An enthusiastic group of young Sharks are finally back on the grass after a solid off-season of weekly Sunday-evening practices in preparation for a new season, a season that promises to be the best in years.

“The level of excitement and expectation is very high, and we have an amazing group of young individuals, both boys and girls, who are to form the young Shark team this year,” says Coach Rikard Kronqvist. “We hope to develop as a club and everyone is welcome to come down to Shark Park and give it a try. A warning, though: Baseball is highly addictive.

“It was great to hear when our when youngest player Charlie Norström stepped up to the plate, that he was aiming for Tampa Bay. Whether it meant that the ball was to land there or that is where he plans to sign his first Major League contract is yet to be seen, but I’m happy with either one – or both.

“A smile of satisfaction came over the face of Gabriel Wargswärd when he was congratulated by the coaches for giving his brand new white baseball pants a nice coat of red baseball dirt sliding in on a close play.”

Youth practices this season will be held Mondays and Wednesdays, 18:00-19:30, weather permitting. Sharks like water, so a little rain won’t keep us Sharks off the field.

Sunday May 6 is Opening Game Day for the young Sharks. Teams will be formed and a couple couple of games will be played. Other teams have also been invited, so depending on their schedules, they might show up to play too.

On June 2-3, the Sharks will participate in the U15 Billingslaget in Skövde, always a popular tournament for Sweden’s younger players.

Shark Park is nearly ready for another season of exciting baseball thanks to the fine efforts of the Sharks’ unofficial grounds crew. Players, parents and friends all joined in getting the field back in playing condition.

Even if it would have been nice with more people, those who showed up on this fine Saturday morning were ready to work, finishing the job in record time. By two-thirty, all that was left was to pack up the tools, shake off the dust and pat each other on the back for a job well done.

There is still work to be done outside the foul lines and we’ll be meeting at the field again next Saturday at ten to finish things up.

BREAKING NEWS: The Players’ Union has announced that all players in attendance at Shark Park on April 14 to work on the field would be exempt from fence duty for the entire 2018 season. The union would also look favorably upon the six senior players in attendance being in the starting lineup for the Sharks’ spring training opener on April 29 in Malmö.

Top honors in all categories went to the Sharks’ dynamic duo of Jose Munoz and Jose Martinez, with Munoz winning the MVP award for 2017.
Jury’s statement for MVP:
“A player who makes the defensive plays normally only seen in the MLB, who is always focused at the plate and continuously creates problems for opposing pitchers. When he is not knocking in runs, he is scoring them himself. With more practice, there is no limit to how good he could be.”

Jose Munoz receiving the 2017 MVP trophy from Coach Jonnny Edgren

When Jose Martinez was the pitcher of record, the Sharks were unstoppable. Martinez went 4-0 on the season with 35 strikeouts in 36 innings.

Jose Martinez with son Emilio Martinez receiving the Pitcher of the Year trophy from Coach Jonny Edgren 

The leader in both hitting and fielding was MVP Jose Munoz.

As we move closer to our first outdoor practices, the youngest Sharks continue to grow, both in size and numbers, with several new players joining the club over the winter.

Asked about the prospects for the 2018 season, Coach Kronqvist said, “With the talent, potential, and joy of these players, the young Sharks will be swimming up to the surface this season.”

It was the Baseball Grand Finale for the young Sharks with the final inter-squad game of this year’s indoor season. Both teams consisted of the club’s youngest talents, ages 7 to 14.

The game was stopped with the scored tied 16-16 for a traditional Swedish fika and information about the coming season. The young Sharks will be swimming up to the surface again on January 14 with the beginning of Spring Training 2018.
Turnout for both senior and youth practices has been the best in years, and this bodes well for the club in 2018.

by Rick Kronqvist

As my soul prospers from seeing the sun set in the mountainous horizon of the view looking north west from Shark Park, I recall the past year at hand. Then, in the year 2016, closing in on the play-offs of the Major League of the honourable contest of bats, balls, and gloves, realizing that it could give me the opportunity to live what many men in history never had the chance to experience, the World Series victory of the team from the north side of Chicago.

It was a tough night to sit through on the European continent on November 2nd, 2016, but the lack of sleep could not bother me. Since the age of six, I was chosen to be a follower of the Chicago Cubs, and now the time had come. The rest, as they say, is history.
As it turned out, history had just commenced.

Little did I recall, that I had made a promise in the year 1999, then retiring from baseball after being a part of national champion team of the Marsa Mustangs of Malta. I claimed this was my peak, and I thoroughly was convinced that I did not want to retire on a bad note like Alexander Karelin or, like earlier this present year, Usain Bolt. I wanted to retire a winner. My conviction had me state a promise that I would make my comeback when the impossible occurred, the Cubs winning the World Series.

On New Year’s Day present year, I sent a message to the local organization executing this type of athletisism, and the following day I received a reply. A former elite club, in one of the largest cities in the nation. Entering spring training two weeks later, I encountered a group of fine gentlemen of various backgrounds, with the ambition to enjoy the comradeship and improve their execution of handling bats, balls, gloves and bases.

Now, the autumn raindrops shatter when landing hard on the home plate that is surrounded by a muddy field in the outskirts of Gothenburg and the season is coming to a conclusion. Some eighteen months ago, I booked a trip to Piemonte, Italy on the very weekend of the playoffs this year. My playtime had come to an unfortunate end earlier than expected, but this fine group of individuals of various ages and backgrounds, will execute in a proper matter.

To my fellow gentlemen for the playoffs 2017;
– The only stat that counts this weekend is team runs scored
– Listen to the coach and pay attention to signs
– Play smiling, and you will end up winners

Nolan Ryan retired at the age of 46, Bill ”Spaceman” Lee pitched a professional game this past year at the respectable age of 65, so how long can such a career flourish? Although, it is hard to determine the age of marine creatures, but from my experience of this past annual term, we know that a carcharadon can still come up with a miraculous double and an occasional stolen base to win a duel on the diamond at ages where both Spaceman and a retiring Ryan would be considered youngsters.

The response is not yet given to the question of how history will end, or will it ever…

#14 KRONQVIST

It was muddy out at Shark Park today. The muddiest in years according to veteran Sharks. But even with the late cancellation by Skövde, everyone still had a great time.

Fourteen players showed up Sunday morning, ready to play and that’s just what they did despite the mud and cancellation. Even without Skövde, there were still enough players to form two teams and play a doubleheader with the assistance of a few dads in the outfield. And you could see the results of all those Tuesday evening practices, with plenty of nice plays by the young Sharks.

Between hot dogs during the break, the most common question was “When can we do this again?” Coach Edgren hopes to be able to reschedule the Skövde-Gothenburg matchup before the season comes to a close, but it will have to be after the junior league playoffs on September 24.

Skövde swept Gothenburg when these two teams last met, topped off by a dramatic come-from-behind Saints victory in the final frame of game 2. The tables were turned this time around with a Sharks squad supplemented with three Kungsbacka Chief veterans taking both games against the Saints Sunday at Shark Park by scores of 8-2 and 12-5.

Speedster Hannes Wiström taking a lead off first

The doubleheader in Sölvesborg on July 29 promises to be the toughest yet for the Sharks, with the Firehawks filling out their short-handed regional squad with top elite players.

Sölvesborg’s regional team has an impressive record of 8-1, but it’s no secret around the league that much of their success is due to the infusion of players from their strong elite team, currently undefeated at 8-0.

With Sölvesborg B regularly starting five to six elite players in regional games, this is not your typical regional team. Then again, with Jose Munoz, Jose Martinez and Mokhlad Al-Ghanimi in the Gothenburg lineup, and backed by a host of other solid players, this year’s Sharks are not your typical regional team either. Although inconsistent at times, how well the Sharks do in Sölvesborg could give fans an indication of just how far this team can go. And it goes without saying, that winning is always better than losing.

“Playing an elite team in Sölvesborg will snap us out of holiday mode and into playoff mode,” says Coach Edgren, obviously looking forward to the challenge.

Coach Jonny Edgren

It’s road trip time again, this week with a June 10th visit to Malmö’s beautiful Limhamnsfältet for a doubleheader against the Pilots. Even though the Sharks are currently riding an eight-game winning streak against the Pilots and fresh off a miracle sweep of the Karlskoga Bats, this weekend’s games could go either way.

Looking back over the past six years, the Pilots have the edge, going 20–9 against the Sharks. Although the Pilots had the early advantage, at one point winning 19 straight, the balance of power began to shift when Coleman Lucas and Jason Norderum took the reins in 2015, and led the Sharks to an 11-1 victory, vividly illustrating the concept of winning being better than losing.

Swervin Shervin, flashing the leather in Malmö

For fans wanting to see the team on the road, this reporter can strongly recommend making the trip to Malmö. It’s an easy drive, the burgers are tasty, the people are friendly, sunny skies are forecast and a great sand beach is just a minute away, something the Sharks always take advantage of after playing in Malmö.

For directions, click here: Limhamnsfältet
There’s plenty of free parking between the field and the beach.