Thank You Legends On Deck from Baseball Bahamas

At the end of another minor league baseball season, I would like to take this time to say Thank you Legends on Deck from Baseball Bahamas for a platform to write on our growing ballplayers from the Islands of the Bahamas.

Thank you to Legends on Deck founder David Conde, who invited me with open arms to write on this blog. Official Photographer Mathew Carper whom I met personally at the Home Run Derby in Paradise, Nassau Bahamas.

An awesome platform for me to highlight young men I saw growing as kids playing the game they love. A game that gave them dreams of one day playing in the Major Leagues of Baseball from the Islands of the Bahamas.

2019 Season:

Bo Bichette – Toronto BlueJays 2019 Don’t Blink Home Run Derby in Paradise.

Thank you Legends on Deck from Baseball Bahamas for highlighting the 2nd annual Don’t Blink Home Run Derby in Paradise hosted by Todd Isaacs Jr. & Lucius Fox Jr. Bo Bichett emerged as the home run king for the second time on the beach in Nassau, Bahamas.

Top 30 Prospects:

We highlighted the six MLB Pipeline top 30 prospects from the Islands

Kristian Robinson, Jazz Chisholm, D’Shawn Knowles, Trent Deveaux, Tahnaj Thomas, Lucius Fox, and Chavez Young.

Furthermore, there was lots of movement for our top 30 prospects, with two players moving into the top 100 top prospects list.

Another big highlight was the trade of Arizona DBack #1 prospect Jasrado Chisholm to the Miami Marlins.

Also lots of players movements, some good moments and some not so good too.

2019 Highlights:

Two players won a championship with the AZL Rangers, Lucius Fox Jr, Todd Isaacs Jr, Kristian Robinson, Chavez Young, and Tahnaj Thomas their teams making it to the playoffs.

Antoan Richardson Coaching in his first MLB game at first base for the San Francisco Giants.

Three minor league teams had two players from the Island on their rosters.

I end this thank you with our players and their ability to bring awareness about the category five hurricane Dorian that did heavy damage to the northern Bahamas. And the recovery effort for our beloved country.

“Good Bless”

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.