GCL Twins

2007 GCL Twins News

Russian interaction

Both sides gain as Verot plays host to baseball squad

Terry Allen Williams/news-press.com Andrey Lobanov pitches for the Russian 18-under national baseball team Friday during a game against the Bishop Verot High School team on the Verot field in Fort Myers.

Twenty years ago, President Ronald Reagan stood in front of the Berlin Wall and famously challenged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall."

Now, the Russians are here and they're taking hacks at our walls and fences.

Russia's 18-under national baseball team is in Fort Myers this week playing several exhibition games. The Russians, who will be in town until July 2, played against Bishop Verot High School on Friday.

A Russian squad playing an American club on U.S. soil would've been incomprehensible during the Cold War. The two countries were bitter enemies for about five decades, until the Soviet Union ceded power over Eastern Europe and was dissolved in 1991.

Nobody talked about nuclear weapons, perestroika or capitalism during Friday's game. It was just about hitting, pitching and fielding.

After the contest, the teams slapped hands and then gathered around home plate. A few parents and coaches snapped photos to remember the unique tilt.

The game happened by chance. A Verot assistant coach was at Terry Park watching a game when he was approached by one of the Russian representatives and asked if the Vikings wanted to play. Verot, which want to get its players as much game action as possible during the summer, jumped on the opportunity.

Russian coach Michael Kornev said his club is in town "just to play some games." The 18-under squad chose Fort Myers largely because one of its former players, left-handed pitcher Nikolay Lobanov, is in town playing for the Gulf Coast League Twins — Minnesota's rookie-ball club.

Lobanov is one of 11 Russians who have signed minor-league contracts to play in the United States since 1992. He's an example of how much his country has improved in the sport.

Thirty years ago, baseball was nonexistent in Russia. The country officially started playing America's national pastime in 1987, one year after it was designated as a medal sport at the Olympics. Russian baseball has improved, but there's room for growth. There are only three baseball fields, for instance, in Moscow.

Despite the lack of facilities back home, the 18-under national squad showed Friday that it can play. The Russians beat the Vikings 7-0. The Russian team's first two pitchers were throwing 80 mph or faster, according to the game's umpire.

The Russian outfit brought a solid resume. Many of the players were on the 2003 club that posted Russia's first Little League World Series victory — a 2-0 win over Guam. The under-18 team also took ninth recently in an international tournament in Mexico.

Anton Evseev, a 16-year-old Russian pitcher, said the trip to Fort Myers has been a success thus far.

"Very good people here. Very friendly," Evseev said.

Victor Samchuk, a 17-year-old outfielder, was asked to compare Moscow to Fort Myers.

"Not friendly," Samchuk said of Moscow. "Very busy. More people. Traffic. No rules. Alcohol everywhere."

The Americans benefited from the experience, too. Drew Reeves, a 17-year-old Verot pitcher, was so amped-up for the tilt that he went on the Internet and researched Russian baseball. He was impressed by how deceptive that country's pitchers were.

"I enjoyed it a lot," said Peter Magrino, 16-year-old Vikings third baseman. "When you face a national youth baseball team from another country, it helps you find out what you need to work on."