Europe is tough. It’s a whole different ball game. It demands managing your emotions, digging deep to find those little things that make the difference. The Barracudas didn’t manage it; they were slowly devoured by the Marlins (marine life experts can tell us if that’s realistic), and they let slip a final that once again proves French baseball isn’t up to scratch when facing international competition.
We’re not going to throw out the entire Barracudas’ run. It was perfectly controlled for three days (and two innings, one might say). They had to escape the Hoboken trap on the first day. Despite three errors and only three hits, the Barracudas managed it, with a dominant Vera and production from the bottom of the line-up. After a stroll against Wiener-Neustadt, the Barracudas bent the Huskies to their will in a nail-biter, showing more opportunism and dominant pitching from Ozanich.
Carried by this momentum, Montpellier struck hard early against the Marlins. And when the Barracudas led 3-0 in the 3rd inning, we really thought everything was going their way, and they’d continue their title streak after the 2023 championship and the 2024 challenge. But the Marlins are an unforgiving offensive powerhouse. The European Nations Championship MVP, Wander Encarnacion, let loose with a two-run homer, followed by Jesús Ustariz, who also launched a two-run bomb. More experienced, deeper, and simply stronger, the Marlins didn’t give an inch afterward. There was no injustice in this final. The best team won, plain and simple. Montpellier deserved credit for not giving up, with an excellent Flores (and an offense that didn’t hit too badly), but it was too little, too late, especially with a defense that was once again far too hesitant. Five errors in the final don’t go unpunished.
Montpellier 2nd, Rouen 3rd—we’re not going to blow our own trumpets for this result. Because behind that, there’s not much (beating the Belgians is fine, but it’s no great feat), and the gap separating French clubs from those ahead seems very difficult to bridge. This European Cup was the first international outing for French baseball this season, before a summer that will see the U12s, U15s, U23s, and, above all, the national team (not to mention the women’s selection) face the European elite. What happened this week in Rouen doesn’t bode well. We’ll take stock in September, but it would be very surprising if the French baseball authorities could draw up a triumphant balance sheet, unless they can come back stronger.
But still, Montpellier reached the final, fulfilling part of the contract, and will certainly be able to capitalize on the experience and good results to finish their season on a high note. It’s quite likely we’ll see Rouen and Montpellier face off again in the final, which promises some thrilling moments of suspense and baseball.
A word about the Rouen side, who once again showed they know how to organize a competition, but the fatigue on the faces of the many volunteers mobilized for the occasion wasn’t just down to the long days in the cold and rain. The disappointment of a semi-final elimination was palpable, with the feeling that Rouen can’t rise to the occasion in crucial moments. The 3rd place finish allowed them to end the competition on a positive note, but everyone knows it’s just a consolation prize.
The rest will play out in the minds of the Huskies. They’ll have to show they can forget their failures and focus on the ultimate goal, the one that really counts—the championship title. This sprint will be accomplished with two new recruits, a pitcher and a shortstop, and we’ll see if they can change the dynamic. But as of this weekend, the championship routine resumes, with Rouen hosting the Templiers, who seem to be missing some of their players for disciplinary reasons, but we don’t know any more, and Montpellier will once again have a long trip, facing Messins who are playing for survival in every match. It’s a bit less exciting than games against Deurne, Hoboken, or Tenerife, but you have to go through that to rediscover the sweet thrill of Europe.
François Colombier
Photo credit: WBSC Europe
