Mister Baseball

by J.P. Mottl, head coach Zurich Barracudas

THE BEGINNING…

The Barracudas Baseball Club was founded 1985 and entered the second Swiss Division the following year. In 1987 they got promoted, together with the Bern Cardinals, to the highest division. They never looked back. It would take some time before the club managed to claim its first title. However from the beginning the sights were set to get quality coaching to help produce quality players. After qualifying for the 1994 European Cup for the first time a foreign coach was employed. Joe Morello (Jacksonville) took the team to the cup with a surprising second place being the result. In 1996 the club employed two American Player/Coaches, Eric Quandt and Ryan Flanagan. Their dedication, playing skills and ability to work with and accept the Swiss players helped the Barracudas achieve their first Swiss Championship.

As the club became more popular, they added a softball section, which until this day holds the record for most championships. From 1992 until 1999 the Barracudas Women won an unprecedented seven consecutive titles.

Even during these very successful years the club never forgot their task to promote baseball and softball. Despite successes with athletes that had originally learned other sports like football or handball, it was clear for the club that in the long run they needed to have players who grew up with the game. In 1995 the Kobras Baseball Juniors were founded. This part of the club is growing rapidly and in the last few years the first players are debuting in the first team that have gone through the entire Barracudas program.

As of 2008 the Barracudas are the only club in Switzerland with teams in all three men’s leagues, a softball team and two junior teams (U15 and U12).

THE 2008 NLA TEAM…

Many things changed in the off-season. Manu Hirtz, an “ancient” club member, has taken over as president. He has made it a goal of his to bring back the successes of the past and let the club profit from its unique setup. The coaching staff was also shuffled up: JP Mottl and Holgi Schmidt, both members of the last Barracudas Championship team, were given the job as first team coaches. The trainings have been intensified and a lot of young, athletic talents were added to the roster. The coordination amongst the teams has been improved. The coaching team, which includes Yusuf Isik, Mick Meier (both NLB), Franc Pablos and Samuel Cedeno (1. League), makes sure that every player gets regular playing time in the various leagues according to his skill level. Pitching assignments are handled so that every pitcher gets his innings on a regular basis.

The reshuffling did not pass without unwanted player fluctuations. But at the end of the day today’s roster is a thrilling mix of dedicated, knowledgeable and hard working players of all ages who want to do well. The signing of Charles Brown II from Pasadena, California has added defensive stability plus speed on the base paths. Important parts in the lineup are veterans Farid Bekkali, Chico Colindres and Nderim Coma. The pitching rotation is stacked with “home grown” talents Jeff Mottl and Beni Montag plus veterans Frank Berchtold and JT Schroeder (Stetson University).