by Pim van Nes
Hundred and seventy years after Knickerbocker Club started to use the Elysian Fields in Hoboken, yesterday
Orioles scout Mauro Mazzotti gave a baseball clinic in the Royal Atheneum complex in Hoboken.
In 1845 it happened in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA, that the club
from New York discovered the fields in Hoboken as play ground for
baseball, due to a lack of suitable fields in Manhattan at the other
side of Hudson river. On February 24, 2015 it happened in Hoboken,
southern outskirt of Antwerp at the right bank of Schelde river, that
VBSL (Vlaamse Baseball Softball League) hosted a clinic presented
by Italian coach Mazzotti for Belgian coaches and future coaches.
The attendence amounted to 20 persons, including Mrs Inge
Koch as baseball coach in the national Little League.
The audience for the entertaining one man show by Italian coach,
scout and manager Mazzotticonsisted of Ignace
Peeters (Brasschaat Braves), Tom Lorrentop (Hoboken
Pioneers),Danny Vets (Hoboken Pioneers), Robert De Boey (Little Early baseball game played at Elysian
League Flanders), Chris Schoonheydt (Little League
Fields, Hoboken (Currier & Ives lithograph)
Flanders), Matthew Latta (Little League Flanders), Inge Koch(Little
League Flanders), Bart Saerens (Merchtem Cats), Kevin Peeters (National Team Belgium), Patrick
Renard (Vlaamse Baseball Academy), Ray Werner (Vlaamse Baseball Academy), Thomas Van den
Eynde (Vlaamse Baseball Academy), Lorenzo Oeyen(Vlaamse Baseball Academy), Tim Veraghtert (Vlaamse
Baseball Academy), Robin Roevens (Vlaamse Baseball Academy), Nasser Tauil (Vlaamse Baseball
Academy), Jan Naterop (Vlaamse Baseball Academy) and Wouter Schats (Wase Baseball Academy).
The three chapters of the clinic between 19.00 and 22.00 hrs last night were titled “Building a winning program in
Europe”, “From quality at bat to manufacture a run” and “General mechanics of infield play”. Mazzotti‘s
performance varied from one way lessons to Q and A attitude, allowing his Belgian guests to ask for further
explanation about his lesson and to ask clarification about their own team questions. Mazzotti was invited and
introduced by Flanders League representative Filip van der Meiren.
After the clinic, Belga correspondent in the Netherlands Guus Mater photographed all participants of the clinic
together in front of the screen indicating Mazzotti and Belgian baseball want to meet again: “Arrivederci!”