By Brest Zubrs
September 28 – October 1, 2017 in the city of Brest was held VII International Baseball Tournament for prizes of the Brest City Executive Committee “Cup of Brest – 2017”. The tournament gathered ten teams from Belarus, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine at the baseball stadiums of the city (players born in 2005 and younger). Competitions are organized with the support of the Brest regional and city executive committees, the Representative Office of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus in the Brest region, the baseball-softball club “Brest Zubrs”.
More than 170 young baseball players challenged the title of the best team and fought for the main prize of the competition – the Brest Cup 2017, established by the Brest City Executive Committee. In the 25 baseball games, athletes have shown their skills and will to win.
The winner of the tournament was the team “Tigers” from Balashikha (Russia). Silver team was won by the team “Sugar Storm” from Skidel (Belarus), bronze medals – at the hosts of the tournament of the baseball team “Brest Zubrs” (Brest, Belarus).
Final standings:
1. “Tigers” (Balashikha Russia)
2. “Sugar Storm” (Skidel, Belarus)
3. “Brest Zubrs” (Brest, Belarus)
4. “Moscow Cardinals” (Moscow, Russia)
5. “Olimpia” (Moscow, Russia)
6. “Darnytsky Tigers” (Kiev, Ukraine)
7. “Lithuania-1” (Lithuania)
8. “North Stars” (Moscow, Russia)
9. “Tiraspol” (Tiraspol, Moldova)
10.”Lithuania-2″ (Lithuania)
The Brest City Executive Committee has established four special prizes. The awards were given to:
- “Best pitcher” – Burdin Kirill (“Brest Zubrs”, Brest)
- “The best batter” – Dugenov Vasily (“Tigers”, Balashikha)
- “The best defender” – Gulev Vladislav (“Sugar storm”, Skidel)
- “The best MVP player” – Mikhail Luchaev (“Tigers”, Balashikha)
In each team, “Best Team Players” and “Most Useful Team Players” were identified and awarded with diplomas and memorable cups.
All participants of the competitions received memorable cups, diplomas, sweet prizes and ice cream from sponsors of the tournament. For young athletes was organized by the cultural program: the team were able to visit the Brest Hero Fortress and visit visiting Santa Claus in the Bialowieza Forest.
It is nice that you report on everything baseball. It is a true service to the game. So please do not consider this a criticism of you for publishing this article. It is not.
One must marvel at this ragtag group calling themselves an “international tournament”. Places like Russia or Belarus will not invest in developing their own baseball talent. No wonder they are so awful; and no wonder they can only beat each other. They cannot even compete with the Europeans, which are light years behind serious baseball nations.
I recall within the past decade people at MLBI complaining to me that Russia would not commit to baseball unless MLB paid them fees far greater than possible. So they appear to have chosen incompetence, just to show the Americans. The game can get along well without these pretend competitors.