Champions!: the Croydon Pirates squad after their back-from-the-brink championship series victory last weekend. Championship photos: Jody Demay-Davies
Croydon Pirates are the 2024 British baseball AAA champions, after staging a thrilling a comeback in the championship series at Farnham last weekend.
The Pirates were 1-0 down in the best-of-three series against Bristol Badgers, and needed to come back from deficits in consecutive elimination games.
In the third game, the Pirates looked like they were sunk, at 6-0 down. But thanks in large part to a big triple by Jorge Florentino, they battled back to win 9-6 to take the championship, Croydon’s second in three years.
“I’m immensely proud of the grit and determination we showed across this series,” Mark Bonney, the team manager, told Inside Croydon.
Strike two!: the Pirates finals series was a real nail-biter (except for those with gloves on)
“It was truly a team effort. We fought tooth and nail.
“We’re thrilled to have earned promotion into the UK’s top league, the National Baseball League, for the 2025 season!”
It is reckoned that there were 90 teams from 48 baseball clubs actively participating in baseball leagues in Britain in 2021, with 1,500 adult and junior players – but that figure is believed to be expanding rapidly.
That’s thanks to the growing interest and popularity of the game stimulated by the staging of Major League Baseball matches at London’s Olympic Stadium in 2023 and this summer, when the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies squared off in front of a capacity crowd.
Out of the park!: the Pirates battled back from 6-0 down to win the decider 9-6, as Jorge Florentino hit a big triple
Croydon Pirates were formed in 1981, and were national champions 20 years ago.
They are based at Roundshaw playing fields in Wallington, where they already have two diamonds, and are fund-raising to complete a third for their age-group baseball sides – the Croydon Parrots – and softball.
“We are proud to be a self-funding club,” they say.
“However, fencing is surprisingly costly and your support for this project is hugely appreciated. As anyone who has played a team sport knows, there are so many benefits, including improving community, personal fitness, communication and cooperation and fostering respect for others as a value and a practice.
Parrot-ing success: the junior baseball facilities at Roundshaw are undergoing an upgrade
“Our goal is to provide a fun, friendly and competitive baseball and softball experience for players from the Croydon, Sutton and greater south London community.
“Having an appealing facility will further spur interest and support for baseball and softball, ensuring the sports’ sustainability in our area.”
- For more information on the fund-raiser, click here
- For more details about the Croydon Pirates and baseball at Roundshaw, click here
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ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: In January 2024, Croydon was named among the country’s rottenest boroughs for a SEVENTH successive year in the annual round-up of civic cock-ups in Private Eye magazine
