ONE of Bendigo's newest baseball players has received a flurry of support ahead of his first game.
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Johan Rivas was surprised by the response to a post on the Bendigo East Baseball Club's Facebook page, which shared his passion for the sport and his pride in becoming a baseball player.
"I was born in Venezuela, a country where baseball is the national sport," the post begins.
"Baseball in Venezuela is like soccer in Argentina or Brazil, or footy here in Australia - the big one!"
Johan writes that he grew up playing baseball, but in conditions a world away from those he enjoys in Bendigo.
"The bat was a piece of wood crafted with a machete. The ball was a rock covered with a lot of sticky tape," the Facebook post stated.
He hadn't always had a glove to play with, and games were in car parks and an abandoned piece of land that had a lot of rocks and pebbles, but no grass.
"Caimaneras" - friendly, but competitive, games with friends - and a local tournament were the closest Johan came to playing in a team in his childhood.
He described playing in Bendigo, 44 years later, as "a dream come true."
"I'm not the best player - I never have been. I just love the fun and being part of a team," Johan said in the Facebook post.
It was the first time he had worn a baseball uniform as a player, rather than as a fan wearing merchandise.
"I feel so proud of myself. My heart is so happy. I feel like a kid again," Johan wrote.
Saying thank you to all those involved in his club didn't seem like enough, the post said.
"I made it. I'm a baseball player. Thank you life. Thanks all," it concluded.
More than 100 people responded to his story, reflecting on how special baseball was and wishing Johan luck ahead of his first game at the weekend.
One commenter referenced the film Moneyball, saying, "How can you not be romantic about baseball?"
Another cited the story as inspiration never to take anything for granted.
Johan said he had found amazing people through his involvement in the club, which had made him feel welcome from the beginning.
"I feel very lucky," he said.
"I always feel welcome and that's great because it doesn't always happen."
He was feeling nervous, but excited, ahead of Sunday's game.
Bendigo East Baseball Club head coach Kerrin Smith said the club prided itself on being inclusive and welcoming.
He said Johan was one of eight new players the club had picked up for the year - a "phenomenal" number in a community where baseball was more of a niche interest.
Kerrin noted that support for Johan on the Facebook post had come from beyond the club's supporter and member base, with people connecting to the passion for the game.
"At the end of the day, we all love the sport," he said.
Kerrin encouraged anyone interested in taking up baseball to contact the Bendigo Baseball Association or a local club.
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