The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net SUCCESS on the international stage and the development of hundreds of young players in leagues around the country makes baseball one of the most thriving sports in the Bahamas. The current generation reached another milestone this weekend as the Bahamas Baseball Federation, in conjunction with Geron Sands and Antoan Richardson, hosted a "Pro Showcase" featuring Texas Rangers' international scout Gil Kim at Freedom Farm. Kim is currently the co-ordinator of Mexico Scouting for the Rangers. Now acting as one of the leading scouts in the Rangers' franchise, Kim has had extensive time on the field and in the front office of several organisations. He previously served as a baseball operations intern for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Kim has played in several leagues, including the Liga Paralela for Tiburones de La Guaira, the Spanish National Baseball League for FC Barcelona, Greater Brisbane Baseball League for the Western District Bulldogs, in the China Baseball League for the Beijing Tigers and in the Omron Eerste Klasse for the Hoofddorp Pioniers. Scores of aspiring players attended the event. Divided into two categories (13-15 and over 16), players went through a gauntlet of drills to test their skills and take advantage of the rare opportunity. Lionel Ferguson Jr, now a coach in the Freedom Farm system and former collegiate player at St Leo University, was one of a few coaches on hand to assist with the showcase. "We had a lot of guys come out. It was a productive day all around. We have a good crop of young talent here in the Bahamas and it shows. They went through a lot of the basic and even some more advanced drills and had a lot of chances to show their skills," he said. "It's all about having an opportunity to showcase your skills and hoping to get a chance to use the game as a vehicle to develop further in life as a player and a person." Said BBF secretary general Teddy Sweeting: "The Bahamas Baseball Federation congratulates Geron and Antoan for assisting to make this pro showcase a reality," he said. "They continue to give back to young players who are following in their footsteps."