WEBVTT 1 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:26.839 Hello and welcome to Backflips and Nerds, the Baseball Podcast 2 00:00:26.879 --> 00:00:29.440 with a British twist. I'm your host, John McGee, and 3 00:00:29.480 --> 00:00:32.799 we have got a real treat for you on this episode. Firstly, 4 00:00:32.960 --> 00:00:36.560 I'm delighted to be joined by our regular visitor, the 5 00:00:36.759 --> 00:00:40.000 artist maestro extraordinary mister Andy Brown. 6 00:00:40.159 --> 00:00:41.759 How are you doing mate. 7 00:00:42.039 --> 00:00:44.399 Good evening, John, I'm good, Happy new year, happy to 8 00:00:44.439 --> 00:00:46.640 hear to all the listeners. Thanks for having us back on. 9 00:00:46.719 --> 00:00:48.920 It's great to be and especially talk about today's topic. 10 00:00:49.479 --> 00:00:52.200 Yeah, we're excited to talk about it. Good to see 11 00:00:52.240 --> 00:00:56.359 Andy joining us from the world's worst narrow boat. For 12 00:00:56.399 --> 00:00:59.159 those of you not already following along, make sure you 13 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:01.679 get on Andy's in Instagram and Andy Brown is on 14 00:01:01.719 --> 00:01:05.200 the narrow boat. It's well worth following the travials of 15 00:01:05.239 --> 00:01:08.640 Andy getting a knackered narrow boat down the canals of 16 00:01:08.959 --> 00:01:14.319 Warwickshire and Northamptonshire, aided by the affable Jerry, who is 17 00:01:14.359 --> 00:01:20.719 a great addition. It's never dull, it's never dull, and 18 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:23.599 good to see your paintings behind you. But as you said, 19 00:01:24.239 --> 00:01:26.000 we are going to of course talk a little bit 20 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:28.760 about your contribution to this, but we're not really here 21 00:01:28.840 --> 00:01:32.640 to talk about your amazing baseball paintings, but to talk 22 00:01:32.760 --> 00:01:37.640 about the gb women's baseball team, the reigning European champion 23 00:01:37.760 --> 00:01:41.560 women's baseball team. And I'm delighted that we've got Cat Golic, 24 00:01:41.640 --> 00:01:43.879 who is the third base bass player. 25 00:01:44.079 --> 00:01:46.079 Do you say base women's based player? How do you 26 00:01:46.159 --> 00:01:46.760 say it? Cat? 27 00:01:46.840 --> 00:01:51.760 You tell me, I'm just say basement. It's fine, all right, fine, 28 00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:52.680 I'm trying. 29 00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:55.680 I tried to be as inclusive as possible and trip 30 00:01:55.760 --> 00:01:58.760 myself up there. So Cat, you played a third base 31 00:01:58.840 --> 00:02:02.439 for the reigning women's European baseball champions in the summer. 32 00:02:02.519 --> 00:02:05.560 So it's a little bit after the party, but welcome 33 00:02:05.599 --> 00:02:08.840 to batlups and neds and enormous congratulations for your success 34 00:02:08.960 --> 00:02:10.039 at the back end of the summer. 35 00:02:10.319 --> 00:02:11.599 Thank you, thanks for having me. 36 00:02:12.960 --> 00:02:16.000 It's a real pleasure. So I'm pleased. 37 00:02:16.039 --> 00:02:18.120 This isn't the first time that we've chatted about women's 38 00:02:18.120 --> 00:02:20.639 baseball on the pod. So we had the amazing Doris 39 00:02:20.680 --> 00:02:23.240 Hocking and Kelly Wright on the show just over five 40 00:02:23.319 --> 00:02:25.159 years ago. I was looking back at this this afternoon, 41 00:02:26.159 --> 00:02:28.840 thinking that when we had Doris on and Kelly, that 42 00:02:29.039 --> 00:02:32.479 was the absolute infancy of the GB women's team and 43 00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:36.159 it's been a pretty meteoric five year journey, Kat, hasn't 44 00:02:36.159 --> 00:02:39.479 it for you guys? Going from Doris thinking about this 45 00:02:39.599 --> 00:02:42.000 being a good idea and having conversations with the then 46 00:02:42.080 --> 00:02:45.080 GB men's manager Liam Carroll about how to go about it. 47 00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:48.840 Five years later the European champions. I don't think anyone, 48 00:02:48.960 --> 00:02:50.680 including Doris would have thought that, would they? 49 00:02:50.919 --> 00:02:53.960 Oh it's epic And yeah I met Doris in those 50 00:02:54.000 --> 00:02:56.960 early days. She was one of the reasons of getting 51 00:02:56.960 --> 00:03:03.919 into women's baseball. So yeah, what a journey. It's been fantastic. 52 00:03:05.039 --> 00:03:08.879 Yeah, it's it's been absolutely fad fantastic to watch the 53 00:03:09.520 --> 00:03:13.719 efforts and energy of people like you and Jess Vernon 54 00:03:13.800 --> 00:03:17.560 and Doris and the right sisters in Sheffield Sow. What 55 00:03:17.639 --> 00:03:20.000 has that journey been like? Obviously you're very involved in 56 00:03:20.039 --> 00:03:22.719 the Bristol club, Cat, what's the what's the journey been 57 00:03:22.840 --> 00:03:25.080 like in those five years that we haven't you know, 58 00:03:25.560 --> 00:03:27.280 we've been keeping an eye on it, but not docking 59 00:03:27.319 --> 00:03:29.879 in with you. What what's been the process been to 60 00:03:29.919 --> 00:03:34.759 get GB women's baseball from an idea to a successful 61 00:03:35.159 --> 00:03:37.599 program that it is and has been you know over 62 00:03:37.639 --> 00:03:43.719 this last six months or so. 63 00:03:41.159 --> 00:03:45.199 So a lot of it was just getting women to join. 64 00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:51.800 So I was at a random game in Western that 65 00:03:51.919 --> 00:03:55.360 Doris had been trying to put together and I think 66 00:03:55.400 --> 00:03:59.199 it was early COVID, early twenty twenty. We finally had 67 00:03:59.240 --> 00:04:04.000 a get together Farnham for anyone that was interested in 68 00:04:04.039 --> 00:04:09.240 this GB team and the potential of a GB team 69 00:04:08.639 --> 00:04:13.800 and it's grown from there. So he had I think 70 00:04:13.840 --> 00:04:17.120 it was Drew and Jose were the initial coaches that 71 00:04:17.240 --> 00:04:20.759 came in and Carloss that joined. So it's a lot 72 00:04:20.800 --> 00:04:24.399 of going up and down the motorway up to Sheffield, 73 00:04:26.120 --> 00:04:31.120 a lot of fun journeys to Farnham as well. And yeah, 74 00:04:31.199 --> 00:04:33.480 it's been a lot of training. I can tell you that, 75 00:04:35.839 --> 00:04:36.800 a lot of training. 76 00:04:37.560 --> 00:04:40.000 How many of you were there at that that sort 77 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:41.360 of first gathering at Farnham? 78 00:04:41.560 --> 00:04:45.480 How many people talk about I want to say there 79 00:04:45.560 --> 00:04:51.079 were at least twenty, if not going into thirty and 80 00:04:51.160 --> 00:04:54.279 to the point where there was a random girl on 81 00:04:54.360 --> 00:04:57.680 the side watching and even she just joined in, which 82 00:04:57.759 --> 00:05:01.319 was amazing, like that's what well should be, right, people 83 00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:03.279 just watching and going oh I'd like to have a 84 00:05:03.319 --> 00:05:05.120 go and yeah. 85 00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:07.240 And what was your so what was what was your 86 00:05:07.319 --> 00:05:09.800 journey to it. I know you play play with Bristol, 87 00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:12.639 and I think if I if, I if I know right, 88 00:05:12.720 --> 00:05:14.439 you play in the men's team, one of the men's 89 00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:15.319 teams at Bristol as well. 90 00:05:16.240 --> 00:05:21.000 How how did you come to start playing baseball yourself? Uh? 91 00:05:21.800 --> 00:05:27.360 Sort of rope in or my boyfriend I played softball. 92 00:05:27.439 --> 00:05:31.360 I've played slow pitch softball for years and yeah, we 93 00:05:31.480 --> 00:05:34.040 sort of just swapped sports really and said, oh, let's 94 00:05:34.040 --> 00:05:38.920 have a go at each other's sport. And I'll be honest, 95 00:05:38.959 --> 00:05:41.959 it wasn't til the COVID year where we couldn't play 96 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:44.959 slope pitch and baseball was happening and I thought, yeah, 97 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:47.879 I'll give that a go and play properly play games, 98 00:05:48.279 --> 00:05:50.600 and yeah, I really loved it. 99 00:05:50.720 --> 00:05:54.680 So yeah, I'm five years later you were a European champion. 100 00:05:54.800 --> 00:05:58.040 That's it. Yeah, Can I ask you? 101 00:05:58.199 --> 00:05:59.759 Can I ask you a question there? What is the 102 00:05:59.800 --> 00:06:02.759 big difference between the two games, with the two sports? 103 00:06:02.800 --> 00:06:04.759 What did you find was the basic biggest thing to 104 00:06:04.879 --> 00:06:08.040 master or change? Your biggest thing you're at toalter. 105 00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:10.759 Mainly is hitting. 106 00:06:11.439 --> 00:06:13.920 I mean the pitching is Yeah, the difference one is 107 00:06:13.959 --> 00:06:17.480 slow ones fast. Yeah, so it's an underarm throw and 108 00:06:17.560 --> 00:06:20.519 slow pitch, which. 109 00:06:20.279 --> 00:06:21.759 Should be fairly easy to hit. 110 00:06:22.839 --> 00:06:25.519 Yeah, baseball has definitely got to adapt and change the 111 00:06:25.600 --> 00:06:30.519 swing slightly to it. And I just love the tactics 112 00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:33.040 of baseball as well. That's a big part of the game, 113 00:06:33.319 --> 00:06:35.480 so you don't get as much in slow pitch. 114 00:06:37.680 --> 00:06:39.759 So that's and that's a good question. I mean, it's 115 00:06:39.800 --> 00:06:41.800 one of the things I wanted to to ask you about. 116 00:06:41.879 --> 00:06:44.560 And I'll be interested in the perspective from slow pitch 117 00:06:44.600 --> 00:06:48.839 as well. So if people haven't watched a women's baseball 118 00:06:48.879 --> 00:06:51.040 game before, which I imagine quite a few of the 119 00:06:51.079 --> 00:06:53.319 people watching this and listening to this might might not 120 00:06:53.399 --> 00:06:56.839 have because it's unfortunately not as readily available as as. 121 00:06:57.079 --> 00:06:57.720 The men's game. 122 00:06:57.759 --> 00:07:01.399 It is what what will look different? Obviously, you know, 123 00:07:01.639 --> 00:07:04.120 the rules are the same, the dimensions of the diamond 124 00:07:04.160 --> 00:07:07.000 are the same. You guys are all playing hard, you're 125 00:07:07.000 --> 00:07:09.759 all playing your hearts out. But but what might look 126 00:07:09.800 --> 00:07:11.680 different in terms of the style of play? 127 00:07:11.720 --> 00:07:17.279 If anything, Cat, I definitely say that you'd see a 128 00:07:17.279 --> 00:07:20.240 bit more of the short game in the women's version. 129 00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:27.319 It's yeah, definitely something we're working on and seems to work. 130 00:07:27.439 --> 00:07:32.279 So yeah, Yeah, I was notable when I was when 131 00:07:32.319 --> 00:07:34.839 I was looking back on all of the stats from 132 00:07:35.839 --> 00:07:38.600 from c Chechia this afternoon. The you know, the two 133 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:41.639 stolen base leaders were both from GB, and there was 134 00:07:41.680 --> 00:07:45.120 a lot of games which were you know, both teams 135 00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:47.160 scoring a lot of runs. So you know that tracks 136 00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:49.560 with that idea of sort of keeping the line moving, 137 00:07:49.680 --> 00:07:52.319 and that's kind of a GB very much. If you 138 00:07:52.319 --> 00:07:55.839 were talking to Drew Spencer or or Brad macelino, that's 139 00:07:55.839 --> 00:07:58.360 the GB way keep it moving. So it's there in 140 00:07:58.399 --> 00:08:00.120 the DNA of the women's program too. 141 00:08:00.120 --> 00:08:02.279 Right, absolutely stay aggressive. 142 00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:08.720 Yeah, So Andy, you've also been following the team like 143 00:08:08.800 --> 00:08:10.480 for the last five years too, and you had that 144 00:08:10.959 --> 00:08:15.120 amazing opportunity to be out there with with the team. 145 00:08:15.319 --> 00:08:16.160 What what have you. 146 00:08:16.199 --> 00:08:18.079 Noticed in terms of watching them? And you've been involved 147 00:08:18.120 --> 00:08:20.360 in a huge number of GB tournaments. 148 00:08:20.519 --> 00:08:23.920 Is artist in residence? You even managed to wrangle your way. 149 00:08:23.720 --> 00:08:25.839 Into some of the team photos, which is that the 150 00:08:25.879 --> 00:08:28.439 biggest leg I've ever seen in my life? So what 151 00:08:28.439 --> 00:08:31.079 are your observations on that having having been so close 152 00:08:31.120 --> 00:08:33.080 to it to lots of different baseball programs over the 153 00:08:33.159 --> 00:08:34.159 last couple of years. 154 00:08:34.559 --> 00:08:38.000 You know, it's superb. It was you know it was 155 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:41.240 the first first you know, GB women's games and action 156 00:08:41.320 --> 00:08:44.440 that I've seen, and the I mean number one. The 157 00:08:44.440 --> 00:08:49.759 facilities in Czech era so good. The facility in Herbloca 158 00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:55.399 was amazing, beautiful place, beautiful ballpark, absolutely wonderful. But the 159 00:08:55.799 --> 00:09:00.240 tournament itself was superb. It was it was high for 160 00:09:00.720 --> 00:09:04.000 well supported. It was great to see GB fans out there. 161 00:09:04.919 --> 00:09:07.039 But the standard play was brilliant. It was so good. 162 00:09:07.080 --> 00:09:08.960 After I think I just come from the under twenty 163 00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:13.120 threes and came down to the South where where the 164 00:09:13.200 --> 00:09:17.279 ladies were playing, and the quality was fantastic and the 165 00:09:17.320 --> 00:09:20.279 games were about as now biting as I've seen with GB. 166 00:09:20.600 --> 00:09:23.399 It was, you know, one moment you feel whe everything's 167 00:09:23.399 --> 00:09:24.639 going to be all right the next year on the 168 00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:26.799 edge of your easel, and then you know we come 169 00:09:26.799 --> 00:09:28.720 through at the end as well. So it was, it was, 170 00:09:29.480 --> 00:09:31.559 it was brilliant. It was really really good. And like 171 00:09:31.639 --> 00:09:33.639 Kat's saying, they're like the short game, it's just that 172 00:09:33.840 --> 00:09:38.200 things just moving on. Things are always happening, and it 173 00:09:38.240 --> 00:09:39.679 was great to see. You know, it's great to really 174 00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:43.039 cover the well the development of the program. You know, 175 00:09:43.120 --> 00:09:45.480 now I've done the senior team, the under twenty threes 176 00:09:46.039 --> 00:09:48.279 the women now and hopefully I can work my way 177 00:09:48.320 --> 00:09:51.360 down down the down the different teams in the coming years. 178 00:09:51.360 --> 00:09:54.360 But it was it was good to kind of get 179 00:09:54.399 --> 00:09:56.000 to experience it, get to witness it, and get to 180 00:09:56.000 --> 00:09:57.080 put it down on canvas for. 181 00:09:58.720 --> 00:10:06.080 Us all all to see for prosperity. Uh, posterity, not prosperity. 182 00:10:06.120 --> 00:10:08.840 What am I talking about? Goodness, it's it's it's late 183 00:10:08.840 --> 00:10:12.639 on Friday evening, guys, I'm just about flamed out. But yeah, 184 00:10:12.679 --> 00:10:14.919 so let's let's talk a little bit about about about 185 00:10:14.919 --> 00:10:17.000 the tournament itself. So it's it's it's a it's a 186 00:10:17.000 --> 00:10:19.879 four team tournament, isn't it played in around robin style, 187 00:10:19.919 --> 00:10:24.279 and and then and then placing. So it's it's short 188 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:27.960 and sharp. You know, a three day tournament, pretty intensive competition. 189 00:10:28.120 --> 00:10:32.039 You've got a game every single day. How that's I 190 00:10:32.039 --> 00:10:35.480 mean you guys, you know, if you're playing for Bristol 191 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:38.240 and you're you're going around the country to play scrimmage 192 00:10:38.279 --> 00:10:40.759 games and stuff, that that probably was a little bit 193 00:10:40.799 --> 00:10:42.879 more familiar with you than it might have been in. 194 00:10:42.919 --> 00:10:44.080 Different baseball programs. 195 00:10:44.159 --> 00:10:46.039 Right, The idea that you're there for a weekend and 196 00:10:46.039 --> 00:10:48.720 you're playing a round robin tournament and it's really really intensive. 197 00:10:48.759 --> 00:10:51.519 But the level of competition is is you know international 198 00:10:51.559 --> 00:10:54.080 as opposed to you know play playing new pals down 199 00:10:54.120 --> 00:10:56.080 at Farnham. 200 00:10:56.279 --> 00:10:59.879 Yeah, that's verry true, as you're saying, short and sharp. 201 00:11:00.639 --> 00:11:03.960 So there was two games on the final day as well, 202 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:06.480 I should went in there. There was the rain day 203 00:11:06.519 --> 00:11:09.480 on the sixteenth, there was the rained out day, so 204 00:11:09.519 --> 00:11:11.639 you got two games in one day and that was 205 00:11:11.720 --> 00:11:13.200 I don't know how Cat and co did it. It 206 00:11:13.279 --> 00:11:16.120 was full long and what was that? 207 00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:19.440 What was the preparation you said, you know, getting into 208 00:11:20.200 --> 00:11:22.360 women's baseball in the UK was an awful lot of 209 00:11:22.360 --> 00:11:24.639 shot link to Farnham and shot link to Sheffield, shotling 210 00:11:24.720 --> 00:11:26.679 in Bristol. I'm sure there was a lot of that involved. 211 00:11:26.759 --> 00:11:29.840 But what's there sort of a level of intensity about 212 00:11:29.879 --> 00:11:31.600 how you're going to be training, how you're going to 213 00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:33.679 come together as a squad. That was different when you 214 00:11:33.720 --> 00:11:35.919 were preparing for a tournament like this as opposed to 215 00:11:36.039 --> 00:11:38.919 you know, when you were just coming together for training 216 00:11:38.960 --> 00:11:39.679 camps and so on. 217 00:11:42.320 --> 00:11:45.320 To be honest, the coaches really prepared us well, like 218 00:11:45.399 --> 00:11:49.080 there's always a constant high keep everything intense. 219 00:11:52.679 --> 00:11:53.559 I suppose there's the. 220 00:11:53.519 --> 00:11:56.320 Dealing of nerves and what is going to happen, because 221 00:11:56.360 --> 00:12:00.799 it is, Yeah, this is the competition that we prepared for. 222 00:12:02.080 --> 00:12:04.240 So we did have some good chats in the morning, 223 00:12:05.840 --> 00:12:08.440 think just to get anything out of the way of 224 00:12:09.080 --> 00:12:13.480 our feelings. But yeah, we just had our routine and 225 00:12:13.519 --> 00:12:16.159 we stuck with it. That was the main thing, and 226 00:12:16.200 --> 00:12:20.159 it was the routine we'd done most of, yeah, that 227 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:22.759 time leading up to it, and. 228 00:12:22.919 --> 00:12:25.960 Was the majority of your preparation on your side of 229 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:28.159 the diamond, because I know over the course of our 230 00:12:28.200 --> 00:12:31.679 our following the GB men's program and the under twenty 231 00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:35.480 threes program, it's you know, still intense focus on the team, 232 00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:37.720 on the on the team in the GB Jersey, but 233 00:12:37.960 --> 00:12:42.200 as as more is understood of opponents, as data is 234 00:12:42.240 --> 00:12:45.120 more readily available of like you know, who's playing in 235 00:12:45.159 --> 00:12:48.240 the French League, is it on YouTube or was it 236 00:12:48.320 --> 00:12:50.480 more of a we're just going to play ourselves. We're 237 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:53.960 going to play the ball, and. 238 00:12:54.039 --> 00:12:55.799 We had our plan to stick to. 239 00:12:56.080 --> 00:12:59.720 But I know the coaches definitely did a great job 240 00:12:59.799 --> 00:13:02.679 of of looking at the other teams, looking at the 241 00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:08.200 other players. A couple of us from the Swibble League 242 00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:10.840 had gone over to France, So we had a little 243 00:13:10.840 --> 00:13:13.559 bit of insight of a couple of players that was 244 00:13:13.639 --> 00:13:18.200 quite useful. Yeah that I know that a lot was 245 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:20.519 done in the background, especially by Danny Briggs. 246 00:13:20.519 --> 00:13:25.799 So yeah, and so it was it was Pietro who 247 00:13:25.840 --> 00:13:28.840 was leading the team out in check herein So. 248 00:13:28.799 --> 00:13:29.639 What what what? 249 00:13:30.919 --> 00:13:34.759 He's like a formidable character in in British baseball with 250 00:13:34.759 --> 00:13:37.240 with the Mets, and of course his Mateo has played 251 00:13:37.240 --> 00:13:39.720 for the men's team as well. What what What was 252 00:13:39.759 --> 00:13:41.120 sort of Pietro bringing to you? 253 00:13:41.159 --> 00:13:41.360 What? 254 00:13:41.360 --> 00:13:43.440 What was the sort of mantra that he was preparing 255 00:13:43.480 --> 00:13:45.759 you in advance of the tournament and then on the 256 00:13:45.799 --> 00:13:46.960 days itself. 257 00:13:50.639 --> 00:13:54.360 Super mancher, just stay true to yourself, believe in what 258 00:13:54.440 --> 00:13:59.879 we've done, believe in our preparation. Yeah, he just trusted us. 259 00:14:00.159 --> 00:14:03.159 That was the best thing. I think he said, We've 260 00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:07.080 done all the work, now just go do it. So yeah, 261 00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:10.759 it was good. It was confidence building so and paid 262 00:14:10.759 --> 00:14:11.519 off eventually. 263 00:14:13.360 --> 00:14:15.399 It did. Well, Look it paid off right away. 264 00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:17.879 You know that the opener did definitely. 265 00:14:18.120 --> 00:14:22.000 Yeah, you're you're playing the defending champions and you absolutely 266 00:14:22.039 --> 00:14:24.600 hammered them. I mean, in a terms of building confidence, 267 00:14:24.679 --> 00:14:26.480 you can't really get better than that, can you? 268 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:27.000 Yeah? 269 00:14:27.240 --> 00:14:29.960 No, that was that was a pre epic opener here. 270 00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:34.159 That was good to what I mean, look, you know 271 00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:37.080 everything went right, clearly if you went sixteen one, everything 272 00:14:37.080 --> 00:14:39.159 went right. But was that about the preparation that you 273 00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:39.480 put in? 274 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:40.600 It was. 275 00:14:42.559 --> 00:14:48.759 We knew roughly how the pitcher pitched, and yeah, we 276 00:14:48.799 --> 00:14:50.919 had the game plan and we stuck to it and 277 00:14:51.879 --> 00:14:53.200 they couldn't do anything about it. 278 00:14:53.240 --> 00:14:56.919 Really, so that was that really? Yeah? 279 00:14:57.879 --> 00:14:59.919 And Andy, you must have been like, hang on. 280 00:15:00.159 --> 00:15:04.360 It, super there was owner was on the on the 281 00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:08.919 mound and again like the quality was fantastic, but you know, 282 00:15:09.000 --> 00:15:12.600 the all through the team, the hitting both sides of 283 00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:16.639 the plate. It was just like you said, dominant absolutely 284 00:15:16.639 --> 00:15:18.919 smashed him. And I was like, wow sixteen one. I 285 00:15:18.960 --> 00:15:21.240 was like that that you made it look very very easy. 286 00:15:22.799 --> 00:15:25.440 But it was you know, it was a great start 287 00:15:25.480 --> 00:15:27.720 when it was the way to start start start tournament. 288 00:15:27.879 --> 00:15:33.279 Sure, absolutely, But then the then you you were the 289 00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:36.879 the unstoppable force ran into the immovable object, which was 290 00:15:37.759 --> 00:15:41.720 the the sort of the wagon that is the Czech 291 00:15:41.759 --> 00:15:45.279 baseball program you're playing in. In her Blocker and Jeckia 292 00:15:46.039 --> 00:15:51.120 absolutely rabid baseball fans. They put an awful lot of 293 00:15:51.720 --> 00:15:55.320 energy and funding into into baseball. We're going to get 294 00:15:55.360 --> 00:15:57.240 onto what happened in the final in a minute, of course, 295 00:15:57.320 --> 00:16:00.919 But what was that atmosph feel like? What was it 296 00:16:01.039 --> 00:16:03.399 like playing you know, you're used to playing in a 297 00:16:03.720 --> 00:16:06.639 municipal park in Western or in Bristol or you know, 298 00:16:06.759 --> 00:16:09.519 at best you're playing at Farnham Park. What's he like 299 00:16:09.519 --> 00:16:12.159 playing a Czech team in Pabloca? 300 00:16:12.639 --> 00:16:12.840 Oh? 301 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:13.120 Wow? 302 00:16:13.840 --> 00:16:18.960 The noise, Yeah, that was yeah, just something you'd had 303 00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:21.600 to deal with. But the noise of the crowd and 304 00:16:21.799 --> 00:16:26.279 they're involved, and yeah, you just haven't somehow have to 305 00:16:26.360 --> 00:16:28.519 try and block it out if you can, if you're 306 00:16:28.519 --> 00:16:32.679 playing on the pitch. And it was evening games, which 307 00:16:32.720 --> 00:16:34.919 is also interesting because a lot of us haven't played 308 00:16:34.960 --> 00:16:39.159 in flood lights. I'd probably say the majority of the 309 00:16:39.159 --> 00:16:41.120 team hadn't played in flood lights, so that was a 310 00:16:41.200 --> 00:16:43.720 first and getting used to that as well. 311 00:16:44.759 --> 00:16:46.159 Wow, of course. 312 00:16:46.240 --> 00:16:48.080 And I mean had you even been able to do 313 00:16:48.120 --> 00:16:50.720 any any training, like take some some swings in the 314 00:16:50.759 --> 00:16:52.720 cage on the night before or anything like that. I 315 00:16:52.799 --> 00:16:54.320 wasn't just like, hey, it's the first time I've hit 316 00:16:54.399 --> 00:16:57.159 under flood lights. I'm on the time and done playing check. 317 00:16:59.639 --> 00:17:00.480 Think you about it. 318 00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:02.480 I don't think we did have I mean we had 319 00:17:02.519 --> 00:17:06.119 stuff in the cage, but yeah, nothing. It was still 320 00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:10.720 light when we started, so yeah, it was here you 321 00:17:10.720 --> 00:17:12.240 go go do it. 322 00:17:13.759 --> 00:17:16.279 And and and you you you obviously you came to 323 00:17:17.440 --> 00:17:20.359 baseball in East Asia, right, and there's some pretty rampant fans, 324 00:17:20.400 --> 00:17:24.160 but you've also been with the GB team in Arizona. 325 00:17:24.319 --> 00:17:27.240 You've in Burno at the European chair the men's team 326 00:17:27.240 --> 00:17:28.440 in when they'd be playing in Burno. 327 00:17:29.200 --> 00:17:30.799 How was this crowd? Was this? 328 00:17:30.799 --> 00:17:34.559 This is a very very noisy, very intense because it 329 00:17:34.559 --> 00:17:38.240 was it was a small it was quite park, and 330 00:17:38.279 --> 00:17:41.039 the crowd were very very close and the very very 331 00:17:41.079 --> 00:17:44.480 passionate and it was mostly you know, very friends and 332 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:47.680 families I guess, and the local people from the local area. 333 00:17:48.079 --> 00:17:50.599 So it was pretty It was pretty intense, like you know, 334 00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:52.640 as they're hiding behind the ease or as the ladies 335 00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:55.640 were doing their thing, and it was I mean, it's 336 00:17:55.680 --> 00:17:57.680 one I mean to paint. It was fantastic because it 337 00:17:57.720 --> 00:18:00.440 was a beautiful setting. You had people doing little workers 338 00:18:00.480 --> 00:18:03.680 down at the front, dancing around and there's of course nice, nice, 339 00:18:03.839 --> 00:18:05.880 nice cold beer. So I was enjoying all the good bits. 340 00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:10.720 But it was, it was it was a pretty intense 341 00:18:10.920 --> 00:18:13.079 you know, the checks like their baseball, So it was. 342 00:18:13.440 --> 00:18:15.279 It was fantastic. I mean, you know it was really 343 00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:15.799 it was great. 344 00:18:16.279 --> 00:18:18.279 You must have been looking down that third base line 345 00:18:18.279 --> 00:18:22.319 and Andy Browncat just been like, here's this chancer. 346 00:18:24.240 --> 00:18:26.559 Check time. 347 00:18:31.279 --> 00:18:33.160 Somebody's got to do it. John. You know that's the thing. 348 00:18:35.319 --> 00:18:38.039 You you earn your way into every room. You get 349 00:18:38.079 --> 00:18:38.839 yourself into. 350 00:18:39.279 --> 00:18:42.640 You and I both know that it's not just with 351 00:18:42.720 --> 00:18:47.160 the painting, it's the gift of the gab too. So yeah, 352 00:18:47.759 --> 00:18:51.200 obviously that the Czech team came out on top and 353 00:18:51.240 --> 00:18:53.599 then you but you you win your way into into 354 00:18:53.640 --> 00:18:56.359 the placing round in a really like nail biting tense 355 00:18:56.400 --> 00:18:59.519 game with with the Netherlands. That that and that was it. 356 00:18:59.599 --> 00:19:02.480 I mean an nail biting day all round. You see that? 357 00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:04.240 That what's it like? 358 00:19:04.240 --> 00:19:06.359 Look I'm never going to know this. Look I was. 359 00:19:06.599 --> 00:19:09.720 I was a useless, washed out skool boy sportsman and 360 00:19:09.759 --> 00:19:13.759 I've played at no competitive level. I played rec rec 361 00:19:13.880 --> 00:19:16.000 soft pitch softball in London and I was the worst 362 00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:18.200 player and a bad team. Like so I'm going to 363 00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:21.400 ask you, Kat, who has played like at like elite 364 00:19:21.519 --> 00:19:26.240 level European sport. What how what's going through your mind 365 00:19:26.279 --> 00:19:29.079 when you're on that diamond and you're in a position 366 00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:32.400 where you're in a nip and tuck game that's about 367 00:19:32.480 --> 00:19:35.400 you know, placing, it's about about winning a championship. What 368 00:19:35.440 --> 00:19:38.279 would take us through your sort of thought process? Are 369 00:19:38.279 --> 00:19:40.279 you able to stay in the moment, Are you able 370 00:19:40.279 --> 00:19:42.079 to stay in the zone or is your mind just thinking, 371 00:19:42.119 --> 00:19:43.759 oh my god, this is this is insane. 372 00:19:45.960 --> 00:19:46.160 Yeah. 373 00:19:46.200 --> 00:19:49.240 I mean, I'll say that Netherlands game I got thrown 374 00:19:49.279 --> 00:19:51.480 in I think it was a second or third inning 375 00:19:52.039 --> 00:19:54.599 when it was very nail biting. 376 00:19:57.759 --> 00:19:59.799 I just say, you just got to stay in the moment. 377 00:20:00.519 --> 00:20:05.039 You're trying to keep that tunnel vision and just one 378 00:20:05.079 --> 00:20:07.720 ball at a time, yeah, or one pitch at a time, 379 00:20:09.359 --> 00:20:14.000 and stay as focused as you can. For me, I 380 00:20:14.079 --> 00:20:16.920 talked to myself a lot, so if the camera was 381 00:20:16.960 --> 00:20:21.599 ever on me, oh dear, But yeah, I talked to himself, 382 00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:23.119 not just situations. 383 00:20:23.119 --> 00:20:26.519 I was wondering cat, Yeah, how like at the top 384 00:20:26.519 --> 00:20:29.480 of the second I'm watching and I'm like, oh, no, 385 00:20:29.759 --> 00:20:32.920 nine zero, I'm like, what, like, what are you thinking? 386 00:20:32.960 --> 00:20:33.079 Then? 387 00:20:33.119 --> 00:20:36.240 What's the team doing? On the bench because I'm like, yeah, 388 00:20:36.319 --> 00:20:38.079 what are you doing? Like, what's going on? Like, what 389 00:20:38.119 --> 00:20:39.759 was the what was the chat, what was the what 390 00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:41.880 was the feelings, what was it happening? What was happening? 391 00:20:42.319 --> 00:20:45.519 Interestingly, we were on a high. 392 00:20:45.720 --> 00:20:49.440 Weirdly, even though we were nine or down, we weren't no, 393 00:20:49.519 --> 00:20:51.400 we've got this, it doesn't matter. 394 00:20:51.519 --> 00:20:52.519 Yeah it was. 395 00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:55.839 We knew it was just yeah, some things that had 396 00:20:55.880 --> 00:21:00.559 been missed or whatever. But we had this belief that yeah, 397 00:21:00.720 --> 00:21:03.119 it's fine, we can we can get. 398 00:21:02.960 --> 00:21:07.680 Back to this. Yeah. Yeah, I've never been a dugout 399 00:21:07.759 --> 00:21:09.039 like that where you're. 400 00:21:08.920 --> 00:21:11.240 Just now, it's amazing. It was quite It was a game. 401 00:21:11.279 --> 00:21:12.720