Easter Sunday 2007
The Brussels Kangaroos shut out host Louvain-la-Neuve Phoenix twice within 24 hours to sweep (undefeated) through their subsection of the LFBBS Challenge. This tournament qualifier earned the B-Roos places in the national Belgium Cup (Coupe de Belgique) scheduled for August, and the French-speaking championship scheduled for July.
In 2007, the Brussels Kangaroos and Namur Angels (who also won their qualifier subsection) are the only two French-speaking teams in Belgium’s 8-team Division I. The rest of the teams are Flemish (dutch-speaking).
As in s****r, most European baseball leagues move teams up and down in the divisions though the process of relegation, where last place team(s) move down and the division winner(s) ascend.
NOTE: No more than two French-speaking teams have ever played in Belgium's Division I during the same season.
Historic, natural rivals, the Kangaroos and Angels teams have spent more time in the top division than any other French-speaking teams during the last decade. For 2007, both teams signed a pair of former D3 stars (2006 grads) from northeast colleges.
Namur snagged pitcher Tim Dunphy from Brandeis and all-American shortstop Derek Lyons from Salem State College. Brussels recruited pitcher Joe Vladeck from Amherst and cornerman Tim McLean from Haverford. All four were dominant, all-conference, all region-type D3 players.
Dunphy and Vladeck both played in the tough ECAC.
As a senior, Dunphy was 10-3 with a 2.35ERA.
In 2006, Vladeck was 7-0 with a 1.55ERA, and was named NESCAC Pitcher of the Year in both 2005 and 2006.
Lyons led Salem State with a .455 BA and nine HR in 2006.
As a senior, McLean led all Centennial Conference hitters with a 1200+ OPS, and ranks among the leagues' career leaders in Hits, RBI, Runs, HR, Doubles and Total Bases.
Skills Note: While fielding and fundamentals are well developed, hitting is at a premium for the French-speaking teams, especially in the wooden bat DI league. Against these good American pitchers, the indigenous French-speaking players seem slightly over-matched. They put balls in play, but hot line drives are infrequent. As such, both Dunphy and Vladeck, who presumably haven’t hit since high school, will see DH action this season. (We are assured that in Flanders, where baseball is very popular, Flemish hitters are generally more developed.)
Dope Note: We were surprised to learn that all adult players in Belgium are “licensed” and that part of this licensing requires at least one annual and random drug test, regardless of division. These drug tests go beyond performance enhancers and also illegal drugs, i.e. pot, opiates etc.
League Opening Day for the B-Roos is (next) Saturday April 14, against reigning Division I league champs, the Antwerp Royal-Greys. If you click through to the Royal-Greys' website you’ll catch get a glimpse of their mascot “Crazy Greyzy”.
The two teams play each other again the following day in Brussels.
stay tuned...
HaverDad in Belgium
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