by Pim van Nes
Hoofddorp today opened its baseball stadium doors for the MLB press conference and the first daily workouts of MLB Elite Camp 2015. At nine o’clock media were received by MLB representative in Europe Jason Holowaty and the first speaker was Chris Park, MLB’s Senior Vice President of Growth, Strategy & International. The technical staff was represented by coaches Barry Larkin (Hall of Famer) and Steve Finley (ML All Star). Mademoiselle Melissa Mayeux (16 years of age) took French and English questions.
Tomorrow the selections from Italy and the Netherlands will join their camp mates in Pioniers stadium at Hoofddorp. The respective rosters consist of 9 and 8 pitchers, 2 catchers, 7 and 6 infielders and 4 outfielders. Four Italian fielders are part-timers, replacing each other on August 11/12. The entire program is scheduled from August 4 through August 20. The selections from Europe’s top baseball nations are accompanied by their own technical staffs, headed by managers Gianguido Poma and Eric de Bruin.
Presently 36 individuals from 14 other European countries, 4 from People’s Republic of China and 2 from New Zealand have taken the sunny field again after a cloudy morning session and the Pioniers lunch in the stadium restaurant. The youngsters originate from Germany (7), Czech Republic (7), France (4, including 1 girl), Croatia (4), Belarus (3), Spain (2), Lithuania (2) and 1 each from Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark, Slovenia, Serbia, Moldova and Ucraine.
The European roster consists of 14 right handed pitchers and 2 left handed: one from Lithuania and one from Moldova. Two Croatian pitchers will also work as catcher and infielder and a German and a Czech pitcher will appear in outfield. The roster is completed by 5 catchers, 6 corner infielders, 7 middle infielders and 6 outfielders, comprising those 4 two-way players.
The People’s Republic of China delegated 4 players to MLB 2015 camp in Hoofddorp: a pitcher, a catcher and 2 outfielders. From New Zealand a corner infielder and a middle infielder.
The ages of the other European players vary from 15 years (Aliaksandr Lukashevich from Belarus, Angel Aguado from Spain, Drew Janssen from Belgium and Vojtech Mensik from Czech Republic) through 19 years of age. The Netherlands roster shows its lowest age for pitcher Donny Breek (15) and the oldest home players are 18 years of age: pitchers Nick Keur and Giovanni Tensen and outfielder Boyd Tuhumery. The Italians bring the all-camp youngest player to Hoofddorp: infielder Gabriele Angioi (14), who was born on March 7, 2001. Their oldest players are 18 years of age maximum: pitchers Ludovico Coveri, Diego Fabiani and Matthias Zotti and infielder Gabriele Orefice.
Photo by French Baseball and Softball Federation (FFBS), showing Chris Park, Barry Larkin, Melissa Mayeux and Steve Finley (left to right)