European Baseball (Red Sox sign German pitcher)

[splitterpfj]

The Sox are taking a shot, does anyone have any knowledge of baseball in Europe? Will there be quality players from there? I don't even know how organized they are.

 

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071010/SPORTS/710100388/1010

[Mass Haas]

The Brewers dabbled with the German third baseman a while back, players from South Africa, and even two from Nigeria (yes, I realize that only Germany is in Europe), but until the game is entrenched from little league on up elsewhere, it will be difficult to find players who are projectible and can pick up all the skills necessary to make it here at an advanced teenage age. However, considering that many Latin players are not playing with regulation equipment or on real ballfields, they are sometimes projected in a similar manner, but the game is so entrenched there.

 

One of the darker moments in Brewer prospect history (circa Brewerfan's existence) is to note the last Brewer farmhand to die while still a member of the organization -- too sad to include in any of the prior minor league trivia rounds we did. Baseball America reminds us:

 

Tuesday, March 4, 2003

Brewers minor league pitcher Augustine Ozorede (o-zo-REED-e) died over the weekend in a car accident outside of his home in Ilorin, Nigeria.

The 18-year old righthander signed with the Brewers on May 8, 2002. Ozorede and catcher Gbenga Olayemi were signed the same day and became the first-ever Brewers players signed from Nigeria.

Ozorede was expected to attend the Brewers extended spring training program in Arizona in April.

By the way, Olayemi did report to Maryvale in spring of 2003 and played in 24 games. It'd be pretty amazing to track him down now and see if that brief experience had any meaningful impact on his life today.

 

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/O/Gbenga-Olayemi.shtml

[splitterpfj]

Thanks Mass, I remembered that the Brewers had signed a German 3B, but that's about all I ever heard about him. I know the Twins have scouts in Italy, but I don't know if they've signed players from there yet, or not.

[colbyjack]

Ah yes, the good ole days when we thought there was good reason to get excited about Mitch Franke.

 

Mass makes a good point about how the game of baseball is entrenched in "normal" baseball locales such as Latin America and even Asia (predominantly Japan, Korea and Taiwan) and Australia. China has been rumored as the next baseball hot spot for years, and hasn't seem to catch fire quite yet.

 

You see signings from Europe once in a while, and yet you don't hear about these players as top prospects much less making their mark on the big leagues.

 

I believe the Brewers removed their international scouting from places like South Africa and Europe when they decided to mix up their international scouting a couple of years ago by shutting down their Dominican and Venezuelan camps and focus more on spending money on bigger name Latin American free agents such as Pascual Peralta and recently Arias and Garcia. And Canada of course http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif.

[splitterpfj]

Meanwhile, the Astros announced Tuesday they had signed infielder Jan Baldee, 16, from The Netherlands. Baldee, considered one of the top middle infielders in Europe, attended the MLB European Academy in Italy in 2006 and 2007.

 

Wow, paying a 16-year-old from the Netherlands, I didn't think I'd ever see that.

[Chio151]

At some point in the history of the Brewers, they will need sign a huge German pitcher with a mustache that just throws crazy fastballs and yells in German after every strikeout. If we can give him a beer stein in the dugout, even better.

 

Like Vukovich.... but more Germanish. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif