Previewing the 2023 BBF AA season: Richmond Dragons
By Alvin Michael | alvinmichael.com | @AlvinMicWrites | @alvinmicwrites
Richmond Dragons will be hoping for a bounce-back year in 2023 after a disappointing '22 campaign which saw them finish 5th in their division with an 8-17 record. It was a marginal improvement over their 2021 outing in which they won just 5 games, but still far off their lofty expectations.
Their final standing in the South A division belied vastly improved performances in the second half of the season following the roster additions of Chihiro Hagiwara, Masaki Akamatsu and Vilnis Geidans. Dragons’ Co-Manager and Richmond Baseball Club President, Dave D’Urbano, was positive as he reflected on the ‘22 campaign saying, “We started out slow, but as we got some new players with some experience, it took off, and while our record wasn't the greatest, we were clearly playing closer games towards the end of the season and got some good wins at the end”.
Craig Abouchar, 3B
Geidans bolstered the team’s pitching rotation, whilst Hagiwara and Akamatsu strengthened their batting lineup. Hagiwara finished the year with an OPS+ of 160 thanks to his .600/ .731 / .800 slash line in 26 plate appearances. The versatile player was as adept at playing the outfield as he was around the diamond. He provided the Dragons’ lineup with a much-needed boost, making an instant impact in their final few games.
“Probably the nicest location in British baseball with the best facilities, outside of Farnham Park”
The Dragons’ perennial star, Ben Carter, shone all year once again, leading the team in most offensive categories including hits, runs, home runs, stolen bases, batting average and OPS. He also ranked amongst the AA league leaders in batting average, slugging and OPS. He deservedly took home the Dragons’ Batting Title and MVP award at the club’s end-of-season awards ceremony.
With Carter and Hagiwara returning to the team, Richmond Dragons will be confident of better fortunes in ‘23. “We're losing a couple of players, but the depth in the squad is staying and [we’re] adding a couple of players with experience as well”, said Craig Taylor, Club Vice-President and Dragons’ coaching assistant.
Dave D’Urbano, Co-Manager and UTL
Areas for improvement have been identified, most notably the high number of strikeouts that plagued the Dragons last year, as well as the atmosphere within the team in general, as Taylor noted, “I think one of the biggest issues is people are just pretty relaxed, you know? Pretty chilled out. I want to tighten things up by bringing us together more as a group, amp the excitement up a little bit”.
Taylor is keen to try to emulate the great spirit within the Richmond Dukes team. “The single A guys do some cool stuff where they create small little incentives within the game itself, so say if somebody goes 5-5 in the game or something like that, then they get a six-pack of beer or something”.
D’Urbano was optimistic looking ahead to Opening Day adding, “We're a stronger team coming into ‘23, although three of our four [Division] opponents we haven't ever faced or not faced in recent years, so we actually don't know what the competition will look like...we hope to play our London rivals at least in the playoffs!”
The focus for the 2023 Dragons will not necessarily be all about winning. The team will have a more holistic approach with a bigger focus on identifying, nurturing and developing talent within the club. “We want to develop people for AAA, that’s kind of our goal. The Knights have said they want to move up to the National League, which means we need to have a competitive enough team that we could help support the creation of a AAA team for next year, ideally with the Dukes supporting the Dragons. So, we need to be at the next level.”
To facilitate this vision, a new clubwide initiative will be implemented this year to promote players during the season at each level from Single A through to AAA. The ‘Prospects Programme’ will provide the chosen few with a unique opportunity to learn from more talented and experienced players, whilst testing their abilities at a higher standard of competition.
The club has had numerous success stories of developing players in the past such as Spencer Huet, Jonathan Tolan and Ollie Thompson. The most recent addition to this list is Drice Hellal, who had his first taste of baseball as a six-year-old at Richmond’s Youth Summer Baseball Camp. A short stint playing little league baseball in America followed, before eventually returning to Richmond as a 14-year-old to play with Richmond Dukes in Single A.
Tom Wei, SS
He quickly matured, both skilfully and physically, into a talented ball player, towering over his teammates at 6 foot 5 inches tall. In 2020, he made the Dragons roster, and last season hit his first career home run - a majestic drive into right centre-field in a game at Guildford Millers. The 19-year-old will be making his AAA debut with the Richmond Knights for the upcoming season, continuing his progression and amazing story.
With the Prospects Programme, the club will be hoping to accelerate their talent development and produce many more stars in the near future. Taylor is a firm advocate of the initiative and believes the club is a perfect place for any newcomers.
“You got such a diverse mix here, people from everywhere, with different abilities. There's a proper organisation behind it too. There are people who really care about the club that have been here a very long time, but they're all really welcoming.
“It's also a beautiful location here, probably the nicest location in British baseball with the best facilities outside of Farnham Park probably, in terms of the clubhouse and the changing rooms".
Registration for the 2023 season is still open, and places are still available on all rosters. Richmond Baseball Cub welcomes all players, whether you are a seasoned veteran or a complete novice, male or female, older or younger; if you have an interest in playing baseball, click on the register button below to begin your journey with one of the most fun, friendly and inclusive ball clubs in the UK.
Coming up in the third part of our 2023 season preview, we highlight the Richmond Dukes and their quest to be crowned Single A champions again.