Levin gets mitts on Yankees shortstop
Otaki-based members of Levin’s freshest sports club threw themselves at the chance to get tips from one of baseball’s best.
More than 30 children turned up to the Horowhenua Events Centre on a rainy Sunday afternoon for a coaching session with Didi Gregorius.
Gregorius, 26, plays shortstop for the famous New York Yankees team.
He was born in Amsterdam, but grew up in Curacao, a southern Caribbean island with a population of about 158,000.
He told the crowd of children he was excited to get to Levin - the smallest town on his trip through New Zealand - and teach them some skills.
‘‘I’m here to give a bit of the knowledge I have got, which has been passed down from all the players I have played with and against.’’
He ran them through some warm ups before starting on various drills, designed to teach them better throwing and catching techniques.
Levin Hustle Baseball Club programme co-ordinator Hendrix Warren said the club had been running since October, and had already managed to sign up nearly 20 members.
‘‘New Zealand has historically been a softball nation.
‘‘My two boys are very into baseball, so we started this because they wanted to get a team running.’’
Warren, sporting a Yankees shirt for the day, had also been a baseball fan for some time. ‘‘If baseball had been around when I was a kid, then I probably would have played it.’’
Baseball had strong clubs in the bigger cities, but had a way to go in the regions, he said.
Levin Hustle had one team for under-13s, but Warren said he was keen to see that grow.
He was also aware of work being done to get a club going in Palmerston North.
WHO IS DIDI GREGORIUS?
Has played for the Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks, before moving to the Yankees in 2014.
In 153 games of 2016, Gregorius batted .276 average with 20 home runs. It was his highest season home run total.
Played for the Dutch national team in 2011 World Cup. The team beat Cuba in the final to claim the title.
Earned NZ$3.4 million with the Yankees in 2016.