Welcome to the second part of the 2018 regional preview from what is quite possibly the most ambitious site in Swedish baseball. The series will consist of four parts; pitchers, outfielders, infielders and the opposition. When going through position players, some in the Sharks organization are versatile and will have logged innings all over the place. They will be included where they have played the most innings.

Disclaimer: This series of previews is the opinion of one person and does not necessarily reflect the organization’s views or anyone else’s for that matter.
Additional note: No Elitserien stats are included in hitters statistics.

Daniel André

The reigning Sharks Home Run Derby winner proved that he is just that, a slugger. While he did hit into a double play to end the 2017 campaign, he took the responsibility on his shoulders and has now been selected for the Swedish national (softball) team.

Year	TAB	AB	R	H	AVE	2B	3B	HR	SLG	OBP	OPS	BB	K	GIDP	RBI
2014	8	6	0	0	.000	0	0	0	.000	.250	.250	2	1	0	2
2015	15	12	3	3	.250	0	0	0	.250	.400	.650	1	2	0	2
2016	28	25	3	3	.120	0	0	0	.120	.214	.334	1	5	1	1
2017	21	20	4	9	.450	1	0	0	.500	.476	.976	1	2	0	8

On the defensive side of things, André put up 16 perfect  (as perfect as the flawed fielding percentage stat is) innings in the outfield. He also logged eleven innings at second base and showed that versatility is a good thing to have.

When one see a jump in OPS like André did, you can’t really complain. But he did have his dry spells during the season where he would be too eager to swing at bad balls and give the pitcher the upper hand during an at bat. Going forward, pitch recognition and drawing more walks would make André a lock in the Sharks outfield and move him higher up in Edgren’s lineup.

Joel Earnest

The fan favorite had a career year in 2017. Not only did he improve across the board and had his best year at the plate, he also recorded his first double and infield hit for the Sharks. A good thing to have done before turning 70.

Year	TAB	AB	R	H	AVE	2B	3B	HR	SLG	OBP	OPS	BB	K	GIDP	RBI
2012	8	6	1	1	.166	0	0	0	.166	.375	.541	1	1	0	1
2013	10	9	1	1	.111	0	0	0	.111	.200	.311	0	1	0	0
2014	28	26	0	1	.038	0	0	0	.038	.107	.145	2	7	1	3
2015	31	31	5	10	.322	0	0	0	.322	.322	.645	0	8	0	6
2016	23	19	2	4	.210	0	0	0	.210	.318	.528	2	9	1	5
2017	26	22	3	6	.272	1	0	0	.318	.384	.702	4	8	0	2

Earnest fought to stay off the high fastballs all season and he actually did better as the season progressed. Not only did he excel in department that has him stay a favorite among the Sharks fanbase (pitch recognition), but he was once overheard talking about OBP. Looking more closely at the numbers, Earnest drew four walks last season which is huge, not only because he put up a respectable .384 OBP but because that almost totals his previous five seasons put together (five). This can be compared to when he hit .322 but had an OBP to match. His K/BB ratio dramatically improved and as a result of that, so did his performance.

Defensively, he had a disastrous year at first base with a .714 fielding percentage. That might be because the stat itself sucks (and I have nothing else to work from) or that he was only allowed to play there for a single inning. Otherwise, Earnest was mostly seen patrolling the Shark Park right field and managed somehow to not get a ball to catch during the entire season. A feat that is impressive in itself.

Fernando Miguel Carvalho

Still looking for that first hit, still looking for more innings to play.

Year	TAB	AB	R	H	AVE	2B	3B	HR	SLG	OBP	OPS	BB	K	GIDP	RBI
2016	6	5	0	0	.000	0	0	0	0	.166	.166	1	3	0	0
2017	7	4	1	0	.000	0	0	0	0	.333	.333	2	3	0	1

Carvalho score the first run of his career last season which was a step in the right direction. A larger sample size is needed to really evaluate his performances properly and hopefully, he will get that chance during the upcoming season.

Fabian Hanning

The Sharks favorite German took less at bats last season but saw his stats improve. Quite possibly because he tried to be more German than before.

Year	TAB	AB	R	H	AVE	2B	3B	HR	SLG	OBP	OPS	BB	K	GIDP	RBI
2015	13	9	0	1	.111	0	0	0	.111	.384	.495	3	5	0	1
2016	33	27	8	3	.111	0	0	0	.111	.272	.383	3	10	0	2
2017	21	20	2	4	.200	0	0	0	.200	.238	.438	1	2	1	2

What really stands out about the 2017 season from Hanning was that he managed to cut down on his swings and misses. That, in turn, enabled him to make more contact and strike out less. Great analysis? Thanks. The German was most prominently a figure in the Sharks outfield but also at the hot corner, without booking any errors.

Looking into the crystal ball, Hanning needs to up his performance at the plate to keep getting reps but the 2017 season was a step in the right direction. If he continues on this path, great things are sure to come from the latest German Shark.

Lars Karlsson

A six-year layoff seems to have done Karlsson good as a he provided stats worthy of a video game player.

Year	Club	TAB	AB	R	H	AVE	2B	3B	HR	SLG	OBP	OPS	BB	K	GIDP	RBI
2010	Malmö	6	6	1	1	.166	0	0	0	.166	.166	.333	0	0	0	0
2011	Malmö	12	11	5	5	.454	0	0	0	.454	.500	.954	1	2	0	2
2017	Göteborg	8	6	4	4	.666	1	0	0	.833	.750	.1583	2	0	0	2

Obviously, Karlsson has a sample size that’s not really smart to draw any conclusions from. On the other hand, those pretty numbers look intriguing. There will be ample expectations from the Sharks faithful going into the season when one puts up a .1583 OPS, even if it only is on six at bats.

Karlsson has worked hard during the winter to be an acceptable catcher. While no one believes or expects he can take down veteran catcher Toofan Khazal, it would be nice for the Sharks to have some kind of backup behind the plate.

Rickard Kronqvist

Yummy, that’s a moneyball type player if there ever was. Except for the lack of homers, but hey, you can’t have it all. Kronqvist provided a lot in the on base percentage department during a season where the Sharks were sorely lacking plate discipline.

Year	TAB	AB	R	H	AVE	2B	3B	HR	SLG	OBP	OPS	BB	K	GIDP	RBI
2017	14	6	5	1	.166	0	0	0	.166	.642	.809	8	2	0	0

And when we talk about value to a team, ‘The Potato’ provided the most value of any player on the team in a very underrated category – clubhouse presence. With immense energy, positivity that never seemed to end and always a kind word, he provided a much needed energy injection for the Sharks.

As far as playing time goes, Kronqvist showed that he can pretty much play any position as he was seen at first, third, behind the plate, in the outfield and on the mound during the 2017 season.

Daniel Linnås

Another Shark who is still looking for his first Regional series hit. Linnås did get one or two in SWBL play and that shiny OBP is nothing to scoff at.

Year	TAB	AB	R	H	AVE	2B	3B	HR	SLG	OBP	OPS	BB	K	GIDP	RBI
2017	14	8	1	0	.000	0	0	0	.000	.384	.384	4	6	0	0

Linnås was one of the more persistent practice attendees during last season. And it payed off! The youngster improved probably more than anyone during the year and late in the season, it started to show. More contact, more discipline and more awareness on the field.

José Martinez

While the slugger provided more value on the mound than at the plate, he was a force in the Sharks lineup all year long and held his own in the Shark outfield.

Year	TAB	AB	R	H	AVE	2B	3B	HR	SLG	OBP	OPS	BB	K	GIDP	RBI
2012	5	5	1	1	.200	1	0	0	.400	.200	.600	0	3	0	2
2014	3	3	0	1	.333	0	0	0	.333	.333	.666	0	0	0	1
2017	40	36	4	8	.222	2	0	0	.277	.300	.577	4	10	0	3

You cannot talk about Martinez’s 2017 without talking about that home game against Karlskoga. In pouring rain, Martinez stepped up and saved the day for the Sharks in the bottom of the final frame.

“Weidolf hit a double down the right field line, setting the stage for Martinez being the hero once more. Martinez rose to the occasion and hit a ground rule double for the walk off victory.”

While that quote doesn’t really do that day justice, it was pure magic. Martinez could benefit from more patience at the plate as he more often than not is looking for that big hit. When he get his pitch and connects, he is better than most.

This Reporter

Although his teammates may disagree, this was a season during which this player-coach’s main contribution was the frequency of which he benched himself. Nursing a sore knee, this reporter been slated purely for bullpen duty in 2018.

via GIPHY

Year	TAB	AB	R	H	AVE	2B	3B	HR	SLG	OBP	OPS	BB	K	GIDP	RBI
2014	8	5	0	1	.200	0	0	0	.200	.375	.575	2	2	0	2
2015	30	23	7	6	.260	1	0	0	.304	.400	.704	6	4	1	4
2016	30	25	6	7	.280	1	0	0	.320	.400	.720	5	5	0	2
2017	22	20	8	6	.300	0	0	0	.300	.363	.663	2	3	0	2

So, he progressed in one category I guess, batting average. Quite possibly the most flawed stat in the game and certainly the most useless. Regressing in all other categories. Not great. Also, like we’ve said before, the ACL tear he suffered during the offseason might be a blessing in disguise.

Isak Voigt Jansson

Izzy fell off the face of the earth for a while during last season and had no-way near the amount of at bats he amassed during 2016.

Year	TAB	AB	R	H	AVE	2B	3B	HR	SLG	OBP	OPS	BB	K	GIDP	RBI
2015	10	10	0	1	.100	0	0	0	.100	.100	.200	0	7	0	0
2016	41	31	7	2	.064	0	0	0	.064	.292	.357	8	13	0	5
2017	5	3	1	0	.000	0	0	0	.000	.400	.400	2	2	0	0

Truly, the three at bats must be below the acceptable line for a so-called reporter to provide acceptable analysis. Izzy has proclaimed he once again will be a feature in the Sharks lineup.

Prediction:

The Sharks outfield has always been the weakest spot, if there is one in this beloved and respected ball club. While there is some promise in the outfield, most of the ones that are already there would probably like to be playing on the diamond rather than in the spacious (and uphill and often swamp-like) outfield of Shark Park.

On the outside looking in, there is mostly Erik Earnest. The athletic outfielder was quite possibly the best outfielder in Sweden back in 2015 but has not played since. If he would come back, that would of course be an upgrade better than most clubs in Sweden could hope for. Other than that, the outfield will mostly benefit from the fact that the infield looks so very crowded. With so much talent and only so many spots on the diamond, it might push young, fast and sure-handed players like Mokhlad al-Ghanimi or Hannes Wiström out from the diamond on occasion. There might also be a new outfield star in the acquisition Logan Grossberg, who has shown that he can contribute anywhere on the field.

It would benefit the team if a few infielders would put in the work and actually go for an outfield spot. Some blame could also be thrown at the coaching staff, which has done too little to upgrade the team’s outfield from within.

Welcome to the first part of the 2018 regional preview from this here ‘joke site’. The series will will consist of four parts; pitchers, outfielders, infielders and the opposition. When going through position players, some in the Sharks organization are versatile and will have logged innings all over the place. They will be included where they have played the most innings.
Also, for some stupid reason, Heatstat does not show previous years’ stats on pitching. Which is retarded.

Disclaimer: This series of previews is the opinion of one person and does not necessarily reflect the organization’s views or anyone else’s for that matter.
Additional note: playoff statistics isare not included in pitchers stats.

The Shark

We can call him that, but it’s referring to the Sharks organization as a whole. The pitching staffs over the years have progressed, at least when it comes to preventing runs.

That is obviously a good thing but as we can see from last year, strikeouts are down in more innings and opposing hitters are actually hitting better, up to .313 to .285. Fortunately walks were down as well and the pitching staff’s strikeout to walk-ratio is better (0,68 in 2016 and 0,71 in 2018).

2013	540.0	14	66	944	676	11.27	3272	2586	900	.348	538	0	106	328
2014	531.2	14	64	836	500	8.47	3120	2520	822	.326	418	4	126	388
2015	291.0	11	34	415	258	7.98	1587	1275	373	.292	266	0	34	253
2016	103.7	8	9	157	87	7.55	598	484	138	.285	85	0	26	125
2017	106.7	10	6	100	77	6.50	540	447	140	.313	64	0	20	90

Starting pitchers

José Martinez

Martinez was the club ace in 2017 and consistently showed good command from the mound. He took home the silverware with the best pitcher award and will be counted upon to be the staff leader in the upcoming season.

Year	IP	W	L	R	ER	ERA	TAB	AB	H	AVE	BB	HP	K
2017	27.0	3	0	15	13	4.33	118	105	25	0.238	11	2	33

Obviously, Martinez was impressive during the 2017 season. Not only did he perform well during the season but when it came to pitching against the better offenses in the league, he was up to the task. Most notably as he held his own against the ‘regional team’ of Sölvesborg (which fortunately will not field an elite team in the regional season this time around) and in the playoffs against Alby. That Alby performance was something else as he fought himself, the home crowd and the Alby hitters while throwing just north of 150 pitches.

Mokhlad al-Ghanimi

al-Ghanimi, the staff ace of 2016, saw his efficiency diminish in 2017 and was not trusted upon as much during 2017. Maybe because of a lack in practice time but also had worse command of his pitches – both the curveball and the fastball.

Year	IP	W	L	R	ER	ERA	TAB	AB	H	AVE	BB	HP	K
2016	35.2	3	3	48	26	6.56	200	156	38	.243	35	8	70
2017	21.0	3	1	18	14	6.00	111	72	12	.167	24	13	31

The former Iraqi national team pitcher will surely look to bounce back during the 2018 campaign. Last season, he flashed his brilliance and once again proving that he probably has the best raw stuff in the league. The solution to live up to his potential is simple: command. Strikes need to be thrown and batters should not be getting free passes to first – nor by balls or getting hit by pitches. If he bounces back and the Sharks can have the 1-2 punch of Martinez and al-Ghanimi (with young’un Shervin Shakki knocking on the door), Eliteserien play is not out of the question.

Shervin Shakki

‘The Shervinator’ took another step forward and if JT Chargois success in the MLB is any indicator, Shakki might be the next ace of the Shark’s staff.

Year IP W L R ER ERA TAB AB H AVE BB HP K 2015 5.0 0 1 9 6 10.80 27 25 12 .480 1 0 1 2016 19.1 2 2 39 24 11.17 120 104 37 .355 12 0 3 2017 25.2 3 3 26 21 7.36 135 121 43 .355 6 3 18

Shakki actually pitched better than his numbers might suggest. He was very good at limiting fly balls which usually is a very good thing in baseball. Sadly, he was often bitten by some not so great defense and bad luck as balls often found holes (Ty Cobb was right, ya can’t aim). On the other hand, Shakki also needs to improve his control and also make more use of his curveball when being able to throw it for strikes. To sum his stats up, if Heatstat would provide a FIP or xFIP, ‘Shervinator’ would be a household name.

And this. If you’ve never seen Shakki’s fastball, compare it to JT Chargois. It’s pretty much an exact copy (speed not included).

Mikael Lindqvist

Lindqvist saw his health falter during the season and only made two appearences. The fan favorite might not make it back this season but would surely be a welcome addition to the club.

 

Year	IP	W	L	R	ER	ERA	TAB	AB	H	AVE	BB	HP	K
2014	10.0	0	1	22	14	12.60	68	59	24	.406	9	0	0
2015	26.2	1	3	43	29	9.79	164	137	46	.335	20	0	5
2016	16.0	1	2	27	11	6.19	87	67	18	.268	12	0	8
2017	5.2	0	1	12	5	7.94	33	28	13	.464	4	0	1

When Lindqvist is on point, he’s pretty tough to hit. He won’t overpower you but will nibble and wringe his pitchers in to the zone in a weird way, looking like nothing else in the league. As he is still on the 60-day DL, we will not see him on the field for some time but he will lead the Shark fans from the stand during his rehabilitation.

Relief pitchers

Rickard Kronqvist

Kronqvist, often referred to as ‘The Potato’, extended his versatility last season by appearing in two games on the mound. Most interesting he held his ground against that ridiculous Sölvesborg team and also kept Tranås scoreless over three innings.

Year	IP	W	L	R	ER	ERA	TAB	AB	H	AVE	BB	HP	K
2017	4.1	0	0	3	2	4.16	21	17	5	.294	3	1	0

Pitchers are often referred to as a two-, three- or four-pitch guy. Kronqvist is a two-pitch dude:

“I only have two pitches, a strike and a ball,” Kronqvist is quoted as saying.

And yeah, he’ll not blow your mind and while the number of innings doesn’t really qualify as being statistically sound, he showed last season that he can be effective. It will be interesting to see what he can contribute as the back end of the Sharks bullpen probably is the oldest in Sweden.

Jonny Edgren

If the Sharks have anything close to resembling a closer, Edgren is it. And he’s not afraid to put himself out there (which as often does) in high leverage situations.

Year	IP	W	L	R	ER	ERA	TAB	AB	H	AVE	BB	HP	K
2015	2.0	0	0	2	0	0.00	10	9	3	.333	1	0	0
2016	1.0	0	0	8	6	54.00	14	7	3	.428	6	0	1
2017	4.1	0	0	3	1	2.08	21	19	6	.316	2	0	1

Last year, Edgren showed why he and the Sharks faithful hum Hell’s Bells when he emerges from the bullpen. He has the velocity to run a fastball by you and when the splitter is on point, it can be pretty nasty. Hopefully, he’ll gain more command of his curveball to catch som hitters off guard and be the true closer that the Sharks are looking for.

This reporter

Sigh… are we really doing this again? Okay. So, last year. This wannabe baseball player made one appearance on the mound and was pretty useless. Even more useless than at the plate.

via GIPHY

Pretty useless GIF but the point is: stick to reporting.

Year	IP	W	L	R	ER	ERA	TAB	AB	H	AVE	BB	HP	K
2017	1.2	0	0	7	6	32.34	17	9	4	.444	7	0	0

Anyway, that statline is pretty nasty. Even if you try to walk seven guys in two innings it’s gonna be hard. The fact that he was slightly less ineffective during SWBL games is not that encouraging since it’s kinda hard to be worse than this. Therefore, him tearing his ACL during offseason might be a good thing for the team. That he is trying to make a comeback as a pitcher might not be as good.

Joel Earnest

Now on the right side of 70, Earnest the elder is trying to make a comeback on the mound as he did not see any regional series action from the mound during 2017.

Year	IP	W	L	R	ER	ERA	TAB	AB	H	AVE	BB	HP	K
2016	1.0	0	0	1	1	9.00	6	5	2	400	0	1	0

Basically a screwball pitcher, Earnest can throw anyone off guard at the plate. His irrational style from the mound has sent hitters to sanatoriums when that was still a thing. Word is, Earnest has worked on both a curveball and a knuckleball during the offseason and that the rumors of him hanging up his glove was very untrue.

Toofan Khazal

Rounding up the bullpen, or retirement home, is catcher Khazal. While he is rarely released from catching duty, certain members of the coaching staff are trying to free him up to let him loose on the mound. There is no doubt he would succeed from the hill as well.

Year	IP	W	L	R	ER	ERA	TAB	AB	H	AVE	BB	HP	K
2016	4.2	0	1	8	7	13.49	29	22	8	363	7	0	1

Khazal did not return to the mound in regional series play in 2017 but did show his potential during SWBL play. If coach Edgren can somehow find a decent replacement at the plate, Khazal can be a valuable addition to the bullpen.

Prediction:

The pitching staff look pretty good coming into the season. There’re obvious question marks in the bullpen but with the trio of Martinez, al-Ghanimi and Shakki, the innings coming out of the pen should be limited. It will however depend on the starters staying effective to succeed in the long run.

Word is that Shakki was effective and in shape to start the season when the Sharks faced the Malmö Pilots and Copenhagen Urban Achievers in the spring opener. His success is important, not only for the results in general but also to have Martinez and al-Ghanimi stay on their toes and feeling that pressure to succeed because someone is waiting in the wings.

As far as additions go, there were rumblings about Sharks comebacks from Ted Bratsberg and legendary pitcher Hiba Nabi. Alas, they never materialized. Relief ace and leadoff man Josef Hussein was also on the verge of a comeback but sadly it did not come true. On the other hand, Eric Marquez has shown some promise in the past and is now considered a full blown Swede by the federation (which means he won’t steal innings from al-Ghanimi). Marquez’s should has been a worry in the past and depending on where he is positioned on the diamond while not pitching.

Furthermore, the old friend alert was activated during this weekends SWBL games in Malmö when Erik Earnest once again put on the Sharks jersey. Last time around, Earnest pitched effectively in the Eliteseries and is perfectly capable of doing that again if he decides to come back full time.

On the whole, be worried about the bullpen. Be not so worried about the starters. There is a lot of potential in the 2018 edition of Sharks pitching staff and if names like Nabi, Hussein and Earnest actually would return, the staff might carry the team all the way to Elitserien.

On Sunday, a junior scrimmage was played at Shark Park.
That is not a very common sentence to write.
“Our hard work has payed off, we’re soon going to be up there playing with the big boys,” Rickard Kronqvist says.

Both a U12 and a U15 game was played in the sunbathing Shark Park on Sunday. Since a junior scrimmage hasn’t taken place in Gothenburg since, well… forever, a lot of players took the chance to try out both pitching and catching.

“There is a lot of talent in this group, but mostly a lot of joy and happiness.” Baby Shark coach Rickard Kronqvist says.

The record crowd, a bigger one than usually show up for regional series play, was thrilled as the Baby Sharks took the field with excitement.

“The joy these kids have from just playing a game and stealing bases is fantastic to see,” Kronqvist adds.

Although there was a lot of jitters and butterflies, all players exceeded expectations and provided close contests.

“I can pitch, and catch as well. But it’s gonna be hard to do at the same time,” Leo Sandgren says after the game.

The one team was a little better both offensively and defensively, especially defensively but it evened out in the end. During the second game, it was apparent that the bigger, full sized, field, was a challenge, especially on the defensive side of the ball. A lot of movement, running and stealing bases made the offense thrilling and exciting.

“I am like a magnet out there,” Sandro Ponjevic said after being hit by a pitch three times on the day.

One day, the Sharks organization hope to field a team in the national junior series. Still some way to go, but for sure closer than in a long time.

Hearing that the Sharks were just a hit away from winning last year’s Swedish regional championship, the player from the Copenhagen seemed a bit surprised. And that’s easy to understand. Because for nearly every nice play made by the Sharks, there was a bad one to match. Even so, there was plenty to smile about in Sunday’s spring training opener against the Malmö Pilots and the Copenhagen Urban Achievers.

Caleb Chu, 16, standout veteran of the Taiwanese leagues, breaks for second in a successful steal against the Pilots.

The stars were aligned and the gods of baseball were smiling down on Limnhamnsfältet Sunday. With the mercury at seventeen degrees , blue skies and free burgers courtesy of the home team, it would take more than an occasional error, watching a called third strike go by or wildness on the mound to dampen spirits.

Acting Coach Rick Kronqvist, when asked about losing both games of the doubleheader, had this to say: “Although winning is always better than losing, there were no losers here today. This was baseball at it’s finest, in its purest form.”

Malmö burgers — best in the league

Did you know…
This was the first time Erik Earnest and Joel Earnest had played together since combining with the legendary Jason Norderum in throwing a no-hitter against Sundbyberg back in 2015.

Sweden’s stringent border checks, established to protect its citizens from the forces of evil had an unexpected effect Sunday, with several of Copenhagen’s top players being turned away while trying to cross the bridge between Denmark and Sweden due to insufficient travel documents.

After a long winter, some light can finally be seen at the end of the tunnel.
It all starts with a couple of SWBL games in Malmö.
“Winter practice has really paid off,” coach Edgren says.

As the Sharks travel south to the friendly confines of Limhamnsfältet for their unofficial season opener they do so without the regular coaching staff. In their absence, Toofan Khazal, Lars Karlsson and Rickard Kronqvist will run the show.

“It ain’t no thing, I’ve got this thing down,” Kronqvist says.

All through winter, coach Jonny Edgren has sharpened the finer points of throwing and hitting during grueling indoor practices in Gothenburg. As outdoor practice started last week, it seems to have payed off.

“Compared to last year, I think we look pretty sharp,” Edgren says.

With Skövde now in the official Regionserien, the SWBL games will be fewer this season. On the other hand, this has included other teams. On Sunday, the Sharks will not only face the Pilots in Malmö but also the Copenhagen Urban Achievers.

This weekend, a few question marks return as last year’s MVP and best pitcher award winner returns in José Munoz and José Martinez. Old friend Erik Earnest will also make the trip, having the Sharks fans drooling and dreaming of having the best outfielder of the regional league on the field.

Furthermore Logan Grossberg has joined the team during the winter. The exile american has shown a lot of promise during the winter, can basically play all over the field and will surely be a exciting part of the 2018 Sharks squad.

“I’m excited, we’re all excited. Team’s looking good, everyone is in great shape and I think we’re well prepared for the season to start,” Edgren says.

“And we have to be, all these other teams, they bring a wallop,” Edgren says before rushing on to the plane to China for a weird scouting trip.

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.

Hibernation is over – Sharks baseball is back.
This “joke site” will continue to bring you news from around the Sharks organization.
“Maybe more so now when I don’t have shit to do”, the reporter says.

As the 2018 regional season draws closer, so does this reporter wake up from a long, winter sleep. Like last year, we will in the coming weeks (months?) bring you a preview of the 2018 season, including the full squad and the opposition. Quite possibly a more thorough preview than any other baseball website in Sweden during the last five year period.

“Not bad for a site that is often referred to as a joke”, the reporter grumbles.

Anyway, we start off with a short injury update. First of all, this reporter will not hamper the team’s performance during the upcoming season. A torn ACL will stop him from getting into action.

“I was skiing in Japan, freak accident”, he says.

It does sound freaky, maybe a little bit too freaky to be true. But then again, the drop off wont be noticed as the organization has added on enough firepower to be a legit candidate for Elitserien play. Quite possibly, he wouldn’t have played anyway.

Eric Marquez has during the winter nursed his knee and shoulder and should be ready to contribute on the level he expects of himself. Furthermore, Marquez has fought off the interest from the Malmö Pilots and signed a long term deal with the Sharks.

“I couldn’t see myself playing anywhere else, I love this team”, Marquez says.

Unconfirmed rumors also say that José Martinez, the club’s 2017 Best Pitcher Award winner and standout ace, is rehabbing a shoulded that on occasion held him back last season.

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.”