Love of baseball lands area coach in Sweden

Already the Polish coach, Bill Mathews tries to help the Scandinavian nation qualify for the Olympics.

By RODNEY PAGE
Published July 10, 2005

After guiding Eckerd College to a 15-35 season, 4-20 in the Sunshine State Conference, it would be understandable if coach Bill Mathews wanted to take a break from baseball.

But Mathews has a hard time saying no when it comes to the sport. He again will spend his time coaching a summer team.

This time in Sweden.

Mathews is no stranger to international baseball. He has coached the Polish national team since 1997.

When he's not overseas, Mathews helps at Tampa Bay Devil Rays summer camps. And during the winter and spring, he is a coaching adviser for Bay Point Little League.

But this summer, he found the offer to help the Swedish national team attempt to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics irresistible. He spent 26 days in June as the team's hitting coach, bench coach and advance scout during the European championships.

Mathews recently returned to Sweden for two weeks while the team plays in an international qualifying tournament. If Sweden finishes in the top two of the tournament, it will advance to another stage of Olympic qualifying.

"It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to do something like this," said Mathews, who was back in St. Petersburg for a week before leaving again for Sweden on July1. "When am I ever going to have another chance to do this? Maybe never.

"My heart and love is with Eckerd College. I'm not going to give this up. But the opportunity was there, and I had to take it."

The opportunity came when Pat Doyle, the international envoy program director for Major League Baseball, asked Mathews if he would host the Swedish team for a week during the fall of 2004. The Swedes worked out at the Eckerd field and scrimmaged against the Tritons.

The team returned for a week in the spring. Before the European Championships, Mathews was asked by manager Peter Schoon about joining the team as a coach. The Swedish Baseball Federation picked up the tab for Mathews and his 15-year-old son, Zach, to come to Sweden.

"Zach had a ball," Mathews said. "All he did was eat, sleep and play baseball. He loved it."

Mathews said the baseball part was very competitive. Baseball is not the most popular sport in Sweden, but Mathews said there is some talent.

"I think right now (Sweden) is as competitive as a middle of the road team in our conference," Mathews said. "We played them when they were here and split two games.

"And the Italian and Dutch teams are as good as some of the top college teams. It's good baseball."

As for the sleeping part, that was tough due to the 22 hours of sunlight during the Swedish summer. And they got used to the eating part, which Mathews said was fairly normal except for the occasional herring, moose and bear.

Sweden has never qualified for the eight-team Olympic tournament since it became an official medal sport in 1992. Italy has been the dominant team in Sweden's pool since 2000.

But if Sweden can manage a top-two finish in the European tournament, it will qualify for the European championship in 2007. From there, it could lead to an Olympic berth in 2008 in Beijing. Mathews said he isn't sure what will happen after his stint this summer.

"Who knows what will happen two years from now," Mathews said. "Hey, if it happens, it happens.

"But I can't think that far ahead right now."

[Last modified July 9, 2005, 23:35:17]