2023 WBC A First for Our Players. For the first time in World Baseball Classic History. However, players from the Bahamas will get to play in the Classics all-be-it for Great Britain. Thank you.

As a former Colony of Great Britain. Ment that players from the Bahamas are allowed to play for Team G.B. via their parents being former citizens of Great Britain.

Team Great Britain Qualifies for the 2023 WBC:

The thrill of victory for Team Great Britain. However, the local baseball fans in the Bahamas were equally thrilled. Oh, happy day. Our guys will be playing in the 2023 WBC. They were led by Harry Ford, Seattle Mariner’s Top Prospect. There were five players & one coach from the Bahamas on the qualifier team, with four of five of them seeing action. 

The 2023 World Baseball Classic is set:

WBC 2023 games are set, and we are excited. Yes, I am so happy for Team Great Britain. Now I will get to see our players on the big stage. We will see the kids we trained in the game of baseball from 3yrs old. 2023 WBC A First for Our Players. 

In addition to our five players on the qualifying roster. An additional four local players and one coach will join the team. I am very excited. 

How Come?

Why can’t the Bahamas put together a baseball team to compete & try to qualify for the WBC tournament? How come? Well, for one thing, our world rankings are very low in baseball. Unlike the 50s, 60s, 70s, early 80s, and mid-90s to 2006, when we had vibrant baseball leagues and players. Today we have many Pro and College players who can compete in baseball. 

  Not to cry over spilled milk; the only baseball stadium where we played advanced baseball in Nassau, Bahamas, from 1966 was taken down in 2006. Hence, the game at the adult level sat dormant even to this day. Even with a win over Team Cuba in 2006 at the World University Games in Habana, Cuba, the Bahamas team coached by Lionel Ferguson Sr. saw their WBC ranking move up almost ten positions. After that tournament, there was little to no appearance at a WBC-sanctioned tournament for the Bahamas. 

The 1979 Pan American Games:

However, one of the best showings for the Bahamas was at the 1979 Pan American Baseball Games. Yes. A fifth-place finish with a 3 & 5 win/loss record in the most challenging baseball region, the Pan-American Region. 

From the mid-80s to around 2019, there were some tournament appearances. However, the results were dismal at best. 

In the meantime, The B.B.F. was formed in 2003 to start flooding minor baseball with players. This was the start of what baseball has produced, players in the 2023 World Baseball Classics. 

Exciting Times for our Kids:

This is not what we envisioned, but we will take it. We hoped for a Team Bahamas at the World Baseball Classic one day. However, we will take playing for Team Great Britain with honors.

This is it; The 2023 World Baseball Classic is here:

Happy days are here. Finally, the Bahamas will see its baseball players on the World Stage in the World Baseball Classics with Team Great Britain. First stop; two exhibition games vs. the Brewers on Wednesday and the Royals on Thursday out in Arizona.

Bahamian players on the squared are Coaches Antoan Richardson & Albert Cartwright. Players are Anfernee Seymour, Tahnaj Thomas, Chavez Fernander, D’Shawn Knowles, Bertrum BJ Murray, Ural Forbes, Chavez Young, and Trayce Thompson.

Go, Team Great Britain!

Team Great Britain WBC 2023. The Bahamas Players. Photo by 10th Year Senior.

L-R Chavez Fernander, Ural Forbes, Albert Cartwright Jr.(Coach) D’Shawn Knowles, Chavez Young, Tahnaj Thomas, Anfernee Seymour, Antoan Richardson (Coach) & Bertrum BJ Murray. Not in the photo is Trayce Thompson

Team Great Britain 2023 WBC  Games Highlights:

Game 1: Great Britain vs USA: 

Game 2: Great Britain vs Canada: 

Jeff Francis

Jeffrey was born on April 29th, 1961, in Nassau, Bahamas to Rejoiner Ann Rolle and Jerome James Francis Etienne. Married to Andrea G. Rolle-Francis, they have two daughters; Janae Latoya Francis, a graduate of Allegany College of Maryland, and Jessica Lee Francis a graduate Potomac State College West Virginia University in Kyser West Virginia. Jeffrey was coaching the sport of baseball from 1980 at the age of 18 years old because he loved the sport as a kid. He started listening to the game over the radio out of Miami Florida in the late 60s and in the early 70s started playing the game locally in various local leagues right up to the premier senior league; a league where all of the current Bahamian minor leaguers played. In 1982, Jeffrey had an invite to a three day tryout with the New York Yankees in Hollywood Florida, which was an awesome experience that is lasting a life time memory for him. Jeffrey has been following the Bahamian baseball players in the minor leagues since 1999 with Angelo Burrows, but found greater interest with the signing of Antoan Richardson in 2005. He also writes a year end review on their play on his Facebook page, Baseball Bahamas, and he has a website with the same name. He has a great following and would love to expose the baseball players to a bigger worldwide audience. He has a good relationship with all the players because he personally coached most of them. His favorite MLB Team is the Detroit Tigers from 1969.