NATURALLY right-handed, a left-handed hitter and right-handed pitcher has called Hoy Park his second home. This is where his 20-year baseball and softball passion has blossomed.

Vince Deyzel, a Glenwood High School alumnus, recalled his early years in the sport when he was just a tender teenager.

“I had my first experience of baseball when I was 12 years old. It was a chance encounter. My best friend at the time invited me to play in his baseball team because they were short of a player. I didn’t hesitate. After a while on the bench, the coach pulled me in. I picked up a bat, but I didn’t see anything; the ball flew past me. Later on, my interest in baseball was sowed,” Deyzel remembered.

It wasn’t until he was 14 years old that he started playing seriously, for his first club, the Sluggers. In baseball, he is strictly a pitcher, and in softball he plays anywhere from catcher to infield and outfield. The two sports are basically the same, with a few minor differences, making it easier for Deyzel to play both with ease. Baseball, he says, remains his greater passion, while softball serves as fun.

He currently plays baseball for the Toti Cardinals, and softball for the Toti Cardinals and The Royals. He was one of the three players in Durban to be selected in the SA Baseball Union’s 30-man senior national squad for its October tour to France.

In 2017, Vince was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates team for a three-year contract when he was 16, and started playing soon after he matriculated. He has played for the KZN provincial team several times, and he highlighted a recent experience.

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“Another highlight was being part of the South African team that went to the World Baseball Classic in Taiwan last year. Although we did not go through to the next round, the experience of playing in front of 50 000 spectators was amazing,” he enthused.

In his youth days he played almost every sport. But it is cricket that he reckons could have taken him to the internationals if he chose that route, as he believes he had real talent. “My passion for baseball was stronger,” he said.

He looks forward to the start of the new season of softball at the end of October, and baseball in February 2027, respectively.
“I am training harder already, to place myself in great shape for upcoming tournaments, and to see KZN do better against other provinces next season.

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“The aspirant players can come down to the field, and we can assist them with coaching and lend them equipment. We can later make a plan to connect them with other provinces.”

Vince believes Durban possesses great talent in the sport; however, the decline in popularity can be a challenge. He says that to broaden the exposure of the sport, there must be an introduction at the school level.

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