INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE MAGAZINE

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SERBIA • SLOVAKIA • CROATIA • NORTH AMERICA INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

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CONTENT 4

IBC 2018

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Schedule

10 Whiting, Indiana:

Home of International

Baseball Challenge

16

Team SERBIA

24 Eli Grba:

The First Angel

30

Team SLOVAKIA

36 Kenny Lofton:

A True Sportsman

40

Team CROATIA

44 Roger Maris:

Beyond 61

48

Team NORTH AMERICA

56 Craig Sager:

There’s No Stopping You

Dear International Baseball Challenge Participants: Welcome to Whiting, a small city with historic charm and a focus on quality of life. We are proud to be hosting the 2018 International Baseball Challenge at Oil City Stadium. Please take this opportunity to experience the rich ethnic, architectural, and cultural history that Whiting and surrounding Northwest Indiana communities have to offer.

Whiting prides itself on being a walkable community. Our historic downtown business district is full of restaurants and shops which are eager to serve you as you stroll 119th Street. The Hoosier Theatre and the Whiting Community Center, home to the YMCA, are listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

Studio 659 highlights community art and the Whiting Public Library was built by Carnegie. Our beautiful churches not only provide respite for our hardworking residents but the buildings pay tribute to their ethnic roots.

Whiting Lakefront Park, walking distance from Oil City Stadium, provides a breathtaking view of the Chicago Skyline to the Northwest and a view of the heart of Northwest Indiana manufacturing to the East – BP, ArcelorMittal and U.S. Steel. Adjacent to the park is Whihala Beach, home to Lake Michigan’s first ever floating water park - The WhoaZone.

Whiting Lakefront Park, the Whiting Municipal Sports Complex and Oil City Stadium offer a multitude of recreational opportunities for your family to enjoy. All of these amenities make Whiting a destination – a place to celebrate, contemplate and play.

We thank you for selecting the City of Whiting to host the International Baseball Challenge. We hope you have an opportunity to experience our City and enjoy our amenities throughout your stay. Good luck and let the games begin!

Sincerely,

Mayor Joseph M. Stahura

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IBC

Welcome to International Baseball T

he International Baseball Challenge (IBC) is proud to share this inaugural season with you. Together we can help start the next generation of global baseball.

Baseball has long been considered America’s national pastime. And you wouldn’t be wrong to think that. With many of our cultural heroes, common turns of phrases, and numerous books and movies that are all inspired from the game, it’s no doubt that baseball has entered the American psyche like few other sports. But you would be wrong if you thought of baseball as ONLY American – it’s truly the world’s game.

International Origins of Baseball While today’s version of baseball was developed in the U.S., its origins come from England. It developed from a game called rounders, which also involves a batter trying to hit a pitch and run around a series of four bases without being put out by a group of fielders. It was this game where we also find the first recorded reference to “baseball” back in 1749, although

it was actually referring to a rounders game played in Surrey, England. Rounders eventually made it to North America via English colonists in Canada.

The Americans Develop Modern Baseball It wasn’t until almost 100 years later that America took the rounders game and developed it into baseball. The main rules were developed and codified by the NY Knickerbocker club in 1845, which resulted in the first baseball game being played in 1846 in New Jersey (the Knickerbockers were humiliated in a 23-1 loss). Baseball remained largely a NY sport, but the American Civil War brought many people together that normally would have little contact with each other.

After the war, soldiers took home their love of the sport they played between battles and marches, and baseball grew into a national sport. The first national baseball association founded in 1867. The National League and American League that we’re familiar with followed with their foundings in 1876 and 1893, respectively.

Rise of International Baseball

While baseball as we know it was invented in the U.S., the game never remained a strictly American game. It was only two year after the formation of the National League that the first non-U.S. baseball league was formed in Cuba. The main popularization of the sport in the U.S. through the early 20th century, driven by early greats, such as Cy Young, Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth, was simultaneous to the popularization of baseball around the globe. The Dominican Republic held its first tournament in 1912.

The first European baseball league was formed in the Netherlands in 1922. Japan formed their first league in 1936. The popularization of baseball was indeed a world phenomenon.

Olympic Baseball About the same time baseball was spreading across the globe, international sports competitions in general were developed, especially with the resurrection of the Olympic Games in 1896. Baseball, of course, played a part. Baseball made its first debut in the Olympics in 1904 as

Photo by Getty Images

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INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

SCHEDULE Tuesday, July 7th

CROATIA VS NORTH AMERICA SERBIA VS SLOVAKIA WEDENSDAY, July 8th

CROATIA vs SLOVAKIA NORTH AMERICA VS SERBIA Thursday, July 9th

SLOVAKIA VS NORTH AMERICA SERBIA VS CROATIA SATURDAY, July 11th

SEMIFINAL 2nd VS 3RD SEMIFINAL 1ST VS 4TH SATURDAY, July 11th

GAME FOR 3RD PLACE FINAL GAME 8

All games ...... at “Oil City Stadium”, 1700 119th Street / Whiting, IN 46394 INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018 INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

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IBC

a single exhibition game. It continued to appear in about every other games until 1964, always as an exhibition or demonstration sport. But it wasn’t until 1984 that baseball was finally included as a medal sport with the first tournament played in the 1992 games. Again we see the power of international teams in those first games with Cuba taking the gold, Chinese Taipei taking silver and Japan the bronze.

Formation of the World Baseball Classic But Olympic baseball proved to be short lived. In 2005, only twenty-one years after the first decision to include our beloved game, baseball was nixed from the Olympics. In the 2008 games, baseball would appear in the Olympics for the last time.

The decision was based partly on the drug scandal of the MLB in the early 2000s, which many players came from after professionals were allowed to compete.

The Olympic committee called for reforms to continue baseball’s inclusion, but with the Olympics interfering with the MLB regular season and other institutional barriers, ultimately the international baseball associations decided to hold off on trying to rejoin the games. (However, in 2013 baseball was accepted again as a demonstration sport and will appear as a single event in the 2020 games.)

Instead, a new international baseball tournament was established by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) at the urging of the MLB. They called it the World Baseball Classic and invited the top 16 teams around the globe to compete.

The tournament is held before the start of the MLB season so American pro players can compete. Just as international teams dominated the Olympic scene (Cuba has won the most medals with five), another international team has dominated the WBC. Japan has won the most medals with four, followed by Puerto Rico and South Korea with two each.

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Today – the First International Baseball Challenge And now you’re here in the stands witnessing the first series of a new international baseball competition. Despite the continuation of global baseball through the WBC, in that tournament, only sixteen teams are allowed to compete and only three new teams can potentially join each time. But as we’ve seen from baseball’s storied history, baseball is so much more than these sixteen teams.

The idea for the IBC originated in 2017 after Keegan Sports Group, an outfit dedicated to the promotion of global baseball, arranged a series of exhibition games between the Serbian National Baseball team and various American minor league teams. The response was tremendous and together they decided to set up the International Baseball Challenge (IBC). They added the Croatian and Slovakian teams in addition to the Serbian and American teams.

And over the next five days, you can see the next generation of international baseball.

The Future of International Baseball Someone caught Babe Ruth’s first homer.

Someone watched Nolan Ryan’s first strike

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

out. Someone cheered Ricky Henderson’s first stolen base. But think about it. At those times they weren’t thought of as great moments. After all, no one knew then that those players would go on to hold the records they do. Which makes you wonder as you watch this first tournament.

Which of these players will become the next all time leader in baseball? Everyone starts somewhere, and this tournament is created for that purpose. The IBC provides the opportunity for young talent to gain experience in international competition and develop into tomorrow heroes.

Around the globe, we may not all know what the words “grounder hit to short, he throws to second, throw to first, and they turn two.” But we all know the notation of 6-4-3. When the ball flies over the fence it doesn’t matter whether we cheer a “home run” in the U.S., a “хоме рун” in Serbia, a “optrčavanje” in Croatia, or a “domáci beh” in Slovakia. We all know what the high five from your teammates means when the batter crosses home plate. This is what global baseball is all about – the chance to achieve the monumental while enjoying the thrill of what truly is the world’s pastime. And we’re glad you’re here to witness this first IBC tournament.

Welcome.

Global Baseball’s Biggest Fan Keegan Sports Group is proud to produce the first International Baseball Challenge and bring baseball, brands and fans together in a way that we all win.

As you go to any ballpark in America you’ll see the promotions from numerous brands on the jumbo screen, along the fences, in the programs, on the back of your ticket. These are the companies that help continue our long sports tradition. Even the baseball cards so important to many young boys and girls got their start as marketing pieces. Sports would not be possible without their support (or a much higher ticket price). These brands help give us our heroes, our thrills, our unifying moments - both in America and across the globe.

Keegan Sports Group (KSG) is an international sports marketing company, and we specializing in sponsorship and marketing consultation as well as sponsorship sales representation. What this really means is we bring brands and sports together.

With more than 25 years of combined experience, we at KSG partner with the most prestigious sports organizations in the world to help companies build brands, gain market share and increase customer

loyalty through sports and entertainment. Whether you’re a global or local brand, we’ll be your trustworthy guide on your full sponsorship journey from strategy and evaluation to activation and execution.

At KSG we are more than just a service provider. Our team, led by George Grkinich, has a unique skill set to provide vision on the front end, detailed execution through the life of our partnerships, and a relentless pursuit of excellence in everything we do. This is the same inspiration and dedication you’ll find from the players on the field, which produce the same incredible, lucrative results for our clients.

The sports world is full of many challenges. For brands looking to make their mark, staying ahead of the game can feel overwhelming. This is where KSG steps in. We see possibility where others see complexity. We’re your clutch hitter, your game-saving pitcher.

We pride ourselves as a global sponsorship and experiential leader, connecting brands and their consumers through their shared love of sports. This is why we created the International Baseball Challenge.

International competition makes all the participating teams better. The stronger the teams become, the better the sport overall becomes. The stronger the sport becomes the more we can all come together to enjoy it. Along the way, the brands we partner with become more profitable, and our fellow world citizens have more definitional moments to witness and role models to look up to. No matter who takes first place in this inaugural IBC tournament, we’ll all win this game.

IBC FRONT OFFICE

TOURNAMENT MANAGMENT GEORGE GRKINICH PRESIDENT George is the president of KSG with 20 years of sports business experience. Prior to founding KSG, George was Sr. Vice President of Gameday Merchandising, whose merchandising clients included the Denver Broncos, Washington Nationals, Dallas Mavericks, Arizona Diamondbacks and OKC Thunder. George’s responsibilities included overseeing all merchandising, including managing vendor relationships, building the sports licensed business, developing and executing product strategy, and growing merchandising assortments. Prior to joining Gameday, George was CEO of the Nave Group, a business development consulting firm assisting clients in penetrating worldwide markets, where he successfully negotiated several million dollars in marketing sponsorships and business development contracts worldwide. George is an Indiana University graduate with a degree in Sports Marketing & Management.

SPONSORS

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INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

ADVISORY BOARD SONNY VACCARO ADVISOR As a leader player in the sports marketing executive, Mr. Vaccaro is best known for his tenure with Nike, where he signed Michael Jordan to his first sneaker deal. Mr. Vaccaro left Nike for Adidas, then Reebok.

He founded the ABCD All America Camp, an elite showcase of high school basketball standouts, which ran from 1984 to 2007. It featured future stars Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, and LeBron James. Mr. Vaccaro cofounded the first national high school All-Star game, The Dapper Dan Roundball Classic. Mr. Vaccaro was instrumental in shaping how sneakers were marketed at all levels of the game. He also is considered the God Father of shoes deals in sports. It was his insight to sports marketing that has allowed him to be one of the most impactful personalities in the sports world.

DON POLITE ADVISOR Don is an experienced brand marketer with over 20 Years of experience working on high-profile brands across the Consumer Packaged Goods, Entertainment, Sports and Multi-Industrial Industries. Most recently, Don served as the Vice President of Brand & Corporate Marketing at Johnson Controls, a $33 Billion Global Multi-Industrial Company headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In this role, Don drove the strategic brand direction and communication strategy for the Johnson Controls Corporate Brand. Prior to Johnson Controls, Don worked for eight years at Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group in brand marketing and sales planning roles. Additionally, he has managed a number of strategic DVD Partnership roles on behalf of Warner Bros. with leading sports/entertainment brands including the NBA, NFL, NHL LEGO, VIZ Media and Cartoon Network.

Prior to joining Warner Bros. Don held stints in marketing with NBC Universal Home Entertainment, Disney Consumer Product and Abbott Laboratories. Don earned a B.S. in Human Development & Social Policy from Northwestern University in 1990 and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Business in 1996. Don was also member of the Men’s Basketball Team from 1986 through 1990, where he earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 1990. Don and his wife Deborah have an 11 year-old son (Trevor) and Don has another son Harrison (22 years old) who is a Junior at Bowdoin College in Maine.

DENNIS EDWARDS ADVISOR Dennis Edwards is President and has P&L responsibility for managing all Detroit Chassis activities including operations, business development, program launch and support functions. Dennis has had extensive executive and senior management experience in leading global enterprises. He has highly regarded proficiencies in lean manufacturing, process engineering, capital/tooling acquisition, manufacturing, supply chain management and plant management. He has served in roles with responsibility for global operations, program and launch management for major automotive suppliers such as Lear Corporation, Advanced Engineered Products and Dura Automotive. In addition, he had operational responsibilities throughout Southeast Asia for 5 years while at Lear Corporation on an expat assignment.

Dennis has a B.A. from Oregon State University and a MBA in Executive Management from Georgia State University.

Collegiate success Dennis was a starter in football 4 years at Pac-12 Oregon State University playing defense safety, and outside linebacker positions. During his high school days, Dennis was a multi-sport starter (Baseball, Basketball, and Football).

Dennis has a lovely wife named Si and two beautiful children Dominic 5 and Ava 2.

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CITY OF WHITING

Home of International Baseball Challenge

Photo: Joey B. Lax-Salinas About Whiting, Indiana Welcome to the City of Whiting, a beautiful corridor to Lake Michigan nestled between the sites of Chicago and the shores of Michigan. This heartwarming community just 20 minutes from Downtown Chicago highlights award-winning schools, residential opportunities, family attractions, and events for all to enjoy.

Downtown 119th Street is flourishing with quaint shops, a historic movie theatre, a micro-brewery, and a wide variety of cuisine; all within walking distance. Take in a game at Oil City Stadium or enjoy a stroll along the

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boardwalk in Whiting Lakefront Park. Whiting is the perfect place to raise a family, start a business, or simply embrace the quality of life.

and American dishes, Downtown Whiting is full of flavor. Guests will also enjoy an array of spirits and nightlife at the many restaurants and bars including our rustic micro-brewery and eatery.

Historic Downtown Whiting Explore Historic Downtown Whiting during your visit. Just walking distance from the beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline, 119th Street is the heart of Whiting, offering residents and visitors a little taste of everything.

From mouthwatering pizza with patio seating, to a beach-themed atmosphere serving Caribbean cuisine, to your favorite Mexican

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

The Downtown Whiting Business District is also known for its many unique shops. In addition to 119th Street’s vintage look and feel, you’ll find gifts and souvenirs, home decor, boutique style clothing, and local handmade treasures that you won’t find anywhere else. Stop by our local game shop for hands-on, kid fun and education or relax in one of Whiting’s coffee houses and cafes.

Photo: Joey B. Lax-Salinas

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

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CITY OF WHITING

Whiting Lakefront Park

Photo: Joey B. Lax-Salinas

Whiting, Indiana is home to the jewel of Northwest Indiana - spectacular Whiting Lakefront Park. Located on the beautiful southern shore of Lake Michigan, Whiting Lakefront Park serves as a key component of the Marquette Greenway; a nearly 50-mile long trail linking Illinois to Michigan and running through the heart of Northwest Indiana. Feature areas of the park include the bike trail, two-tier boardwalk with sightseeing binoculars, 300-foot pier extending out onto the lake, state-of-the-art gazebo, formal garden, newly renovated pavilion and seating bowl, and concession area. Guests of the park will be exposed to breathtaking views of the Chicago skyline, creating the perfect backdrop for any occasion.

Experience all that Whiting Lakefront Park has to offer while visiting Whiting.

The Downtown Whiting Business District is also known for its many unique shops.

In addition to 119th Street’s vintage look and feel, you’ll find gifts and souvenirs, home decor, boutique style clothing, and local handmade treasures that you won’t find anywhere else. Stop by our local game shop for hands-on, kid fun and education or relax in one of Whiting’s coffee houses and cafes.

Whihala Beach & The WhoaZone Just a short walking distance from Whiting Lakefront Park is the entrance to Whihala Beach, offering just over 20 acres of waterfront recreation for Whiting residents and visitors. Like many of the beaches along Lake Michigan’s shoreline, Whihala is popular for swimmers, boaters, sightseers, walkers, and cyclists. Accommodations include restrooms, rinse showers, food concessions and merchandise, and a boat launch. And, just above the surface of the sand dunes and natural plant life, beachgoers have a view of the city skyline that they won’t find anywhere else; a beautiful background to be enjoyed throughout their day.

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In addition, Whihala Beach is home to The WhoaZone, a nature-based, active summer destination that families from all over have traveled to experience. The WhoaZone’s largest attraction offered is a floating water park made up of slides, trampolines, towers, wiggle bridges, monkey bars, and

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

many other play features combined to create a large obstacle course on the lake.

This new floating water park is the first of its kind for Lake Michigan. In addition, WhoaZone at Whihala offers rentals for stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, beach cabanas, merchandise, and more.

Experience Whiting Events The City of Whiting is known for hosting a year-round lineup of award-winning special events.

Every year, the City plans a summer celebration that kicks off at the beginning of July and extends through August. Independence Day festivities set the tone for the entire summer beginning with Whiting’s July 3rd Fireworks and Pre-fireworks Party in Whiting Lakefront Park. Following a spectacular evening by the lake, the City of Whiting’s hosts their Annual July 4th Parade, the longest consecutive running July 4th parade in the State of Indiana. In addition to a special tribute to local veterans and soldiers, the parade features nationally recognized childrens’ characters from some of the largest entertainment companies such as Marvel™, Warner Brothers Entertainment™, and even the Walt Disney Company™.

The summer lineup of events continues with Whiting’s Hollywood Cruise Night featuring famous cars from the movies, the part one of the Chicagoland AquaX Jet Ski race series in Whiting Lakefront Park, an extra special Back to School Celebration, and of course, Pierogi Fest®.

Pierogi Fest® is presented annually by the Whiting-Robertsdale Chamber of Commerce. Drawing almost 300,000 visitors each year, the three day event welcomes people from all over the world to celebrate heritage and enjoy good food and entertainment.

It doesn’t end there. To wrap up the yearlong calendar of events, the City of Whiting embraces the Holiday Season, with events that spread joy and share the warmth of community.

Find out more: HISTORIC DOWNTOWN WHITING - www.whitingindiana.com.

Whiting Lakefront Park , 1500 Park Road, Whiting, Indiana 46394 Whihala Beach & The WhoaZone, 1561 Park Road, Whiting, Indiana 46394 - www.whoazonewhihala.com Oil City Stadium, 1700 119th St, Whiting, IN 46394 - www. NWIOilmen.com

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

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OIL CITY STADIUM 14

Oil City Stadium, located at Standard Diamonds Park, combines a unique history with a progressive way of thinking to create the premier High School and Midwest Collegiate League stadium in Northwest Indiana.

The name Oil City Stadium celebrates Whiting’s history as a 120 year-old refinery town located in the Northwest corner of Indiana. The BP Refinery, creating a backdrop just beyond the outfield fence, is a constant reminder of what the City of Whiting was built around.

Constructed on land donated by the Standard Oil Refinery, Standard Diamonds Park will always represent “work hard, play hard”. The beautiful stadium located just outside of Whiting’s 119th Street business district offers fully stocked concessions, familyfriendly restrooms, 800 seats, a grassy berm area for spectators, a state-of-the-art press box, in-ground dugouts, a clubhouse with locker rooms and showers, and a spacious concourse perfect for events and gatherings.

Oil City Stadium is the home of the Whiting High School Oilers, Northwest Indiana Oilmen, and Calumet College of St. Joseph teams. The NWI Oilmen season provides unique, affordable family fun throughout the summer months in Whiting.

For more information, please visit NWIOilmen.com.

WELCOME TO OI INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

STADIUM SEATING MAP

IL CITY STADIUM INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

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TEAM SERBIA

ROSTER SERBIA #

PLAYER

POS

B/T

HT

WT

YOB

HOMETOWN

Christian Bokich

P

R/R

6'2"

190

1994

Hinsdale, IL

Dusan Nakic

P

R/R

6’0”

174

1999

Novi Sad, SRB

Cal Djuraskovic

P

L/L

6'4"

210

1996

Chicago, IL

Filip Banjac

P

R/R

6'3"

175

1996

San Diego, CA

Aleksandar Milic

P

R/R

6’3”

180

1993

Novi Sad, SRB

Nick Hamilton

P

R/R

6'1"

180

2001

Munster, IN

Bobby Suder

P

R/R

6'0"

180

1995

Aliquippa, PA

Danijel Kozjak

P

R/R

6’0”

220

1974

Zemun, SRB

Stefan Miladinovich

P

R/R

6'3"

205

1993

Long Beach,CA

Connor Tomasic

P

R/R

6'1"

170

1999

Schererville, IN

Adam Panayotovich

P

R/R

5'11"

180

1991

Chicago, IL

Marko Boricich

P

L/L

6'3"

195

1995

Chicago, IL

Vladan Jovanovic

C

R/R

6’0”

198

2000

Novi Sad, SRB

Danilo Cvijovic

C

R/R

6’0”

174

1996

Novi Sad, SRB

Matt Bulatovich

IF

R/R

5'8"

165

1994

Whiting, IN

Dusan Todorovic

IF

R/R

6’3”

207

1996

Zemun, SBR

Daniel Balich

IF

R/R

5'11"

180

1995

Cedar Lake, IN

Vlastimir Arandjelovic

IF

R/R

6’2”

225

1985

Belgrade, SRB

Bojan Ninic

IF

R/R

6’1”

132

1999

Novi Sad, SRB

Nikola Vasic

IF

R/R

5'9"

160

1997

New Berlin, WI

Luke Borkovich

IF

R/R

6'2"

175

1995

Ft. Gratiot, MI

Aleksandar Berec

OF

R/R

6’2”

223

1982

Belgrade, SRB

Alen Pantelic

OF

R/R

6’2”

194

1983

Dubai, UAE

Daniel Phillips

OF

R/R

6'3"

190

1978

Northridge, CA

Michael Miladinovich

OF

L/R

5"10"

175

1995

Long Beach,CA

Nikola Ignjatovic

OF

R/R

6’0”

209

1990

Novi Sad, SRB

Slobodan Bogdanovic

OF

R/R

6’2”

209

1988

Belgrade, SRB

COACHES

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Momcilo Kojic

HEAD COACH

Belgrade, SERB

Bill Anderson

ASSISTENT COACH

Thornton, IL

Nick Mitrovich

ASSISTENT COACH

Chicago, IL

Pete Durkovic

ASSISTENT COACH

New York,NY

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

AUTOGRAPH PAGE

TEAM SERBIA17

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

TEAM SERBIA

Spreading Their Wings and the Love of Baseball Today in Serbia there are seven clubs in several cities (Belgrade, Novi Sad, Zrenjanin, Sombor, Kragujevac) that field adult and youth teams. Around 150 boys and girls play baseball on these teams.

History While baseball was first played in Serbia in March of 1935 during the halftime of a soccer match, Serbian baseball in its modern form started in 1988. The first club was the Partisan club who competed in the Baseball League of Yugoslavia. The next year the club 21.October was founded in Kragujevac.

With the breakup of Yugoslavia, a group of young enthusiasts from Belgrade tried to bring baseball back to life by organizing a championship in 1992. Five clubs competed: Partisan, Dogs, Kings, 21.October, USA Embassy team).

Starting a new league proved difficult, mainly due to the impossibility of getting equipment. Only two to three balls were used by the whole league, and they were washed after each game to keep them white. Without a real baseball field, the matches were played on soccer, field hockey

and rugby fields. During the 90s baseball was basically in a state of suspension until UN sanctions ended. Still, by sheer determination and effort, the league kept going. By the end of 1994, the first Serbian national team was formed and played in a Hungarian tournament in Budapest. They lost both of their games, but in this situation, simply playing was a victory.

By 1995, Yugoslav Baseball Association was accepted into the CEB, which allowed the Serbian teams to take part in European tournaments. A year later, the Association became a member of the IBAF and Yugoslav Olympic Committee (JOK).

First Official Competition In 1996, the Association began competing in the second of three tiers (B Group) and competed in the European Championship in Great Britain. The national team played five

SERBIAN BASEBALL FEDERATION Founded: 1992.

Clubs: 10 Players: 181 Fields: 1 MEMBER OF: World Baseball and softball Confedation Olympic Committee of Serbia International Baseball Challenge Little League Baseball Pony League Baseball

FIRST NATIONAL TEAM OF SERBIA 1994. - Srdjan Milosavljevic, Dusan Jovanovic, Milan Zonic, Miodrag Popovic, Nikola Vucevic, Aleksandar Zonic, Aleksandar Doskovic, Mica Dimitrijevic, Vladimir Cvetkovic, Goran Blanusa, Goran Popovic & Dejan Jesic.

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INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

SERB NATIONAL FEDERATION A Fraternal Benefit Society What Is A Fraternal Benefit Society?

Fraternal benefit societies are a unique combination of business and volunteerism in which members participate in community service and volunteer projects, hold leadership roles in their local lodges, and have a say in the operation of the organization.

Declared charitable and benevolent institutions by law, fraternal societies are operated on a not-for-profit basis. We are required to file annually and quarterly financial statements by the state departments of insurance for each state in which we are licensed to do business and our books and records are subject to examination by them. Our records are audited annually by both our elected Board of Trustees and an outside independent auditing firm. Additionally, your funds are supported by sound investments recommended by our financial advisors.

What Is The SNF? The Serb National Federation is a nonprofit Fraternal Benefit Society which provides life insurance protection and retirement plans according to the needs and means of its members.

Providing quality and secure life insurance at the lowest possible cost is a tradition that the SNF has maintained for more than 110 years. Over the years, a philosophy of service and policyholder protection has made the SNF one of the most progressive and highly regarded Fraternal Benefit Societies selling life insurance in the United States and Canada.

The Serb National Federation has historically benefited the Serbian people by supporting its churches and church camps, by sponsoring athletic events for our membership, and by sponsoring cultural and social events to perpetuate our ethnic involvement and cultural traditions.

In addition, the Federation assists younger members with higher education costs through the SNF Scholarship Program. We currently offer 23 scholarships, which are awarded to our outstanding college-bound members.

The SNF Official Newspaper The American Srbobran, our official newspaper, is published twice monthly and has been available to the public since 1906. SNF members receive the paper at half-off the subscription price. Upon your purchase of life insurance or an annuity, you will receive a free three-month subscription.

Sports Program As a member of the SNF, you will be able to participate in all sports programs including golf, bowling and basketball tournaments. The SNF offers one of the largest sports programs of any fraternal. Through this program, over $100,000 has been donated to the SNF Scholarship Fund, and over one million dollars has been donated to host Serbian Orthodox Churches.

Protection Available • Whole Life Policy • 20-Payment Life Policy • 10 Year Level Term Policy • Single Premium Whole Life Policy • Deferred Tax Annuity • Traditional IRA • Roth IRA • Education IRA

Definitions: Whole Life Policy: This is a traditional Ordinary Life Plan. Premiums are payable for life and the benefit is payable at death.

20 Payment Life Policy: This policy provides the insured with a lifetime of permanent protection. Premiums are payable for 20 years or until the death of the insured, if earlier.

Single Premium Whole Life Policy: One premium, paid only once, buys protection for the Whole of Life. A lifetime of protection without yearly payments required.

Policy offers cash values nearly equal to the premium paid.

SERB NATIONAL FEDERATION | 615 IRON CITY DRIVE, SUITE 302 | PITTSBURGH, PA 15205 | 412.458.5227 INTERNATIONAL www.snfl ife.org BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

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TEAM SERBIA National Team 1996 (European Championship Great Britain)

matches and lost all five (Great Britain, Austria, Slovakia, Croatia, and Ireland). Two years later the national team participated in the European Championship in Austria, where it had its first victory against Lithuania. The coach of the team was Keith Houk from the US who, besides being the coach, also provided better equipment for our players.

During all these years, the Championship of Yugoslavia was played, and our clubs participated in the official tournaments of CEB. During the beginning of 2000s, the national team played in tournaments in Slovakia and Hungary without improving their record.

Ada Field

20

regional league that included teams from Slovenia, Croatia, Austria and Hungary. The added competition improved Serbian baseball, and the Serbian Baseball Association (SBA) finished in 4th place at the European Championship in 2004 in Regensburg, Germany.

Club Belgrade 96, which until then was the most successful in Serbia, earned the right to compete in A Group of the CEB Cup after winning a qualification tournament in Belgrade. This team finished the tournament with a record of 3-2 and took fifth place. To date this has still been their best performance.

By the end of 2001, with help from the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), the first baseball field in Serbia was built in the capital, Belgrade. In the opening match the teams of Belgrade and Ljubljana competed. With the new field, a new era had begun.

In 2009, the SBA became a member of PONY League Baseball and in 2012 started a Little League. Since 2010, our competitive U16 team has participated in regional qualifying tournaments every year in Prague, Czech Republic, and our All Star Little League Baseball team has participated in the regional tournament in Kutno, Poland three times.

Clubs from Serbia started playing in the

While working with the youth teams, the

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

SBA has organized two qualifier tournaments for the European Championship U15 at the field in Belgrade (2012 and 2015).

During those years, the SBA invested in younger talent, which paid off a few years later.

Biggest Successes With such a strong focus on the youth teams, the adult team did not participate in European championships for a few years.

This forced them back into the C Group when they competed again in July of 2016 at the European Championship in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Their manager, Momcilo Kojic, was able to triumph in the tournament Slovenia in the finals 5-2.

Also in 2016, several Serbian players were invited to an MLB Elite Camp in The Netherlands. Danilo Cvijovic after a tryout in Karlovac, Croatia, was chosen along with another 80 players to participate.

With their success in the CEB tournament, the SBA moved back to B Group and would host the championship in Belgrade

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TEAM SERBIA

in July 2017. This would be the first time the Serbian national team could play official games in front of home crowd. The championship in Belgrade started with a victory against Greece and was followed by a defeat against Switzerland and then a win over Bulgaria. The record was good enough to keep the team in B Group.

Also in 2017, the Serbian national team was able to play in a 7-game tour competing against US minor league and collegiate teams. The tour proved so successful that a few American players of Serbian descent joined the Serbian team.

Present and Future Today in Serbia there are seven clubs in several cities (Belgrade, Novi Sad, Zrenjanin, Sombor, Kragujevac) that field adult and youth teams. Around 150 boys and girls play baseball on these teams. Currently the focus is on developing younger players, so the teams travel to regional tournaments as well as competing in local ones. In addition, adult teams play in a regional league (BC”Beograd’96, BC”Vojvodina).

Thanks to our friends from the USA, the SBA is well equipped, and players young

22

and old can enjoy the game. However, there is only one baseball field where all the games are played. In order to expand the sport, we will need to build more, focusing first on club cities (Novi Sad, Zrenjanin, Kragujevac) and youth fields in Belgrade and Novi Sad.

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

Despite the obstacles, the SBA continues to promote baseball in primary schools to increase youth participation. They are also promoting the formation of new clubs in additional cities. All of these efforts, if successful, should improve the sport of baseball in Serbia.

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23

Eli Grba:

The First Angel As the first player picked by the Angels in the expansion draft and the starting pitcher in their first game, Eli Grba lead a rocky life. But still he found a way to get through it and help others do the same.

24

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

I

n the 1961, the MLB introduced two new teams to the league, one of which was the Los Angeles Angels. With only four months to put a franchise together, Angels owner Gene Autry first hired Bob Reynolds as team president and Fred Haney as general manager. After putting the management team together there were only eight days to prepare for the expansion draft.

Taking advice from Casey Stengel, the former Yankee field manager who refused the same position with the Angels, the three executives chose right-handed pitcher Eli Grba of the Yankees as their first pick. This made Grba the first player ever chosen in an expansion draft and the first player in Angels history.

Developing in the Minors A native of Chicago, Eli Grba was born on August 9, 1934. His father, Joseph Grba, left the family early on, leaving his mother, Eva, to raise her only child as a single parent. Working as a waitress during the day and a factory worker at night, she afforded Eli the opportunity to participate in sports while he was growing up.

He played three sports at Bowen High School on Chicago’s South Side. Basketball was his favorite to play, and he continued to play semipro basketball in the MLB offseason.

But while basketball might have been his favorite sport to play, baseball was the sport that he was best at. Grba’s exploits at Bowen and in summer leagues attracted the attention of Boston Red Sox scout Chuck Koney. After graduating in the spring of 1952, Grba signed with the Red Sox and was sent to play at Salisbury, North Carolina, of the Class D Tar Heel League.

Under the direction of manager turned catcher Sheriff Robinson, Grba quickly became a leading pitcher in the minors, and made the All Star team in his first season. The following year he played on the Corning team of the Class D Pony League, where he led the league in games started, innings pitched, and strikeouts. And he was named an All Star again.

After one more solid season under Robinson’s tutelage, with San Jose in 1955, the Red Sox had Grba bypass three levels of competition and moved him up to Triple-A San Francisco in the Pacific Coast League in 1956. At the start of the season, San Francisco was managed by Eddie Joost. To avoid upsetting the veteran pitchers on the staff, Joost sent Grba, the youngest full-time pitcher on the staff, to the bullpen. Grba went from pitching over 220 innings the previous two years to less than 100. Grba considered himself a starter and never liked pitching from the bullpen.

In 1957 Grba reported to spring training with the Red Sox, but he ended up playing for the the New York Yankees organization. On March 14 he and outfielder Gordon Windhorn were traded to the Yankees for outfielder Bill Renna. Grba was not happy with the trade as he had grown up a White Sox fan and the Yankees would beat them regularly.

Before he could establish himself with his new team, however, Grba received his draft notice from the US Army. With the start of the season just two weeks away, Grba tried for a deferment, but it was denied. After being inducted, he was sent to Fort Jackson, in Columbia, South Carolina. He later was stationed at Fort McPherson, in Atlanta, Georgia. Over the course of the next two years, he played baseball and basketball for his base teams. When he got out of the army in 1959, Grba went back to pro baseball and

reported for spring training with the Yankees in 1959.

The Yankees sent Grba to Triple-A Richmond to start the season. During his stint in the army, Grba was stronger than before and was throwing harder. However, the Yankees thought he needed a third pitch to complement his fastball and curve. Grba was never any good with a changeup, so he opted to develop his slider.

After working with a minor league pitching coach, Grba was throwing a modified slider, or cutter as it came to be called. Unfortunately, he was pitching out of the bullpen again.

Jump to the Majors However his work paid off. Grba was recalled by the Yankees in July. He reported to the team at Boston’s Fenway Park, where he made his

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

25

being recalled in early July.

ELI GRBA

He remained with the Yankees for the rest of the season, winning six games and losing four (3.68 ERA) in a mix of starting and relief roles. He was on Yankees’ World Series roster against the Pittsburgh Pirates, although his only appearance came as a pinch runner for Elston Howard in game six. The Yankees ultimately lost the series in game seven on Bill Mazeroski’s walk-off home run.

The Path to Angelhood Shortly after the World Series, the Yankees advised Grba that he would be among the players they would leave unprotected in the coming expansion draft. The Angels selected Grba first overall, and in 1961 he reported to spring training in Palm Springs, California.

As the season opener approached, Angels manager Bill Rigney selected Grba to start the first game in the franchise’s history. On a cool, windy afternoon on April 11, 1961, Grba took the mound in Baltimore in front of 37,352 fans. The Angels scored seven runs in the first two innings and went on to win, 7-2. Grba pitched a complete game with only six hits.

major league debut as a reliever on July 10 and pitched a hitless inning. The next day manager Casey Stengel sent him to the mound again. This time he had three runs scored on him in two innings, two of which were on a wild throw.

Despite the ups and downs, Grba finally got his first major league start eight days later in Yankee Stadium against his favorite team as a child, the White Sox. He got his first win in the 6-4 victory, where all four White Sox runs

were unearned. Grba spent the rest of the season with the Yankees, winning two games and losing five with a high 6.44 ERA. He reported to spring training in 1960 confident in his role with the team, but things didn’t go exactly as planned. He made the team and even rode the team train back to New York. But once in New York manager Stengel had a change of heart, and Grba was sent down to Richmond. Grba pitched well in Richmond, going 7-1 in nine starts before

On April 12, 2016 his autobiography “Baseball’s Fallen Angel: A Major Leaguer’s Life Story of High Expectations, Hidden Pitfalls, and His Ongoing Fight In Recovery,” co-authored by Douglas Williams, was released by Infinity Publishing. It is available from Amazon.com.

“Armed with a blazing fastball and devastating slider, he was destined for major league stardom. A beautiful home and family, and a promising career in baseball were all his for the taking until the demons of alcohol addiction took them all from him. In his autobiography, Baseball’s Fallen Angel, Eli candidly recalls his lonely childhood in South Chicago, his successes as a scholastic athlete and his bizarre stint in the U.S. Army. He also delivers a personal, season-by-season account of his life in professional baseball, recounting his triumphs as well as his disappointments. Baseball’s Fallen Angel is the true story of a major league pitcher who fought his way back from the depths of addiction to ultimately score the most thrilling victory of them all, a come-from-behind win in the game of life.”

26

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

Weather on the East Coast played havoc with the following schedule. Two rainouts in Baltimore were followed by another in Boston and then two more in New York before Grba’s next start, which came against his former teammates in Yankee Stadium on April 20. In his return to New York, Grba gave up a pair of homers and five RBI to Mickey Mantle as the Angels lost 7-5.

CONGRATULATIONS

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LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

27

ELI GRBA

On April 27, Grba was selected to start the Angels’ first home opener, against the Minnesota Twins at Wrigley Field. He pitched six innings, allowing six hits and four runs, three on a home run by Twins catcher Earl Battey.

The Angels lost 4-2.

Overall in the 1961 season, Grba won 11 games and lost 13, finishing second on the pitching staff in wins, innings, and starts.

During the 1962 season with the Angels he finished with eight wins and nine losses and a 4.54 ERA. This made him the leading pitcher in wins for the Angel franchise at 19 over the two years.

With the help of Philadelphia Phillies general manager Lee Thomas, Grba joined the Phillies organization and spent two years with Rookie-level Princeton as manager and pitching coach. In 1993 he went to work as a scout under farm director Del Unser. He scouted for five seasons until he retired in 1997.

Honored and Remembered for Good In 2011, the Angels celebrated their 50th anniversary. Among the events were ceremo-

Alcoholism Sets In During the 1962 season, drinking had already started to affect his pitching. By 1963, Manager Bill Rigney had had enough.

The Angels tried to trade Grba twice and finally offloaded him to the Hawaii Islanders of the Pacific Coast League. Grba continued to bounce around the minor leagues for the next few years, even making the International League All-Star team with Toronto in 1964.

However, his drinking finally became too much and forced him out of the game as a player in 1967. “I was drinking heavy and I didn’t care about anything,” Grba said, “My priorities were all gone. Bob Lemon saw me one day and said, ‘I’ve never seen a pitcher lose his stuff as fast as you did.’”

Recovery After Baseball Grba bounced around from job to job and between different rehab centers for the next 14 years. Finally he “hit the limit” on August 1, 1981. Living and working at a detox center in El Monte, California, he was sneaking back into his room at 2:30am when he lost his balance and fell to the floor. While laying on the floor, he realized how much he had disappointed those closest to him, including his family, friends, and teammates. He decided then that he needed to change things. He quit drinking.

Return to Baseball Grba’s sobriety afforded him a chance to get back into the game. In 1982 he was hired as the pitching coach for the Milwaukee Brewers’ Triple-A team in Vancouver. After a year in Waterbury with the Angels’ Double-A team, Grba tried his hand at managing with Reno in the California League in 1989.

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INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

nies honoring people who helped start the organization. Since Grba was the first Angel, it only made sense that he should be the first person honored.

Because of the way he let drinking destroy his career and the regret over how he left the Angels, he felt immensely honored that they would recognize him on this occasion. When he was invited to throw out the first pitch for the game on April 8, 2011, he walked to the mound and threw a strike, just as he had done 50 years earlier. He is still sober after 37 years.

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29

TEAM SLOVAKIA

ROSTER SLOVAKIA #

PLAYER

POS

B/T

HT

WT

YOB

HOMETOWN

Omasta Tibor

P, OF

R/R

5’12”

190

1990

Trnava, SVK

Biskorovájny Tomáš

OF, P

L/R

6’0”

190

1987

Trnava, SVK

Brunegraf Martin

SS

R/R

5’9”

174

1986

Bratislava, SVK

Bukva Branislav

P, 2B

R/R

5’9”

165

1999

Bratislava, SVK

Gottschall Mário

C

R/R

6’0”

205

1998

Bratislava, SVK

Gottschall Richard

OF, P

L/L

6’0”

154

1996

Bratislava, SVK

Hoffmann Filip

OF, P

R/R

6’6”

187

1998

Trnava, SVK

Zacko Adam

P

R/R

5’7”

112

2001

Bratislava, SVK

Kosna Jaroslav

P

R/R

6’6”

157

1992

Bratislava, SVK

Csomor Lukáš

C

R/R

5’12”

196

2000

Bratislava, SVK

Ešmír Michal

3B

R/R

5’10”

191

1992

Trnava, SVK

Pakši Denis

INF

R/R

5’11”

172

1995

Bratislava, SVK

Repaský Matúš

OF

R/R

6’2”

192

1992

Bratislava, SVK

Teslík Pavol

P

L/L

5’8”

165

1984

Bratislava, SVK

Václavik Alexander

INF

R/R

5’11”

179

1989

Bratislava, SVK

Žilavý Lukáš

P, 1B

L/L

5’12”

183

1986

Bratislava, SVK

Ižold Jakub

P

L/L

6’3”

205

1993

Phoenix

Bošanský Marek

P

R/R

6’2”

187

1991

Bratislava, SVK

Lukačka Martin

OF

R/R

6’0”

214

1986

Prague, CZE

Puškár Michal

P, 1B

R/R

6’5”

196

2000

Trnava, SVK

Marhavý Andrej

P, INF

R/R

6’0”

163

2000

Trnava, SVK

HEAD COACH

1973

Bratislava, SVK

Jabrocký Ján

ASSISTENT COACH

1983

Ostrava, CZE

Barreto Anthony

ASSISTENT COACH

1991

Chicago, IL

COACHES Bunta František

30

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

AUTOGRAPH PAGE

TEAM SLOVAKIA31

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

TEAM SLOVAKIA

On the Verge Today the game of baseball in Slovakia is more advanced and stretches across the country, producing many talented players and competing with teams across Europe.

Slovak baseball goes back to 1990. The future first secretary of the Bratislava Baseball League (BBL), Branislav Strecansky, presented the idea of baseball in Slovakia back on December 6, 1990. However, it wasn’t until January of the next year, when people began to pay attention to his vision.

So on January 17, 1991, the BBL was officially born. The first season followed with 7 participating clubs, and the Ekonom Indians from Bratislava were the first Slovak baseball champions. Following seasons came as learning opportunities rather than actual competition.

The young federation found itself in financial troubles after the ’93 season, working every penny for participating on the Juveniles European Championship in Livorno, Italy and of course organizing the CEB Cup for the first time in Bratislava.

Since the turn of the millennium, things have stabilized out for the BBL. The team has constantly shifted back and forth between the top and middle tiers of the CEB. They seem like they’re on the verge of breaking through and remaining in the top tier with just a little more development.

Today the game of baseball in Slovakia is more advanced and stretches across the country, producing many talented players and competing with teams across Europe. Overall they have good talent, chemistry and they continue to work hard for the future of Slovak baseball.

32

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

SLOVAK BASEBALL FEDERATION Founded: 1993.

Clubs: 9 Players: 300 Fields: 7 MEMBER OF: World Baseball and softball Confedation Slovak Olympic Comittee International Baseball Challenge Little League Baseball Pony League Baseball

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TEAM SLOVAKIA 34

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

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35

Kenny Lofton:

A True Sportsman With a rough start, Kenny Lofton always kept going after the top. And he always did it with integrity. Ironically he was best at stealing – bases that is.

Photo by Pinterest

36

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

K

enny Lofton is the closest thing to the perfect example of a pure athlete with little experience figuring out how to play baseball. In the minors, Lofton always showed good speed and athleticism, but he didn’t know how to play baseball at first. By the time he finished he was considered one of the best lead-off hitters in baseball and was 15th overall in stolen bases.

A Rough Start When Kenny Lofton was born he weighed only three pounds. Never really knowing his parents, Lofton was raised by his widowed grandmother, Rosie Persons, in East Chicago, Indiana. At Washington High School he played on the baseball team as a pitcher and center fielder. But it was his ability as an all-state basketball player that started him on his way to a pro sports career after he accepted a scholarship to play at the University of Arizona.

College Sports with Little Baseball But Lofton wasn’t an instant star for the Wildcats. Instead he was the backup point guard (to

Craig McMillan and Steve Kerr) on a team that made it to the Final Four in 1988. He is one of only two men to play in the college basketball Final Four and the MLB World Series, the other being former pitcher Tim Stoddard, who also went to Washington High School. He became the starter the following year and helped lead the Wildcats to the Sweet Sixteen. By the time he finished his college basketball career, he held the record for most steals – a fitting precursor to his baseball days.

It wasn’t until his junior year at Arizona that Lofton decided to try out for the baseball team.

He only played in five games and recorded only one official at-bat. However his speed and potential were recognized by baseball scouts.

With just a handful of college baseball games under his belt, Lofton was considered raw but promising due to his blazing speed and superior overall athleticism. That was enough for the Astros to select Lofton in the 17th round of the 1988 MLB draft.

Minor League Development Although he was now playing in the minors,

Lofton was committed to keeping a promise he made to his grandmother to finish his degree in studio production. With school and continuing to play basketball, he was slow to develop his baseball skills.

His pro debut was not particularly successful.

He hit .214 in 48 games for the Auburn Astros, though he also stole 26 bases in 30 attempts.

But the lack of power combined with a high strikeout rate (51 in 48 games) and a rough defense did not bode well for his future.

Lofton returned to Auburn in 1989, hitting .263 with 26 steals in 34 games. The Astros saw signs of progress, so he was promoted to Low-A Asheville in August, where he hit .329 with 14 steals in 22 games. Overall for his second pro year he hit .292 with 40 steals in 51 attempts, 26 walks and 40 strikeouts in 192 at-bats. He was clearly making progress developing a feel for baseball and good leadoff skills.

In 1990 with college complete, including playing basketball, Lofton began to thrive since he could now turn all his attention to baseball. He finished second in the league in hitting at .331

Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

37

KENNY LOFTON

(99–62) and advanced to the ALCS. Lofton’s 75 stolen bases led the MLB for the second time in four years. He hit .317 and had a career-high 67 RBIs.

Chasing the World Series Despite all the advancement in his skill, a World Series win still eluded Lofton. After he was traded in 1997 to the Atlanta Braves, he began to bounce around the league as the most sought after free agent. Able to pick his team and name his terms, he went searching for his best chance to win the championship.

He ended up playing on 11 different teams in 11 seasons (1997-2007), including a return back to Cleveland twice.

He continued to play well and rack up hits and stolen bases then entire time. He made it to the playoffs 8 out of the 11 seasons, the ALCS or NLCS in 5 seasons and the World Series once (in 2002 with the Giants). But he never got that World Series win, and after the 2007 series Lofton decided to retire.

Legacy of Dedication

while adding 62 steals for the Osceola Astros in the Florida State League. He also drew 61 walks and improved defensively (.974 fielding percentage).

In 1991 he jumped directly to Tucson in the Pacific Coast League, skipping Double-A. He hit .308 and his 168 hits led the league, 19 of which were doubles and a team-high 17 triples. Along with 30 steals and 52 walks, Lofton helped lead the Toros to win the PCL championship and Lofton made the league’s All-Star team. This was enough to for the Houston Astros to finally call him up.

Major League With the Indians (Mostly) In his major league debut with the Houston Astros on September 14, 1991, he went 3-for-4 with a double and scored three runs against the Cincinnati Reds. But he only played 20 games with the Astros and finished the short season hitting .203 in 74 at-bats. With Steve Finley already entrenched as Houston’s centerfielder, and aged 26 years, Lofton was traded during the off-season to the Cleveland Indians for catcher Eddie Taubensee and right-handed pitcher Willie Blair.

38

It was when he played for Cleveland that Loften came into his own. Lofton hit .285, and his 66 stolen bases broke the all-time record for an American League rookie. His defense was also terrific and he finished finished second in the Rookie of the Year balloting. The following season, Lofton hit .325 and broke his own single-season stolen base record with 70, leading the MLB. It only got better from there.

Lofton was selected to his first career All-Star Game during the 1994 season. However, the season was stopped abruptly with the MLB strike, which also led to the cancellation of the World Series. When the strike began in August, the Indians were in second place in the AL Central behind the Chicago White Sox by one game. For the season, Lofton again led the AL with 60 stolen bases and 160 hits. His .349 batting average would be a career-best, and he finished fourth in Most MVP voting.

In 1995, Lofton batted .310, including an MLB-best 13 triples. His 54 stolen bases led the AL for the third consecutive season. His outstanding performance helped lead the Indians to their first World Series appearance since 1954. The following season in 1996, the Indians again had the best record in baseball

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

Looking at Lofton in 1988 or 1989, you’d never think he could become the player he did. His on-base abilities took a bit of time to develop, and he never showed much longdrive power.

Yet through patience and dedication, Lofton persevered and continually developed his abilities until he became one of the best lead-off hitters and centerfielders the game has ever seen. His development and impact in the league led Brewers manager Phil Garner to say, “I remember how raw he was, and I’ve never seen anybody develop into that type of player that fast.” He made contact, controlled the strike zone reasonably well, and developed enough power to keep the pitchers honest, hitting double-digit homers seven times in his career.

He made six All Star teams, including three consecutive appearances (1994–1996), and won four straight Gold Glove Awards (1993–1996). He led the AL in stolen bases for five straight seasons (1992–1996) and set the single-season Indians’ franchise stolen base record (75). He went to the World Series twice, and the league championship series six times. Despite the lack of a World Series ring, he won the hearts of the major league and showed everyone what dedication to improving your game can lead to.

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

39

TEAM CROATIA

ROSTER CROATIA #

PLAYER

POS

B/T

HT

WT

YOB

HOMETOWN

Fran Kovacic

P/IF

R/R

6’0”

170

1996

Split, CRO

Matko Dabo

P/1B

R/R

6’3”

267

1990

Split, CRO

Hrvoje Jerbic

P/OF

R/R

6’4”

205

1995

Zagreb, CRO

Matei Potočki

P/OF

R/R

6'0"

163

1998

Zagreb, CRO

Antonio Horvatic

IF/P

R/R

5’12”

222

1997

Karlovac, CRO

Marin Tadic

P/1B

R/R

6’3”

185

1990

Split, CRO

Karlo Kos

IF/P

R/R

6'0"

165

1998

Varazdin, CRO

Andija Tomic

C/OF

R/R

6’1”

187

1996

Split, CRO

Nino Kruhek

C/OF

R/R

5'10"

176

1997

Varazdin, CRO

Hrvoje Tadic

IF

S/R

5’12”

170

1995

Split, CRO

IF/P

R/R

6’4”

203

1995

Karlovac, CRO

Fran Stancic Vidrac

IF

L/L

6’1”

201

1996

Zagreb, CRO

Slobodan Gales

OF

R/R

6’1”

198

1988

Karlovac, CRO

Ante Curkovic

OF

R/R

6’3”

205

1989

Split, CRO

Ivan Racic

OF

R/R

6’0"

200

1984

Split, CRO

Phil Smith

C

R/R

6’2”

207

1990

Kent, OH

Ronald Krsolovic

3B,/P

L/L

6’3”

190

1996

Philadelphia, PA

Pavao Karin

P/1B

R/R

6’5”

225

1990

Karlovac, CRO

James Summers

P

R/R

6’2”

185

1973

Akron,OH

Dario Colovic

OF

L/L

6’3”

190

1983

Split, CRO

Justin Olic

P

R/R

6’1”

175

1999

Vancuver,CAD

Kruno Gojkovic

COACHES

40

Ernesto Pereira

HEAD COACH

Zagreb, CRO

Krunoslav Karin

OFFICIAL

Karlovac, CRO

Osvaldo Vavra

OFFICIAL

Zagreb, CRO

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

AUTOGRAPH PAGE

TEAM CROATIA41

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

TEAM CROATIA

Small Yet Strong Although Croatia is not the top country looking at the number of players, Croatian Senior National Team is for the last two decades in the top 10 National teams in Europe, carrying out tradition of Croats being good in team sports.

Baseball in Croatia began in December 1918 when a group of US sailors introduced the game to city of Split, but the first official club in Croatia wasn’t formed until 1975 the Nada Split club.

Croatian Baseball Association was formed in 1986 and it was a part of the Yugoslavian Baseball Federation. The first Croatian baseball season played after the Croatian independence was in 1992. Croatian senior National Team played for the first time at the European Championship in 1999, and they have been playing on every single one since. They hosted one of the four pools during the first stage of play in the 2009 Baseball World Cup. In the 2013 IBAF World Rankings, they

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were the 7th best team in Europe and the 31st best baseball team overall. After finishing in 12th place in the 2014 CEB tournament, they dropped down to the B Group and their world ranking fell to 43rd.

In 2015, Croatia bounced back and won the B Group European Championship in Karlovac. They were undefeated in their pool, winning all 5 games. In the championship game, Croatia defeated Slovakia 6-4 to win the Qualifier for the 2016 European Baseball Championship.

Today they’re looking to continue their dominance over their fellow Balkan teams and many more across Europe. Their first step on that path is through the USA, first.

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

CROATIAN BASEBALL ASSOCIATION Founded: 1992.

Clubs: 16 Players: 617 Fields: 7 MEMBER OF: World Baseball and softball Confedation Croatian Olympic Committee International Baseball Challenge Little League Baseball

LODGE 170 CROATIAN SONS Croatian Hall 8550 Taft St. Merrillville, IN 46410

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

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Roger Maris:

Beyond 61 Best known for hitting sixty-one home runs in 1961 to set a new MLB record, New York Yankee outfielder Roger Maris was more than a home run record breaker.

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I

n January 1961, before the start of a newly extended MLB season, Roger Maris was asked by a reporter if the schedule change could threaten Babe Ruth’s single-season home run record. Maris replied, “Nobody will touch it... Look up the records and you’ll see that it’s a rare year when anybody hits 50 homers, let alone 60.”

On October 1, 1961, the final day of the regular season, the irony of Maris’ statement came to full light. That day, Maris hit his 61st home run against the Boston Red Sox to set the new home run record, win the game 1 to 0, and go on to win the World Series. But the road to that recordbreaking season started long before 1961 and his legacy continued long after.

Early Years and High School Excellence Roger Eugene Maris was born on September 10, 1934 in Hibbing, Minnesota to Rudolph and Corrine Maras (Roger changed his last name later in his life). His father, who worked for the Great Northern Railroad, moved the family, including Maris’ older brother, Rudy, to Grand Forks, North Dakota in 1942 and finally to Fargo in 1946.

It was in Fargo where Maris first showed his athletic excellence while attending Shanley High School. But he never played baseball for the school. At the time, the frigid spring weather prevented games from being played while school was in session. Instead, Maris honed his baseball skills in the American Legion program which allowed for scheduling games during the summer. In 1950 he led his team to the state championship.

But Maris gave up his scholarship at Oklahoma to pursue a career in baseball, and signed a $15,000 contract to play for the Cleveland Indians organization.

The Road to ’61 – His First Pro Years (1953-1960) Maris started his professional baseball career in the minor leagues playing for the Fargo-Moorhead Twins. He was named rookie of the year, then moved on to Keokuk, Iowa the next season.

While famous for being a slugger, he showed a

talent for both offense and defense. He tied for the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League lead in putouts by an outfielder with 305.

As he worked his way through the minors, including playing for Tulsa, Reading, and Indianapolis, he capped his minor league career by setting a record in Game Two of the 1956 Junior World Series by driving in seven runs. Overall Maris finished his minor league career hitting .303 with 78 home runs.

In 1957 Maris finally moved to the majors, playing for the Cleveland Indians. It was an

For Shanley High School, Maris instead demonstrated his athletic prowess in football.

He had excellent speed, which made Maris a standout (and would also serve him well later in the outfield). In his senior year in 1951, he set a national high school record with four touchdown on returns in a single game (two kickoff returns, one punt return, and one interception return).

Maris was so good on the gridiron that he was recruited by the legendary coach Bud Wilkinson to play football for the University of Oklahoma.

Mickey Mantle & Rodger Maris

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ROGER MARIS

exist between Mantle and Maris, which only added to the tension. Complicating things was baseball’s expansion from a 154-game schedule to 162 games that year, prompting commissioner Ford Frick to declare that a new home run record would be affixed with an asterisk in the record book if not achieved during the first 154 games.

Maris wound up with 59 home runs during that allotted time frame. However, he tied Ruth in game #159 on September 26th, hitting his 60th home run of the year. Then, on October 1, 1961, the final day of the regular season, Maris launched one final blast at Yankee Stadium against the Boston Red Sox, to set the new home run record and win the game. No asterisk was used in the record book. The Yankees went on to win the World Series that year. Maris finished with an ALbest 141 RBIs, led the majors with 132 runs scored, and claimed his second consecutive Most Valuable Player trophy.

auspicious start when two days into his career he hit his first home run – a grand slam off Tigers pitcher Jack Crimian. He finished his first year hitting 14 home runs and driving in 51 RBIs. Midway through his second year, Maris was traded to the Kansas City Athletics and finished the season with 28 home runs and 81 RBIs. In 1959, his batting abilities got him elected to the 1959 All-Star team.

For the 1960 season, Maris was traded to the New York Yankees. Here he blossomed into a bona fide star. He led the major leagues with 27 home runs and 69 RBIs by the halfway point and was again named to the All-Star team. An injury sliding into second to break up a double play caused him to miss 17 games. However, Maris still finished the season first in RBIs with 112, first in slugging percentage, first in extra base hits, and second in home runs with 39 (one behind teammate Mickey Mantle who led the majors), including two home runs in the World Series. He won the Gold Glove Award for outstanding fielding, and was named the American League’s Most Valuable Player. Amazingly, this was all

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just a prelude to the next historic year, a year not even Maris anticipated.

The Record-Breaking 1961 Season In 1961, Maris and Mickey Mantle received national attention as they chased for the single season home run record of 60 that was set by Babe Ruth in 1927. Although Maris got off to a slow start hitting only one home run in April, he quickly made up ground hitting 11 in May and 15 in June. The two Yankee sluggers went back and forth leading the majors in home runs during the summer.

Maris became the first player in history to hit 50 home runs by the end of August. Mantle had 46. An unfortunate injury to Mantle in September caused him to miss games at the end of the season, leaving Maris as the only contender for the record.

There was an incredible amount of pressure on Maris. A private man, Maris grew tired of discussing the record on a daily basis with reporters. The press invented a rivalry that didn’t

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

Maris Finishes His Career (1962-1968) In 1962, Maris continued to be one of the most productive players in baseball. He hit 33 home runs and drove in 100 RBIs for the third straight year and was selected to the All-Star team for the fourth straight year. The Yankees repeated as World Series champions.

Maris missed almost half of the 1963 season with injuries playing and only played in 90 games, but he still hit 23 home runs and drove in 53 RBIs. The Yankees returned to the World Series for the fourth consecutive year. In 1964, he rebounded, appearing in 141 games, batting .281 with 71 RBIs and 26 home runs, including in Game 6 of the World Series.

But in 1965, his physical problems returned, and he had off-season surgery to remove a bone chip in his hand. He was only able to play in 46 games for the Yankees. In 1966, the Yankees’ and Maris’ fortunes continued to decline as he played most of the season with a misdiagnosed broken bone in his hand. After the 1966 season, the Yankees

ROGER MARIS

traded Maris to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Maris played his final two seasons with the Cardinals, helping to win the 1967 and 1968 pennants. He was outstanding in the 1967 World Series, hitting .385 with one home run and a Cardinal record seven RBIs. It was the best performance of his seven career World Series appearances, and St. Louis went home as the champions that year. In 1968, Maris hit his 275th and final regular season home run on September 5 as he helped the Cardinals return to the World Series. After a close defeat in the championship, Maris announced he was hanging up his spikes.

cia. Roger Maris died on December 14, 1985 of lymphoma cancer at the age of 51.

While Maris achieved his well-earned fame for the 1961 season, his achievements go beyond a home run record. In all, Maris played in seven World Series (1960-1964, 1967, 1968) and took home the championship in three of them (1961, 1962, 1967).

He hit six World Series home runs and drove in 18 World Series RBIs. His 133 home runs were the most of any player for the three year period from 1960 to 1962. He finished his career with 275 home runs and 850 RBIs. He was a four-time All Star, a two-time league MVP and a Gold Glove Award winner.

Legacy of a Legend

Maris’ home run record has since been surpassed by Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa. However as that trio of sluggers are notoriously connected to baseball’s steroid era, Maris is still considered by many to be the true single-season home run king.

After Maris retired from baseball, he owned and operated an Anheuser-Busch beer distributorship with his brother, Rudy, and raised his six children with his wife Patri-

MVP AWARD “When I was approached

by George about the IBC tournament I thought it was a great thing that he was putting on. It was a great idea to help promote baseball word wide. When he asked to name the MVP award to my father, it was an honor that he would think that highly of my dad for the MVP award to carry his name. Any time you can have recognition like this it exemplifies who and what my father was.”

Roger Maris Jr. INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

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TEAM NORTH AMERICA

ROSTER NORTH AMERICA #

PLAYER

POS

B/T

HT

WT

Jackson Dvorak

IF

R/R

6' 1"

230

New Lenox, IL

Patrick Hayes

IF

R/R

6' 0"

175

Chicago, IL

Tommy Farrell

IF

L/L

6' 3"

190

Chicago, IL

Tyler Kenjic

IF

R/R

6' 1"

190

Hobart, IN

CJ Deshazer

IF

S/R

5' 10"

170

Schaumburg, IL

Brandon Petkoff

IF

L/R

6' 3"

185

Frankfort, IL

Brenden Butler

IF

R/R

6' 0"

190

Oak Lawn, IL

Jake Plastiak

IF

S/R

6' 3"

200

Tinley Park, IL

Eric Yachinich

IF

R/R

6' 0"

197

Ashland, WI

Hunter Thorn

C

R/R

5' 11"

180

Portage, IN

Jake Perreira

C

R/R

5' 9"

210

Grant Park, IL

Nate Montgomery

C

R/R

6' 1"

200

Geneva, IL

Nick Figus

OF

R/R

5' 11"

175

Frankfort, IL

Cory Krolikowski

OF

L/R

5' 8"

190

Bartlett, IL

Chris Baker

OF

L/R

6' 0"

185

South Holland, IL

Tom Kelley

OF

R/R

6' 1"

211

Orland Park, IL

Connor Spear

P

R/R

5' 10"

175

Highland, IN

Brandon Hick-ey

P

L/L

5' 10"

170

Monee, IL

Nick Wolf

P

R/R

6' 5"

220

Valparaiso, IN

Bobby Nowak

P

R/R

6' 4"

180

Cedar Lake, IN

Max Franklin

P

R/R

6' 3"

190

Chicago Heights, IL

Brendan Kelly

P

R/R

6' 0"

190

Grandville, MI

Andrew Hancock

P

R/R

6' 6"

190

New Lenox, IL

Anthony Robles

P

L/L

0' 0"

0

Alex Voss

P

R/R

6' 4"

185

South Bend, IN

Pedro Rodriguez

P

R/R

6' 0"

220

Kissimmee, FL

Sawyer Allen

P

L/L

6' 0"

180

Fair Oaks, IN

Norman Standish

P

R/R

5' 11"

168

Highland, IN

George Sherman

P

L/L

6' 3"

246

Skokie, IL

Chad Patrick

P

R/R

6' 1"

180

Hebron, IN

Christian Howell

P

R/R

6' 1"

165

Aurora, IL

ADAM ENRIGHT MATT VITULLI

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MANAGER ASSISTENT COACH

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

YOB

HOMETOWN

AUTOGRAPH PAGE

TEAM NORTH AMERICA49 INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

TEAM NORTH AMERICA 50

From Whiting to Representing the USA We will continue to put a quality product on the field each year and keep building and developing upon our loyal fan base in Northwest Indiana. The Northwest Indiana Oilmen brand is all about affordable family entertainment.

League History In 2010, the Midwest Collegiate League (MCL) formed as a collegiate wood bat league. They played their first season in the summer of 2011. The original four members were the Chicago Zephyrs, Rockford Foresters, Southland Vikings and Will County CrackerJacks. Teams play a 30-45 game schedule with league playoffs. The league All Star game is played sometime around mid-season.

Before the 2016 season, the Lexington Snipes announced that they would sit out the season, but the league continued with six teams with the addition of the Bloomington Bobcats. Most recently, the Crestwood Panthers, replaced the Michigan City Lakers before the 2017 season.

First Season

In 2012, the Northwest Indiana Oilmen joined the league along with three other teams (DeKalb County Liners, DuPage County Hounds, and Illinois Lincolns). This brought the total number of teams to eight, but two of teams (Illinois and Will County) failed to complete the season schedule. So in 2013, only six teams competed for the season, including the newly welcomed Lexington Snipes, who replaced DeKalb County.

The Oilmen joined the MCL in February 2012. With only a few months to get ready for their first game on June 1st, everyone pulled together well and established a management/coaching staff, a field in Whiting, and everything else you need to play baseball.

They first stepped out of the dugout against the DuPage County Hounds at Benedictine Stadium in Lisle, Ill. Unfortunately they lost their first game 7-4. John Livingston recording the first hit in franchise history, and Whiting High School graduate Elliot Bajda plated the team’s first run.

MCL stayed steady with six teams although the exact teams did change over time. The Joliet Admirals were added in 2014 and the Michigan City Lakers in 2015. These teams replaced Rockford in 2014 and Chicago in 2015.

Two days later, the Oilmen played their first home game and marked down their first win with a 14-3 beating of the Southland Vikings.

It turns out that this was the first of many wins to come that season. And plenty more firsts would come as well, such as the first home

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

THE NORTHWEST INDIANA OILMEN Founded: 2012.

MEMBER OF: MIDWEST COLLEGIATE LEAGUE

run off of Billy Miller’s bat. The team was well represented in the MCL All-Star game at DuPage’s Benedictine Stadium as three position players and three pitchers saw the field. The clinched a spot in the playoffs with regular season record of 28-16.

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

51

TEAM NORTH AMERICA

But the greatest way to start a team is by winning the championship during your first year. And that’s just what the Oilmen did.

After dispatching the DuPage County Hounds in the first round, they moved on to sweep the DeKalb County Liners in the finals and take home the championship.

Biggest Successes The Oilmen have won the MCL championship one other time since their first in 2012, by toppling the DuPage County Hounds in 2016 in three games. The Oilmen were also the MCL runners-up in 2013, dropping the championship series to the Southland Vikings.

Developing players is just as important as winning games and championships. The team has produced numerous MLB draft picks, with the 2017 ninth-round selection of Craig Dedelow by the Chicago White Sox marking the team’s highest pick to date.

Present and Future The Oilmen have established a winning tradition, putting together a rich history of winning baseball and developing professional talent. On the diamond, the Oilmen have put together six consecutive winning seasons since their inception and have reached the MCL Playoffs each year. In addition to providing a winning baseball product, the Oilmen have become part of the fabric of the community and delivered affordable family fun to fans since the team began.

On behalf of the Northwest Indiana Oilmen organization, we are absolutely delighted to be Team North America and represent the United States in this International Baseball Challenge. This is deeply personal to Oilmen President Don Popravak, as he is 50 percent Croatian, so he is really excited to see their baseball club in this tournament. Hopefully, we will represent our country well.

We will continue to put a quality product on the field each year and keep building and developing upon our loyal fan base in Northwest Indiana. The Northwest Indiana Oilmen brand is all about affordable family entertainment. We strive to aid our ballplayers as they hone their skills and advance their career, while at the same time making every night at Oil City Stadium fun an entertaining for our fans. We expect to see our success both on the field and in the community continue to grow.

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INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

Services list • Trucking • Logistics • Container / Rail • Terminal Services • Barging • Customs Bonded Services • Vessel Surveying • Break-Bulk Services • Stevedoring • Project Management • Intermodal Trucking • Ocean Vessels • Container / Truck / Rail • Deep Water Port Services • Cargo Handling Supervision • Inventory Control

5625 Old Porter Rd. Portage, IN. 46368 Telephone: 219-928-3033 Fax: 219-762-4110 www.frt-mgmt.com

The FML Team wishes the IBC participating teams Good Luck and Congratulations!

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

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Craig Sager:

There’s No Stopping You Famous for lighting up the sideline, the NBA’s most colorful reporter, Craig Sager, became its most admired with his optimism during a grueling, two-year battle with cancer.

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

56

Photo by ESPN.com

O

n November 2, 2016, the Chicago Cubs ended their 108-year title drought with a 10th inning victory in game seven of the World Series against the Cleveland Indians. But that wasn’t the only thing won that night.

High School. Boys there were required to wear black or navy blazers for their graduation pictures. Sager wore an electric blue Nehru jacket.

A Colorful Life into the NBA

His undying love of all sports, led Sager to try walking on to the football team when he went to college at Northwestern University. But after two concussions returning kicks in his first fall camp he needed to find something else. The cheerleading squad it was. But cheerleaders only performed at home, and Sager wanted to travel with the team. This is how he ended up in a Willie the Wildcat costume at a game against Ohio State. After Northwestern won, the Buckeyes band started stabbing his mascot fur with their instruments. The players came to Sager’s rescue, making him Willie for the next three years.

Aqua blazers, purple pants, yellow shirts, ties encrusted with red crystals and gold. Sager dressed the way he lived. And while garish and flamboyant, his outfits were never put together randomly. Each was assembled according to home teams, host cities, times of year, etc. His colorful way of dressing started back at Batavia

After graduating in 1973 with a degree in speech, Sager moved to Florida working jobs as odd as his wardrobe. After making an audition tape, sporting a blue-and-yellow seersucker suit, he landed on TV as a weatherman. But sports reporting is where he would have the most impact.

Craig Sager, the man most recognized as an NBA sideline reporter with the most colorful and eclectic wardrobe, pocketed $4,000 from his yearly tradition of betting $1,000 on the Cubs to win the World Series. It was a bet he had made in vain for 35 years. In his book, Living Out Loud, he justified the continued wagers after years of losses with the simple phrase, “You gotta think positive.”

Sager’s First Love: Baseball Though Sager was best known through his reporting on the NBA, Sager had a genuine passion for baseball (especially his beloved Cubs).

It was this passion that lead him to dodge security in Atlanta on April 8, 1974. And when slugger Hank Aaron hit his record-breaking 715th home run, Sager was there waiting for him at home plate to interview him.

He covered the Kansas City Royals spring training games until 1981 when he joined CNN after handling their first live remote broadcast of the 1980 baseball playoffs. He hosted several sports shows in the studio. But he never had the broadcaster look, so TV executives wanted him out. But his personality was a hit and they wanted him in. Finally, they found a place where his upbeat attitude and esoteric style would blend right in: the NBA. After covering an untold number of basketball games, several Olympic games, soccer World Cups, he still missed being on the diamond.

And in 2007 he was finally able to come back

Craig Seger was the first to interview Hank Aaron affter he hits 715th home run on April 8th, 1974, breaking the long standing record set by Babe Ruth

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

Photo: ESPN.com

57

CRAIG SAGER

Award at the 2016 ESPY Awards. In a moving acceptance speech, Sager said, “Time is something that cannot be bought, it cannot be wagered with God, and it is not in endless supply. Time is simply how you live your life.”

One Last Pitch

Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images

when Turner Sports signed a deal with the MLB. From then Sager worked both the sideline on the court and foul line on the diamond until 2013.

Battle with Cancer In April 2014, Sager was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia after he felt exhausted working a game in Dallas. After his diagnosis, he underwent two bone marrow transplants, 21 bone marrow biopsies and more than 20 chemo cycles— one of which spanned two weeks for 24 hours a day.

mom, Coral, who once grew so incensed over the officiating in one of his basketball games that she ran onto the court at West Aurora High. Police took her to jail. Now you can see how he ended up at home plate for to interview Hank Aaron.

His unstoppable spirit not guided him but also inspired others. So in July of 2016, he was awarded the Jimmy V Perseverance

On June 1, 2016 Sager fulfilled another dream when he was tapped to sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame at Wrigley Field before a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He posed for pregame photos with several Cubs, while warming up in the batting cage to throw out the first pitch. When the opening ceremony came, he hurled a strike from the mound to first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who had also battled cancer. A few innings later, he fulfilled his singing duty and ended the tune with a flourish by taking a fresh Cubs hat and flinging it to the crowd below.

Sager died on December 15, 2016, at the age of 65. But he held on just long enough to see his beloved Cubs win their first championship in 108 years. And to collect the winnings from his annual bet that they would.

But other than missing the entire 2014 NBA Playoffs, it never stopped him. Chemotherapy treatments on Monday and Tuesday in Houston. Cover a game on Wednesday night in Cleveland. Fly to Detroit on Thursday morning for lab work and a platelet transfusion before covering another game that same night.

Numerous people would visit Sager’s when he was in the hospital to cheer him up.

But instead he would give them a lift. Sager inherited his eloquence from his father, Al, a former writer and speaker for Army magazines and radio who also wrote speeches for Nixon. But he attributed his spirit to his

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INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

Photo by ESPN.com

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INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL CHALLENGE 2018

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