The German national team is the host of the 2010 European Championship and arrives in Stuttgart, Heidenheim and Neuenburg with two straight fourth-place finishes in Prague 2005 and Barcelona 2007. They are placed into Group A with defending champion Netherlands, France, Belgium, Czech Republic and Ukraine. Mister-Baseball spoke with head coach Greg Frady about the upcoming tournament.
Mister-Baseball: What do you expect from your team in Stuttgart, Heidenheim and Neuenburg?
Greg Frady: The German team has worked very hard for this championship and we all expect to play at a very high level to represent Deutschland. It is very important to get a good result in front of the home crowd.
MRBB: Can a team challenge defending Champion Netherlands in the 2010 European Championship? Which teams have the best chances of advancing in your group?
GF: All the teams from our group will be eager to show that they belong at the highest level of European baseball and we will prepare for each day differently. There is always talk about who is the best team, but playing the best baseball will be our focus. If we play as well as we have prepared, we will be in a great position to advance to the next round.
MRBB: Which team could be the surprise of the tournament?
GF: The teams in this tournament will be without many of their professional players and that will make some teams weaker and other teams more competitive. Depending on how the fans see their team’s position, many teams could be the tournaments surprise team by moving up or finishing below expectations.
MRBB: General speaking is the level of play in European Baseball getting better and more balanced since the EC 2007 or is there still a gap between the top teams and the underdogs?
GF: This makes my 7th year with the German team and I have seen both the German team and the rest of the European teams improving each year. Baseball continues to grow worldwide and Europe is matching this pace. As the MLB Baseball Classic grows in interest, many teams are positioning their organization to financially reap the benefits. The gap between teams is directly related to those teams that have money to train, travel and develop players from a young age. This is the same even in the MLB will clubs that spend a lot of money and those that are concerned about staying inside their yearly budget.
MRBB: There will be only a few professional players in the tournament. Does this will have an influence and does it hurt some teams more than others?
GF: Many teams will miss one or more pro players, but this will give other players a chance to show they can play at a high level also. The missing pro players will make the field more equal.
MRBB: Looking at the rosters of the other teams, which players could be especially worthy to watch?
GF: There will be many great players at the EM for the spectators to watch, but I will be watching the German players and their progress. Hopefully, everyone will enjoy seeing our players perform at their best.
MRBB: What is your plan for the final days before the Euro 2010? Which exhibition games do you have planned?
GF: We met for one week to practice two times a day and then met Belgium for exhibition games. This plan is not perfect; however being flexible with European baseball training has worked best for us. All coaches would like more practice and games before the EM, but we are not professionals. So work, university and being a husband and father create difficulties for many of our players. It is never perfect, but we make the most out of our time together.
MRBB: Do you already have a starting lineup in place and who will be in your starting rotation?
GF: We plan to use our entire team to get the best match ups as possible. Injuries, weather and fatigue must be taken into consideration each day for the best possible result for our team.
Mister-Baseball thanks Greg Frady for answering our questions and wishes good luck in the European Championship.
Previous:
Sven Hendrickx (Belgium)
Jim Stoeckel (Netherlands)
Mauro Mazzotti (Spain)
Marco Mazzieri (Italy)
Krunoslav Karin (Croatia)
Dennis Cook (Sweden)
Tom Mazarakis (Greece)
Jason Greenberg (Great Britain)
Arnost Nesnal (Czech Republic)