Russians Arrive for League Tour
May 14, 2003 - Canadian American League (Can-Am) News Release
NEW YORK -- The Russian National Team arrived Wednesday at JFK Airport for a five-game tour of the independent Northeast League.
Four of the players have professional experience with major league organizations. Roman Bessonov and Alexander Nizov played in the Anaheim Angels organization. Alexander Toropov played in the Los Angeles organization and Andrei Selivanov played in the Atlanta organization. Two have played professionally in Belgium.
The Russians will be playing with former major league pitcher Victor Cole. The right-hander was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and now lives in Memphis, Tenn. He went 0-2 with a 5.48 earned run average in 23 innings for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1992. Cole is one of seven Russian-born players to play in the big leagues and the most recent since Isidore "Izzy" Goldstein in 1932.
The Russians will play the Brockton Rox on May 15, at the Berkshire Black Bears on May 16, at the New Jersey Jackals twice on May 17 and at the Allentown Ambassadors on May 18.
The Russians toured the Northern League in May 2001 and posted a 2-6 record. Right-handed pitcher Oleg Korneev, 20, signed with the Seattle Mariners after being scouted during that tour.
PITCHERS Age Ht Wt Yrs Home Town Team
Akichev, Pavel 20 6-1 172 10 Moscow Tornado-Balashikha
Alexandrov, Valenteen 24 6-0 176 10 Moscow Tornado-Balashikha
Cole, Victor 35 5-10 160 16 St. Petersburg Pittsburgh Pirates
Donetski, Artur (L) 19 5-9 160 10 Naxhodka VVS-Balashikha
Kuznetsov, Andre 20 6-1 180 8 St. Petersburg VVS-Balashikha
Petrov, Vladimir (L) 31 5-7 150 12 St. Petersburg VVS-Balashikha
Shiroky, Anton 25 5-7 180 12 Moscow Tornado-Balashikha
Sisuk, Alexander 19 5-7 150 8 St. Petersburg VVS-Balashikha
Zhirov, Yuri 43 5-7 200 11 Ryazan VVS-Balashikha
CATCHERS Age Ht Wt Yrs Home Town Team
Sazonov, Andrei 23 6-0 200 11 Moscow MGFSO
Selivanov, Andrei 26 5-6 178 12 Moscow MGFSO
INFIELDERS Age Ht Wt Yrs Home Town Team
Bessonov, Roman 24 6-2 175 12 Moscow Tornado-Balashikha
Bolotin, Andre 24 6-2 190 11 Moscow Tornado-Balashikha
Nabiev, Ruslan 26 5-9 169 12 Moscow Tornado-Balashikha
Nizov, Alexander 28 5-9 145 14 Nizhny Novgorod VVS-Balashikha
Platonov, Valery 24 5-9 160 12 Moscow Tornado-Balashikha
OUTFIELDERS Age Ht Wt Yrs Home Town Team
Kripochen, Andrei 22 6-1 188 11 Moscow VVS-Balashikha
Likhin, Dmitri 24 6-4 182 11 Moscow VVS-Balashikha
Toropov, Alexander (S) 24 6-9 230 11 Moscow VVS-Balashikha
Yudaev, Maxim 25 6-1 190 11 Moscow VVS-Balashikha
Nikolai Guervassov (Manager)
Dmitri Chliapnikov (Coach)
Evgeny Parkhomenko (Trainer)
Yury Kopylov (Russian Baseball Federation President)
Vladimir Telkov (General Manager)
Andrey Alexandrov (Liaison)
Yulia Steshenko, Laura Mitchell (Interpreter)
Canadian American League Stories from May 14, 2003
- Surf Fall to Patriots - Atlantic City Surf
- Black Bears Host Russian National Team - Berkshire Black Bears
- Black Bears to Host Russian National Team - Berkshire Black Bears
- Surf Returns to Atlantic City - Atlantic City Surf
- Russians Arrive for League Tour - Can-Am
- Lumberjacks Training Schedule Revised - Bangor Lumberjacks
- Rain Prevents Jacks from Playing Again - Bangor Lumberjacks
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