John Miller, who is playing and coaching for the Brussels Kangaroos in the Belgian 2nd Division and is a reporter for a big American newspaper, is now also the Little League Commissioner for Belgium. He is also back chronicling the 2010 season in his “Old World Pastime” column on Mister-Baseball.com for a third straight year.
Those of us who coach or administer European baseball clubs have, in the past few years, several times received the following email, worth quoting at length:
“Dear Sir, My name is Daisuke Yasui, I’m a Japanese submarine pitcher… Please consider me as one of your players. I am a popular right handed submarine pitcher, which you don’t see often, and the audience always love the submarine pitchers.”
“I’m good at the lower location and I can throw under knees everyday. If you settle a contract with me, I’m sure the audience will increase and we’ll all have a great game. I can contribute to the triumph and success of your team, and also to the happiness for your fans.”
“I want to perplex your opponents with my submarine pitch. I can control any batters and make fans happy. Ex team’s scout praised me for my sliderball, screwball, and moving fastball. I await your favorable reply.”
Mr. Yasui is one those itinerants who has made a career out of knocking around the world’s lower professional leagues. His resume includes Mesei College and the Sakura Bank Akisima (Japan), the Victoria Capitals and Moose Jaw Millers (Canada), the Springfield-Ozark Ducks, Texarkana Gunslingers and Topeka Giants (U.S.), and the Indios Bel Boer and Fieras Del San Fernando (Nicaragua). One of those stops merited an entry in the record books. He’s also reportedly been the target of a recruitment scam.
In 2010, Mr. Yasui has taken his under-knees submarine style to the Low Countries, where he seeks to please audiences and perplex opponents in the small Belgian town of Temse, pop. 27,000.
A few years ago, a bunch of veterans of the Antwerp baseball scene started a club in Temse. The men, including the princely 80-something Lou Wouters, who played baseball in hiding from the Nazis during World War Two, built a field and the players came.
The Briqville Sluggers quickly developed an excellent youth program and, recently, a men’s team, which, admirably, has already reached Belgium’s second division. Mr. Yasui, a slightly built man of around 30, 5’9” tall, is their principal starting pitcher and coach this year, and it is he that my Brussels Kangaroos faced in Antwerp on Saturday afternoon.
The form comes as advertized: textbook Japanese, like a subway turnstile, torso flipping completely around to face first base before the machinery springs back, propelling the ball toward the hitter.
The style is submarine, but, unfortunately for Briqville, not so perplexing. The Kangaroos knocked the cover off the ball and won 17-3, pleasing at least our seven fans in the audience of about 35 on a rain-soaked blustery afternoon. At the plate, the often animated Mr. Yasui declined to run out two groundballs, because, as he we could hear him explain to his teammates: “I am a pitcher.”
Send me the most eloquent emails you’ve ever received from players seeking teams at oldworldpastime@gmail.com. Comment from Mr. Yasui and/or the Briqville Sluggers is also welcome.