The Austrian Baseball League club SUPERFUND WANDERERS VIENNA confirmed this week on their website that Hiro Sakanashi stays for another year and that Clemens Cichocki returns to the team.
Sakanashi will be back for his third straight year with the WANDERERS. He batted .374 (OBP .565/SLG .484) with 40 runs scored and 16 RBI in 27 games in the 2008 season. He also takes over as head coach, succeeding Nick DeForest (served in this role since 2000), who will remain with VIENNA as a player. DeForest hit .312 (.448/.442) with 17 runs and 24 RBI last year.
Cichocki returns to Austria after a probably disappointing year in the German Baseball-Bundesliga with the HAAR DISCIPLES. The 2007 MVP of the ABL had a 0-3 record with an ERA of 11.05 in eight games (three starts) in 2008. He struck out 17 in 29 1/3 innings, walking 21. He also struggled at the plate with a batting average of .159 (.250/.195) with three runs and nine RBI in 82 at bats over 25 games.
