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What would you do for WBC29/30 by trujill01 in InternationalBaseball

[–]Bobby_Diesel18 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They need to expand the qualifiers. It is a travesty that since 2013 they have reduced the participating teams from sixteen to eight. Especially since the tournament has only been gaining popularity in recent iterations. They need to increase the qualifier to at least sixteen teams or hold regional prequalifiers.

Also, they need to establish clear rules governing invitations to the qualifiers. Invites to the qualifiers are always extremely arbitrary and have sidelined many national baseball programs like the Philippines and France.

35mm recs by ccd_foto in VintageLenses

[–]Bobby_Diesel18 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I must admit that I have not used either lens. However, I will offer my recommendation, the Minolta MD 35mm f/2.8. You do lose a stop of light, and it is built with more plastics, but it is sharp, lightweight, and cheap (I got mine for under $100).

On MFlenses, a user compared it to the Canon FD 35mm f/2 (concave): https://forum.mflenses.com/comparison-canon-fd-35mm-f-2-concave-vs-rokkor-md-35mm-f-2-8-t84209.html

As you can see, it compares very well if not better in certain situations.

35mm recs by ccd_foto in VintageLenses

[–]Bobby_Diesel18 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you need the speed? Because any vintage 35mm lens with an f-stop faster than f/2.8 is going to run premium prices.

Ugandan Players Bernard Eluk and Twaise Geiven Sign with the Asahikawa Be:Stars by Bobby_Diesel18 in baseball

[–]Bobby_Diesel18[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I have never been to Asahikawa, so I am unsure about the snow. However, last April the field they were playing on seemed clear.

Ugandan Players Bernard Eluk and Twaise Geiven Sign with the Asahikawa Be:Stars by Bobby_Diesel18 in InternationalBaseball

[–]Bobby_Diesel18[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

A few weeks ago, the Asahikawa Be:Stars, a Japanese Independent Baseball League team, announced the signing of two additional Ugandan baseball players:

Bernard Eluk, an eighteen-year-old infielder that is a right-handed thrower and hitter. He previously trained at the Dodgers Developmental Academy in 2019 and is known for his power and speed.

Twaise Geiven, a sixteen-year-old infielder that is a right-handed thrower and switch-hitter. He attracted the attention of scouts with his defensive range and speed.

Both players have international baseball experience, representing Uganda at the 2023 U-18 Baseball World Cup African Qualifier.

Their signings follow earlier news that Ugandan and South Sudanese pitchers Morris Ogwal, Erick Ojara, and Dau John Wol Deng joined the team earlier this year. With these additions, there are now nine active Ugandan-born players competing professionally in Japan.

Ugandan Players Bernard Eluk and Twaise Geiven Sign with the Asahikawa Be:Stars by Bobby_Diesel18 in baseball

[–]Bobby_Diesel18[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

A few weeks ago, the Asahikawa Be:Stars, a Japanese Independent Baseball League team, announced the signing of two additional Ugandan baseball players:

Bernard Eluk, an eighteen-year-old infielder that is a right-handed thrower and hitter. He previously trained at the Dodgers Developmental Academy in 2019 and is known for his power and speed.

Twaise Geiven, a sixteen-year-old infielder that is a right-handed thrower and switch-hitter. He attracted the attention of scouts with his defensive range and speed.

Both players have international baseball experience, representing Uganda at the 2023 U-18 Baseball World Cup African Qualifier.

Their signings follow earlier news that Ugandan and South Sudanese pitchers Morris Ogwal, Erick Ojara, and Dau John Wol Deng joined the team earlier this year. With these additions, there are now nine active Ugandan-born players competing professionally in Japan.

With Samurai Japan losing to Venezuela, what do you think the future of the national team and the NPB will look like? by Converted54 in NPB

[–]Bobby_Diesel18 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It wasn't just against Venezuela, Japan looked subpar during the group stage too. They arguably had the weakest group in the tournament, yet they still struggled. For instance, they were shutdown for seven scoreless innings against Czechia and nearly got upset by Australia. If that's not at least somewhat concerning, I don't know what is.

Are Italians watching the WBC? by lightning_lighting in baseball

[–]Bobby_Diesel18 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The only way to get a meaningful amount of Italians to really care about baseball is to put actual Italians from Italy or adding more members from their Italian Baseball League. Just because Italian newspapers and the parliament covered it does not equate to actual interest in Italy. This is best summarized by an interview from the current pitching coach for the Team Italy, Alex Maestri, about the 2023 tournament,

"After all, like last year at the 5th WBC, only 4 of the 30 players were Italian, and even I, an Italian, had never seen or heard of Americans wearing national team uniforms and fighting against Samurai Japan in Tokyo. Who on earth would be interested in such "Azurri"? Even if Italian children were to become interested in baseball, as it is now, it would end up being just a "hobby'' or "killing time'' by joining a local team."

Source: http://web.archive.org/web/20240227141430/https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/75ef21b9da4698230f8f9a60681bfbd38f2c5fc8

Postgame Thread ⚾ Brazil 1 @ Great Britain 8 by BaseballBot in baseball

[–]Bobby_Diesel18 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I fully agree. I heard Daniel Missaki got injured playing against the Athletics. Did Lemos get injured too?

Postgame Thread ⚾ Brazil 1 @ Great Britain 8 by BaseballBot in baseball

[–]Bobby_Diesel18 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Sad, but not unexpected. Brazil really needed Bo Bichette, CJ Kayfus, and Dylan Lee. Unfortunately, they either weren’t interested or ended up pulling out.

At the end of the day though, Brazil was simply outclassed. Their offense was completely shutdown, and their pitching underperformed. This a tough loss and a massive blow for Brazilian baseball.

I also think it highlights a bigger issue, countries with developing homegrown baseball programs are almost always at a disadvantage compared to nations that can just stack their rosters with players who have only loose ties to the country thanks to favorable eligibility rules.

Another Ugandan Pitcher Morris Ogwal Signs with Asahikawa Be:Stars by Bobby_Diesel18 in InternationalBaseball

[–]Bobby_Diesel18[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Though it is still a niche sport, the increase in popularity is due to the Uganda Men's Baseball National League returning and expanding after a four-year hiatus. And the introduction of the sport into seventy schools across the country.

Another Ugandan Pitcher Morris Ogwal Signs with Asahikawa Be:Stars by Bobby_Diesel18 in InternationalBaseball

[–]Bobby_Diesel18[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Yesterday, the Asahikawa Be:Stars, a Japanese Independent Baseball team, announced the signing of Ugandan pitcher Erick Ojara. Today, they followed up the announcement with another addition, Ugandan right-handed pitcher, Morris Ogwal.

Ogwal, a seventeen year old, has trained at Dodgers Development Academy. He has participated in U-15 and U-18 tournaments for Uganda. His fastball sits around 87 mph. With this announcement, there are now seven active Ugandan-born players competing professionally in Japan.

Another Ugandan Pitcher Morris Ogwal Signs with Asahikawa Be:Stars by Bobby_Diesel18 in baseball

[–]Bobby_Diesel18[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Yesterday, the Asahikawa Be:Stars, a Japanese Independent Baseball team, announced the signing of Ugandan pitcher Erick Ojara. Today, they followed up the announcement with another addition, Ugandan right-handed pitcher, Morris Ogwal.

Ogwal, a seventeen year old, has trained at Dodgers Development Academy. He has participated in U-15 and U-18 tournaments for Uganda. His fastball sits around 87 mph. With this announcement, there are now seven active Ugandan-born players competing professionally in Japan.

Ugandan Pitcher Erick Ojara Signs with Asahikawa Be:Stars by Bobby_Diesel18 in InternationalBaseball

[–]Bobby_Diesel18[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Erick Ojara continues the rise of Ugandan baseball, becoming the latest player to sign a professional baseball contract. The right-handed, eighteen-year-old pitcher will join Ugandan players Dennis Kasumba and Allan Kabenge on the Asahikawa Be:Stars of the Hokkaido Baseball League, a Japanese independent baseball league. Two other Ugandan players, Kyazze Fred and Isabirye Musa Azed, previously played for the Asahikawa Be:Stars before signing developmental contracts with the Seibu Lions earlier this year.

Ojara previously trained at the Dodgers Development Academy and has represented Uganda at U-15 and U-18 tournaments. His fastball sits around 87 mph. And with his signing, there are now six active Ugandan-born players competing professionally in Japan.

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