Sharks veterans Johan Weidolf, Joe Lankford and Håkan Wikström, along with veterans Pelle Rhodin and Richard Mellgren from the Kungsbacka Chiefs, joined a combination Sharks-Chiefs squad over the weekend in the second round of SWBL play.

Asked if he felt he could still perform after a two-year layoff, Lankford quipped, “I’ve got the glove, I’ve got the spikes, I’ve got the jersey with my name on it. And I’ve got the skills to back it all up.”

As it turned out, this was no exaggeration, with all five demonstrating the skills and pure grit that have made them living legends in west coast baseball.

At the other end of the scale, the Yamazaki youngsters Zaki and Yudai were dominant, in the field, at the plate and even behind the plate with Zaki making catching chores look easy. Their parents also contributed with Mrs Yamazaki treating both teams to delicious Japanese sugar cakes.

Everyone on the field agreed that winning is better than losing.

The fans witnessed the emergence of two potential closers with Johan Weidolf and Joel Earnest – with a combined age rumored to be in excess of 110 years – shutting down the Tranås offfence in games two and three.

Los Chicos, also known as Jose Martinez and Jose Munoz, made the trip and as always, made solid contributions both on and off the field.

According to Coach Edgren, “the team is looking good, we have a good mix of new guys and veteran players, and I can’t wait to start the season for real.”