The first team we would like to introduce is Baseball Week debutant Spain. So although these Southern Europeans are only traveling to Haarlem for the first time, thanks to their 15 bronze medals at the European Championships, you can legitimately say that they have been the best-of-the-rest behind the Netherlands and Italy since time immemorial.
In recent years, national coach Nelson Prada’s team seems increasingly capable of breaking the double-hegemony. Last summer’s European title proves that the Spaniards can even match up well with eternal rivals these days.
EUROPEAN CHAMPION
In the Czech Republic, the Spaniards generally defeated their opponents with great display of power. They finished the group stage with 36 runs for and only two against. That streak continued effortlessly in the quarterfinals with an 18-3 victory over Sweden, then the Dutch Kingdom team awaited in the semifinals.
After an early deficit of 6-1, the Spanish team seemed hopeless for the final victory, but with a clever comeback, the Mediterranean batting team still turned the game completely around and a final score of 7-6 in their favor was on the scoreboard after nine innings. The British were then fodder for the cat in the final: 11-2.
LATIN-AMERICAN TOUCH
The Spaniards owe this success mainly to a large contingent of South and Central American players. Indeed, the vast majority of the selection is made up of native-born Venezuelans and Dominicans, supplemented by a handful of Cubans. The number of players who came into the world in Spain is usually limited to one or two men.
At the EC, Wander Encarnacion was named Most Valuable Player. The 23-year-old third baseman is Dominican by birth, but until this winter played his entire career in Spain, where he played for the Tenerife Marlins. With that team he took the title last season, before making the move to the Italian league, where he will play for Parma Clima.
MUSCLE BALL BASEBALL
Other players who impressed at the European Championships were powerhouse Omar Hernandez, the Cuban born homerun king at the European Championships and scored the most runs, the likewise beefy Dominican Edison Valerio and Venezuelan catcher Gabriel Lino. Furthermore, in Dominicans Fernando Baez and Rhiner Cruz, they have a strong relievers duo, who often successfully shut the door once the team gets a lead.
So expect Spain to play mostly muscleball baseball, both from the mound and from the batter’s box, and if the dime falls their way, this team could just end their first HWH edition victoriously.