Two Russian National Team mainstays, third baseman Ruslan Nabiev and catcher Andrei Selivanov, have signed with the Brasschaat Braves to play in Belgium in 1999.

   The players spent the last couple of seasons with the CSKA PVO (Balashikha), winning two Russian League titles. With the Army club facing a transition period after three years of reign, and the player's two-year terms of army service expiring, Nabiev and Selivanov were set to leave the ballclub after the 1998 season. But instead of returning to Spartak (Moscow), where they began their careers, they opted to play abroad.

   Given their vast international experience, playing ball away from home won't be much new for them. With both players in their early twenties, Andrei is 22, Ruslan being one year younger, they have everything to become impact players on the European baseball scene.

   While their current resumes might look alike, the two players' baseball roads have not been the same.

   Selivanov stormed into the RL in 1994 as a 17-year old rookie catcher with Spartak, hitting an astonishing .523 in the championship's first round, trailing only to Evgeny Puchkov's .563 mark. Despite being probably the smallest player in the league, Selivanov batted cleanup and led Spartak batters in nearly every category, including 10 stolen bases in as many attempts.

   But his team didn't make it to the next round loosing the deciding game to the old MGU (Moscow) club by a score of 5 to 4. Selivanov took part in the game's final moment, though in a funny manner. Trailing by one run in the bottom on the ninth, Spartak put runners on first and second after Andrei's third single of the game. Something must have crossed skipper Pavel Gladikov's mind as he sent little used Andrei Semenov to pinch run for Selivanov, the team's most effective base stealer. After the next two batters choked in the clutch, Gladikov despairingly called for a double steal. The front runner had a great jump towards third base, but the catcher wisely threw to second and nailed the moon walking pinch runner by a mile.

   Later that year at a European youth championship Selivanov very much empressed the Atlanta Braves' scouts and left Russia for a summer of Rookie baseball in 1995. He didn't fare well in the States though, hitting below .200. He then participated in Instructional league, but that was it. 

   Despite the failure, he didn't not lose his appetite for the game and established himself back home as a true professional. With his .447 career batting average (5th best), outstanding fielding and no nonsense approach, Selivanov is arguably the best Russian League catcher ever.

  As for Ruslan Nabiev, he'd been an up and down player until he was given the starting third base job with the CSKA. Still with a smile on his face no matter what's the situation on the field, he slugged an unbelievable .941 in 1998, gaining some 120 points on Puchkov's previous record! What's more, this easy going third baseman posted a .974 fielding percentage, converting 66% of grounders hit his way into outs. So don't blame this guy if he doesn't blast himself after popping out. 

Congratulations Brasschaat!