IBAF Tours Prince George - Possible Location for the 2010 Women’s World Cup

THE WORLD IS TAKING NOTE
Written by Jason Peters, Citizen staff
Monday, 30 March 2009


Prince George may be a few signatures away from hosting the 2010 Women’s World Cup of Baseball.

The city, with the full backing of Baseball Canada, has submitted a bid for the tournament. Recently, Australia’s John Ostermeyer, secretary general for the International Baseball Federation (IBAF), was in town for meetings and a tour and was left with a positive overall impression.

For sports fans, and for the profile of Prince George, that’s good news.
“We have to go through some official protocols, but hopefully we’ll get an announcement in the next couple of weeks,” said Virginia Sprangers, a 2009 World Baseball Challenge committee member who has been working toward bringing the 2010 women’s championship to Prince George.

“There are a couple of things the local hosting committee needs to do. We have to determine the feasibility of hosting this event from a financial perspective, given the economy. But it doesn’t matter where the world event is going to be, there are going to be those struggles and those challenges.”

The idea of hosting the 2010 Women’s World Cup was first raised by Baseball Canada’s Andre Lachance when he was here last June for 2009 World Baseball Challenge meetings. The WBC is July 16-26 and will bring together eight men’s clubs, including the U.S. and Canadian national teams.

Lachance, who lives in Ottawa, was contacted by The Citizen on Monday. He said Baseball Canada will be nudging the IBAF to make its decision as soon as possible.

“We’re going to press them a little bit to make some kind of an announcement as soon as Virginia and her group are ready to go forward,” said Lachance, manager of baseball operations for the national organization and head coach of the Team Canada women. “It’s about 18 months away from that potential event, so the more time we have for (the host committee) to prepare and for us also to prepare, the better. The host country, we’ve got to make sure we’re ready to perform at a high level. We want to do it right.”

Team Canada won a silver medal at the eight-team 2008 World Cup, which was held in Japan. The World Cup was in Chinese Taipei in 2006 and in Edmonton in 2004. If Prince George is successful in landing the 2010 World Cup, it will be played at Citizen Field.

As an added bonus for local fans, Prince George’s Amanda Asay is one of the stars in the Team Canada lineup. All things considered, Lachance regards P.G. as the perfect fit for the tournament.

“I’ve been telling (Ostermeyer) about what great people you guys are and how great you have been in the past,” Lachance said, referring to the highly-successful Baseball Canada Senior Championship of 2002, which was held in Prince George.

“If the host committee can afford it and get the people together to host that event, that would be great. Women’s baseball is growing a lot in Canada. In some provinces it’s now 12 to 15 per cent of the membership, which is awesome. And we have a Prince George player on the national team so it’s a slam dunk. Everything is there for a great event.”

The 2009 Sport Accord

Just wrapped up a 1.5-day stint at the 2009 Sport Accord, a gathering of leading sport officials from around the globe. The talk of the conference was the upcoming Olympic IOC vote, happening in Copenhagen, Denmark on Oct. 2nd. I was representing women in baseball for the International Baseball Federation (IBAF). The goal: to get baseball back in the 2016 Olympics.

I spent the day at the IBAF exhibit booth with former Major League pitchers, Steve Rogers and Rick Helling. It was fun hearing about some of their experiences in the big leagues and talk pitching.

I also had a discussion with IBAF president, Harvey Schiller and Portugese Baseball Federation President, Sandra Monteiro about developing women's baseball around the globe. The next World Baseball Classic is in 2013, and if all goes well, a women's division will be included.

If you haven't yet, be sure to join the facebook group: International Baseball Federation (IBAF) - Bring Back Baseball in 2016! so we can get baseball back in 2016!

Representing Women in Baseball: Getting Women's Baseball in the 2016 Olympics

The International Baseball Federation (IBAF) is flying me to Denver this week! I'll be representing women in baseball at the 2009 Sport Accord. Over 2,000 sport officials will be there including many International Olympic Committee members. I'll be meeting with IBAF president Dr. Harvey Schiller to talk about potentially including women's baseball in the IBAF's bid for baseball reinstatement. If you haven't seen it already, read this article: IBAF Considers Women's Baseball. It really got the ball rolling!

I'm so excited about this important opportunity. I've often talked about women's baseball making it into the Olympics, and now it may actually happen! There's so much momentum, now is the time to seize the moment and change the face of women's baseball!

NABA Spring Training Experience - Day 4: The Championship

We won the Championship!!!
Not only did we win, but we blew the Diamondbacks away 21-1! Our pitcher was on fire, smoking fastballs and curves right by the batters. I played the entire game at second base, making some good outs including the final out of the game. I went 1 for 3 with a single, two ground outs, 2 RBIs, and 2 walks.

The other team was kind of cocky so I'm glad we clobbered them. Overall this was a great tournament and I couldn't have asked for a better team to play my first men's tournament with.

I really enjoy playing with guys. They're competitive and they play hard which is how I like to play. Watching my teammates hit out-of-the-park home runs from the dugout was awesome! Each day they went further and further!

I was worried that I wouldn't be able to hit the faster pitching, but I did fine. I found out that I actually do better against faster pitching. I was also worried that I'd get clobbered on the mound, but the other team barely hit me.

I mixed up the speeds a lot to throw them off balance and mentally wore them down. I noticed that very few pitchers at the tournament mixed up speeds very much. This surprised me. I guess guys tend to rely on brute strength. This was a good lesson for me to learn - faster is not necessarily better. The mental aspect and the combination of pitches is just as important, if not more-so. I've been told this many times before and always wanted to believe it were true. I needed to experience it first hand, and now that I have, I have more confidence moving forward.


Me with the team MVP and star pitcher


My catcher! The guy's a rock! He caught all 4 games and nailed a bunch of runners at second and third.

NABA Spring Training Experience - Day 3

My team, the Indians lost our first game this morning 20-13. We started off great and were up 13-10 at the start of the 6th inning. Our guy Jay even hit a grand slam home run out of the park and Joe followed with a 3-run shot. But our pitchers struggled with control and the majority of the runs given up were on walks. I played the entire game at second base. It was a lot of fun, I turned a double-play and got a few outs. At the plate I grounded out, walked twice and was struck out on a very questionable 3-2 pitch.

We still made the Championships and will have a chance at revenge tomorrow morning when we play the same team, the Diamondbacks. If we can get the pitching under control, we stand a great chance to come out ahead. Wish us luck!

NABA Spring Training Experience - Day 2

What a great day of baseball! I was a little nervous taking the mound today, being my first men's tournament, but all went well. I pitched the entire 7-inning game (it was supposed to go 9, but they surrendered after 7), giving up 3 runs for a final score of 29-3! My team was awesome yet again! Inning after inning we'd score the 5-run limit (the rule for the tournament is a team can only score 5 runs per inning, then switch no matter how many outs there are). As the game went on I got more confident and relaxed and was able to pull off more 1,2,3 innings, with the help of my team of course.

After the game, we went to the Cubs vs. Padres Spring Training game and the Cubs won 5-2, so a great day of baseball overall! At the game, I heard that some players from the other team were talking smack when they found out that I, a girl, was going to be the starting pitcher. They were so frustrated when they couldn't hit off me. I also found out that I turned their pitcher's toe black & blue when I hit a hard grounder up the middle. I felt kinda bad about that one. Later on, players from the opposing team tried to recruit me for their teams in Indiana, so I guess I earned their respect after all :)

My team had my back the whole game. I feel extremely lucky that I was put on a team with such a great group of guys. The president of NABA came to the game to watch me pitch (the first-time a woman pitched in a NABA tournament). He stayed for the whole game and expressed how much he supports women in baseball. I think I made a lot of people aware that women can play baseball just as well as the guys, and that's a big step forward for the growth of women's baseball. Two more games left, stay tuned!

NABA Spring Training Experience - Day 1

My debut in men's baseball was a blast! I was a little nervous about how my teammates would react to having a girl on the team, but they were so cool. I played the entire game at second base (only the second time in my life that I've played there) and was able to make some key plays. I went 2 for 2 with two singles, two walks, and a couple of stolen bases. We wound up beating the Yankees 19-6.

My team is phenomenal! They're all pretty young and can crush the ball! These are 4 guys from my team:

I think we have a great chance to take the tournament. The ball is definitely hit a lot harder in men's baseball than in women's, so playing defense is a lot more fun and challenging.

There was a banquet dinner tonight - prime rib, mmmmmmm. I sat with my team and they told me they were bragging about me to the other teams and wanted to see me take the mound. That was a pleasant surprise.

I got to meet a lot of cool people tonight. Rollie Fingers was the surprise guest speaker, he had great stories to tell and was super nice. He signed my ball and took a picture with me.

Before the night was over, my manager came over and told me I'd be the starting pitcher tomorrow! Wow, I wasn't expecting that! After seeing the guys on our team pitch, I didn't think I'd take the mound at all this tournament. Our pitchers were awesome today, and I just hope I'm able to hold my own. I'll have great defense behind me, so as long as I keep the hitters off-balance and pitch the corners, I should be fine. An exciting day lies ahead!

Men's Baseball!

On Thursday, I'll be playing in my first men's baseball tournament - the NABA Spring Training Experience - in Mesa, AZ. I'm stoked! Growing up, I played exclusively with guys, and I really miss it. Playing with women can be . . . challenging. Insecurities and drama tend to get in the way of good, old-fashioned baseball. I'll be on the Indians in the 18+ open division and will post game results daily.

In April, I start my first season with the 45+ River Bandits in the Chicago North MSBL (Men's Senior Baseball League). I'm not 45, but the league president recommended that women play in that division. Believe it or not, there are 2 other women on my team and 3 other women in the division! We were all first round draft picks and have been treated great by fellow league players. I think it'll be an awesome season!

2009 Hong Kong International Phoenix Cup A Detailed Recap as Promised

Find more photos like this on CheckSwing.net




Hong Kong ROCKS! I tip my hat to the Hong Kong Baseball Association and Kitty Au for putting together a spectacular tournament. I was impressed by how well organized it was. The player fee was extremely low by American baseball standards and included a 5-night hotel stay, two uniforms (which looked awesome), daily breakfast, boxed lunches (blech!), a banquet dinner, and shuttle service to/from the ballpark/hotel. The umpires came from all over the world, including two cutups from Australia (Aussies are insane, but in a good way!)


Day 1 started off with Japan beating Taiwan 11-0, followed by an opening ceremony, which included a dragon dance and a tai-chi demonstration. The big shots from the Hong Kong Baseball Association and the embassy were all there and many of them gave welcome speeches. All the teams (North America, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Australia, and Taiwan) were introduced and a catcher from each team caught a ball from a suit-wearing representative.

After that, about a million pictures were taken with all the different teams. It was a friendly and inviting atmosphere. It was surreal to see so many Asian faces on the ball field. Usually mine is the only one! I expected them all to speak perfect English, since the only Asians I encounter are the 2nd generation American ones. Turns out there was one other Asian American there. Her name is Hanna and she plays for South Korea. She's the one in the picture above.

I'm really glad we didn't have to play a game that first day. All that picture taking was distracting and kind of exhausting! Now I know what Angelina Jolie feels like!

We stuck around to watch South Korea defeat Hong Kong. The game was real close until the 4th inning when South Korea's bats came alive. The final score had South Korea ahead 14-4. We went back to the hotel to change, then went to get some eats while Japan won their second game, defeating Australia 11-1.


Day 2 was an exciting one. We had a double header against South Korea and Hong Kong. These were our only two pool games, so we had to win both to clinch our division. I was starting the first game against South Korea and was way too excited. We ate an early breakfast at the hotel, then the shuttle brought us to the field an hour-and-a-half early to meet up with our coach. We took some batting practice and loosened up our arms to prepare for the game.

Overall I pitched okay, but it wasn't my best outing. I let the umpire's tough calls shake me a bit and got a little tense. I couldn't figure out where her strike zone was - I tried the inside corner and it was called a ball, then the outside corner and it was also called a ball, so for an inning I found myself aiming it down the middle, which is never a good thing. After that inning, I loosened up and finished strong. I ended up giving up 2 or 3 hits the whole game, but I hit two batters and gave up a few walks, which is not typical for me.

We ended up winning 10-5. It felt good to get the W and record our first win of the day. Both teams lined up and bowed to each other. The other team were all smiles, despite their loss. We then bowed to the fans, then bowed to the field. In Asia, it's important to show respect for each other and for the game. I really like that about the culture.

Before our second game, Coach Philipe took us through a dynamic warm-up which consisted of running drills, explosive movements, and moving stretches. Then we did some throwing warm-ups and took infield practice. I was the starting shortstop, backing up our pitcher, Sam. I had a good day at short, committing 0 errors and forcing a lot of outs. I was the leadoff hitter and went 1 for 3 with a single, a walk, and two stolen bases. We ended up with our second W, beating Hong Kong 18-5 and clinching our division. Taiwan ended up beating Australia 7-5 in an upset, which meant we'd be playing Taiwan in the semi-finals.

We went out as a team to Temple Street Market to celebrate our wins. There were tables set out on the street. We ate crab, mussels, and other delicacies, and then shopped the open market. We ran into my friends, Jenn and Rob, some of Jill's friends, and the Aussie umpires. Hong Kong is not a small city, so running into all those folks was kind of crazy! One of the Aussie umps totally admitted to blowing a call on a play I had made at 3rd base. She was so funny that I had to forgive her.

We took a cab back to the hotel and crashed till morning.


Day 3 - Our semi-final game against Taiwan wasn't slated till the afternoon so we got to sleep in. I woke up with the worst MSG headache from dinner the night before. Ugh. After breakfast, Kelly, Ryan, and I ventured out for some shopping. Before we knew it, it was time for shuttle pick-up. We hustled back to the hotel where we found the rest of the Liberty Belles in full uniform in the lobby. Yipes! We ran upstairs, changed as fast as we could, gathered our gear, and hoped we didn't miss the bus. Made it just in time, phew!

At the field, we did our dynamic warm-ups, and prepared mentally for the big game. I was starting at shortstop again. The first inning went great for us with solid defensive plays and three easy outs. There were some questionable calls by the home plate ump, which their first base coach verbally questioned. He continued to question the ump as Hong Kong was taking the field, and the ump threw him out of the game.

The head coach then called his players off the field and officially forfeited the game. It was bizarre. He said, "lets just play a friendly game with the catchers calling balls and strikes". We decided to just have fun with it. To my surprise, the Taiwan players weren’t upset at all. I would have been irate if my coach gave up my semi-final game, but they were all laughing and having fun, so we did the same.

Either way, we had made it to the finals. Japan defeated Korea 18-0 in their semi-final match, so they would be our competition in the championship game. I had heard so much about the Japanese team, that it felt like an honor to have a chance to play them.


Day 4 - I woke up super early. I was so excited about playing Japan that I was ready to go 2 hours ahead of schedule. When I met up with my team, they did not appear to share my excitement. I sensed butterflies. We met up with our coach who took us through our warm-up. He then gave us a speech which was meant to motivate, but I think ended up scaring the bejeezus out of everybody. Were these Japanese players even human, or biological freaks of nature with superhuman athletic prowesses?

I was starting at shortstop again and Sam was to take the mound. We started doing relay drills which went pretty horribly. Throws were wild, balls were being dropped, and worst of all, a stray ball managed to hit our starting pitcher right on her throwing arm. She was in pain and in tears. This was not good. I saw the coach talking to her and I wondered if he was still going to have her start. She did not appear to be in any condition to take the mound. I wondered what was going to happen. I felt great physically, and could probably switch gears in time to start the game. I prepped myself mentally just in case he decided to make a pitching change, but he went ahead as planned.

The first inning wasn't too bad, though we blew an easy rundown situation which allowed a run or two to score. Tiff had a big hit but we were unable to capitalize on it. We left runners on and had a hard time finding the gaps the entire game. As the innings progressed, Sam's arm started hurting her more. A few walks and wild pitches brought in a bunch of runs. Her relievers struggled with control as well, and eventually our game ended in the fifth due to mercy rule. We lost 10-0.

I was disappointed with my hitting, or lack thereof. I went 0 for 4 with 2 ground outs and 2 foul ball pop-outs. I'd been working so much on defense the past few months, that I hadn't devoted enough time to my offensive game.

On the other hand, my defensive game was solid. I had a blast playing shortstop, something I don't often do in the CWBL, where I'm only known for my pitching. There was a ton of action out there with the Japanese at bat. I had another errorless game and was able to make some key plays.

We didn't take the loss too hard. Overall, we had a great tournament. The banquet was the same night, so we had to hustle back to the hotel and get ready. We met in the lobby and Tiff gave us all song sheets. All the teams had to participate in a talent show, so we decided to sing our own version of the AAGPBL song, from the movie "A League of Their Own". We rehearsed on the bus and sounded pretty awful. The banquet was a blast. We all brought baseball wearables to trade with the other teams. I scored a Hong Kong warm-up jacket, a Hong Kong polo shirt, and a Taiwan windbreaker. The mood was festive. All the teams did their talent show routine and we did ours. You can see it here on YouTube.

Don't worry, none of us will be quitting our day jobs.


Siteseeing - I stayed an extra 3 days after the tournament to enjoy Hong Kong. What a great city! The subway system is the best in the world in my opinion. You can go anywhere in Hong Kong and it's super cheap. The stations are immaculate and have nice shops and restaurants in them. All the signs and announcements are in English (with a British accent) and you always know how long it will be before the next train arrives (it's always 3-minutes).

I went to Lantau Island to see the Big Buddha. The ski lift contraption that takes you up was broken, so we took the bus instead. The Big Buddha was cool. Some of the players who saw it said it made them feel peaceful and calm, but we were too busy acting silly to notice. I talked my travel buddies into doing a hike with me in the mountains. We made it about a quarter of the way up before petering out. Just as we were heading down, 4 locals, who were at least 50 years old, passed us by, carrying 50-pound bags of sand, and heavy buckets balanced on sticks. Wow, did we feel wussy.

Just like Hollywood's Walk of Fame, Hong Kong has the Avenue of Stars. I got my picture taken next to Jackie Chan and Jet Li's stars. The food in Hong Kong is fantastic, if you go to the right places. The hotel breakfast wasn't so good, but just down the street, a lady steams fresh dim sum dishes on the sidewalk - super good and super cheap. A few of us became regulars at a restaurant called "Under Bridge Spicy Crab". The best crab and clams we've ever had - super good and super expensive, but totally worth the money.

The street markets are a lot of fun. My final day there, I hung out with my friends Rob and Jenn, who happened to be working in Hong Kong the same week I was there. We walked the markets and visited Hong Kong Park which has an amazing aviary. Jenn and I took a tram up to Victoria's Peak and got the most amazing views of the city. I lost track of time and had to rush back to the hotel to get my bags. Thank goodness the subway is fast. I was afraid I'd miss my flight! I made it in time to catch my flight back to San Francisco where I spent a few days with family members and caught up with Jim N.

What a great time. The Liberty Belles have been invited back next year and I'm looking forward to it already!