An all American summer for Dirtbags' shortstop

By Jennifer Umaña
Daily Forty-Niner

A small plastic baseball hangs from the rearview mirror in the car of Dirtbags shortstop Bobby Crosby. A tiny wooden baseball bat and metal baseball glove adorn two of the key chains dangling in his pocket.

This might seem like the usual knick-knacks of someone who enjoys baseball. But Crosby has done something in his sport this summer that makes him stand out from the rest.

Crosby played shortstop for the U.S. national baseball team, an opportunity afforded to players by invitation only. After tryouts, only 22 of 35 players invited made the team.

"It was tough," Crosby said. "There were five or six other shortstops and everybody was good."

Crosby is the first player from Long Beach State to play for the national team since 1992.

Long Beach State baseball Coach Dave Snow said he would have been surprised if Crosby had not made the team.

Daily 49er athlete of the summer

Once the national team was picked, they traveled across the United States, playing games in 13 states.

"Every place we went, we were lucky if we were there for two days," Crosby said. "We would play, go to sleep, and then have a flight like at 5 a.m."

The experience left him both mentally and physically tired, he said, but the positives outweighed the negatives.

"But living out of a suitcase just gets old," he added with a laugh.

After making the trek across the U.S., the team flew to Holland, where they stayed for about a week and a half.

"Holland is different," Crosby said. "Everything is a lot more liberal. It kind of took us aback when we got there."

It was in Holland that Crosby was named Most Valuable Player of Baseball Week in Haarlem, a tournament in which the U.S. beat Cuba twice.

"Being named MVP was a shocker," he said. "There were some of the best players from other countries there. It was a pretty big honor."

Over the summer, Crosby batted .294, notched two home runs, 15 runs, and 21 RBI. The team finished the season with a record of 27-3-1.

"Homeruns are fun," he said. "But if you make a dive play and throw the guy out, that's more fun than anything."

Crosby will be playing his third season with the Dirtbags this spring, but will most likely enter the major league draft next year.

He has been drafted before. In 1998, while attending La Quinta High School in Westminster, the Anaheim Angels picked Crosby in the 35th round. He opted to play for Long Beach State instead.

"Maturity-wise, I wasn't ready," he said of playing in the majors. "I don't think I was that good of a player. It was the best decision that I've made."

If Crosby, a communications major, is drafted again and decides to join a team, he said that he will continue going to school during the fall semesters, which is allowed by Major League Baseball.

Snow said that Crosby has tremendous potential for playing baseball beyond college.

"He's stronger, he's very consistent and makes spectacular plays," Snow said. "His defense is the foundation of his being special."

Photo courtesy Sports Information Bobby Crosby slugging away for U.S. national baseball team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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