NASSAU, BAHAMAS – With the second edition of the ‘Don’t Blink 242 Home Run Derby’ set to take place at the Montagu Foreshore in less than a month, some of the local professional baseball players competing have expressed their excitement about being able to perform in front of their home crowd.
The derby is set for January 5, 2019 and will get underwent at noon. A total of 20 Bahamian current and former pro players will take part in the event. They will be joined by 13 foreign players, including four major leaguers and two former major leaguers.
Bahamian athletes competing include Lucius Fox (Tampa Bay Rays), Todd Isaacs (Cleveland Indians), Jasrado Chisholm, Dominique Collie and Kristian Robinson from the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, Larry Alcime and Tahnaj Thomas from the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, Courtney Smith and Keithron Moss from the Texas Rangers organization, Trent Deveaux and D’Shawn Knowles from the Los Angeles Angels organization, Anfernee Seymour (Miami Marlins), Reshard Munroe (Cincinnati Reds), Chavez Yound (Toronto Blue Jays), D’Vaughn Knowles (New York Yankees), Orveo Saint (Milwaukee Brewers), Warren Saunders (New York Mets) and Chavez Fernander (Detroit Tigers).
“Last year’s event was exciting for me. It was amazing to see the kids come up to us and express an interest in playing baseball,” he said. “For parents to come up to me and say that we made their kids want to play baseball was a blessing for me because that is what it’s all about – to inspire the next generation, keep this thing going and instill in them a desire to be something in life.”
Alcime added: “I loved to see the kids’ enthusiasm – going after the balls, even into the water. That was the most exciting part for me last year.”