Profile: Team Victory
Team Victory says team chemistry is key to success
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| Team Victory is led by Rafael Fuentes and Dave Brunette, and staffed by a core of guys who get along well. "Just leaving (to a tournaments) to hit a ball? We did that when we were younger,” Brunette said. "It needs to be more than that." |
By Jeff McGaw, MSBL On-Line
Team Victory does its best to live up to its name.
It's success is owed in large part to manager Rafael Fuentes and general manager Dave Brunette. Formed over seven years ago, the team has won 12 of 17 MSBL National tournaments it played in during the stretch between Jan 2008 and Jan 2012. It played in championship games in 15 of those 17 tournaments. The team is the five-time reigning champion of the 45+ division at the Desert Classic in Palm Springs. It has won it's past three (didn't enter 2012) Kickoff Classic tournaments in Vegas and lost in the semifinals of that tournament in 2008. It contended four times at the Las Vegas Open winning in 2009, losing in the finals in 2008 and 2010, and reaching the semifinals in 2011.
Team Victory won the 45 National Division at the World Series in 2010 and 2011, the Mountain Division in 2009, and lost in the finals of the Mountain Division in 2008, and the semifinals in 2007.
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There is talent for sure, but both Brunette and Fuentes agree that nothing is more important than team chemistry. "Nothing lasts forever,” said Fuentes. "We're trying to have fun at every tournament and it's chemistry first. "
Fuentes and Brunette met back in 2003 and played together on a team from San Diego. The team made it to the semifinals in the 2003 World Series with only nine players. They realized good chemistry and team depth could make for some fun days at the ballpark. One discussion led to another and the two peeled off and started their own team.At Team Victory's core are about a dozen players including Pokey Sanchez, Oscar Duran, Dale Eby, Bob Pone, Doug Thigpen, Ken Henry, several of which have had minor league playing experience. |
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| Others have stepped up the last few years into key roles |
Rafael Fuentes |
including Rick Campo, Frank Bons, Buzzy Sailer, Greg Bertrand, and Don Bell.
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Brunette describes himself as "the ballast,” and describes Fuentes as "the engine.” "There's no team without him,” Brunette said. "We work together. I do some of the stuff to lighten the load. He's the one that pulls the strings.”
A winning attitude doesn't mean you win every game. "Things aren't always going to go your way,” Brunette said. "You've got to have guys that reach out and pick each other up…we want guys that will really add energy to the club…It's the quality of the interaction that is really the most important,” Brunette said.There is a danger in winning too much, Brunette said. "When you are fortunate to experience a lot of success, you tend to define success too narrowly – and maybe only as winning. We try to guard against that by focusing everyone on helping each other play their best so we all can make our maximum contribution.” |
| Dave Brunette |
Everyone has a role, Brunette said. That is "to do |
what they can to make the team better. "Time is short and we're really fortunate to be out here in the sun with guys we like to be with trying to achieve more as a team than as individuals,” Fuentes said.
"You've got to find guys that really expect to win, but it's not the most important thing to them,” Brunette said. "Most of us have families that we're leaving (to attend tournaments). Just leaving to hit a ball? We did that when we were younger,” Brunette said. "It needs to be more than that. You can't always control whether you win or not, but you can make sure you are spending your time doing something you love with quality people that make it better every time out.”