JHU Blue Jays ser fram emot Sverigebesöket

Inför Nordic Baseball Classic i Sundbyberg 4-7 juli har vi intervjuat Hopkins Blue Jays headcoach Robert Babb. Han har lett Hopkins basebollag de 34(!) senaste säsongerna och ser liksom resten av JHU Blue Jays fram emot resan till Sverige och Skandinavien.

Innan laget kommer till Sverige reser man via Köpenhamn där man turistar några dagar innan man reser vidare upp till Sundbyberg för turneringen där Sverige, US AllStars och North Stars från Ryssland står för motståndet.

SBSF träffade coach Babb från JHU Blue Jays vid ABCA-konventet i Anaheim i januari 2012, fick en bra kontakt med honom, och erbjöd dem att komma till Sverige för att spela turnering mot europeiska lag.

- Styrelsen hade en målsättning att arrangera fler internationella turneringar på hemmaplan, och med den konkurrens som finns i Europa kändes det oerhört bra att JHU Blue Jays nappade på erbjudandet att komma till Sverige, säger Kristian Pälviä på SBSF.

Genom JHU Blue Jays fick förbundet även kontakt med det ryska laget North Stars, som haft regelbunden kontakt med coach Babb och JHU Blue Jays genom åren.

- Vi hade även några andra lag och organisationer som var intresserade av att komma i år efter kontakten vid ABCA-mässan, men på grund av NCAA-reglerna får inte JHU Blue Jays möta andra skollag eller amerikanska lag i turneringar utomlands. Vi hoppas att de andra lagen har möjlighet 2014 istället, säger Kristian Pälviä.

Inför turneringen i Sundbyberg har vi via e-post gjort en intervju med coach Robert Babb som lett Hopkins basebollag de 34 senaste säsongerna.

JHU Blue Jays have made it to 18 NCAA tournaments, with three trips to the College World Series (1989, 2008 and 2010).
How have the start of your college season been? 

- We finished the 2013 regular season with a 36-8 record.  We won the Centennial Conference regular season, but finished second in the CC Playoffs.

With Johns Hopkins University being a – if not the – premier U.S. academic institutions in science, medican and engineering research, is that a pro or a con when it comes to building a strong baseball program? 

- Because of our outstanding academics and difficult admission standards for students, we are forced to look all over the US for students who meet our academic requirements and are also talented enough to play for us.  

- However, we are able to attract some very good players who want to receive the best possible education.  Our players are often forced to miss practices and some games because of academic obligations.

In July, you will travel to Sweden to participate in a tournament there for the first time. What do you expect of the trip to Sweden?
- We look forward to learning more about the history of Sweden, seeing some of the sights around Stockholm, and participating in a baseball tournament with players from different countries and backrounds.  We are not so concerned with winning or losing, but with enjoying the experience and mingling with the other players on other teams.

Why did you choose to travel to Sweden for this tournament?
- We have played all over the world, but never in Sweden where we hear that baseball is strong and popular.  In addition, the team from St. Petersburg, Russia is able to participate. I have worked with this team for the past two summers (about 10 days each year), and I look forward to seeing these players again this summer.

Hopkins inledde sina utlandsresor redan 1986 då man åkte till Kuba för att spela mot kubanskt motstånd. 1988 reste man till Moskva och Leningrad (numera St Petersburg), och man återvände till Moskva 1992 då man även besökte Tjeckien. 1995 återvände laget till Tjeckien igen, 1998 reste man till Australien, 2001 besöktes Italien och 2004 deltog man i German Baseball Open i Regensburg, Tyskland.

2004 var resmålet London och Storbritannien och 2007 spelade man i Spanien och Portugal. Med detta facit är Hopkins BlueJays ett av de universitetslag som nyttjar möjligheten att resa utomlands, spela baseboll och lära sig av nya kulturer mer än de flesta andra organisationer.

Coach Babb, your program is one of the most-traveled university programs in the United States I would presume? What are the main reasons behind your travel plans?
- Enrich the educational and cultural opportunities of our players through baseball.  Almost all players who participate in one of these trips have stated that it was one of the best experiences in their lives.

Some of your favorite moments from international travels?
- Too many to describe.  Each trip has been outstanding.  We have been well-received and treated by our hosts.  The opportunity to experience other cultures, while sharing the great game of baseball, has been very rewarding.

And finally, what are your goal with the trip to Sweden and the participation in the tournament?
- To make friends, see the sights, and have fun!

On behalf of the Swedish Baseball and Softball Federation - we wish the JHU Blue Jays a warm welcome to Sweden and Scandinavia!