The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

From Bahamian Major League player Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr and coach Antoan Richardson to American icons Andrew Dawson, Derek Jeter and CC Sabathia, there was no shortage of stars for the local and international high school players to glean from as they got their opportunity to shine.

The Major Leaguers were on hand last night as they watched the inaugural Don’t Blink/Minority Baseball Prospects Futures Showcase at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium that was a part of the festivities for the sixth annual Don’t Blink Home Run Derby in Paradise. The unique Don’t Blink Home Run Derby in Paradise and dubbed “the Greatest Show on Sand,” is set for Saturday at 1pm on the foreshore of Montagu Bay. It is organised by the Bahamian duo of Todd Isaacs Jr and Lucius Fox, who initiated the event in 2018 to bring more awareness to the sport in the Bahamas.

“This is year six, but I wonder what year 10 would look like,” said Fox as he glanced over the audience of “who is who” in the baseball community. “I’ve seen some great performances.

“The kids who came over from the United States put on a show for the public and our Bahamian kids are doing great as well as they put their best foot forward to show what they can do.”

Fox, the eighth Bahamian to play in Major League Baseball, said Saturday is the big show and everybody is excited to see what the players will put forth. He’s looking forward to the Bahamian players prevailing over their visiting counterparts to keep the title here.

As for the high schoolers, which included some of the top players out of the United States and the Bahamas, they got to display their skills in hitting and fielding for the international scouts and visiting college coaches.

The night concluded with an exhibition baseball game.

As the seventh Bahamian to play in the Major League and now considered to be the face of the Miami Marlins, Chisholm Jr was delighted to embrace the opportunity to provide some motivation to the younger players on display in the showcase.

“It’s good to come back home and to be able to watch the young kids,” said Chisholm Jr, who just completed his third season with the Marlins.

“We finally get in the stadium so the kids can now really enjoy playing the game.”

Nobody seemed to enjoy playing the game more than Chisholm Jr, who was switched from the infield to the outfield after he recovered from a turf toe surgery during the season.

“I am getting ready to play baseball like I always do,” he stated. “If I don’t get hurt, you can expect an MVP season. I’m looking forward to hitting 40 home runs and stealing 40 bags. If I can stay healthy and do it, I can get the MVP.”

In the meantime, Chisholm Jr said he’s looking forward to watching the Home Run Derby, which takes on a new format this year with the Bahamian players being matched against the World.

“We have some big bats out there, so you can expect to see some bombs,” Chisholm Jr stated.

Richardson, the sixth Bahamian to play in the Majors before he retired and took up the first base coaching job with the San Francisco Giants, said he too loves being home and to see the magnitude of the game being played here.

“I am excited to see our pro players like Jazz Chisholm, all of the coaches who worked with these players in Freedom Farm and JBLN as well as the academies,” said Richardson, who cracked the Majors in 2011 with the Atlanta Braves on September 4, 2011.

“It’s must exciting to see the growth of baseball in the Bahamas.

“I have to shout out to Todd Isaacs and Lucius Fox for being the type of ambassadors they are for our country in bringing this level of baseball to our country. It’s growing and it’s going to continue to grow with people like Todd and Lucius involved. They bring so much to the sport.”

While he’s looking forward to the growth of the event next year, Richardson said he’s thrilled to watch the Home Run Derby to where it has ascended in just six years of existence.

Having visited the Bahamas more times than he could count, Sabathia said he’s thrilled to return to see the progress Isaacs Jr and Fox are making with the Home Run Derby and watching Chisholm Jr as he interacts with the Bahamian people has made this trip extra special or him.

“To come down here for a baseball event and to watch these kids is just amazing,” said Sabathia, whose tall figure could not be denied wearing a Chisholm Jr jersey. “To have all this talent down here and this caliber of talent is just amazing. “It’s just a great collection of talent here and I’m just happy to be a part of it.”

The left-handed pitcher who won a World Series with the New York Yankees noted that he’s just thrilled to watch the Home Run Derby as the players hit the ball in the water as he is going to Baha Mar’s Royal Blue Golf Club for a round of golf.

Jeter, another frequent visitor to the Bahamas, said anytime he can make an impact on the future players in the sport, he’s eager to do it. For those who remembered, he also did it, playing with Richardson when they were both members of the New York Yankees.

On September 25, 2014, Richardson came in to pinch-run for Jose Pirela in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Baltimore Orioles. He scored the winning run on a walk-off single by Jeter in the final Yankee Stadium at bat of Jeter’s career

Now nine years later, the two retired players are here on the sidelines watching the next generation of players.

“We are all blessed with having a platform, but we’re also thankful that the Players Alliance has afforded us this opportunity to engage in this event as well,” he pointed out. “We are thankful that as current and former players, we can help to motivate and encourage the future generation of players.”

Jeter, inducted into the Hall of Fame after playing in the Majors from 1995 to 2014, said the game has certainly changed since he was growing up because the players now have the exposure that he wasn’t afforded.

He said it’s even more unique that the players will showcase their skills in a home run derby on the waterfront.

“It’s a fun experience and a great atmosphere to do it,” Jeter stated. “There are so much more baseball players like Jazz Chisholm who is coming from the Bahamas and guys like Todd and Lucius are exposing so much more by putting on this great event. I love it.”

Curtis Grandison, who played the outfield for 16 seasons with seven different teams in Major League, is the current president of the Board of the Players Alliance. After joining forces with Isaacs Jr and Fox last year, Grandison said they decided to make it a permanent relationship.

“We came down here last year and provided a lot of equipment for these young players to continue to improve their skills and so we’re happy to be able to come back and continue to make our contribution to the growth of the sport here,” he pointed out.

Looking at what he’s seen here, Grandison said there must be “something in the rice and the peas and conch because seeing these kids who are 15-16 years old and they are taller than me and 30 more pounds than me.

“So whatever you are doing, keep doing it because I see the athletic development and they love the game and with players like Jazz making it to the big league, they too feel like they can accomplish their dreams.

Grandison is even more eager about watching the Home Run Derby on Saturday. “The water is a sight to see,” he said. “If those who haven’t seen it and they love home runs, I encourage them to come to the Bahamas for a great event. You get a chance to hit home runs in the ocean.”

Amari Burrows, who is now in his first year at Bruce Academy in Palm Dale, Florida, is a 15-year-old former student of Queen’s College. He came home to make an impression on the scouts and coaches in the showcase on Thursday.

“This is a great opportunity for me to step out there and put on a show,” he stated. “The US guys have that platform where the scouts are coming behind them. So it’s good for us to have them come here to watch us perform.”

One of the visiting players from the United States Braylon Nelson, who hails out of Pensacola, Florida, is a towering 6-foot, five-inch 16-year-old player in the 11th grade.

“It’s amazing. I’m really pleased to be able to see some of the players I looked up to,” pointed out Nelson, who is making his first trip to the Bahamas. “It’s really a blessing.”