Major League Baseball to Host European Elite Camp in the Netherlands
Hall of Famer Barry Larkin Leads Field Staff Working with Players from 18 Countries; Sixteen-Year-Old Female Melissa Mayeux of France to Participate in Camp
Major League Baseball will host a European Elite Camp for players at ETO Ballpark in Hoofddorp, Netherlands from August 4th-20th, it was announced today. The camp, which is part of MLB's commitment to the development of the game internationally, will provide Major League Clubs with scouting opportunities of currently eligible and July 2, 2016-eligible prospects.
Over 80 players from 18 countries will participate in the camp, which will feature daily workouts and games. Among the participants will be Melissa Mayeux, a 16-year-old shortstop from France who was the first female to participate in the MLB Elite Development program. In addition to France, players participating in the camp come from Belarus, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Moldova, the Netherlands, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and Ukraine, as well as China and New Zealand.
Hall of Famer Barry Larkin will lead the MLB field staff, which also consists of former Major League All-Stars Steve Finley and Greg Swindell; former Major Leaguers Dave Bush and Garth Iorg; and former Major League manager John McLaren. Larkin, who managed Brazil during the 2013 World Baseball Classic, has instructed at MLB's European Academy since 2007 and at MLB's Brazilian Elite Camp since 2011.
Prior to the first workout on August 4th, a press conference will be held at ETO Ballpark at 9:00 a.m. (local time), featuring Larkin, Finley, Mayeux and Chris Park, MLB's Senior Vice President of Growth, Strategy & International. The press conference, along with the daily workouts and games, will be open to the media.