Rayan Rupp is a 26-year old baseball player from the USA, who had moved to Austrian in 2013 and was paying in the “Bulls” team. He became the favorite of fans and the regular player of the team. In 2016, Rayan was playing the team of major division “Attnang Puchheim Atlethics” and became the champion of Austria. But in his hard he always remains with “Hard” team.

After three full seasons with the Bulls you decided to take the job with “Attnang Athletics”, hard decision to leave “Hard”?

Yes, it was an extremely difficult decision to leave. After all that time, “Hard” became like a second home to me because I grew so close with everyone in the “Bulls” family (except that guy Carlos). I really enjoyed playing with the “Bulls”, truly a fantastic group of guys. Initially I was just the outsider, the foreigner amongst his new teammates, but I formed a pretty strong bond with this group and very quickly, these guys became good friends of mine (once again, all except Carlos). I thought it would be best to search for a new environment in order to allow myself to grow as a player and a person. Plus, it was always a bonus to be in the same region where my father grew up.

All of a sudden you found yourself in the ABL, is there a difference to the BBL?

There’s definitely a difference between the 2 leagues. The one thing I really liked about playing in the ABL was that from week 1, it was unclear to how the league would play out. I’m sure many people had an idea of who they thought would win, but as you saw this league is very unpredictable. For example, in the beginning of the season, the “Wanderers” (reigning champs of the ABL) shot quickly into first place with a record of 6-0. However, when the season came to a close they found themselves fighting to hold onto their spot in the ABL. With that being said, in the ABL you could never go into any series knowing confidently that you were going to pull away with 2 wins. There was a game difference between 2nd and 5th place. However, we saw this year that both leagues came down to the final weekend of play, so it was obviously very exciting to watch it all unfold.

Used mainly as a reliever in the early games of the season you became a starter later on, why was it that way? 

I think early on that we were testing out a number of different lineups, allowing everyone to get a chance to prove themselves. Unfortunately, with a schedule of just 20 games, this becomes very difficult to do because every single game is crucial. So it became pretty clear, pretty quick that after our first two series, I could serve the team better as a starter, rather than coming in from the bullpen. This is something I preferred, as it allowed me to prepare both physically and mentally for my upcoming starts.

You then made the playoffs as top seeded team, thoughts on that? Did you expect it?

Of course, making the playoffs and winning a championship was the original plan when this team was put together. We were confident in the beginning of the season because we know we had the talent to get there, but I won’t lie, it was shaky at first. We split most of our series and didn’t really gain momentum until the 2nd half of the season. This actually ended up helping us because we displayed a ton of character in the face of adversity, not only once, but a number of times throughout the season. I definitely think we established ourselves as the comeback kids, as there was more than one occasion where we had to make a late push in games in order to secure a victory.

And then crowning the season with the title, how was the final series against the “Diving Ducks”? 

The “Diving Ducks” are a talented group of young players and I predict a bright future for those guys. They proved to be a worthy opponent, good hitting team and very aggressive on the bases. So it was important for us to dictate the counts and get ahead early on batters. After what we accomplished in the semi finals against the “Cubs”, team chemistry was at an all time high. So we were convinced that we were going to take this series. The following weekend, we had our chances to close it out, but didn’t capitalize on all of our opportunities. But in the end, I will say that it was worth taking the series home and winning the Championship on our field.

Champion in the BBL and ABL – what are your next goals?

I’ve always wanted to be a world-class opera singer. Unless, you’re speaking specifically about baseball, which in that case, I just hope to continue a career overseas and play for as long as I can. The good thing about still being able to play is that as I grow older, I’m maturing and understanding the game in a whole new way. I comprehend certain parts of the game that used to seem a bit too complex (when I was a younger). So, it’s just been fun to be able to evolve as a player through the game of baseball and examine it through a different perspective. Hopefully, I can find a club who doesn’t mind a pitcher who is sometimes guilty of over-analysis.

2017 there will be another European Championship – will you be participation for Austria?

If I get the call, I would love to participate again with the National Team. Last year playing in Vienna was an eye-opening experience and I really enjoyed the being submersed in that baseball environment. During that time, I was enjoying success in the BBL and now having won the ABL; I’m hoping I have earned the chance to move from the bullpen to a starting role. I’m excited to see how it all plays out.

The Bulls finaly made it to the ABL, did you cheer for them? 

Of course, how could I not cheer for the Lords of Landle. The middle playoffs were happening during the same time as the final series, so I was following the “Bulls”, without allowing it to distract from what we, the “Athletics”, we’re trying to accomplish. And as a fan, I would have loved to been able to watch the final Hard-Dornbirn derby. I can only imagine how electric the environment must have been. But, the “Bulls” have never shied away from a hard days work, so I’m not surprised they achieved promotion. I saw the difference as soon as Clemens stepped into the role of Head Coach. From the beginning, he made his intentions clear and has laid the groundwork for the future of this club. He’s definitely taking the Bulls in the right direction (even if that direction sometimes makes a slight detour towards the McDonalds drive thru). So, as a former member of the “Bulls”, I was very happy to hear of their accomplishments and am proud of the perseverance of old teammates.

Have you already made your plans for 2017?

What kind of question is this? Who are you, my mother? 2017, let’s see. Honestly, I don’t know what I’m having for lunch today, so it’s hard to predict what will happen. I can say that I plan on looking for a club, so I can extend my baseball lifespan. I never really know how to answer this question and honestly since I typed the word lunch, I’ve sparked my appetite, so I’ll probably go make something to eat.

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