Dublin Hurricanes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dublin Hurricanes
Image:Dublin Hurricanes.jpg
League Baseball Ireland (Adult League)
Location Dublin
Ballpark O'Malley Fields
Year Founded 1997
League championships 2003, 2005
Colors Red and black
2004
Uniforms
Team colors
Team colors Team colors Team colors
Team colors
Team colours
 
Home
Team colors
Team colors Team colors Team colors
Team colors
Team colours
 
Road

The Dublin Hurricanes are an amateur baseball team that competes in the Baseball Ireland adult league.

Contents

[edit] Franchise history

The Dublin Hurricanes are one of Baseball Ireland's most successful franchises, having won two National Championships and numerous player awards. They have also taken part in several European club competitions including tournaments in Prague, London and Antwerp.

An early Hurricanes nine.
An early Hurricanes nine.

The Hurricanes were the first Irish club baseball team to take part in European competition.

The Hurricanes were formed in 1997 and started to play under the name 'The Dublin Hurricanes' in 1998. The team was one of the original founding teams of the Irish baseball league. They have also been one of the most successful teams in Irish club competition. The Canes were winners of the end of season blitz in both 2000 and 2001 and also won the Spring blitz in 2001.

They dominated in 2003 winning both the Spring blitz and the National Championship, won a league pennant in 2004 and a second championship the following season.

Hurricanes players have three times taken the Irish league MVP award, Tom Kelley in 1999 and 2003 and Steve Divito in 2005.

[edit] European competition

The Dublin Hurricanes were the first Irish team to take part in club competitions in Europe. To date they have played in the following tournaments.

  • 2003 European Pool B Club Championships - Antwerp, Belgium
  • 2005 Croydon Pirates invitational - London, UK
  • 2006 Tempo Titans Invitational - Prague, Czech Rep
  • 2007 Tempo Titans Invitational - Prague, Czech Rep

The Hurricanes missed out on making the final of the Croydon tournament in 2005 by one solitary run in run difference. In 2006 they finished second in the Prague invitational tournament. Again in Prague in 2007 the Hurricanes finished with an excellent 2-1 record having beaten two quality Czech baseball clubs. The Hurricanes plan to travel to further future tournaments.

[edit] National Championships

[edit] 2003

The Hurricanes won an exciting Irish League championship in 2003, their first Irish title. The league came down to the final game where the Hurricanes had to face the Spartans, who needed to win to force a one game league title playoff. The Spartans took the final league game 6-1 forcing the playoff game that same afternoon. The Hurricanes steadied their ship and rebounded with an exciting 8-5 win over the Spartans to secure their first ever league title.

[edit] 2005

The Hurricanes took their second league title in 2005. After a dominating league campaign, during which Captain Steve Divito won the Andy Leonard MVP Award, the Hurricanes once again faced the Spartans in the finals. They won the deciding game 18-1 and were crowned Irish league champions for the second time in a three year span.

[edit] Players

[edit] 2007 roster

As of August 29, 2007

Pitchers (3)

  • 22 Flag of Ireland Cormac Eklof
  • 07 Flag of Ireland Garrett Pearse
  • 00 Flag of Japan Daisuke Inoue

Catchers (4)

  • 00 Flag of the United States Lorcan Sherlock
  • 38 Flag of Ireland Tom Kelley
  • 00 Flag of Venezuela Alex Bettancourt
  • 00 Flag of Australia Luke Barkmeyer

Infielders (9)

  • 13 Flag of Ireland Chris Foy
  • 20 Flag of the United States Steve Divito
  • 02 Flag of the United States Andy Martin
  • 00 Flag of the United States Eric 'Vegas' Valkys
  • 00 Flag of Japan Kazuma Ogata
  • 25 Flag of Venezuela Carlos Melesecca
  • 00 Flag of Japan Shota Yoshida
  • 27 Flag of Ireland Gordon Ireland

Outfielders (5)

  • 00 Flag of Venezuela Rafael Diaz
  • 00 Flag of Cuba Tommy Hernandez
  • 00 Flag of Ireland Woody Woodburne
  • 00 Flag of the United States Jim Purcell
  • 00 Flag of the United States Emmett O'Shaughnessy

[edit] Notable past players

  • 00 Flag of Ireland Mick Manning
  • 00 Flag of Ireland Jim Kilbride
  • 00 Flag of the United States Dave Delucia
  • 00 Flag of Ireland Ken Murphy
  • 00 Flag of Ireland Ciaran Cupples
  • 00 Flag of the United States Jon Gast
  • 00 Flag of the United States Abby Thakore
  • 00 Flag of the United States Keith Masterson
  • 00 Flag of the United States Joe Micklich
  • 00 Flag of Ireland Mike Kindle
  • 00 Flag of Ireland Alan Lenehan
  • 00 Flag of Ireland Paul McGrath
  • 00 Flag of the Czech Republic Radek Prochazka
  • 00 Flag of the United States Eamon Slattery
  • 00 Flag of the United States Spencer Grace
  • 00 Flag of the United States Joe Hiltner
  • 00 Flag of the United States Olaf Sederstrom
  • 00 Flag of the Dominican Republic Nelson Brito
  • 00 Flag of the United States David McDermott

[edit] International players

Several Hurricanes players, past and present, have represented Ireland in European baseball competitions. Tom Kelley, Chris Foy, Tommy Hernandez, Gordon Ireland, Woody Woodburne and Cormac Eklof have all played extensively for the Irish National Baseball team. Garrett Pearse has several 'caps' for the Irish developmental baseball team. Former Hurricane Ken Murphy was also a pitcher on the Irish team before relocating to the United States.

[edit] Awards and honours

[edit] Team honours

   * 2007 - League Pennant Winners Hurricanes
   * 2005 - League Champions Hurricanes
   * 2004 - League Pennant Winners Hurricanes
   * 2004 - M&M Psycho Invitational - Champs Hurricanes
   * 2003 - League Champions Hurricanes
   * 2003 - Spring Blitz Winners Hurricanes
   * 2002 - Autumn Blitz Winners 'Northern Hurricanes'
   * 2001 - Spring Blitz Winners Hurricanes
   * 2001 - End of Season Blitz Winners Hurricanes
   * 2000 - End of Season Blitz Winners Hurricanes

[edit] Individual award winners

   * 2005 - Andy Leonard MVP Award Steve DiVito
   * 2004 - League Cy Young Award Cormac Eklof
   * 2004 - Silver Slugger Andy Martin 
   * 2004 - M&M Psycho Invitational - MVP Steve DiVito
   * 2004 - M&M Psycho Invitational - Cy Young Award Cormac Eklof
   * 2003 - League MVP Tom Kelley
   * 2003 - Silver Slugger Tom Kelley
   * 2003 - Spring Blitz MVP Steve DiVito
   * 2003 - Spring Blitz Pitcher Cormac Eklof
   * 2002 - League Batting Champion Gordon Ireland
   * 2002 - League Gold Glove Mick Manning
   * 2002 - Autumn Blitz MVP Tom Kelley
   * 2001 - End of Season Blitz MVP Tom Kelley

[edit] Hurricanes in the media

[edit] References

[edit] External links