Aleksandar Bekic: I started my baseball career back in 1988, when our present president Goran Vucetic came up with an idea to recruit new members, cause “old” guys who started and formed the club where starting to quit to play and by his opinion, the only way to hold the club together was with new, younger players. After that he went to schools and got some 20 guys years from 16-19, what was then a “new generation” where I started also to practice baseball and immediately fall in love with the game.

The game was a lot different than today, we didn’t know much, but we used all possible ways to learn and develop, from TV, books to talking to other players and coaches. My generation helped to survive and transfer our club to new era, which started in early 90s, specially when we signed our 2nd sponsorship contract with our present general sponsor Vindija d.d., in 1994. That’s the year when we started our youth program, where I was put as a head coach and still work with kids age 8-18 today.

As I mentioned my playing career started in ’88 and still lasts, but generally as I player started to change in early 90s under influence of different American players and coaches, but the turning point was when American/Croatian player Stephen Sabo joined our club in 1996 and played couple of years for us and also meeting with our long year coach Bill Percy. As long as I am in the game I was always willing to learn and working hard, what I think kept me so long, still capable to compete at highest level of game here.

GS: After winning 2009 Inter league title and playing in finals of Croatian championship and Croatian cup that same year, 2010 wasn’t even close….

AB: Yes, there are a couple of things that defined our last seasons. First is that we have been working with group of young players for some years, trying to get them able to match the best players in the league. Our problem was all other foreign players who are playing or played in other clubs, who where just too strong for our guys. That all changed in 2009 when we started friendship with coach John Vodenlich a head coach of Whitewater University, Wisconsin. That relationship brought to us his 2 players, Ben Prather and Greg Harder, who helped not only playing wise, specially pitching, but on all level from practice, attitude, etc. That was the reason of our “great 2009 season”. In the year 2010 those guys went back home and we lost some key players, pitchers and main catcher, what make us to present new, younger players to first team and we just couldn’t compete like we did a year before.

GS: Your club is good organized, great baseball school, juveniles, cadets and juniors are almost best every year but you don’t have proper baseball field, what’s secret…

AB: Our youth program, named “Vindi Iso-Sport Baseball School” started back in 1994, as I mentioned before and we didn’t stop since then. The secret is basically not a secret, its hard work, as always in life, nothing can happen if you don’t invest, time and money also, of course. We visit schools from town area every spring, getting new young players, play a lot of games, after our season ends and most of team release their kids, we spend whole July and second half of August practicing every day and traveling aboard to different youth tournaments, mostly to Italy where we have a lot of friends and great contacts with local clubs. After the season, during winter months we continue to work with kids in gym, so basically all year around program for them.

GS: You have had a great start in the fall (3-0), what are your expectations at spring 2011….

AB: Well yes, we had good start, our team is together, we got some players back, but still have some problems on some position. I can’t tell much, cause we played with weaker teams, and I don’t know how will we look when we play with our strongest Croatian teams. We will introduce again a couple of new young players this season and just giving our best and hope to get back to the finals of league or cup.

GS: Your club was against autumn-spring season, may you explain why…

AB: There are a lot of reasons for that, by our opinion. But some main are, for example: the biggest one is that playing baseball like that just don’t compare to “spirit of baseball season”, there is no league, I think, in the whole world that is playing like that right now. Next thing is that now we have almost 4 months of break in between 2 parts of season, the autumn part was just too short and with no desire of playoffs or “autumn baseball”.

Another big reason is that our playoffs and most important games are played end of May and beginning of July when majority of our players, who are students have exams in high schools or colleges. Then we have a break in the middle of playoffs, cause some teams compete in European cups. All these makes us and me personally think that this is still a big step back or in wrong direction, how every you might interpret it.

GS: You played for national team for long time, may you give some comparison between those times when you played and these “new” kids, and what you expect from national team this summer at Qualifier for European Championship in Holland 2012….

AB: Well, as you said I was in the national team from the beginning, although I was not on the  first official team in 1992, but on next European Championship in Ljubljana 1994 I was there and all the way until year 2001, a new era of national team. The times where different then, cause we had turbulences in Croatia regarding war with ex Yugoslavia, what also strongly reflected on all the people here, and us players also, who had great desire to play for their new, independent country.

The next reason of player’s enthusiasm was maybe also the part that Croatian baseball started to get uplift in quality with our generation, who started to play and practice modern game of baseball. Influence of American players and coaches started to get in our country and we raised our level, cause we were thrilled to learn and perform like pro players. All that reflected to national team, we had a bunch of good players who played just for “the love for the game” and that’s why we, in my opinion had some great results, playing better and better year after year. And put us in A pool of European baseball. But as things are changing all over the world, Croatia was not bypassed in years that followed. Today we are witnesses that money is everything, a lot of sports are professionalized, and that reflects to young players in baseball too, who think they need to be paid for playing, and just the love to play for your national team is in second place.

That is, by my opinion one of the reasons of worse results last years, but maybe the bigger one is the policy or ambition from our association that national team was needed to stay in A pool on every costs, what results in getting a lot of “foreign” players outside of country, who just helped us artificially to stay in A pool and spending a lot of money on that, but on the other side, in the same time there was not good program with other, youth national teams or generally in the whole country to develop the foundation of players who will continue to be the main core of national team. So right now, I think national team finally reached a point where there is not more enough money to get over some players from states or other countries and we don’t have enough quality of our own players to compete at highest level of European baseball.

So my expectation don’t point towards sport results of national team, but more on results that will try to develop good foundation of younger players here in Croatia and having them play quality games. If that means we have to stay another 5 years maybe in B pool, its fine with me. We can’t and must not rush thing, not taking care of other parts that are needed to have strong national team.

Jakub Janda: Mike, you arrived in Shanghai two months ago. What were your early days like?

Mike Griffin: I arrived in Shanghai with my wife one month ago and we moved to Wuxi where the MLB Development Center is located. Just like any major city in China, we were greeted with a lot of people and a lot of traffic. We are just settling in to our new home and new way of life. Although it’s Chinese New Year I have gotten to work individually with the kids, meet with the MLB staff, and perform a one-week clinic, all to get my feet wet.

JJ: How have you adjusted to the local climate?

MG: We are currently adjusting. Many things and places shut down over the New Year so we are still learning what life looks like here. We definitely get a lot of stares while walking down the street. The language is also an adjustment.

JJ: What is your daily and weekly routine?

MG: Wednesday through Sunday we will have practices and games at the MLBDC including weight lifting times as well. The kids also have study hall times during the week and English classes. We also meet for lunch with the players and as a coaching staff.

JJ: Could you compare your expectations and the real daily routine you are going through?

MG: This is yet to be determined, but I believe to be busy and see great progress being made by the players. We are all committed to working hard to improve the players.

JJ: How do your players differ from teams you coached back in Czech Republic?

MG: Again, we are just getting started; however the major difference is physical size. Czech players can be physically larger and stronger, but many of our players here are much quicker and work hard. I believe they have school for 9-12 hours a day including study halls and still work hard daily at baseball. So they work hard.

JJ: What is your 2011 season schedule?

MG: We officially begin February 16. We should receive further information in the near future.

Photo: Baseball Canada Press Release

Playing for Peanuts at Facebook
The Emerald Diamond at Facebook

Mister-Baseball: What can you tell us about your documentary “Playing for Peanuts”? For how long did you follow the South Georgia Peanuts?

John C. Fitzgerald: “Playing for Peanuts” is a 10-episode documentary about an independent minor league team – the South Georgia Peanuts. My camera crew followed the Peanuts for an entire season. It is sort of a “sequel” to my first film, “The Emerald Diamond” – which is a documentary about baseball in Ireland. For “Peanuts,” I wanted to document a pro baseball season in America and see if the same values could be found – hard work, love of the game, teamwork, etc. I found that and many other interesting things – some of the other stuff was great, some of it was very negative. So the project really went in a few directions, but the end result was very satisfying as far as baseball stories go.

MRBB: What were the main difficulties for filming the team during the ups and downs of a season? Was is it more easier to work with the players following wins?

JF: The main difficulty was the travel days. We filmed the team all day at the ballpark and then when the game ended, they would get on a bus and drive 8 hours to the next city. While they got to sleep on the bus, the camera crew would be driving the same route in a car. We were usually all awake to prevent us from getting lost. If we were lucky, we’d get a few hours of sleep before we had to be at the ballpark to film batting practice the next day.

As for the team, they were open and available regardless of wins and losses. I think alot of that had to do with their manager Wally Backman. Backman was used to talking to reporters after wins and losses like he did when he was in the Major Leagues. After a few weeks, the team was used to having cameras around all day and night so it wasn’t an issue at all.

MRBB: What are your reasons to publish additional scenes from the series on Facebook?

JF: Even though the TV series is 10 episodes, we filmed ALOT of extra footage. There is so much that never made it to the show – everything from instructional tips to manager visits to the mound. Since the players and coaches were wearing microphones during games, the extra scenes give a great look into what really goes on in the dugout and on the field in professional baseball. I hope this information is helpful to anyone interested in playing professional baseball. But be careful – lots of the language is NSFW (not safe for work)!

MRBB: Is the DVD available in Europe?

JF: Yes. The DVD is sold on Amazon.com and is available to anyone in Europe. I would suggest they visit the Facebook page first to see if they like the show – http://www.facebook.com/baseballvideos.

MRBB: You followed an independent league team. What are the differences to MLB affiliated leagues and teams? What is the secret for independent leagues to make money and would it be possible to transfer this concept to European Baseball?

JF: Independent teams don’t receive money to operate from Major League teams. That is the main difference. As far as talent, the Peanuts had many players who were former affiliated or Major League players. Several Peanuts were actually picked up by Major League affiliates during the season, which is a major part of the story of “Playing for Peanuts.”

To answer the second part of your question, I would love to see an independent league in Europe – and I think you have the makings of something very similar in Italy and the Netherlands. What I think is even more difficult – and long overdue – is for America to adopt elements of European football (soccer) in its amateur and minor league systems – promotion/relegation, fan ownership, teams tied to their local communities, etc. I think that system is fantastic, even if it does have some shortcomings. For more information, I would recommend the book “National Pastime” by Andrew Zimbalist and Stefan Szymanski.

MRBB: Wally Backman is going to manage the Double-A team of the Mets this year. What can you tell us about him, as German catcher Kai Gronauer might get a shot of playing for him?

JF: Backman is a great manager, according to anyone who has played for him. He is a very easy going person and he is relaxed with players and the media. However, he is very critical of umpires and he had several ejections and suspensions for arguing on behalf of his players. That is why his players like playing for him. I would be interested to hear Kai’s thoughts on playing for Backman if he ends up in AA.

MRBB: Would you consider following European Baseball for a documentary in a similar way?

JF: Not at this time, although the story of European baseball fascinates me. I’m a big fan of Mister Baseball and also of Josh Chetwynd’s work.

MRBB: After closing down Planet Hardball last summer, you are working on a new concept for a website. What can you already tell about?

JF: Planet Hardball was an attempt to cover baseball in Europe and America, sort of like a companion site to what you are doing with Mister Baseball. It was going to allow teams to upload their own blogs and photos. The new site is called Baseball United and it will have some similar features, but it will very different in some respects. The site is inspired by my previous documentaries and also my research into European football and social media theories. I’m hoping to have more information very soon as baseball season is fast approaching and I’m working very hard on getting Baseball United up and running!

Goran Supraha: Tell us something about your career; playing and coaching, education…

Branko Nenadic: 1993 was my first baseball season, I was 19 years old. I was a catcher for about 10-11 seasons, then moved to outfield. The major influence on my baseball career was made by Rick Johnston, who was my coach in 1997 and 1999. He taught me a lot and encouraged me to start coaching. Later I spent some time with him at the National team and in his baseball school “The Baseball Zone” in Mississauga, Canada. Also big influence on my career was playing with guys like Jimmy Summers, Tetsuhiro Monna, Ernesto Pereira, Carlos Tovar, Jason Pospishil, Jeff Calderone and many more. Playing with and against these guys made me a better player and better coach.

GS: Olimpija is Croatian cup winner and finalist of Croatian championship last season, but at start in autumn you get two defeats, especially surprisingly was against Donat Zadar, what happened…

BN: Well the game of baseball has a lot of rules that are written, but some of baseball rules are not written. The most important is respect of The Game. Nobody is larger than baseball. The game we played in Zadar was perfect example, we didn’t play hard, we didn’t have the right approach and we got punished. We learned a lesson. Good thing is we have still a lot of games to play and show our true face.

GS: What you expecting from your players at spring and what are your expectations for season 2011…

BN: We are going to introduce 5-6 young players from our baseball school to the senior team. We are in process of building the team and I expect that process to be over in couple maybe 3 years. If all goes according to plan, we could have a pretty good team for the future, made all of home grown players.

GS: Olimpija Karlovac is a “power house” in Croatian baseball which one has won 11 championship titles, 11 Croatian cups, 3 Inter league titles and the CEB cup in 2006., do you feel “weight” of “must win a title”…

BN: Of course the pressure is always there. I was part of a team from beginning, a team that brings home the first title. More titles you win, more pressure you face and higher expectations. But reality is that you can’t improve if you win all the time. Last few seasons, both Split and Varazdin had strong teams and level of baseball played in play off was pretty good and I hope it stays that way for quite some time.

GS: You also have long history in national team, last year in Germany at European championship you been assistant coach, what you except from national team this summer in Zagreb at Qualifier for European Championship I Holland 2012, after poor performance last year….

BN: My debut for the National team was in 1996. In England, since than I played in 6 European championships A pool and every B pool championship (100+ games).Last year in Germany was my last appearance for the Croatian National Team. From experience I will say this, if in your whole season you don’t see a 90 mph fastball or a slider that is 80+ mph, how can anybody expect to hit and perform against the top 5-6 A pool teams that have pitching like that. Reality is that we are in between A pool and B pool. A lot of things have to change, improvement in Croatian baseball and Croatian league before we can play competitive with the best in Europe.

Mister-Baseball: Congrats to your new post as head coach of the Swiss National Team. What are your plans for 2011 with the team and what do you expect from the European Championship Qualifier next summer?

Andy Fleischacker: Thanks very much. I am excited to be the new head coach for the Swiss national team. This is an exciting time in Swiss baseball and I am thrilled to be a part of it. I am hoping that this is only the beginning for me as the national team head coach, but as for 2011 we are going to be training very hard for Barcelona. Along with our monthly training sessions we will play a few games against the foreign players in Switzerland and we will also be playing in the Finkstonball tournament in Austria. I would also love to set up a 2 game series in Zurich against another national team not in our group. As for the qualifier in Spain it will be a very good tournament for us. To get to go to a beautiful place like Barcelona and play in a stadium that has hosted the Olympics and the baseball world cup is definitely exciting for me and my players. Hopefully we will be playing in front of some nice crowds when we take on the Spanish. And for me it’s also very exciting to be a part of the Spanish federations fight against breast cancer that they have going on. All and all it will be a great trip

MRBB: What do you think about playing in Barcelona with Switzerland? A few words on the opponents Spain, Finland, Ireland and Hungary?

AF: As for the teams in the group Spain is the big favorite. They are the home team and in my mind should not even be in a qualifier as I fell they are 1 of the top 6 national sides in Europe. But we are coming to win and will not be afraid of intimidated by anyone. As for the Irish you never know what they bring to the table, they have been known to import some Americans so they will be a tough side as well. As for Hungary they have had some good teams in the club competition so I expect them to put a solid team on the field. The only team that’s a real mystery is Finland you don’t really here much about them. But for me it’s not important who we play, we will play every game hard and compete like its game 7 of the World Series.

MRBB: At first it seemed that you would sign with Avigliana in the Italian Serie B before you finally went to the Schwaz Tigers in Austria. What happened?

AF: Yes I pretty much had a deal done to join the club in Avigliana Italy but unfortunately because of the budget they could not bring me over until mid to late march. This time table was not good enough for me as I wanted to be back in Europe by January because I had to start my national team training in February. So fortunately the Tigers and I worked out a deal to come to Schwaz.

MRBB: The Tigers lost twice in the finals in the past two years. What do they need to do to make the next step and win the championship? How much do you already know about the team?

AF: The Tigers have been knocking on the door the last 2 years and after being with them now for about 2 weeks and 3 training sessions I feel they have the talent to go all the way. It’s just about becoming a team and having a leader who will push them in that direction. It’s a group of hard working guys with a small roster so we need to stay healthy and have everyone at every game. It will be a tough league with teams like the Wanderers and Attnang, and the Metrostars but we can compete with anyone when the guys come focused and motivated

MRBB: What can you already tell about eventual additions to the Schwaz team? Is anyone leaving the club?

AF: As far as player additions to the team, we are currently talking to some people, but nothing is fixed yet. All the Austrian talent will be back with the only losses will be the 2 Americans from last year.

MRBB: What do you like about European Baseball so much that you are coming back year after year?

AF: Well I love everything about European baseball. It’s the ground floor of the sport where you can really try to build something when you are with the right club or federation. But for me I love Europe and I love living here. I would eventually like to live here year round and work with a team or federation for 12 months of the year to build something great. And eventually I would love to coach at the highest level in Europe Italy or Holland.

Mister-Baseball: Could you shortly summarize your baseball career up to this date?

Andrew Smith: I attended the University of San Francisco from 2003-06 and have played professionally since 2006 excluding 2008 and 2010.

MRBB: You’re coming back to Europe, playing for the Heidekoepfe in Germany. How did you get in contact with the club?

AS: My former teammate in France and former GB national team player Alex Malihoudis was able to get me in contact with the club in Heidenheim.

MRBB: How did you like playing for the Templiers Senart in the French Elite League?

AS: Senart was a great experience. There is a small but passionate group of baseball lovers in France and the league is improving with better home-grown talent. Living just outside of Paris was an amazing experience as well. Experience the French culture was a unique and eye opening experience. I made many great friends while I was there and I hope I helped them improve their game.

MRBB: You have played at college, in a Major League organization, in independent league ball and in Europe. What are the differences?

AS: Each level has its own unique features and challenges. At the Division 1 NCAA level you learn the time management skills needed to balance being a full time student and how to compete at the highest university level. Also, you get your first taste of the amount of hard work it takes to become an elite player. The affiliated minor leagues bring many new challenges. There are so many top-notch players from all over the world that are competing to make their living playing baseball and reach the major leagues. I feel that here is where you learn the mental and physical discipline needed to endure a grueling 6 months of baseball every day. In the independent minor leagues things are much less structured and players must really focus every day as there is more of a “revolving door” as far as roster spots go. You are never guaranteed the next day if you aren’t performing. As an American in Europe you looked to as a leader and are expected to perform at a very high level as most of us have much more experience than the local players. Also, another main difference is that you play a lot less games over in Europe which makes it imperative to stay focused during the week in preparation for the weekend games.

MRBB: It is going to be your second season in European Baseball. What do you like so much about the old continent?

AS: I love experiencing the history and amazing sights in every single country. I never expected to be able to see this part of the world. The fact that baseball can open these doors is amazing. Also learning the different languages, meeting people, and learning about the different cultures is incredible. Oh yeah, I LOVE to try all of the different foods as well!

MRBB: Without revealing any secrets to opposing pitchers, how would a scouting report about you look like?

AS: I consider myself a solid, all-around fundamental player. I take a lot of pride in my defensive skills and my ability to execute whatever my team needs me to do for them to win.

MRBB: What do you expect for the 2011 season?

AS: I have very high expectations for this summer. Heidenheim has been a top-notch club and I expect the same for this year. I am very excited to help get them back on top of the Bundesliga and also look forward to challenging some of the top clubs in Europe during the CEB qualifier in Amsterdam.

Mister-Baseball thanks Andrew Smith for answering our questions and wishes good luck for the upcoming season.

Mister-Baseball: May you say something about you, your playing career your education…

Ivan Racic: I started playing when I was 14, soon I completely fell in love with the game. I improved my level of play working with a former Tokyo Giant, Tetsuhiro Monna, during his time in Split. I needed a new challenge so I decided to leave for USA and compete at the college baseball level. I graduated in December with a degree in Health and Physical Education.

MRBB: Nada SSM Split is yours first club that you coaching, what are you expectations and plans for 2011 season

IC: Expectations are high since Nada SSM is a club of great tradition and is always aiming for the top. My plan is to take it one day at the time, come to the field every day with a lot of enthusiasm, install some core values on how to play the game the right way and constantly improve.

MRBB: You live and study in USA for last couple years, where and on what level you play

IC: I played at the Division II level for Arkansas Tech in one of the strongest conferences in D2, The GSC (Gulf South Conference).

MRBB: May you give comparison between USA and Europe baseball

IC: Playing for your hometown club or your national team alongside your amateur teammates who are leaving everything on the field just because of that sense of pride and love for the game was always more fun for me then baseball in USA which is getting to be more of a business even at the college level.

MRBB: How you see European baseball in future, there is already some players playing in MLB teams

IC: I think European baseball is going to keep on improving and I see much more European born players getting to the next level but it is responsibility of all of the coaches, especially the ones working with kids to install proper fundamentals and baseball values into them. Also I believe we all have to work hard to bring baseball back to the Olympic program.

MRBB: You are coaching a club from Split which one have long baseball history since 1919, but without a real baseball field that difficult and they still manage to be good, what is the secret of Split

IC: Split is known as a town of great athletes, with unbelievable numbers of Olympic medal winners considering the population size. I can not believe that a town of such a great sport history doesn’t have a proper baseball field. The conditions in which the team is practicing are on low levels, which makes every victory and championship that much sweeter but to further the development of baseball in Split and Croatia to the new level, proper field is a must.

MRBB: Nada SSM Split plays at qualifier European Cup in Athens this year, what you expect “down there”

IC: I expect the team to perform much better then at the last CEB cup in Antwerp. I feel like we are going to be able to compete with any opponent and just want to play good baseball plus gain some experience for this young team, everything else will be a bonus.

MRBB: What you think about other clubs in Croatian league who may be you top opponent this season

IC: Only thing I am focused on right now is my team, I believe if we continue to prepare well like we are doing right now and bring this momentum from the winter workouts into the season that our opponent won’t really matter.

MRBB: After terrible performance at European Championship in Germany last year, Croatian national team plays qualifier in Zagreb this summer, are they strong enough to comeback where they belong.

IC: Croatian baseball is in a need of a change, I think we need to start from the scratch. The team is definitely strong enough to come back to the A pool but never good enough to make an impact among the top national teams in Europe. We need some fresh blood and a specific plan on how to get to a point where we can play with the powerhouse teams in EC.

Mister-Baseball: The Buchbinder Legionaere choose not to play in the 2011 European Cup. What is the reason behind this decision?

Martin Brunner: There are no revenue opportunities for the participating teams, just costs and participation fees. There is not much PR work by the CEB and there is only, if at all, TV coverage at the Final Four. There are no people in the stands and the quality of the playing surface often is not up to the usual standards. And obviously the mentioned foreign player rules, which are unfair against EU players, led to the decision of the Buchbinder Legionaere not to participate in the 2011 tournament. I personally don’t want to tell an EU player: “Thanks for helping us all these years, but you cannot play in the European Cup.” I know it from personal experience, as I was born in Germany and having played here my entire career. But in this case I am a foreigner.

MRBB: Did you receive any feedback from other European teams regarding the non-participation in the European Cup? What is the German federation saying about it?

MB: We did receive some feedback. They can relate to our reasons and would hope that the format of the tournaments would change in the future. It was clear for us from the beginning that others would take our spot, but still hope that a discussion is going to be initiated. Germany still will be good represented by Heidenheim.

MRBB: Is Regensburg instead playing in a different tournament this year or are you going to focus solely on the Baseball-Bundesliga? Will there be a Buchbinder Cup?

MB: The Buchbinder Legionaere again will host the Buchbinder Cup, which celebrated his inauguration last year. Defending champion Paderborn Untouchables, the Solingen Alligators and the Bonn Capitals already have confirmed their participation. Our main goal will be defending the national championship. But alike every year we’re trying to arrange several additional and attractive games.

MRBB: If you’re reaching the German finals again, would you consider returning to the European Cup for 2012 or does the CEB would need to change the format to do it?

MB: I think we don’t have disparate opinions like the CEB, as the European federation obviously doesn’t want to discriminate European players. If we qualify for a European competition in 2012, we’re going to evaluate the situation again and might decide differently.

MRBB: How is the roster look like for the 2011 season? Any major transfers planned? Who is taking the foreign player spots?

MB: With a few exceptions our roster will be the same as in 2011. Only Rene Herlitzius has left the club. Enzo Muschik of the Mainz Athletics, who is attending the University in Regensburg, has joined the Buchbinder Legionaere. Additionally we’re going to continue bringing our Academy players slowly to the Bundesliga level. Changes for the foreign player spots are planned and will be announced at an appropriated time in the future.

Photo: © Walter Keller, www.catchthefever.de

Career Stats Rick van den Hurk

Mister-Baseball: The European Big Leaguers tour was a big success. What are your personal thoughts on it? How did Adam Jones and Co. like the trip to Europe? And did you receive any feedback from Major League Baseball?

Rick van den Hurk: The E.B.L.T was a great success, I enjoyed it a lot and it was great fun to see all those kids and baseball fans come out and enjoy our clinics. Adam, Jeremy, John, Kyle, Gregory, and Brady told me they had an awesome time and enjoyed it. Besides the clinics the got to experience Europe and spent a lot of time in Amsterdam and Paris.

Mister-Baseball: Will you organize a similar tour in the future?

Rick van den Hurk: I would like to organize it again in the future, but the big question is when, and as we are still evaluating on the E.B.L.T 2010 we haven’t got to discuss the future of the tour yet.

Mister-Baseball: You’ve got traded from the Marlins to the Orioles at the end of July this summer. Did you expect a trade before and what are the differences between the two organizations? When and how did you hear about the trade?

Rick van den Hurk: I didn’t expect a trade, but baseball is a business and you can get traded at any time. Both are great organizations and in very strong divisions AL and NL East. I heard about 5-10 minutes before the trade deadline, the marlins Farm director called me and told me I got traded I was playing catch at that time in New Orleans (Marlins Triple A)

Mister-Baseball: Can you describe to your European fans what the differences are between being a minor and a major league player, off the field and on the field?

Rick van den Hurk: the game is a little faster in the big leagues, and you face the very best hitters in the world. off-field differences in the Big Leagues you fly with the Team Plane so u don’t have to wait in line or anything like that, you pull up and hop on the plane.

Mister-Baseball: Do you already know what role you will play in 2011? Do the Orioles see you as a starting pitcher or a reliever?

Rick van den Hurk: I don’t know yet, the orioles have seen me in both roles, and it will play itself out during spring.

Mister-Baseball: Probably every young baseball player is dreaming about the big leagues at some point. Did you have a moment or a game, when you knew, you can actually make it?

Rick van den Hurk: As you sign with a professional team you know that they have signed you for a reason, cause they think in the future you can play in the Major Leagues and it’s up to yourself how bad you want it, and how hard you work over the years. And you always work to get closer to your dream.

Mister-Baseball: Any advice for a European player how he can reach the big leagues too? What are the major obstacles in the life of a minor leaguer on its way up?

Rick van den Hurk: The Minor leagues are tough and is very good competition. You always got to look at yourself and see how you can get better every day.

Mister-Baseball: What are you doing during the winter? Did you already start preparations for the 2011 season?

Rick van den Hurk: During the winter I relax and hang out with my friends and family, get away from the game a little bit. And also work out every day, lift weights and run to stay in shape. And when January rolls around play catch and throw bullpens to get ready for spring training.

Mister-Baseball: Before and during the 2009 World Baseball Classic you worked with Bert Blyleven. Are you still in contact with him and is he giving you pointers?

Rick van den Hurk: Yes I still keep in touch with Bert Blyleven; he’s been great and has helped me a lot.

Mister-Baseball: A few words on his hall of fame election.

Rick van den Hurk: Awesome!! His Numbers and his career speaks for itself, he’s has done it all!

Mister-Baseball: Do you have a special routine when you’re scheduled to start? What are you doing in your free time?

Rick van den Hurk: Not a special routine, but things that you feel good with food throwing wise and running wise, free time I look up the sports news in Holland follow my team P.S.V. Eindhoven and talk with my friends and family

Mister-Baseball thanks Rick van den Hurk and wishes good luck for the upcoming season.

Photo: © Ron Wickert, www.eott.nl

Jakub Janda: Mike, could you give us a brief look at your baseball career as a coach and player?

Mike Griffin: As a player I led the Canadian Junior National in hitting during high school. Following 18 months of injury and 5 operations I attended to colleges, the College of Southern Idaho and the University of Hawaii where I received another operation. This led me to Europe where my body allowed me to play less games and it gave me the opportunity to begin a coaching career. I have coached back home in Canada helping a high school program and as well as working with the Czech cadets and U21 National Teams. The past 2 seasons I worked as the head coach for Kotlarka Praha in the Czech Extraleague.

JJ: How did you get in connection with Czech baseball?

MG: I originally learned about European Baseball through a summer ball team with Athletes in Action about 6 years ago. It was a rehab summer for me but we competed in France, Germany, and the Czech Republic.

JJ: You were about to became the Czech national team manager. How did you enjoy your time with the Czech national squads?

MG: I was never officially asked to become a Czech National team manager, there was some interest I heard especially with the junior team. However, I loved my time in Czech, working in the National teams programs was a great experience especially winning the U21 European Championship.

JJ: Would you give us some insight on the Czech Baseball Academies?

MG: Well, there are some organizational things that need to take place to move forward but currently Prague and Brno are the two operating Academies. I was leading the Prague Academy this year and during the winter we had an intense fitness program Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and worked on individual baseball needs on Tuesday and Friday. These practices took place before school giving the players the opportunity to practice with their club teams after school.

JJ: How is Czech baseball in your eyes? Has it developed in years you were involved?

MG: Czech baseball has improved since I first saw it six yars ago. However, there are great steps needed to advance the game at an international level. I have seen more coaches come in to try and help which is great, in the end though there must be either some creative ideas or some harder financial and marketing work in order to provide resources and people needed to advance the game.

JJ: What are you going to do in 2011?

MG: I have recently accepted an offer with MLB to work in China . I will be working in the MLB development centers.

JJ: What do you consider your career highlight?

MG: I have no idea. I loved competeing for Canada . As a coach watching a very young Prague team grow and become some pretty good and knowledgeable players was exciting. Its about the relationships for sure during my career that make things special.

JJ: What has baseball given to you?

MG: About 10 years ago I became a Christian and it has been an amazing journey since then. Baseball has been a huge tool that God has used to grow me as a person and my character. It’s a game full of ups and downs, team work, failure and joys. I love it.

JJ: What has the game taken out of your life?

MG: Health. I wouldn’t change much, but seven operations and 3 years missed with 5-6 months spent in hospitals by the time I was 21 made for some long and painful years.

JJ: If you could adress young kids who would like to get involved in international baseball, chat would you tell them?

MG: Life is much bigger than baseball. But whatever you do give it everything. Baseball will reveal and test your character. But there is a right way to play the game, with respect, with effort, with fun. Enjoy the journey and persevere through the failures.

Also, I just want to say how much I have enjoyed my friends in Czech Baseball and I want to give my thanks to CBA, Radim Kepak, Pavel Chadim, Zdenek Josefus, Jaroslav Vondricka, and so many others for giving me an opportunity to live and be a part of your culture. Vesele Vanoce.

Eric Gonzalez

• Born September 5, 1986 in San Juan de la Rambla/Tenerife
• Selected by San Diego Padres in 24th Round of 2008 Amateur Draft
• 12-7, 93 GP, ERA 4.83, 164 IP, 152 SO, 42 BB combined between 2008 and 20010 (Rookie to AAA)

Mister-Baseball: How was your 2010 Season?

Eric Gonzalez: It didn’t start the best as possible. I had a back injury and I couldn’t prepare me during half season. The competition is very hard but I could take the correct way and finished playing the Venezuelan Winter League before to return to my home for a break.

MRBB: How was your last experience in Venezuela?

EG: It was a very important opportunity in one of the best winter leagues in the World. It helped me to work at my weaknesses alongside of “big league” teammates. It was a cool experience.

MRBB: How will you address this rest time at home?

EG: It was a long season to play in the winter league with a big effort physically and mentally. I’ll try to rest as good as possible, have a nice Christmas with my family and start ready into the next season.

MRBB: What is your goal for the 2011 Season?

EG: I would like to have a healthy season and after this point, play the leagues where I can show my best performance, take the opportunities and reach my highest level.

MRBB: How do you see the European and Spanish baseball level from the USA?

EG: The level in Europe is growing every year. It is a long way to reach the traditional countries but step by step the level is getting better. In Spain it is similar and now the top level teams are very close, the league is getting better and this is very good for the championship development.

MRBB: What do you think European baseball needs for better performance?

EG: It needs better competition, play more games would be great and it will be the difference. At least fifty or sixty games a year or to play during the whole year would be a start. In the most part of Europe the money and the weather is a handicap.

Mister-Baseball thanks Jorge Miqueleiz for doing the interview with Eric Gonzalez.

Jakub Janda: Currently, you are playing in South Africa. What is the country like?

Joe Truesdale: Where I’m located, the Cape Town area, it’s very modern. Most of the time it’s easy to forget that I’m in Africa. You have to look hard to find something overly African as most people would think. It hasn’t been hot yet, but rather cool and every day it is so windy.

There are no elephants, lions, nor giraffes running freely through the streets where I’ve been so far. There is at least one area where baboons run freely though.

JJ: Could you compare the local league to the Czech Extraleague and US college ball?

JT: The South African League’s biggest difference from the Czech League and US college teams would have to be the facilities. Most fields don’t have full outfield fences and some don’t have dugouts. Some of the fields that do have dugouts don’t have roofs and most fields don’t have bullpens. I would say that talent wise the league here and the Czech league are quite similar. There are several guys in this league that have played or are currently playing professionally in the US or Europe, but then there are some guys that probably wouldn’t be playing if there were enough guys on each of the teams. One aspect of baseball that is different here compared to baseball in Czech is that almost all the guys here practice and play the game of baseball at a much higher intensity. They present themselves more as baseball players, even though it is very much an amateur sport. They also come to the field looking to work and play hard each day. They even have fun in the process.

JJ: How did you enjoy your 2010 in Arrows Ostrava, Czech Extraleague?

JT: I will be very honest when I answer this question, maybe even too honest. I’ve worked with the Arrows organization the past five years. The first few years were enjoyable on and off the field, but the 2010 season was very much the contrary. The people running Arrows this season made several unwise decisions. One of the many poor decisions was that they fired the best manager the organization has ever had and probably will ever have. This manager was actually moving Arrows towards a legitimate baseball organization. By doing this they weakened the entire organization considerably.

There are several other examples of poor management, but I won’t go into all that on here. As a player and a coach you shouldn’t have to be concerned with all those problems. When you know all these management issues are going on, it starts to affect your focus and performance, which it did this past season for me. This makes me sad because I truly enjoy Ostrava and the Czech Republic. I wouldn’t have dedicated five years to there if I didn’t.

JJ: In past several years, you have been playing for Arrows Ostrava. Please describe how you got there and what the path of the team was in last few years.

JT: I was part of the Athletes in Action team in 2005, which competed in the Prague Baseball Week and stopped in Ostrava for a few days. I was asked by Ota Kanok to return for the 2006 season to be apart of the Ostrava Arrows. I accepted the offer and have been returning to Ostrava the past five seasons.

Each year the Ostrava Arrows team looks slightly different. A few guys have retired and over the past couple of years several of the guys have taken the opportunity to play in other countries. Also, in the past five years there have been five different coaches. Stability hasn’t been the Arrows strength.

JJ: What do you consider your career highlight?

JT: I would have to say the 2005 season at Arrows. It was a great group of guys I had the privilege to compete with. They were real baseball players. We also played in the European Cup Qualifying Tournament in Barcelona, Spain. We played some good baseball and had a great time together as a team. That year was a great introduction into European baseball for me.

JJ: When you are in a slump, what do you do to get back to form? Do you have any recipe you use?

JT: I have myself on film during the times I was batting well and also when I was batting poorly. When I am in a batting slump I go back to the film where I was batting well and watch to see what I was doing correctly at that time. I also film myself when I am in a slump to see what I am doing wrong and then try to correct it. In addition to this I practice as much as possible. I try to take at least 600-700 swings per week.

JJ: If you could tell a few words to kids who want to play international ball as you do, what would you recommend to them?

JT: Put in the time to be the best at what you are playing. Get your name out there so teams and people will know who you are and that you are interested in playing for their organization. Get to know people in the international baseball world. Don’t give up.

JJ: Time when you will hang your spikes will come. Do you have any plans after that?

JT: When it’s all said and done and I hang them up I will go back to University to get my Master’s or Doctorate in Physiotherapy.

JJ: What has baseball given to you and what has the game taken away from you?

JT: Baseball has given me a lot over the past few years. It has given me the opportunity to meet a multitude of interesting people from various different countries and to experience many different cultures. It’s given me the opportunity to coach and to play the sport that I have played since I was eight years old. It’s given me much more then it has taken away.

JJ: If you would have a chance to do something differently in your baseball career, what would it be?

JT: I would have pursued a team in Europe several years earlier.

Thank you for your time.
Jakub Janda

Written for Baseball.cz

Mister-Baseball: How did you like the Baseball season 2010 with the Dutch national team? Are you satisfied with the success, even though you twice (Euros, ICC) had to settle for second place?

Jim Stoeckel: It has always been an honor and privilege to work with Dutch Baseball. I thank the KNBSB and Robert Eenhoorn for having confidence in me. A top athlete is never satisfied, even when he wins. There is always room for improvement. Having said that, I think the Dutch Team played very well, for the most part, in 2010.

MRBB: Why aren’t you coming back as manager of the Dutch national team?

JS: Personal reasons. My wife and I both have elderly mothers in Vero Beach, Florida, where we live, and want to be more available to them. 10 months in the Netherlands is difficult for us with our USA responsibilities. I could be available for shorter periods of time but that does not fit with the Dutch plan for a full-time resident Field Manager.

MRBB: It was your third stint as Dutch national team manager. How has baseball in the Netherlands and in Europe changed during this time?

JS: Access to pro players is different and makes the selection pool bigger. That changed in 1996. Baseball in some countries (examples Germany, Czech Republic) has gotten better, with growing interest and more participation.

MRBB: What is European Baseball missing in comparison to the sport in the US?

JS: Top Athletes. A Major League Player is usually an Olympic Caliber Athlete first. There are just not enough top athletes playing baseball in Europe to grow into a large number of Major League Players. The base at the bottom has to become much bigger for the top to get stronger. This is what Branch Rickey used to call quality through quantity, and it is the foundation of the entire minor league system.

MRBB: If you had a chance to change anything in European Baseball, what would it be?

JS: Europe needs a Super League like the recently re-formed Australian Baseball League. A European Baseball League needs to be run in a financially responsible manner like a low-level minor league or independent club in the USA. Any league that can keep Top Players playing as long as possible will help national teams. I would like to see MLB partner with such a league, like they are doing in Australia. My worry is whether Europeans will ever pay enough to see baseball work at this level.

MRBB: You are also working as a scout for the Cincinnati Reds. What do European players need to do to reach the big leagues? What has to change?

JS: The biggest problem in Europe is that young hitters do not see enough good arms. Resident Academies (such as Regensburg. Germany) are beginning to address this. The MLB European Academy could take players to play in the Dominican Summer League to address the problem of facing better competition. In the developed world, with young players, the issues are always school and finance for such ventures.

MRBB: What are your future plans and will you keep following European Baseball?

JS: I am going to keep scouting internationally this year for the Cincinnati Reds and plan to return to some events in Europe. I am also available to the Dutch Team if they ever need me.

Mister-Baseball thanks Jim Stoeckel for taking the time to answer our questions.

Photo: © Ron Wickert, www.eott.nl

Mister-Baseball: What do you think about this training camp?

Miguel Erroz: It is a good opportunity after a long season to teach the players, which have the chance to play a European championship as a host team and prepare the new season with this target in his mind. Here, we can work without a hurry, practice the basics and the tactics before the next activity.

MRBB: What kind of result do you expect in the tournament?

ME: Is very early to talk about results. The level of the teams is usually very close and as well the levels change one year to other. We will work very hard and wise to have the best result as possible, playing a good and fun baseball.

MRBB: How do you see the Preliminary Round Group?

ME: It is a difficult group with one of the heavy favourites like Holland and very good teams like France and Czech Republic. We try to win game by game, all of them will be very important as the level will be very similar. Our goal is to play our best baseball and the tournament decides our level and final standing.

MRBB: What will be the key points for your team?

ME: I would like to be the defense. If our defense is going to be great, we can win against everyone.

MRBB: Do you have a lot of players from the Braves Academy?

ME: The base of the team is from the Braves Academy. This is very interesting because they practiced before and have a high quality practice. This project can help to increase the baseball level here in Spain.

MRBB: Can you do the work as manager of Baseball Navarra and the National Team?

ME: A lot of players will be playing with their teams in the National League. As the competitions won’t be at the same time and we can do it without problems.

Thanks to Mister-Baseball for its overage about baseball and Spanish baseball.

Mister-Baseball thanks Miguel Erroz for the interview.

Mister-Baseball: Tell us a little bit about your baseball career. How did you end up in Germany?

Chris Beck: I knew from a young age I wanted to play professional baseball. When I was two years old my dad bought me a Velcro baseball glove and ball set. Every day when he got home from work we would play catch in the living room. When I was four years old my mom signed me up for tee ball. I’m told that I was so angry with the coach for putting me in right field that I threw the first ball he hit to me over the backstop fence. That’s when I started playing shortstop.

Growing up, I was always smaller than the other kids. The first time I played shortstop for the high school varsity, I couldn’t have been more than 115 pounds. I still managed to put up some good stats over the next few years, but my size and lack of flat out speed made college recruiters skeptical. In fact, all of my offers were for me to be a starting pitcher rather than a position player. I hated the idea of only playing once a week, so I jumped on the only offer that presented an opportunity to play shortstop.

Entering the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, the ball bucket was expected to contribute to the upcoming season more than I was. Once again I was one of the smallest guys on the team and had a lot to prove. I got my chance after the senior starter jumped off the third story balcony on a dare, (may or may not have been an alcohol influenced). The coaching staff had no choice but to put me in and hope for best. That season I was among the freshmen leaders in virtually all offensive and defensive categories. I thought I was well on my way.

Unfortunately, the rest of my career at UNCP was filled with injuries and frustration. Sophomore year I broke my throwing hand 8 weeks before the season and spent the whole year trying to battle back. I broke my thumb that summer in the Valley League after being hit by a pitch and played the entire Championship series in a splint. My junior season started out great, but was interrupted prematurely mid season surgery on an infection. Doctors’ orders were to sit out the rest of the season in order to heal. After missing 13 games I got stir crazy and hopped back into the lineup. The infection came back that summer. I got through my final season at UNCP with a lot of help from pain killers. By the time I graduated I had completely forgotten how much fun baseball could be when you are healthy.

After another surgery and some much needed time away from the game, I got an email from the Solingen Alligators. The subject read “opportunity to play baseball in Germany”. I figured it was junk mail because I had never heard of German baseball. I opened it out of curiosity and saw that it was a serious offer to play again. After a few phone calls and some paper work I became a Solingen Alligator.

MRBB: Did you ever have a chance to play professionally?

CB: I always flew under the radar as far as affiliated baseball. I did excite a few scouts at a pro day once in college. During the defensive portion of the workout I threw a wet ball into the dugout they were sitting in and hit a guy from the Tampa Bay Rays.

MRBB: If you had to fill out a scouting report on yourself, what would it say?

CB: That’s a tough one. Well I think I’m a tough guy to pitch to. I have a strong knowledge of my strike zone and a good approach at the plate. I like to make pitchers work and get into hitters counts. I drive the ball with some pop to all fields and can squirt one over the fence now and then. I’m no fun for opposing pitchers on the base paths. I am a strong base runner with above average speed and good instincts. At shortstop I have good hands and quick footwork. I have a plus arm, but wasn’t able to show it much until the second half of the 2011 season due to tendinitis.

MRBB: You now have played for Solingen in the north and for Heidenheim in the south. What are the differences you see between these two divisions, if there are any?

CB: It’s my opinion that the south possesses far more depth than the north. It begins when you look at offenses. The North and South are pretty even when you compare each division’s average 1 through 5 hitter. The bottom half is where you find far more disparity. The average 7 through 9 batters is far weaker in the north than the south. In regards to pitching, there wasn’t much of a difference between the northern and southern starters. The south just has more pitchers to go to in relief.

MRBB: In 2010 you had a somewhat bittersweet season with the Heidekoepfe. You reached the finals at the European Champions Cup Final Four and in the German Baseball-Bundesliga, but had to settle for second place in both competitions in the end. Are you still satisfied with your performance?

CB: Ahhh it would have been nice to have won at least one of those. When expectations are taken into consideration, second place in the European Championships seems like a great success. If you watched the game, however, and saw how close a German team was to winning it all, it would be hard not to be disappointed. There wasn’t much time for any of us to dwell though because we had to finish the German final against Regensburg. We fought back from a 0-2 deficit and lost it in five. So in two weeks we lost two championships. Not easy to take for anyone. So, of course I’m not satisfied with either result, but I don’t have any regrets. It was one heck of a ride that I shared with a great group of guys that none of us will ever forget.

MRBB: Coming from the US with playing every day to only playing on the weekends in Europe, how did you adjust to the different format?

CB: It’s physically less demanding when you only have two games a week. The toughest thing to deal with is all the free time. You can only watch so much television you don’t understand before you have to make an adjustment.

MRBB: Why are you leaving the Heidekoepfe and what are your plans for 2011?

CB: The Heidekoepfe are a great group of guys that love the game. It was a privilege taking the field with them and I’m a better person and player after this season. I’m grateful for the opportunities afforded to me by the organization in 2010 and I’ll never forget the experience. That being said, it has always been my intention to go wherever I could grow and learn as a player. My decision to sign with the Heidekoepfe was largely based on this intention. After learning that Mike Hartley wouldn’t be returning to Heidenheim for the 2011 campaign I no longer felt that it was in my best interest to return either.

I intend on to exploring my options regarding the 2011 season over the next few months. My production in the European Cup has sparked some interest from other teams in Europe as well as some Independent baseball teams in America.

MRBB: How did you like your three years in the Bundesliga? Did anything stand out for you?

CB: I loved playing baseball in the Bundesliga. Over the course of the last three seasons I have developed some truly priceless friendships that I’m extremely grateful for. Time well spent.

MRBB: What will you do when you’re finished playing Baseball?

CB: I always plan on being a part of the game in some form or fashion. It’s been a part of my life for so long and has played such a large role in shaping who I am, that I can’t imagine moving on to something completely unrelated. Maybe I’ll manage my own team one day.

Mister-Baseball thanks Chris Beck for taking time to answer our questions.

Photos: (c) Heidenheim Heidekoepfe (top right and middle left), Gregor Eisenhuth, www.eisenhuth-photographie.de (bottom right)

Jakub Janda: Jay, please could you introduce yourself to our readers in a few lines?

Jay Stott: Jay Stott, director of Purpose Driven Baseball, a “character first” baseball program that delivers baseball camps, clinics and international baseball trips for high school age players.

JJ: You have visited the Czech Republic last week. What was the purpose of your visit?

JS: Over the last few summers we have developed a great relationship with Libor Chrastansky from Southern Bohemia and others in Czech baseball. Last week we were connecting with many friends in Czech baseball and assisting Mike Griffin with a baseball camp in Nymburk for the Czech Baseball Academy.

JJ: You brought with you your coach mate Corey Lee, former big leaguer. What was his role when at Czech Republic?

JS: Corey was the lead instructor for pitchers during the camp. Corey was a 1st round draft pick in 1997 and has over 10 years of professional baseball experience. Corey is a quality instructor and one of our coaches in North Carolina with Purpose Driven Baseball.

JJ: It is not your first time in the Czech Republic, you have been here for last two summers, coaching the North Caroline high school selection at the Youth Baseball Games of Friendship tournament. How have been your impressions from the country?

JS: I have visited the Czech Republic numerous times over the last 7 years and have loved getting to learn about the history and culture. I love the country side and the unique charm of “Old Town”. I have met lots of great people and look forward to more visits.

JJ: What have been your impressions from Czech baseball?

JS: I think Czech Baseball has improved over the last few years and is showing signs of getting even better. There are numerous good players I think there is great potential to become more and more competitive in World events.

JJ: You worked with the Czech Academy program last week in Nymburk. Give us you insight on how it went and what you thought about the program and the players.

JS: I think the camp went great. Mike Griffin and the others connected with the Czech Baseball Academy provided a great opportunity for players to improve as players. The Nymburk facility was a perfect place to get out of the bad weather and work hard. I was impressed with the focus of the players and their eagerness to learn. It was good to see players from Prague and Brno attending for the week.

JJ: Do you see any connection between you and Czech baseball community in the future?

JS: I sure hope so. We have developed good friendships over the last few summers and hope to come back many times in the future. We will be hosting a Spring Training in North Carolina again in 2011. We will also be back next summer with a team to play in the International Youth Baseball tournament in July.

JJ: How “far” is it from Czech baseball to the college level?

JS: I have seen a few players who could, if given the opportunity, play at the college level.

JJ: What is your schedule for 2011?

JS: Hosting Spring Training —possibly in March and April.
Summer tournament in July through IYB.

JJ: Last question – when you say “Czech Republic” – what are the first five words which cross your mind?

JS: Good food, Old Town, History, friends, and baseball

Thank you for your time.
Jakub Janda

Mister-Baseball: You have played in the Major Leagues. How did you end up in Germany? When did you decide to become a coach?

Mike Hartley: After my playing career I stayed involved in baseball, directing baseball camps, coaching little league, giving private lessons, and helping out with local semi-pro and high school teams. I decided to start coaching professionally in ’05 in Independent baseball (3 years, pitching coach). I met and pitched against the Heidekoepfe in Zagreb, Croatia during the ’07 European Cup series. I met with the GM after the game and exchanged information. After thinking about it, I decided that having the opportunity to coach in Europe would be a great experience for me and my family.

I’ve really enjoyed coaching in Europe. And I would look forward to another opportunity in the future.

MRBB: In 2010 you had a somewhat bittersweet season with the Heidekoepfe. You reached the finals at the European Champions Cup Final Four and in the German Baseball-Bundesliga, but had to settle for second place in the end. Are you still satisfied with the team performance?

MH: Reaching the final in both of those series was a nice accomplishment, but I was definitely not satisfied with the results. During the Euro Cup in Brno we really came together as a team and were able to beat some strong teams. Competing internationally was an exciting and fun experience. Our team gained a lot of confidence from that. We came into the Final Four as underdogs, and a little shorthanded, but were able to reach the final and were one out away from winning it all. We just didn’t hit that day.

In the German final, we were facing Regensburg, always a tough opponent. Again we were without a couple starters. But with the Eurocup experience, I felt that whatever lineup we sent out there, we could defend our championship.

No disrespect to either team, they are well coached and deserving champions.

I am very proud of what the Heidekoepfe accomplished this season.

MRBB: What do you think about the quality of Baseball in Germany and in Europe in comparison to the US?

MH: Baseball is America’s pastime and has been the standard for quality baseball, as soccer is in Europe. I’ve seen the quality in Germany improve over the past 3 years, along with the Netherlands and Italy showing they can compete at the highest level, internationally. Hopefully MLB with further their support in Europe, bringing more interest to the sport.

MRBB: In the last couple of months there were lots of discussions regarding a reformation of the Bundesliga. Do you think there is a gap between the two divisions in Germany and are 16 teams too much?

MH: Over the last 3 seasons, I’ve believed the South to be the stronger division overall, although Solingen and Paderborn are definitely among the Top 5 German teams. I think the league should stay with two divisions until teams can afford to travel. Then, an 8 – team league would be much more competitive.

MRBB: Besides extending the schedule, would there be any other things you would change in German Baseball?

MH: Again, not to sound disrespectful, the Bundesliga needs to put quality baseball people in place. From the Director of baseball operations, to club General Management and Field Management. Implementing a financial plan so that all teams can compete, fairly. Also to put priorities in the Youth and Juniors. Getting young athletes throughout Germany interested in playing baseball is an important step.

MRBB: You have played and coached in the European Cup tournaments. How do you like the format and if you had the opportunity to change it, what would you propose?

MH: The Directors have a tough job in scheduling those events. I think choosing quality venues with warm, dry climates would be smart. I know the ballplayers wouldn’t complain. Also, roster rule limits, only players who were active and eligible for post-season in the prior or current seasons should be allowed to play.

The current extra inning rule gives the home team a slight advantage. And should not be in effect for the Final Four series.

MRBB: Every coach has his own philosophy. What is yours?

MH: As a head coach, I feel it is important to stay calm, confident but also aggressive. I manage and treat the players with respect and realize that each individual is unique. In knowing their personalities, strengths and weaknesses I am able to better manage each player to reach their highest potential. At higher levels, I coach to win and I hate to lose. At lower levels, the focus is on development. In short, work hard, believe in yourself and respect the game of baseball.

MRBB: After three years with the Heidekoepfe you are leaving. Why and what are your plans for 2011?

MH: Managing two teams within the Heidekoepfe Club has been a great experience but I have always been interested in working at a national level and that opportunity has not become available within Germany. In 2011, I have a strong interest in continuing in Europe as a head coach with possibilities of working with a national team. If an opportunity does not become available, I will look forward to furthering my coaching experience in the United States.

Photo: © Heidenheim Heidekoepfe

Mister-Baseball: How much does the EBCA Coach of the Year Award mean to you?

Greg Frady: The EBCA Award means very much to me, because it means that the German team had success. When I started the job one of my goals was that the German team perception in the International Baseball community would be respect. And I think that was what we searched for as an organization. This award signifies that we have taking some strides in this area. Ultimately we haven’t reached our final goal or destination. But we’re making a good progress right now. When you win an award like this, it also represents many people, players, coaches, the DBV administration. Some names that stand out to me: Jürgen Elsishans, Michel Gomez, Jesco Veisz, Arndt Wiedmaier, Tobias Wersig, and of course Troy Williams. These people have worked with me from the beginning and have been able to see the German team to get a progression. So the award means a lot to me and I am honored to get it.

MRBB: Did you follow the EBCA? And how important are such clinics for European Baseball?

GF: I always follow the EBCA and I am a big supporter of the EBCA. This is a young organization and it is continuing to grow. But I think the future looks very bright. I think these clinics are important for everyone to share information about Baseball and how Baseball is done. Always when I am asked to speak on a clinic, I take a great pride and honor to do it and hope that my messages will help others with Baseball. And at the same time I am always learning from the other speakers at the clinic. I am trying to pick up new things. That is what we do as Baseball people. We share information to the others.

MRBB: What are the main differences between working at Georgia State and with the German National Team?

GF: The players are the same. Baseball is the same. The travel is the same. Dealing with all the aspects of the game like umpires, weather, conditions, tournaments, important games, everything is the same. The difference is that I get to spend every day with the Georgia State players and I get very little time with the German players, because the German National Team only gets together for a short period of time. So I think the thing that I am always missing with the German team is, I wish we had more time together.

MRBB: The Dutch team is working with their players on a regular basis, nearly full-time, trying to get better. Are you and the coaching staff having a similar approach and give the national team players personal plans to improve their skills when they are not with the national team?

GF: At the end of the season in the past dating back to a few years we sat down with each German player and had one-to-one, face-to-face meetings to say these are your strengths and these are your weaknesses. You need to improve these things over the winter. And we implement these plans with the German National Team coaches, the regional coaches like Mathias Winterrath, Martin Brunner in Regensburg, with Cae Santos in Mainz who now has moved on. You’ll see Troy Williams in the future to take a more active role in these things. Mathias Winterrath, who is now the German Junior National Team coach, is continuing in this role. You’ll see a transaction taking place.

One other thing that the Dutch have going well is their country is a little smaller so the people are closer. So they can drive and meet on a more regular basis. We have national team players that live in Munich and we have national team players that live in Paderborn. That is difficult thing, if you want them meet every week. So the size of the land and the proximity to one location is a very big challenge for the German team. So what is important regionally is the north, the center and the south, so we get these players together as much as possible in the middle of the week and they work on things.

MRBB: Are you talking to the club coaches about your players?

GF: Yes, I talk to club coaches. But probably not as much as you think. Because I think club business is not national team business. I respect club business. Each club coach must things to do to keep their job and keep his club winning. And I am not calling the club coach and say don’t pitch that guy, because I need him for the national team. I never do that. But I do talk to the club coaches to say who is playing well? Who do you like? Who do you recommend? Is this guy a little bit old now? Is the young guy old enough now? These are the kind of communications I have, not as much as about to play different people.

MRBB: What are areas for German Baseball it has to do to get on the same level as Italy and the Netherlands, so they can beat them on a regular basis?

GF: We just need more time. If you look at the last seven years, when I came here there was no chance mentally to discuss beating the Dutch or the Italian team. No chance. And then now, when we play those teams, the games are better and we have a chance. So with a good plan we closed the gap with them being on the top and we close to the bottom. But we still haven’t beaten the Dutch or the Italian teams.

I am happy with where we are today. I think the team doesn’t fear playing those teams. But we have a lot of respect for these teams. One of the other things I said to the German players is that when we’re going playing in the World Cups, when we’re playing Final Olympic Qualifiers. When we’re playing in tournaments like that and we can see how difficult it is to play teams like Japan, South Korea, the United States, Venezuela, Cuba, Australia, Canada, Mexico. Every single day is a brand new very hard game and then you see that the Dutch have been doing this for several years, it makes you respect what the Dutch has gone through.

And the way the Dutch looked at the German team, haven’t performed in World Cups and Final Olympics Qualifiers, it is hard to respect a team which is not doing the same thing you’re doing on the World level. But by participating in these tournaments, gaining some experience. I think we’ve earned some respect in the international world of being there. Now being in these tournaments and playing well, hopefully this will help us keeping a confidence when we’re playing the Dutch team and the Italians and giving us a better chance to compete with them.

MRBB: How much do you follow European Baseball in general?

GF: Of course I follow German Baseball. Closely. I follow the Italian League, the Dutch League, the Spanish League. Not as closely as the German league, but I have an idea what is going on there. I follow the Czech League some. But in general I focus on the German team and this is where I spend all my time and energy.

I am very proud of the German clubs. It was a great year for German Baseball. Paderborn winning the opening tournament in Regensburg was a good representation for the north. Heidenheim had a great representation at the European Cups this year. Regensburg won the Bundesliga championship. And the German national team won a medal in the European Championship. I think it was a very good year for German Baseball.

MRBB: You’re a college coach for basically your whole career. Do you consider coaching at a professional level or a club team in the future?

GF: Well, I always keep my options open. But I am very comfortable coaching the teams that I coach. I love coaching Georgia State University and being a college coach. College coaching is different from pro coaching in the way that they are more stable. The job has more security. The money is good. The competition, the travel, the hotel, the food is very good at the Division I level. And it is also very good at the Major League level, of course. But it takes a long time coaching in professional baseball to work up to something like a major league coach. It also equally takes a long time as a college coach to work up to become a Division I college coach.

So in a way you almost choose your track. Are you going to be a college coach or are you going to be a professional coach. I think there are really a lot of good college coaches that probably could be professional coaches and there are a lot of really good professional coaches that could come over to become good college coaches. So just being in Baseball is my love and I love coaching at the college level. But coaching the German team with the college team is kind of the best for me from both worlds. Coaching a pro team like the Germans, although it is not professional and coaching a college team every day, watching young guys improve and get baseball improving

MRBB: Is Georgia State University supporting your role as German national team coach?

GF: Very much support. At Georgia State I am looking at it as I am a teacher, coaching is teaching. Being a teacher at a University level. If you get the job, you have to have a good knowledge of your job area. You’re looked at as a University employee, the leading person in this area. It is your responsibility that you share your knowledge with the rest of the world. So I look at myself as a Baseball ambassador, a baseball professor going out into the world, doing work in the world, while I am working for the University. And I think that our University at Georgia State sees it that way too. They are very proud what the German team has accomplished and working it as cooperation.

MRBB: You recently visited Kai Gronauer in Arizona. What can he already do and what work has he left to do to get eventually to the Major League level?

GF: What he already can do is playing Baseball fantastic. He is making everyone in Germany very proud of the way he is doing things. He is catching outstanding, throwing the ball outstanding, blocking outstanding. He is calling a better game all the time. He is handling pitching staffs better. He is handling higher quality pitching staffs, Double-A, Triple-A, some big league guys. He has been invited to big league spring training this year. I think he is going to start at a higher level next year in pro ball. He is doing just some outstanding things.

The things Kai needs to improve on. Every time you change levels and move up, there is a question of ‘Am I being good enough for this level?’ He is going through a lot of first times. Kai doesn’t have any other German players to call: What was it like in the Arizona Fall League? What will it be like if I go to Double-A? What will it be like to get to big league baseball? He may ask a guy, who is from Venezuela, how he thinks about it. He could ask the guy from the US, how he thinks about it. But he has no German player to talk about it.

And the German league is different from the Dutch league and the Dutch league is different from the Italian league or the Czech league. It is just a brand new experience for Kai. He is handling it fantastic. I couldn’t be more proud of him. And when I go watch him play, the only thing I can thinking, he is one of the best baseball players in the world and he is making all Germans proud right now.

MRBB: What about Donald Lutz? Are you also following him in the US?

GF: Yes, I am following Donald Lutz. I am emailing with him. I went seeing Donald in the past two years. I think Donald is doing a fantastic job. Right now he is in the Australian Baseball League and he is getting more time to play the outfield. He is playing a lot of first base in the regular season. But the organization wants him to play in the outfield, so he is getting some work in the outfield. But Donald’s chance to go up on the organizational ladder or to play in the big leagues is based on, he is big, he is strong, he is left-handed and has some power. So his hitting is what takes him up the ladder. Donald is doing a great job. I think his best baseball is still to come for him.

MRBB: Did you also have a chance to see Max Kepler-Rozycki?

GF: Yes, I have seen Max Kepler, not in the US or in professional baseball. He is the great prospect right now, the big-money prospect. The money alone what the organization paid him, will give him a chance to go up the ladder. Some of the guys have to prove they can play, I think Max with the money he got he has to prove that he cannot play. So he always will be giving a good chance to move up the ladder.

MRBB: How important is it for German baseball that players are playing outside of the country, not only to professional baseball, but also to college ball or maybe into the Dutch or Italian League?

GF: That is a tough question. The German league is better than some might think. The competition is really good, when the game is being played. I like that. I think the league is getting better every year and is improving. I don’t think that a German player has to leave to get a good competition anymore. But with that said, the reason every German player has to consider playing outside of Germany is that the league is still only a one-day a week league, but Baseball is a game of every day.

I really would love German baseball go to Wednesday games, so you play at least two days a week, three games a week. Some of the clubs in Germany have gone to a Friday night/Saturday or Saturday/Sunday. I think that is fantastic. If all the clubs could get to two single games on the weekend and a single game in the middle of the week, I think the league again would improve and people would not have to look outside of the league as much.

The reason to look outside the league is that you play more games a week, maybe two, three, four, five, six or even seven depending where you’re going. You’re taking batting practice every day. You’re taking groundballs every day. You’re throwing every day. You’re working on your running, fitness, conditioning, your strength and conditioning. Everything starts to kick in to accelerate your improvement as a player.

And there are really some great clubs in Germany that doing a good job of having middle-of-the-week intra-squad games. The strength and conditioning is really good. The practicing every day is really good. And yet there are still some clubs that only practice one or two times a week and only play on Saturday. So depending on which club you’re in, depending where you’re at, there is maybe more a need to play outside of Germany then in other clubs.

In general for every European, an Italian, Dutch, German, it doesn’t matter. The experience of going to another country and another continent, playing and seeing how a different culture lives and understanding baseball from this perspective can only improve that player and when this player comes back it will improve the younger players at his club.

MRBB: What are the plans for the German National Team in 2011?

GF: Success. I wish I could tell you this. But right now we’re waiting for a lot of information about different events. The German team is qualified for the 2011 World Cup. And it is a very good tournament and a very good event. But we also remain hopeful to be part of the World Baseball Classic. That is right now the goal for the German federation, to be in the World Baseball Classic. We feel like that is very the money is for our organizations that are serious about playing baseball in the future. We go to be involved in that. And that is our goal.

We have opportunities for other world-type tournaments that are not involved in the World Cup and the World Baseball Classic, really high level invitational tournaments. We are considering those. But with the loss of Olympic funding, the unknown of the World Baseball Classic, the German organization, as other organizations in Europe too, are dealing with some reduced funding and so we must be very wise how we spent our money. How we train our players. Where we take our players. Trips that would sound cool that might be fun are not what we’re looking at. We’re looking at the best tournaments with the best competition with the most games that we can afford to train our players. So planning for 2011 is unclear, but we have a lot of choices at the moment.

Mister-Baseball thanks Greg Frady for taking his time to answer our questions

Photo: (c) EBCA Fanpage (top right) and Gregor Eisenhuth, www.eisenhuth-photographie.de

Mister-Baseball: Could you give our readers a short summary of your career so far?

Martin Dewald: Well, I started playing baseball when I was 11 years old with the Mannheim Amigos. Then I went on to play for Heidenheim on their 1st League team when I was 16 years old and moved there by all myself in order avoid problems with school that I had in Mannheim getting time off for National Team events and such. I was integrated in senior National Team stuff that year as well and soon somewhat realized that I might really have a chance to be able to play in the US somewhere. And after a couple crucial injuries, such as a broken collar bone and a broken hand, I realized how life without baseball isn’t that great after all. So I got my mind set on trying everything I can to be able to play baseball on a high level in the US somehow.

Then it was Coach Frady who got me in touch with some Junior Colleges in the US in order combine playing baseball and continuing to study in case the whole baseball thing wouldn’t work out. Gordon College was the one to give me a shot and I went there right after I graduated high school in Germany. Over the summer break I then went back to Germany to play for the Mannheim Tornados and moved back home, so that my parents were able to see me at least for a little bit of the year. After 2 years at Gordon College I got recruited to play at the Georgia College & State University, where I played for the next 2 years. Then after that was done and three closely failed attempts to win the German Championship with Mannheim, I decided to go back to play for Heidenheim again. And currently I am back in the US finishing up my Marketing degree wondering what next year will bring.

MRBB: You had a pretty successful season in four different competitions. With your college team you reached the semi-finals at the NCAA Division II World Series, you won the bronze medal at the Euros with Germany, got to the European Final Four with Heidenheim and lost in the German Finals. What would you consider your highlight of 2010 and why?

MD: This whole year was pretty amazing and besides having one at least one of the couple events, there really isn’t anything that could have been better. The highlight in this whole year, I believe that Germany was able to show the world how far they have come baseball wise. A German played a big role in getting a team to the NCAA II World series, Germany finished 3rd in the European Championship, where everybody saw that there even could have been more in it, and then a German team standing in the finals of the European Final Four.

Personally, I think, being part and able to contribute n some crucial wins, such as the big wins against the Dutch and Spanish team at the European Qualifier, but mainly the win against the Swedish Team at the European Cup to clinch 3rd place. I still think of the situation…bases loaded, full-count, the guy at bat that cause the benches to clear earlier that game, throwing cutter inside…well and the rest was just a big party then. [Laughs]

MRBB: You’re switching between a reliever and a starter role pretty often. How do you prepare for it and do you pitch differently in either?

MD: I get that question a lot…well the answer is not really. I approach every time I pitch and try to dominate every inning. So when I start I do the same thing, just that I wonder sometimes for how long I will still have enough juice left in my arm to be able to dominate the next inning. To sum it up, I don’t pitch any different and I don’t hold back.

MRBB: How many miles did you travel via plane this year and how did you manage the jetlag?

MD: [Laughs]…many I guess, especially over the last two years. I guess from last year’s experience where I got on the plane on Fridays, landed Saturday mornings, a couple hours after that, I pitched a game, then took the plane again on Sundays to fly back and hit the books and practice with my college team, I somewhat pretty much became immune of jetlag.

MRBB: Due to studying in the US, you hadn’t much practice time with your teammates in Heidenheim. Especially looking at the battery, was it difficult to get comfortable with the catcher, even though you obviously know Simon Guehring from the past couple of years with the national team?

MD: No, not at all. I’ve played with Simon when I first got to Heidenheim, so I have known him for a long time. Plus Simon is an outstanding Catcher. There is not much to get used to. You do what he tells you to do or throw…and then you are in good hands.

MRBB: Besides the schedule, what are the main differences between college ball and the Bundesliga? How would you rank the German league in comparison?

MD: That is hard to say. Mainly because of the different schedules there is more depth to the teams in college. But if my college team would play a single game every weekend against a team from Germany, the chances of the series being tied or pretty close after like 20 games is very high, I would say. If they were to play three-game series, I don’t know if there would be many won series for German Bundesliga teams. Also the fact that the lineup is strong 1 through 9, whereas in German Club teams you often have 1 or 2 weaker spots. There are many single players in Germany that would probably do fairly well in college, just the overall teams is just hard to say. I hope that somewhat answers the question.

MRBB: When you would have to give a scouting report about yourself, what would you say? What pitches do you throw and which do you trust during a game?

MD: I throw a cutter, a slider, a curveball, a changeup, oh yeah, and a fastball…every now and then. I think it is hard to have a scouting report on me, because I adjust to how I pitch to the hitter’s approach. But you can say that I do throw a lot of off-speed pitches, and mix in fast balls every now and then. I mean hitters practice hitting fastballs so why throw them what they see every day during batting practice. Numbers wise, on a good day my fastball is around 87-89mph, my cutter 80-83mph and my curveball around 74-78mph.

MRBB: What are your plans for 2011?

MD: To be honest I don’t really know yet. There are a couple opportunities I have baseball wise in Europe, Australia and the US. But I also might have the chance to start a job in the US next year or I might even try to get a Masters degree. There is something I will do and it will hopefully involve baseball in some sort of way. Thank you very much, and thanks to a great baseball season 2010!

Mister-Baseball thanks Martin Dewald for answering our questions.

Photo: © Georgia College & State University (portrait, top right), Iris Drobny (pitching for Germany in Stuttgart, middle left), Walter Keller www.catchthefever.de (game 5, German finals, bottom right)

Mister-Baseball: Did you always wannabe a coach and how did you end up in the Netherlands? What stood out for you during your first two years with the Vos Cardinals?

Royce Holder: After I was done playing full time, I wanted to stay in the game. So I started being a player/coach. I was coaching in professional ball here in the States and the team I was going to be with, changed the General Manger right before the season and I did not have a job when he brought in a new staff. A friend of mine from college is a sports agent and put my resume on a few websites in Europe. I was contacted by a few teams and I came to the Cardinals. I did not know the different levels that you have here. I thought all 1st teams played together.

So when I came to the Netherlands, it was a learning time of how your baseball system works, but I worked the Cardinals hard and they won back to back Championships with the 1st team and also with the junior team. My two year record was 36-5 with 1st team and 37-1 with juniors. Not having the knowledge of the little things were what stood out with the Dutch baseball. Here in the States we have umpire associations, so all teams have two umpires at their games. No club umpires. So you have umpires that know the rules.

MRBB: You now have joined the promoted UVV, which are returning to the Hoofdklasse for the first time since 1988. What did you know about the club before and what are your expectations for the 2011 season?

RH: UVV was in our league this year (their 2nd team) and I also did a clinic at their field for European Baseball School. I heard UVV is a big club and has a good history in the sport of baseball. For the 2011 season I plan on having a very sound and competitive team. I hate to lose! I expect my team to be the same way. To play hard and win.

MRBB: The team acquired about a dozen players during the transfer period, but only lost two to retirement. What do you think about your roster in comparison to the other clubs in the league and what are you planning to do during training camp to find the 15 to 20 players to go into the new season?

RH: Since I do not know most of the players from the Dutch leagues, I will depend on my coaches to help with this (Cliff Foster and Patt Romney). I will work them out and put together the best team possible with the group of guys that we have. We will train and play hard. Hopefully we will be in the top 4 at the end and play for the Championship. I always shoot for the top.

MRBB: Are you planning to bring in more players during the winter?

RH: Right now we have a nice group of guys but you never know who might become interested in playing at UVV.

MRBB: Did you have a chance to follow the Hoofdklasse in the past two years? What do you think about the league and what are the main differences to your experiences in the US?

RH: I only got a chance to see a couple of games at that level the last 2 years. It is a very good level of baseball. In the States in pro ball you play just about every night and there is a lot of traveling, to where here it is more a weekend sport than a job and business. My last team (Grand Prairie Airhogs) was a new team in the league and had a new stadium, cost 20 million dollars. Out of the 10 teams in the league (American Association of Independent baseball), 1 team was 45 min. away, next was 3 1/2 hours, and after that the other 7 teams were 8 hours (Wichita, Kan.) up to 17 1/2 hours on a bus (St.Paul, Minn.) away. So you had some long bus rides , motel rooms and a lot of fast food places.

MRBB: What do you see as key elements to have success on a baseball field?

RH: You have to have solid pitching and play good defense. My home town Texas Rangers found that out against the SF Giants in the World Series this year. As long as you do that, you will be in a lot of games. I hope we will be able to do just that this year in the top class.

Mister-Baseball thanks Royce Holder for taking the time to answer our questions.

Mister-Baseball: Could you give our readers a short statement on Italy’s participation in the Intercontinental Cup and how would you rank the third place in comparison to the European Championship this summer?

Marco Mazzieri: Well, we are very happy on how Team Italy performed in the Cup especially considering that we had some young guys playing for the first time with the team. It is a different tournament so I would not make comparison, the competition was better but we had a lot of pressure coming into the European after not winning for 13 years.

MRBB: What did you think about the tournament in general and is it sad to see it go after so many years of existence?

MM: The Tournament was very good as well as the organization but if IBAF decided to let it go they probably had good reasons for it.

MRBB: On paper at least the preparation for the tournament looked pretty solid, but you still lost to the Netherlands somewhat lopsided. What happened? Did Chris Cooper just have a bad start?

MM: It was a strange game, with a combination of different factors but I would give credit to the Dutch team for swinging the bat like they did against us.

MRBB: You had good mix of veteran and inexperienced players on the roster. How did you like the performance of the younger players on the team?

MM: I love it, it was a double satisfaction for me personally, because we had 5 kids on the team that I had since 2003 when I managed the cadets national team and later on at the Academy. I always like to mix veteran guys and young prospects.

MRBB: How much did it help to have minor leaguers Alessandro Maestri, Andrea Pizziconi and Claudio Bavera on the team? Did you try to get Alex Liddi too?

MM: Pizziconi and Bavera were there to get experience while Maestri was a huge part of our success. I didn’t try to get Liddi because I knew he was going to Venezuela for winter league and I wish him to make it to the big league soon.

MRBB: What was the difference between the rather disappointing Baseball World Cup and this year’s tournaments? Did you change anything in preparation?

MM: Disappointing is not my opinion, when you missed your 4 and 5 in the lineup and your best reliever (Liddi-Mazzanti and Maestri) all you do is try to compete and I think we were able to do that.

MRBB: How much does it help to have coaches like Mike Piazza or John McLaren on the coaching staff?

MM: Of course that is very inspiring for the players and for us, the coaching staff; it is something to look for to get better.

MRBB: What do you think about the “new” Italian Baseball League? Is it helping Italian Baseball that there is the IBL 2, where younger players get regular playing time? Did this concept work out in the first season?

MM: I like the formula and I think it can get better as the years go by. It was good to get it started.

MRBB: In an interview with Baseball.it it seems that you’re thinking about retiring as manager of the national team. True? When you’re finished, would you consider going back to managing in the Italian Baseball League or even look for an assignment outside of Italy, maybe in the Netherlands?

MM: True, I am considering other aspects of life. I have been giving my heart and soul to the game for a long, long time, often sacrificing people around me that I would like to thank for their understanding. I will take some time to rest and then will make my decision but I am not going back to manage a club.

Mister-Baseball thanks Marco Mazzieri for answering our questions.

Photo: © Ezio Ratti/FIBS

Markus Winkler

• Born on December 18, 1981 in Göppingen, Germany
• Right-handed pitcher
• Plays in Baseball-Bundesliga for Heidenheim Heidekoepfe
• Also has played for Bonn Capitals, Cologne Cardinals and in South Africa
• German Champion 2009 with Heidekoepfe
• German Senior National Team since 2003
• Won Bronze Medal with Germany at 2010 European Championship

Mister-Baseball: Could you give our readers a short summary of your career so far?

Markus Winkler: I started playing baseball when I was 14 years old, for the Göppingen Green Sox a town near Stuttgart. When I was 17 I got picked up by the Heidenheim Heideköpfe during the European Junior Championships in Mainz. I played there until 2002 when I had to go to the German sports army program, which at that time was stationed in Cologne so in 2003 I played for the Bonn Capitals and in 2004 I went to the Cologne Cardinals. After that I went back to Heidenheim and stayed there ever since.

MRBB: Looking back at the 2010 season, what would you consider to be the highlight? Are you satisfied with the results?

MW: At the end I would say yes and no, off course going to the final four in Barcelona and almost winning it all was outstanding, but on the other side I would`ve loved to win another German championship, where we lost the 5th game to Regensburg. And off course the bronze medal at the EM back in my home city of Stuttgart was just awesome.

MRBB: Even though you won, you didn’t pitch that well during the European Cup in Brno. But in the title game at the Final Four in Barcelona, you nearly beat Fortitudo Bologna. What was your game plan versus the Italian champion? Was it your best start in your career?

MW: Yes I don`t really know what happened to me in Brno I didn`t pitch that good, but at the final in Barcelona I was so pumped and ready to pitch against bologna the only team that beat us in Brno, we almost had them, almost!

MRBB: Did you always wannabe a pitcher? What pitches are you throwing and which are you using during the games? When you would have to give a scouting report about yourself, what would you say?

MW: I started as a catcher, playing third base and first base. I love pitching. It`s so much fun I can control the game, that`s what I like about pitching.

I throw a fastball, curveball, slider, change-up and a cutter. I try to come right at batters with either the fastball or the cutter as my first pitch, my strike-out pitch would be the slider and curveball. As I am not a big strikeout pitcher I try to throw low in the zone and get groundballs and try to mix it up all the time on good hitters, so that nobody gets comfortable up there.

MRBB: Did you had a chance to play college ball or professionally in the US?

MW: I went to the States in 2000 and got a chance to go to spring training with the Boston Red Sox. I also played in Cape Town for three seasons, winning the championship there in 2004.

MRBB: Besides two seasons with Bonn and Cologne, you’ve spent your whole career with the Heidekoepfe. Will you stay in Heidenheim or would you like to play for a different team or in another country in the future?

MW: I`ve drawn interest from some Italian Baseball Clubs, because of my performance in Barcelona, but I haven`t decided yet where I`m going to play next year. I still work in Stuttgart until January. We`ll see what happens.

Mister-Baseball thanks Markus Winkler for answering our questions.

Photo: © Walter Keller, www.catchthefever.de

Mister-Baseball: You have retired at the end of the 2010 season. You have played in the Hoofdklasse since 1993, but you’re still just 35 and the European Championship in the Netherlands is just two years away. Why are you hanging up your cleats?

Jeroen Sluijter: I just felt that it was time to end it. There will always be great games and tournaments to look forward to. I have a great job at Spark design & innovation, a very beautiful supporting wife, Moni and three kids; Faas (7), Teuntje (5) and Miek (3), The last 15 years baseball always came in first place. I felt that this priority had to change. My body was also protesting against the tough life of having a fulltime job as a designer, father and a baseball player.

MRBB: Looking back at your career, what would you consider as the highlights?

JS: It would be trivial to say it was one big highlight, but I loved everything about baseball: practicing, playing, diving, sliding, hitting, fielding, trips to various locations. The only things I hated were losing and rainouts. But a couple of things do stand out. Making the trip to the world championship in Monterrey, Mexico with the national youth team as a seventeen year old was great. Playing and winning Championships and European Cups for Neptunus, the team I watched with my dad when I was young. This has been very special. Competing at the Olympic Games in Beijing was unbelievable. Probably the game where it all came together for me individually was an exhibition game against Cuba in Rotterdam, just before the Olympics in 2008. I hit a linedrive homerun and had a tough at bat that resulted in a basehit. That was the game in which I had to make an impression to be considered for the Olympic Team. I guess it worked out.

MRBB: You’ve played college ball in Alabama, did you had other opportunities to play in the US? Ever thought about leaving the Hoofdklasse for the Italian Baseball League?

JS: The college team I played for went to the JUCO World Series that year, but I was there only for a couple of weeks. I was only 17 at that time and got homesick. After that I did not get any opportunity to play abroad. I guess I was not the type of player that gets a lot of attention. About Italy. My wife and I really like the Italian life. So if I would have been given the chance, we would have seriously considered moving there. Maybe as a coach in the future.

MRBB: How much has Baseball changed in Europe during your career?

JS: The really big thing that has changed in a negative way is the rules that have been implemented to speed up the game. I think the IBAF should look more to the MLB, where a tie-break rule would be out of the question.

MRBB: What are the main difficulties for European Baseball to get out of the shadow of other sports around here?

JS: This is a real tough one. I don’t think baseball will ever be such a big part of the European culture as it is in Japan, Korea, Latin America or the USA. I do think it can be a big as Field Hockey in Holland. First the level of play should be raised. More games need to be played to achieve this. At least 100 games. Maybe in a European League. Also we need more foreign players (at first). They will improve the quality. Better umpiring is also necessary. If this can be done, baseball games will attract more fans and television stations will be interested. Television means advertising revenues that makes it possible to improve the league even more.

MRBB: Even though you have stopped playing, will you remain in Baseball as a coach or in some other role?

JS: I love baseball so I don’t think I will ever walk away from it. Next year I will start coaching Neptunus’ 10-12 year olds. My ambition in coaching is more or less the same as it was playing: trying to compete at the highest level. I also would like to work with my friends Evert-Jan ‘t Hoen and Melfried Comenencia. I think we would form a real good staff together.

MRBB: What advice would you give a young Baseball player?

JS: Sell your videogames (except your baseball games for the rainy days) and go outside. Have fun, work hard and you can learn something every day. Make sure you listen to advice and find out if this can help you improve your game.

Mister-Baseball thanks Jeroen Sluijter for being so kind to answer our questions.

Photos: © Moni van Bruggen

Ryan Murphy

• Born August 19, 1981 in Edmonton, Canada
• Right-handed pitcher, first baseman
• Played in Northern League, in Australia and in Taiwan
• His European Teams: Savigny Lions (FRA), MediaMonks RCH, L&D Amsterdam Pirates, Konica Minolta Pioniers (all three NED), Technika Brno (CZE)
• Holland Series MVP in 2008 with the Pirates
• Hoofdklasse MVP and Best Pitcher in 2009 with Pioniers
• MVP European Cup Qualifier in 2010 in Antwerp with Technika

Jakub Janda: Ryan, could you briefly describe your baseball careers till 2010?

Ryan Murphy: It’s hard to describe briefly but I’ll do my best.

As a kid I always wanted to play baseball for a living, though no one (including myself) really expected me to play this long. I’ve never been a prospect for affiliated baseball so I went through high school and college without any real attention from professional baseball teams. Luckily after college I was given the chance to fill a spot in the bull pen on the roster of a Northern League team to finish the last month of the the 2005 season. I didn’t pitch very much and didn’t pitch all that well but it got me the opportunity to play for a the Savigny Lions in France. Playing with them gave me the chance to show what I could do as a hitter and a pitcher which is what I had done all through College. We played in the Cupwinners European Cup and we finished 2nd. I was fortunate enough to win MVP of the cup. This tournament exposed me to European baseball and the next season I was picked up by a team in Holland where I played from 2007-2009. From doing well in the Dutch League I was picked up to play in the South Australian Baseball league (where I am currently playing my 4th consecutive season). I also played in Australia’s Claxton Shield in 2009-2010. After being named MVP and Best Pitcher in Holland for 2009 and having a fairly successful Claxton season I was signed by The Brothers Elephants of the CPBL in Taiwan. I went through spring training with a 0.0 ERA but had an awful start to the season allowing 4 runs in 3 and 1/3 innings in my first start. Following the game I was released. From there I decided to join some old friends in the Czech Republic and play in the Extraleague.

JJ: What do you consider your career highlight?

RM: I’ve had some really great moments in my career, but I would have to say beating the New South Wales team in game 3 of the semi-finals of the Claxton Shield is one of my favorite memories. I pitched a 2-hitter against a pretty solid team from Sydney and hit a solo homerun to win 1-0, and put our team into the Grand Final.

JJ: Do you have something on the baseball field what you would do differently if given the opportunity to change that?

RM: Not really, I think I’ve always pretty much given a good effort no matter where I’ve played. In baseball you’re going to make mistakes and I’ve certainly made a lot of them. On the field, off the field, as a coach and as a player, and if I never made a mistake I don’t think I would have developed into the player I am now.

JJ: What literally persuaded you to join the Czech Extraleague?

RM: In the past 5 years I’ve tried to play the best baseball that I could and I’ve pushed myself pretty hard without many chances to relax and after being released from Taiwan I felt like it was time to take a step back and relax for a season and just have some fun. In saying that the Czech league is not a joke, there are some good players and some good competition and though I was less focused than I had been in the past I didn’t take my season lightly.

JJ: What were you first impressions after first few weeks?

RM: I didn’t really have a lot of surprises, I had seen games in the past so I knew what to expect.

JJ: How would you comment the Czech mentality, on and off the field?

RM: I would say that there is a desire to win, but without a lot of attention to details. Growing up in Canada and playing college baseball in the United States there was always an emphasis on doing little things right, and making finite adjustments to mechanics. On the positive side, I found that people always wanted to have fun, whether it be at the ballpark or elsewhere, which I think is a great thing. I enjoyed myself at every game this season.

JJ: Give us your insight on the team you played for.

RM: For me Kravi Hora is a really special place. I lived there for 5 months and felt like I became a part of the Technika family. There is a core group of people there that make it work. No team is perfect and I do wish that things were slightly more professional and that there were more people involved and committed, but those that are committed are very good people that I have a lot of respect for.

JJ: What changes would you recommend to the Czech baseball association or the whole Czech baseball community?

RM: I haven’t been there long enough to understand everything that goes on, but I think people involved need to focus on getting more numbers in junior programs, better coaching and most importantly if you expect to compete on an international level you have to pay the National Team players. I don’t think you have to pay them a lot, but you can’t expect you best players to take holidays from work just so he can compete against Cuba without some sort of compensation. I think by paying players you will get more committed and more determined players and when National team players return to their club teams, that mentality will rub off on their amateur teammates.

JJ: Have you seen any games of Czech national team? What were your thoughts?

RM: Actually I haven’t seen any games.

JJ: Could you give us some bullet points and thoughts on comparison among leagues you played in?

RM: It’s really hard to compare leagues, there aren’t a lot of glaring differences. I think the approaches to the game are the biggest difference.

America – Everything is about winning and training hard. There is a lot of attention to mechanics and small details.

Australia – There is less emphasis on training but once the game starts players are extremely intense and want to win at almost any cost.

Europe – I would say that Europe is somewhere in between.

Asia – There didn’t seem to be a lot of time spent on strength training, but Asian player would instead spend ridiculous hours working on their on the field skills.

JJ: What are your future plans? Do you already have your 2011 scheduled up?

RM: I currently don’t have a team to play for in 2011. I’d like to play somewhere competitive as I would like to put up some good numbers and try to play in Taiwan again as I won’t be elligible to play there again until 2012.

Thank you for your time.
Jakub Janda

The interview also was prepared for www.Baseball.cz.

Photo: © Ron Wickert, www.eott.nl

Patrick Ahearne

• Born on December 10, 1969 in San Francisco
• Right-handed pitcher
• won College World Series with Pepperdine University
• Selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 7th round of 1992 amateur draft
• Debuted and made four appearences for the Tigers in the MLB in 1995
• 16 seasons of Minor and Independent League ball with an ERA of 4.02
• Pitched also in Australia, Venezuela, Taiwan and Europe

Jakub Janda: Patrick, could you briefly describe your baseball career till 2010?

Patrick Ahearne: I played baseball in university in the U.S. and our team was National Champions winning the College World Series. I was then drafted by the Detroit Tigers and made my Major League Debut after about 3 years in the minors. After playing for Detroit, I moved around to other AA and AAA leagues and played winter baseball 3 years in Australia and 7 years in Venezuela. My pro career in the U.S. went for 16 seasons and my last season was played in the Taiwan League. After that, I got involved with baseball in Europe first going to Italy with a U.S. travel team to play the Italian and Spanish National teams in exhibition friendly games and then to the European Cup with Tornado Balashika in 2008. In 2009, I played in the Euro Cup with Draci of the Czech Extraliga and helped coach the Czech National Team during the 2009 World Cup of Baseball. This season, I returned to Draci to pitch in the Euro Cup in Brno and in the Extraliga Playoffs.

JJ: What do you consider your career highlight?

PA: My career highlight would be as the winning pitcher of the College World Series Championship game with Pepperdine University.

JJ: Do you have something on the baseball field what you would do differently if given the opportunity to change that?

PA: I don’t have anything that I can say specifically I would have done differently on the field given the chance. I do wish I had a longer opportunity to pitch in the Major Leagues.

JJ: What literally persuaded you to join the Czech Extraleague?

PA: I was persuaded to go to Czech Extraliga after the owner and manager of Draci came to the baseball academy where I worked in Los Angeles and asked me to play for them.

JJ: What were you first impressions after first few weeks?

PA: My first impressions of Czech Baseball were that they have a willingness to improve and that it would be a challenge given the time restrictions players had for games and practice.

JJ: How would you comment the Czech mentality, on and off the field?

PA: I have heard about the “Czech Mentality” but I couldn’t define it exactly for you. If it is something the people have I am sure it was developed over a long time so I would not try to work against it. I would say there are instances where the “Czech Mentality” will serve the Czech people well, but I would hope to never see it as an excuse in on or off the field to not play hard, not give your best effort and not try to improve.

JJ: Give us your insight on the team you played for.

PA: Draci is a team that has now won the Czech Extraliga for 16 straight seasons so they know what it feels like to have success in this country and come to expect a championship every year. In European competitions they are in the middle of the pack compared to other teams I’ve seen.

JJ: What changes would you recommend to the Czech baseball association or the whole Czech baseball community?

PA: The biggest recommendation I would make is simply to have more playing time and more practice time. It takes a lot of hours to learn the skills of baseball and the more time you put in, the more you will improve. It may not be a practical suggestion given that players must work other jobs to support themselves, sometimes cold weather is a factor and always players desire to work and improve is a factor.

JJ: Have you seen any games of Czech national team? What were your thoughts?

PA: I have seen games of the National Team during the World Cup. The team’s showing in the tournament was as can be expected because they were going against other teams from strong baseball countries with competitive professional leagues. As mentioned before, playing time is key to improving your baseball and when players who don’t get as much game or practice time go against long time professionals who are paid to play baseball and have highly developed skills, the difference in play is clear. I am impressed with the athletic ability of Czech players and if they were able to have as much playing time as some other countries’ teams, there would be better results for them.

JJ: Could you give us some bullet points and thoughts on comparison among leagues you played in?

PA: I have played in just about every league in baseball.

In the lower minor leagues there is a lot of raw talent and this is where players learn the game and learn how to handle the long professional season.

In the Major Leagues it is the highest level of the game and it is the ultimate goal for all the players in the U.S. there you see the strongest and most skilled players in the game.

Australian Winter League is comparable to High A or Double A in the states. I was there years ago and I know the baseball has improved a lot since then. I am glad to see that the Australian League is beginning to grow again.

Baseball in Venezuela is fantastic. The fans are so passionate about everything and it makes every game exciting and gives energy to your performance as a player. It’s my favorite place I have played.

The Taiwan League was a great experience. It is a good and competitive league with beautiful stadiums and devoted fans. It is comparable to AA or AAA baseball depending on the day. It is the only place I have played where there is a 30 minute intermission after the visitor team bats in the 4th inning.

Baseball in Europe has been a good experience for me. What I found interesting is seeing the personality of different countries reflected in how they play their baseball.

JJ: What are your future plans? Do you already have your 2011 scheduled up?

PA: My short term baseball plans for next year are to be determined. Draci has expressed interest in my return in 2011 and that will be sorted out in the upcoming months. Long term, I would like to become a professional pitching coach in a Major League organization.

There you go. Thanks, Jakub.

Thank you for your time.

Jakub Janda

Jakubjanda(at)hotmail.cz

Photo: (c) AVG Draci Brno

Greg McCarthy

• Born on October 30, 1968 in Norwalk, Connecticut
• Left-handed PItcher
• Drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1987
• 76 MLB Appearances for Seattle Mariners from 1996 to 1998 with an ERA of 4.74
• 530 Minor and Independent League Games with an ERA of 3.69
• Has coached in the Netherlands and Austria before going to the Czech Republic

Jakub Janda: Greg, could you briefly describe your baseball career till 2010?

Greg McCarthy: I got drafted out of high school by the Phillies, went in the Rule V draft by the Expos and went to the Major Leagues with Montreal Expos. Injured my shoulder while with the Expos and needed surgery. After that, went to Cleveland Indians and went to high A ball. Spent time in Seattle in AAA with 59 innings and 94 strikeouts (3rd on the team with strikeouts as a reliever) then I was on the team for the next 2 seasons. After I left the Mariners, the Yankees picked me up and was with them for a few weeks. The following season my velocity dropped and so I was released early by the Brewers and signed with the Marlins. That year I was injured again and had my second shoulder surgery. After that, played in independent leagues, in Mexico and Holland and now here in Czech.

JJ: What do you consider your career highlight?

GMC: Career highlight was when I was in the Major Leagues and struck out 5 consecutive batters against the Oakland A’s.

JJ: Do you have something on the baseball field what you would do differently if given the opportunity to change that?

GMC: If I had something to do differently, I would probably have done more shoulder exercises and taken better care of my arm.

JJ: What literally persuaded you to join the Czech Extraleague?

GMC: I came to Czech because I wanted to make a difference with the baseball here.

JJ: What were you first impressions after first few weeks?

GMC: My first impressions were that the attendance and fans were lower than I expected. I thought there would be more people coming to the games.

JJ: How would you comment the Czech mentality, on and off the field?

GMC: There are some times where the Czech mentality is helpful to the baseball and other times where it hold back progress.

JJ: What were your responsibilities for Draci Brno and for the Czech national team?

GMC: I was third base coach for Draci and the National Team and I am a relief pitcher for Draci.

JJ: Give us your insight on the team you played for.

GMC: The Czech baseball community needs to play and practice more because baseball is a full time sport and can’t be played at a higher level by being part time

JJ: What changes would you recommend to the Czech baseball association or the whole Czech baseball community?

GMC: It shows the lack of play and practice time when the National Team goes up against competition with players who are full time baseball players.

JJ: What are your future plans? Do you already have your 2011 schedule up?

GMC: For the future and 2011 schedule it is not yet decided.

Mister-Baseball thanks Jakub Janda and Greg McCarthy for the interview.

Photo: AVG Draci Brno

Johannes Jung

• Gauting Indians
• 21 years old
• German Baseball Bundesliga since 2005

Jakub Janda: Please describe your career since you started playing baseball to the present.

Johannes Jung: I started playing Baseball at the age of 8 when a friend of mine took me to one of the practices. At this time Baseball was only an addition to my main sport Tennis. Time comes and Baseball became more and more important to me. When I was 11 I played my first real tournament, the German Championship of the 10 to 12 years old. In the same year I made it into the Bavarian Allstar Team of the 12 to 15 years old. At this point I really want to thank the Coaches of the Allstar Team because they taught me a lot about Baseball and improved my skills. They are really doing a great job.

In 2002 the Gauting Indians had a pretty good youth team (12-15 years), so again we played at the German Championship and we made the second place.

Every year I played successfully with the Bavarian Allstar Team at the German State Championship. At one of these tournaments a Coach from the German Baseball Academy asked me whether I liked to play with a German Allstar Team at the Colt Baseball Word Series (Pony League Organization) in Lafayette, Indiana. For sure I was happy to be on the team and it was a great experience to play the first time at a big junior tournament in the USA.

In the same year I made my first experience in Germanys’ highest baseball league and I also made it into the Junior National Team as a pitcher. Due to arm problems that I had at this time my role changed into a utility player in this team.

In the following year I was already a starting player for the first team of the Gauting Indians. The same year I went with the German Baseball Academy to a junior tournament in the USA, the Big League World Series (Little League Organization) in Easley, South Carolina.

2007 I finally won the German State Championship with the Bavarian Allstar Team and I went to the European Championship with the German National Team. Unfortunately we didn’t do that well at this tournament. The last time I traveled so far to a tournament in the USA was 2008, to the Big League World Series.

Until now I played for the Gauting Indians. I think these are most of the interesting excerpts of my “career” that I can tell.

JaJa: How were you preparing for this season during winter? Did you change anything from previous offseasons?

JoJu: This winter I had to change my preparation because I had to do the nine month army service, which is compulsory in Germany. Because I was the whole time at the army base, I couldn’t do a lot of baseball specific preparation, I only was able to do conditional and weight lifting work. To be honest, it was hard to prepare for the season and still I think I wasn’t that well prepared.

JaJa: What do you consider your career highlights?

JoJu: I would say my highlights were the 3 tournaments in the USA, the first place at the German State Championship and for sure participating at the Junior European Championship.

JaJa: What has baseball taken from you and what has the game given to you?

JoJu: Baseball definitely has taken a lot of my time and I often couldn’t have done some other things that I would have liked to do. But it was worth it, because for sure it also has given a lot to me: you get to know a lot of different people, I made a lot of experiences, came around a little bit and most important I had a lot of fun.

JaJa: How do you like your own performance this season?

JoJu: I think it was good; for sure it also could have been better. I was pretty sad that I had an injury in the summer, so that I couldn’t play for 7 weeks. Also it’s always tough to get in shape again after that.

JaJa: What do you think about your club in this season? Have you fulfilled expectations?

JoJu: No we haven’t fulfilled the expectations. Our goal was to reach the playoffs and we missed that. I blame it a little bit on the organization of the club because they didn’t manage to get a full and prepared team with a coach and all the foreign players on the field at the start of the season. Our performance was better than the last years but it could have been better.

JaJa: How many times in your career have you thought about quitting baseball?

JoJu: Now I only can think of one time, when I was 16 or so and had bad discussions with some teammates I thought about quitting or leaving the club.

JaJa: If you could advise young players reading this interview, what would you address them?

JoJu: Hmm – haha actually then I would address to myself because I’m still a young player… now seriously… I’ m also coaching a youth team so…. Guys work hard, have fun and focus on your goal ahead.

JaJa: Your future plans on the field?

JoJu: I will start studying now, so I definitely want to do one or two semester abroad in the USA, so that I can play at a collage. Furthermore I want to play for a season in another country to get some more experience. My goal right now is to make it into the Senior National Team and I hope I attain my goal.

Mister-Baseball thanks Jakub Janda and Johannes Jung for the interview.

Photos: Andre Salcher, Gauting Indians

Mister-Baseball: Could you give a short summary how a regular day at the European Academy looks like?

Jason Holowaty: For a person who loves baseball, it’s a pretty amazing schedule. Essentially the players are on the field all day, getting the chance to work with great coaches like Art Howe, Bruce Hurst, Wally Joyner and Barry Larkin.

A “regular” day might look something like this: Players are on the field just after breakfast for a 2-3 hour workout going through team concepts, individual position work and batting practice. After lunch, players are back on the field for a game, with some players getting additional conditioning or skill work. After dinner they might have a classroom session with one of the coaches speaking on a special subject.

MRBB: It is no secret that the Netherlands and Italy are still a little bit ahead of the curve in regards of total numbers of young and talented players, which also translates in the numbers at the European Academy. But it seems that Czech players are closing in or was their relatively big number just coincidence?

JH: You’re right. Traditionally Holland and Italy send the most players to the academy, which is a good indication of the strong development programs they have had in place for many years. But other nationals, particularly those that are running off-season academies of their own, are starting to gain ground. This year, the Czechs, who have started off-season training at three centers, had a large number of players. But the Germans have also started more quality players, as seen in their strong finish at the Euros with a team that featured several young players from their development system. Other nations like France and even Sweden are also making huge strides, even if it didn’t show in the number of players at the academy. To state the obvious, development is a long-term process.

MRBB: Alberto Mineo and Rodney Daal are the newest guys to have signed minor league contracts out of the European Academy. Obviously you cannot talk about names of other potential signees. But will there be more in the coming months and can you give a general assessment of signings in academy history?

JH: There will almost certainly be more players signed from the academy in the coming months. It was a rather young group this year so there might be signings further down the track, but there was some good talent that clubs will be interested in.

Historically, the trend of signings has been very positive. The first year of the MLB European Academy was 2005. In the 6 years prior to its first start, 23 players signed MLB contracts from Europe and Africa. In the past 6 years, 56 players have signed MLB contracts from the region. It’s a huge increase that reflects not just the improving talent in Europe and Africa, but also an increased interest on the part of MLB clubs. The MLB European Academy has been a major factor in both of these aspects.

MRBB: There also was a Coaches Clinic in the first week of the European Academy. How many Coaches attended and from where? How could they sign up or were they invited? Is MLB looking into holding more Coaches Clinics in Europe?

JH: 19 Coaches from 9 Nations visited the academy from August 9-13. Actually it wasn’t a clinic but a 5-day workshop for coaches who are involved in off-season academies which are supported by MLB. Coaches from Holland, Italy, Germany, France, Sweden, South Africa, Belgium, the Czech Republic and a representative from CEB were specially invited to learn from our staff and to network with each other. It’s a great way for the many academies around Europe and Africa to improve their coaching staffs. Because of the specific nature of the workshop, we won’t look to expand it too much in the future, although we will accommodate coaches from new academy systems that we support.

MRBB: Would it be an idea to bring the 25 best players of the European Academy to the US in the fall to play two weeks in the Arizona Fall League or something like it to get real games under the belt?

JH: An interesting thought! Two comments: 1) The players at the academy do play real games, on average around 16 over the course of the month, so we’re giving them quite an intensive August workload, and 2) We’re always looking at ways to give players more opportunities for high-level competition. In April 2011, we’ll be hosting the fourth annual Academies Tournament and we’re looking at other opportunities for summer and autumn competitions. The aim is not to take away from the limited playing opportunities they have at home. So it’s a challenge!

Photos: LFBBS Baseball Academy Belgium

Jakub Janda: There are some rumors about European professional league. Could you specify where exactly the project is at?

Martin Miller: The European Professional League is still one of our main goals. The project got a little decelerated by the changes in the IBAF structure and talks with Major League Baseball, so a European Professional League will not become reality before 2013.

JJ: Could you comment on the development of the European Academies program? Is there a plan to host another tournament, as there was one in 2010 in Regensburg?

MM: The European Academies program is a very important aspect for the development of European talents. For 2011 the plans have just been finalized. There will be a tournament again in Regensburg from March 28 – April 1. The MLB Academy tryouts will take place from April 28 – May 8 at various sites throughout Europe. And the main MLB European Academy for all the chosen prospects is scheduled for August 4-27 in Tirrenia (ITA).

JJ: How would you value the MLB Camp in Tirrenia for European baseball? Do you follow how many European prospects have been signed since the project started?

MM: In our 2008 yearbook we published a list of all European Players that have been signed by MLB clubs (35 till 2009). Right now we have no actual figures but the number is definitely increasing. The MLB Camp in Tirrenia is very important to present European talents. But, as I said before, it’s the whole European Academies program that was established in coordination with CEB, which gives the great value to this Camp. European Baseball’s main goal is to get one player to play in the Major Leagues. We need someone like the German player Dirk Nowitzki in the NBA – a European star in the so called “big league” – to attain more public interest for our sport in Europe.

JJ: Do you follow how many professional scouts work in Europe?

MM: No, we do not follow that and I believe it’s not even countable. You can assume that almost every MLB club is meanwhile active in scouting talents in Europe. If they do not send professionals over, they at least use national team coaches and former national team players to look for and recommend talents.

JJ: Some critics say that it is not a real European Championship if there are not the best players available. Does CEB somehow try to get top European players from the Minors for such tournaments?

MM: I totally agree that a European Championship should be played with the best players. This year we’ve tried to get European players from the Minors to play in the European Championship in Germany. But due to the tournament date (mid-season) it was not possible to get the approval and release from the MLB clubs. In the future CEB plans to hold the European Championship in September in order to get the players from professional leagues to play. The EURO 2012 in the Netherlands is already scheduled for the first week in September.

JJ: How would you value marketing of European baseball? Some say that the Final Four or CEB Cup could be medially presented better.

MM: There are always things that can be done better. Unfortunately, it’s a question about money. This year CEB invested in the TV production of the EURO 2010 – eight games were televised by interested broadcasters from different countries (f.e. Eurosport2, RAI, NOS, ZDF). For us it is much easier to promote and sell national team events than it is to market club team events. But still, the Final Four in Barcelona will be broadcasted on the internet by STADEO.

JJ: Is there any other plan for developing baseball in Europe in cooperation with MLB?

MM: It’s a clear understanding between MLB and Baseballeurope that CEB is doing the grassroots development while MLB’s main topics are the academies, top level game development and identifying prospects. Therefore no basic development plan with MLB is to be expected.

JJ: What is your point of view on number of American college players joining European top competitions? Could you comment limitations for foreign players in different leagues?

MM: My personal opinion to foreign players in top level competitions has always been: as less as possible but as many as necessary. Some foreigners might be needed on certain positions to keep or even raise the level of play. But our main goal should always be to find and develop European talents instead of filling the most important positions (P, C, SS) with foreign players…

JJ: Which international events can fans expect in 2011?

MM: Europe’s major events in 2011 will be the European Championship Juniors in Gijon (ESP) in July and the European Cup Final Four in Brno (CZE) in September.

JJ: Since MLB has been trying to expand to Asia, some say that a few games of MLB could be played one year in the Netherlands. Could you comment on that?

MM: At the moment it is more likely that Europe could become host for a qualifier for the World Baseball Classic 2013 in the year 2012. But we don’t know yet. For sure it would be a significant gesture from MLB and an honor for Europe to host an event like this.

JJ: Baseball in Europe is certainly on the rise. Where do you spot the next steps that have to be made? Robert Eenhoorn talked in his interview about need of focusing on off-the-field representation of European baseball. Do you share the same opinion?

MM: Yes, I share Robert’s opinion. Baseballeurope will definitely concentrate on the EURO, market the EURO and somehow create a professional league together with an efficient academy structure with the goal of finding talents, creating stars and building an off-the-field fan base.

JJ: There has been some disappointments about top European countries (Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Spain) not being represented at the European Championships Under 12 in a long term. In recent years the Little league competition has become quite popular. Do you plan to make participation mandatory for senior A-group countries? Do you think that the Little league tournament will take over the official ECH U12?

MM: The future of the European Championship Juveniles has been discussed several times. It might be an important event for the smaller countries but it is less important for the big ones. The so called “top” countries often do not even form a U12 national team but concentrate on the higher age groups. That’s their choice. We won’t make participation mandatory for senior A-group countries.

Little League is not a national team event. Hence it won’t take over the ECH U12. Little League represents regions and Baseballeurope’s main purpose is to include every single region in Europe into the CEB-LLB organization.

JJ: Can Europe somehow add to the efforts trying to get baseball back to the Olympics?

MM: Yes, if we achieve the merge with softball in Europe…

JJ: After successful World Baseball Classic in 2009, there has been rumors that the next WBC could be played by more teams next time. Do you have any piece of information about how many spots would be presented to Europe?

MM: All signs are that the next World Baseball Classic will be played with an extended qualification round in which more European Teams will get a spot, that’s correct. But this issue has not been finally decided yet.

JJ: Is there any plan how to get more people in Europe to play baseball?

MM: The Confederation of European Baseball follows a strong development plan together with its member countries. But the grassroots player’s promotion needs to be done by each national federation in its own country. From the top down CEB can only help the national federations to get more people to play baseball by creating a Europe-wide fan base through a European professional league and/or a media star who embodies our sport.

Mister-Baseball thanks Jakub Janda and Martin Miller to take the time for the interview.

Photo: © Drobny (top right, at press conference during the European Championship in Stuttgart), Walter Keller, www.catchthefever.de (bottom left, first pitch at Baseball World Cup in Regensburg)

Dennis Kelly: „We started the season 0-31…“

• 26 years old
• American player
• played in Sweden, Australia, France, Germany

Jakub Janda: Please describe your career since you started playing baseball to the present.

Dennis Kelly: I started tee-ball at 4 years old and played travel ball as a youngster. During that time my brother and I probably put in 6 hours a day on the backyard wiffle ball field. I played high school ball at Jesuit in Dallas, and then went to play for the Austin College Kangaroos, a small Division III school in Sherman, TX. Since then, I’ve gotten to play in Sweden, Australia, France, and now in Germany.

JJ: How were you preparing for this season during winter? Did you change anything from previous offseasons?

DK: This past offseason was much needed for me. I played in Australia the previous winter, so I was ready for a couple months to get back into the weight room and have some time with family and friends.

I am very fortunate with my offseason setup. I work in an indoor sports facility in Dallas, TX called the Sportsplex at Valley View. There I get to give lessons, camps, and clinics. On top of that, it gives me a place to train during the cold and rainy months.

JJ: What do you consider your career highlight?

DK: There have been some unbelievable times in the course of my baseball journey. One that I still can’t believe is from my college career. As a freshman, our squad went 2-37…Started the season 0-31. We were ‘The bad news ‘Roos.’ A handful of guys from my year stuck with the team all four years instead of making a quick transfer out and we made the playoffs our senior year…The year following my graduation they went on to win a conference championship.

JJ: What has baseball taken from you and what has the game given to you?

DK: There’s nothing I would rather do on a given day than to be out on the field. So, I feel that I’ve given time to baseball rather than having anything taken from me. The game has given me some of the best friends in the world and has given me more opportunities in life than I could have ever imagined.

JJ: How do you like your own performance this season?

DK: I liked my performance this season but I’m definitely not satisfied with it. I replay every game and at-bat in my head and think about how I should have taken an at-bat differently, or played a ball in the field more aggressively. So, I like that I performed well and have goals to work toward next season.

JJ: What do you think about your club in this season? Have you fulfilled expectations?

DK: I felt that the club performed extremely well this season. We were quite a different team from last year’s squad after losing a handful of star players. Our core group of vets played well all season and our young kids did a great job trying to fill big shoes. Our German starter, Shorty Franke, had a phenomenal year and carried us quite a bit. So, I firmly believe that we fulfilled and even surpassed many expectations.

JJ: How many times in your career have you thought about quitting baseball?

DK: I’ve had a thousand instances where I was so frustrated and angry that I’ve questioned myself. I’ve never truly thought about quitting, however…Just dusted off the cleats, maybe cussed at the umpire under my breath, and went after it again.

JJ: Do you have any special practice or game routine?

DK: Nothing special from week to week. I like to zone in during batting practice and carry it all the way through the doubleheader.

JJ: Where do you see your own key for succeeding on the European level?

DK: I feel that I prepare pretty well during the offseason and have a ton of time during the week to be ready each weekend. In Mannheim we have a great gym setup, so I can get into the weight room all week. So, staying in good shape and just going out and playing hard have been key for me.

JJ: Any funny story connected with baseball?

DK: When I was 7 years old, Kirby Puckett was giving an interview on ESPN. About halfway through the show they opened up the phone lines to callers for questions, so I ran to the phone and dialed relentlessly for the next 30 minutes to talk to Kirby. So, the show ended and I was pretty livid that I didn’t get through. Hell, I called at least 100 times.

About five minutes after the show my mom handed me the phone and said, “Kirby wants to talk to you.” He asked me all about my baseball season and I went on telling him how awesome he was during the World Series. I was pumped outta my mind and raised hell all over the house after the conversation. About a week later, I found out it was my uncle, Chris.

JJ: If you could advise young players reading this interview, what would you address them?

DK: Decide what to be, and go be it.

JJ: Your future plans on the field?

DK: I plan to play as long as I can. When I can’t play, I would like to coach.

Thank you.
Jakub Janda
Jandis(at)volny.cz

Photos: Gregor Eisenhuth, www.eisenhuth-photographie.de