At the end of a long, competitive season, the Hollywood Braves hoisted the 2019 Greenville Park and Recreation Men’s Softball Championship trophy. Finishing with an overall 17-3 record, the Hollywood Braves are a perennial championship contender in the local league having won back to back titles and being in position every season to capture the crown. The secret to their success lies in both the ability and the mindsets of their players. “We mainly try to get guys who are good ball players but who are also coachable,” said Kevin “Goose” Johnson, the team’s first baseman. “We also like to have guys on the team who can play multiple positions.”
Talent and temperament are the substance of this championship team as well as a good old fashion farm system. Second baseman Jeremy “Meme” Smith will be honored later at a city-wide sports banquet as the league’s best all around player. He embodies the process that it takes to become part of the Braves. “I started playing with this group of guys when I was about 26 years old,” Smith explained. “A few of us grew up around each other in Hollandale and know each other really well. When you get players, who play well and guys who understand how to play, then the team has a real good chance of being successful.”
Although the Hollywood Braves finished the season as champs with only three losses on their record, the road to the title was paved with opposition. In the double elimination tournament, the Braves faced a Gators team that was undefeated in tournament play and needed only one win to claim the championship. The Braves did what most thought was impossible by beating the Gators in back to back games on July 29 at Wards Recreation Center. “Our mindset was that once we get a lead is that we have the best defense in the league,” Johnson said. “We have some of the best defensive players in the state and we also keep hitting the ball throughout the game.”
Moving forward, the 2019 champs will continue to stake their claim on recruiting the types of players that mis well with the established chemistry and culture. The structure of the team stays stable from year to year with the incoming of one or two new faces each year. “We don’t get players from other teams in the league like some teams,” Johnson said. “We’d rather play against those players and bet them.”
This year along with Smith two more Braves, Tim Holmes and Ted Washington will be recognized as the league’s Cy Young Award winner and MVP respectively. “This has been a very good activity for the community for both old and young,” Smith said. “We’d like to thank and acknowledge Corey Holmes for the way the league has grown.”
