The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Organisers Todd Isaacs Jr and Lucius Fox stood on Montagu foreshore and looking over the crowd of spectators on hand on Saturday, just basked in their success at the end of the hosting of the sixth Don’t Blink Home Run Derby in Paradise.

Dubbed the “Greatest Show on Sand,” the four-day event culminated with the crowning of Breyias Dean as the new Home Run King, the second consecutive Bahamian to earn the feat, following in the footsteps of last year’s champion BJ Murray Jr.

The Americans domi-nated the first four events with Bo Bichette capturing the first two crowns in 2018 and 2019, Lewis Brinson emerged as the champion in 2020 and MJ Melendez took it home in 2021.

In addition to the indi-vidual title, there was a new segment to the event with the Bahamian play-ers being matched against a team from the rest of the World for the team title. That, however, left town with The World team.

But despite the titles going into two different locations, Fox said they were still pleased with how things turned out.

“It was simply amaz-ing. We already got good reviews from the guys who came from the United States, from the support-ers and the fans, saying that this has definitely been the best one ever, so we’re definitely moving in the right direction,” Fox said.“Every year, we prom-ised the people that we are going to be innovative and do something that they have never seen and we’re doing that. So we’re super pleased with the turnout, super pleased with the whole week, so we’re just its first ever high school show-case, put on by Minority Baseball & Softball Prospects where some of the top players from the United States and the Bahamas got to dis-play their skills before s number of scouts and college coaches at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium.

Also during the week at the ARBS, a celebrity softball game was played between local and vis-iting dignitaries and there was a chance for the younger plyers to participate in a kids’ clinic.

“We just have to continue to push the baseball narrative and continue to bring the world to the Bahamas,” Isaacs Jr added. “We want to continue to expose the event to the world. It’s a beauti-ful event, a beautiful week and it touches the world.”

With so many international partners coming on stream to sup-port the event, Isaacs Jr lamented that they can only improve on what they have achieved so far and get ever bigger and better in the future.

Dean’s performance, according to Isaacs Jr, put the icing on the cake for another celebrated event.

“We fell short in the team competition, but Breyias put the whole Bahamas on his back and took us to the promised land,” Isaacs Jr said. “To see one of our youngest guys winning his first home run derby says that our future for baseball in the Baha-mas is bright.”

Fox put the rest of the world on notice that with so many young players who are only 16-20 years old, they will be in a much better position next year to keep the team title in the Bahamas just as they do in defending the individ-ual home run crown.

“We’re super proud of what they did today,” Fox summed up.

Among this year’s sponsors were The Players Alliance, the Ministry of Tourism, National Sports Authority, Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, REV, Atlantis resort, Major League Baseball Players Association, Bahamas Waste, ASure Win, City of Hope (Cancer Treatment Cent-ers of America, Tortuga Rum & Rum Cakes, Heritage Seaford, Family Medical Center, Gatorade, Triple A Marine, Baoilco, C3 Propane, M&E, Prime Shopping, Global Sun Integration Manage-ment, Global Insurance, Mela Water, Bahamas of the Bahamas and Bahamasair.