Spain Are Champions Of Europe
31st December 1996 - In a wide open tournament, Spain became the 4th European baseball champions by beating the Czech Republic in 7 games in the final series.
Code:
W L GB W L GB
Czech Republic 28 14 - Spain 26 16 -
Austria 26 16 2 Portugal 25 17 1
Ireland 24 18 4 Denmark 22 20 4
Poland 22 20 6 Italy 21 21 5
France 22 20 6 Russia 21 21 5
Germany 19 23 9 Hungary 19 23 7
Netherlands 15 27 13 Sweden 18 24 8
Switzerland 12 30 16 Finland 16 26 10
Code:
W L GB
Norway 27 13 -
Bulgaria 24 16 3
Greece 22 18 5
England 21 19 6
Scotland 15 25 12
Belgium 11 29 16
Notes -
Portugal started 6-0 in Group B and Finland started 0-6. Portugal used their start to sneak into the knockout stages, whereas Finland could never quite recover and as a result are relegated to Division B for 2000. Switzerland are the other team relegated after they won only 5 of their last 21 games, including losing their last 10.
The race for Group A was pretty much a 4-team fight all way through with Poland only moving above .500 in the latter stages. Ireland and France were never quite able to topple the Czechs or Austrians and therefore missed out.
Spain had the best second half of anybody, going 14-7 to win Group B.
In Division B, Norway started 9-0 but were actually behind Bulgaria late in the season as both teams gained promotion to the top division fairly comfortably.
Player Notes -
Tahvo Ahonen (Finland) threw a no-hitter on the final day of the regular season which couldn't prevent the Finns relegation. He struck out 10 hitters as they beat Italy 15-0. He had also thrown a three-hitter earlier in the tournament and struck out 13 Russians in a 9-0 win.
Hannes Schwarzenberger (Austria) was 4/4 with a double, a triple and 2 Home Runs in his team's 9-5 win over Switzerland.
Arnaud Bret (France) held Germany to 3 hits through 7 innings and also got 2 hits himself and scored both of his team's runs in a 2-0 win.
Carlos Bustamante (Spain) had 7 RBI on 3 Home runs as the Spaniards beat Finland 11-4.
Thomas Meinert (Denmark) hit .407 through the 40 game season and was named to the All Tournament Team for the third consecutive championship.
All Tournament Team
Code:
SP -- Jesus Ruiz (ESP) -- 6-2, 1.82 ERA, 1.27 WHIP
RP -- Christian Michel (FRA) -- 1-1, 12 SV, 0.54 ERA, 1.00 WHIP
C -- Tommy Woestenberg (NED) -- .326 AVg, 10 HR, 23 RBI, 1.013 OPS
1B -- Stefan Fingerlos (AUT) -- .380 AVG, 8 HR, 29 RBI, 1.057 OPS
2B -- Thomas Meinert (DEN) -- .407 AVG, 6 HR, 30 RBI, 1.089 OPS
3B -- Gage McMahan (IRL) -- .306 AVG, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 1.003 OPS
SS -- Gustaf Bashe (SWE) -- .284 AVG, 6 HR, 28 RBI, .876 OPS
LF -- Zhenya Avrutin (RUS) -- .277 AVG, 6 HR, 24 RBI, .819 OPS
CF -- Josef Metternich (AUT) -- .356 AVG, 6 HR, 22 RBI, .986 OPS
RF -- Stefan Kowelski (POL) -- .338 AVG, 3 HR, 24 RBI, .953 OPS
Significant Injuries -
Relief pitcher
Morten Goldbaek will not be able to suit up for Amsterdam again after suffering a career ending back injury in the early days of the tournament.
No big names were injured through the tournament, so no team can really blame injuries if they didn't perform well.
Knockout Stages
Semi Finals
Portugal 2
Czech Republic 5 - Anton Gefrovich hit 2 doubles, but was also ejected for arguing over balls and strikes.
Portugal 1
Czech Republic 12 - Borivoj Maimoch allowed only 5 hits through 8 innings and the Czechs got 9 runs in the first 2 innings.
Czech Republic 3 Portugal 2 - Bohdan Leibovic was very strong through 8 innings.
Czech Republic 1
Portugal 2 - The Czechs were shut out until Ota Hospodar's solo shot in the 9th. Placido Gamboa was impressive through 8 innings, allowing only 2 hits and a walk.
Czech Republic 2
Portugal 5 - Portugal scored 4 runs in the 4th and held on to take the series back to Prague.
Portugal 4
Czech Republic 8 - Arnost Mikeska hit a Grand Slam in the 3rd inning to take control of the game and the series.
Austria 1
Spain 4 - Anibal Escamilla held Austria in check over 8 innings.
Austria 4
Spain 5 - Austria led 4-0, but couldn't hold off the hard charging Spaniards.
Spain 9 Austria 5 - Spain came from behind again with 6 runs in the 8th inning thanks to three walks and a three-run homer from Arturo Segura.
Spain 2
Austria 6 - Alois Freindametz struck out 10 Spaniards and also drove in 2 runs.
Spain 1 Austria 0 - Escamilla was great again with a 3-hitter, just bettering Joseph Sykora's 4-hitter.
Final
Game 1 starters
Spain: Luis Pena (11-13, 4.24 ERA, 1.29 WHIP -- 7-3, 4.06 ERA, 1.21 WHIP)
Czech Republic: Bohdan Leibovic (19-7, 3.48 ERA, 1.25 WHIP -- 4-2, 3.48 ERA, 1.19 WHIP)
Code:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
Spain 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 2 8 9 0
Czech Republic 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 3 0 6 10 1
Bohuslav Pletka (CZE) - 3/3, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R
Julio Espinoza (ESP) - 3/5, HR, 2 RBI
Spain scored 2 runs before they made an out and looked to have it sewn
up until Pletka's second long ball in the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs tied
it up. They responded immediately in the 10th to secure Game 1.
Game 2 starters:
Spain: Jesus Ruiz (12-11, 3.82 ERA, 1.27 WHIP -- 6-2, 1.82 ERA, 0.88 WHIP)
Czech Republic: Borivoj Maimoch (0-1, 2 SV, 2.31 ERA, 1.71 WHIP -- 0-0, 8.22 ERA, 1.04 WHIP)
Code:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Spain 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 4 7 0
Czech Republic 0 0 1 0 0 0 5 0 X 6 10 0
Bohuslav Pletka (CZE) - 3/4, 2B, 3B, HR, 3 RBI
Pletka's 3-run homer were the last runs of the game and came after Ruiz
had started realy well.
Game 3 starters:
Czech Republic: Mirko Bukvajova (14-17, 3.96 ERA, 1.34 WHIP -- 4-2, 3.84 ERA, 1.37 WHIP)
Spain: Marcos Gutierrez (13-8, 3.22 ERA, 1.25 WHIP -- 2-2, 4.40 ERA, 1.51 WHIP)
Code:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Czech Republic 3 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 6 12 0
Spain 1 0 2 4 0 0 0 0 X 7 12 0
Julian Archuleja (ESP) - 2/4, 3B, 2 RBI, R
Ota Hospodar (CZE) - 3/5, 2 R
Spain scored 7 runs on 10 hits against Bukvajova in just 3.2 innings and
held on the win.
Game 4 starters:
Czech Republic: Radomir Navara (6-19, 5.20 ERA, 1.55 WHIP -- 1-2, 6.33 ERA, 1.73 WHIP)
Spain: Anibal Escamilla (13-11, 3.97 ERA, 1.25 WHIP -- 4-2, 3.94 ERA, 1.22 WHIP)
Code:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Czech Republic 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 0
Spain 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 9 0
Radomir Navara (CZE) - 8.1 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Anibal Esamilla (ESP) - 9 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
Bartolomej Burik (CZE) - 1/4, HR, RBI
Teodor Zahradnicek (CZE) - 1/3, HR, RBI
The Czechs didn't get a hit outside of the solo home runs until the
9th.
Game 5 starters:
Czech Republic: Antonn Bila (11-11, 3.83 ERA, 1.26 WHIP -- 5-1, 2.14 ERA, 1.08 WHIP)
Spain: Pena
Code:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Czech Republic 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 3 9 0
Spain 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 11 1
Pablo Morales (ESP) - 3/4, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 3 R
Luis Pena (ESP) - 8 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 8 K
Javier Rodriguez (ESP) - 2/5, 2B, 2 RBI
Rodriguez's bases-loaded double with two outs in the 9th sent the Spanish
fans home happy and sent the series back to Prague needing only 1 win to
clinch the title.
Game 6 starters:
Spain: Ruiz
Czech Republic: Leibovic
Code:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Spain 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 4 8 0
Czech Republic 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 X 5 6 1
Bohdan Leibovic (CZE) - 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
Mario Ramirez (ESP) - 1/5, HR, 3 RBI
Ruiz had a no-hitter going through 5.2 innings then gave up a walk and 3
singles to put the Czechs in front. Aleksander Dimmit had a 2-RBI double in
the 7th to push the lead out to 4 runs so even Ramirez's 3-run shot
couldn't get Spain back into the lead.
Game 7 starters:
Spain: Gutierrez
Czech Republic: Bukvajova
Code:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Spain 0 5 1 0 0 0 1 0 4 11 10 1
Czech Republic 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 4 9 1
Rudolf Tuhina (CZE) - 3/4, HR, RBI
Julian Archuleja (ESP) - 2/3, HR, RBI
Gutierrez started things as they meant to go on for Spain with a 3 RBI
double in the 2nd. By the time the 9th inning came around the small band
of Spanish supporters were dancing in the bleachers.
Spain win the series 4-3
Series MVP -
Julio Espinoza (ESP) - 9/24, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 6 R