Monday night’s visit by the BLACKCAPS to the Florida Marlins baseball camp is a dream come true for some of the team’s self-confessed baseball nuts.
The visit will take place before the Marlins Major League game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Miami. The BLACKCAPS will attend the Marlins batting practice and compare the differences in technique (batting/bowling versus pitching), equipment, bats and balls, etc.
BLACKCAPS captain, Daniel Vettori and Jacob Oram will be throwing the first pitch at the game. Baseball style pitching is something that many of the BLACKCAPS have tried their hand at, particularly after the influence of fielding coach Travis Wilson, a former Atlanta Braves baseball player. “I have been thinking about what I will pitch-up, Travis has been in touch and thinks I should just throw as straight as I can. I was thinking of a curve ball, but I am less likely to mess it up if I throw straight,” said Oram today.
“There are quite a few baseball fans in the team Scott Styris, Kyle Mills, Shane Bond and Daryl Tuffey in particular. A few of us got along to a Marlins game the other night and watched we had fantastic seats and it was a pretty awsome experience. Tomorrow is going to be a step up again, it will be a great opportunity to train and compare skill-sets, we can’t wait.”
The Marlins and BLACKCAPS will also be exchanging signed jerseys and generally discussing the differences in the sport with the Marlins players.
