Are you passionate about baseball? Do you want to experience Europe in a unique way? If so, you have come to the right place. Old World Baseball, LLC (OWB) is dedicated to providing custom-tailored, high-quality, baseball-playing/cultural opportunities in Europe for groups and individuals (of all ages).
Each of the founders of OWB, Tom Gillespie and Stephan Rapaglia, has had tremendous coaching and playing experience in the European baseball world. Between them, Tom and Stephan have coached and/or played in the shadows of Windsor Castle and Edinburgh Castle, in Barcelona's Olympic Stadium, and in other historic European locations such as London, Paris, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Brno, Cologne, Hamburg, Stockholm, Prague, Madrid, Munich, Regensburg, Rouen, Toulouse, Tuebingen, Grosseto and Zagreb. OWB was founded by Tom and Stephan so that adventurous and enthusiastic North American ballplayers can share these types of experiences.
*Old World Baseball is not affiliated in any way with Major League Baseball® or the World Baseball Classic®.
OWB's 2022 Trips Set to Commence
After consecutive years lost to Covid-19, OWB is running two separate Europe trips that begin in June. OWB's first-ever trip for current and former college players departs for Vienna and Prague on June 18, with a team composed of US and European players who will compete in Prague Baseball Week (https://pbw.baseball.cz/en/) against international opponents such as the Czech, Spanish and Greek Senior National Teams. On June 24, OWB's 10th Europe trip for rising college ballplayers will depart for Prague, Germany and Belgium, with games scheduled against the Czech 18U and 23U National Teams, the German 18U National Team and the Belgian 18U National Team.
OWB Completes 9th Annual Europe Trip
OWB's 9th annual HS trip to Europe, which ran from June 27 - July 8, included 20 players, 6 coaches, 4 countries (Austria, Slovakia, Czechia and Germany), 7 cities and towns (Vienna, Bratislava, Trebic, Prague, Dresden, Hamburg and Berlin), 10 games and 3 national team opponents (the Slovakian Men's National Team and the 18U National Teams from Czechia and Germany). For the first time in OWB's 9-year history, OWB finished the trip undefeated, with an impressive 8-0-2 record against high-quality competition.
OWB's Tom Gillespie Leads German 18U National Team in 2018 European Championships
Tom Gillespie recently completed his second 18U European Championships as Head Coach of the German Junior National Team. Tom previously led the German team to the Bronze Medal in the 2016 European Championships. Tom is also in charge of the German 23U National Team.
OWB's Tom Gillespie Cited in Gift Ngoepe MLB Promotion Article
OWB previously noted that Tom Gillespie played a key role in reuniting South Africa's Ngoepe brothers (Gift and Victor) in the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization, with OWB's Tom Gillespie being the international scout responsible for signing Victor. Older brother Gift has now become the first African-born player to make the big leagues, and Tom is cited in the first MLB.com story about Gift's promotion.
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