For a federation, managing the French national teams is just the tip of the iceberg of its development efforts. The most publicized is, like in other sports, the senior men’s team. When this team stumbles, the entire baseball community catches a cold.
We’ve just come out of the European Cup, and for the least of it, the success tied to victories isn’t there. Relegation to Group B is a reality, and it’s the worst result they could have achieved. Let’s not sugarcoat it.
Many factors have derailed the team since the euphoria of early 2020. Let’s rewind. Late 2019, the announcement came almost like an April Fool’s prank: Bruce Bochy, the highly decorated coach of the San Francisco Giants, would manage the French national team. This was followed by disbelief, then the preparation camp in February 2020 in the USA. The first photos of Bochy in a French jersey surfaced on social media. The legend grew with a first friendly win against a Giants reserve team. To the point that a Triple-A pitcher was invited for the second friendly match.
Then COVID-19 hit our world, stopping everything in its tracks, including the World Baseball Classic. Nearly a year and a half later, the disappointments continued: Bochy and many French players abroad wouldn’t be there for the Euro. The federation president stepped down, occupied by more politically significant sports tasks for him and the Olympic community (of which baseball is not part for Paris 2024).
So, the young recruits present at the France Challenge and heavily used throughout the season were called up. A coach, Keino Perez, was hastily promoted to interim manager at the last moment. He, with his Rouen team, had a difficult year: a very disappointing European Cup, a first half of the season just okay, and a France Challenge final lost in a crushing manner. He hadn’t seen many of the other teams’ players evolve during the season, so the selection was based on statistics and part of the matches played in the France Challenge. Very unfavorable conditions for selecting the right players.
On social media, posts from non-selected players were seen, who, with heavy hearts, sought to vent their strong feelings of not being chosen or even noticed. But in all circumstances, this exists. There are always disappointed players who weren’t selected.
Under these conditions, the French team found itself in Italy with diminished fighting spirit. The draw wasn’t in their favor either, as their group included Israel, the most dominant team in Europe (qualified for the Tokyo Olympics to represent the old continent). The Blues couldn’t do better than second place in their pool. Defeats piled up almost logically, a brief comeback against Russia, a ‘slightly better’ performance against Germany naturally leading to relegation to Group B, almost inevitable. A long match against the Greeks ended with an inability to score enough runs to avoid relegation. For the new federation president, it’s a symbolically unencouraging start.
But let’s look positively at these developments. Bochy, whether he returns or not, has put France in the spotlight in the global baseball community. The young recruits who shine in the championship are gaining experience and will form the backbone of the future French national team. The clubs that develop these young players take pride in their success and inspire juniors.
Better days will come, no doubt about it.
DC
Photo credits: Glenn Gervot
