The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WHILE its election of officers will take place next weekend during its annual general meeting, the Bahamas Baseball Federation will benefit from an all-expense paid trip by James William Stoeckel and Fermin Coronel of the Cincinnati Reds this weekend.

Stoeckel, the global scouting coordinator and Coronel, his assistant, were sent to the Bahamas to conduct two professional showcases at the Grand Bahama Park in Freeport, Grand Bahama, noon to 4pm Saturday and at the JBLN Field of Dreams in Nassau 2-6pm on Sunday.

“James Stoeckel was here when we held our Nationals in June and he was quite impressed with some of the players that he saw,” said Teddy Sweeting, secretary general of the federation.

“Unfortunately, a lot of the young men that he was interested in are currently in school in the United States and so he can’t have any direct contact with them. But he also saw a lot of players who are still here that he had some interest in. So when he comes here, he will be looking directly at them. He wants to see them in a showcase type of situation and so we have invited them to come out and be a part of his visit this weekend.”

Sweeting noted that the two sessions in Grand Bahama and New Providence will be by invitation only. He noted that the Reds, who are funding the entire showcase, are interested in coming back in the future when there will be an open showcase for all other players to come out.

“Based on his visit here this weekend, we might just see one or two or some of our players signing some contracts to play professional baseball,” Sweeting said. “That’s the whole idea behind the Reds sending James Stoeckel here this weekend.”

Stoeckel, the coordinator and recorder, will be assisted by Coronel, who will be working with the pitchers and catchers, while Grand Bahamian Patrick Knowles will deal with the infielders and outfielders and Brian Armbrister will work with the hitters on both islands.

Knowles is a coach in the Grand Bahama Amateur Baseball Association and Armbrister was a former player under Stoeckel when he coached at Indian River Community College. “We are excited to have these guys in town,” Sweeting said. “I think it’s a significant time for us and we hope that the players will come out and give it their best shot.”

On Grand Bahama, the players will register between 11-12am, followed by a meeting with the instructors. The showcase will then begin with the players running the 60-yard dash, throwing from various positions on the field, batting and pitchers catching to the catchers.

The showcase will begin two hours later, starting at 1pm, at JBLN.