When Perttu Ruuska stepped into the batting position for the first time at the age of 15 in the Superpesis finals, he didn’t seem to feel the pressure. Ruuska was added to the lineup for the last two matches. In the end, he led Vimpel Veto to the Finnish championship with a total of three hits.
Ruuska surprised with its maturity. Even then, the hitting of a middle school-age boy was brilliant.
– This way you can say afterwards that it was a good thing that I didn’t even realize how big things are played. I was able to surprise both myself and others. There wasn’t a lot of pressure, Ruuska admits to Urheilu.
The young man didn’t even have time to stress. He found out about his playing the night before, when Sotkamon’s Jymy had claimed a clear victory at Saarikenta.
– “Sämpy” (game director Sami-Petteri Kivimäki) said when the playoffs started, keep yourself ready. However, that command suddenly came as a surprise.
Ruuska’s playing in the team was possible, as he had coached young promises in Vimpelin Vedo for a long time Kari Kleemola had previously gotten his way.
When Ruuska’s transfer to Vimpel was announced, Kleemola emphasized that the youngster must also be able to play for Superpes within the scope of the contract.
According to Kleemola, Ruuska’s sports skills were already at the Superpesis level in terms of versatility and degree of difficulty. No one could spoil this young man.
– I saw his talent even then. The guy hit the ball like a horse and skillfully. I thought that if there was a need, there would be no need to bother with contracts, says Kleemola.
– There was a bit of a twist about that. I didn’t give up at all. It was crystal clear for Kivimäki, but at the club’s office I had to twist.
Now at the age of 21, Ruuska is participating in the finals for the third time. This time in the ranks of Manse PP against his former club Vimpelin Veto.
– I already thought before the season that it would be great to play against Vimpel in the playoffs. Now it will come true in the final, so what could be better than that, says Ruuska.
At least Ruuska doesn’t admit that the encounter between good friends and the former club would cause her greater emotions.
– That’s already the lesson when you met a couple of times in the regular season. That baseball isn’t going to change anything. Of course, there are good friends there with whom we have a long history. When the whistle blows, they are opponents just like everyone else.
Ruuska had time to play for a long time in Veto’s shirt. In the club, he achieved, among other things, two Finnish championships, three WC bronze medals and the top batting statistic win in the 2020 season.
The last season at the club got a nasty aftertaste when Ruuska’s contract with the Tampere club leaked to the public already in July. Ruuska has said that it affected his and the team’s playing.
– For the first week or two, it worked. Of course, I can’t speak for the others, but inevitably they also had thoughts about who will replace them when it comes to the locker plot. I thought for a week or two about many things.
– No one hopes that there will be headlines in the middle of the season if they have signed a contract. Of course, that is unfortunately the present day, Ruuska laments.
However, the matter was dealt with in the team, and it no longer affected the performances of the rest of the season and the playoffs.
– Of course, we had other challenges with the team at that time. Things were discussed honestly. If someone had something they wanted to say about it, they were allowed to say it. After that, the table was clean.
– I felt that it went well and we handled it as it should.
Ruuska describes both his own and Manse through PP as bullish. The beginning was tight, but towards the end the game has improved. With five home runs and 77 regular runs, Ruuska was the fourth best homer in the series.
– Actually, before the season, I already had in mind that I want to be at my best in the autumn games. Vire feels good.
However, Ruuska reminds us that only in the final matches will we measure whether the season has been personally successful.
– Baseball is a game of self-confidence and at least at the moment it feels like it is high. I’ve had success in the previous series and I’m ready. A confident feeling for myself and the whole team, says Ruuska.
The story continues after the graphic and picture.
Before this week, Ruuska had lost four semi-final series. That’s why the youngster has enough enthusiasm and hunger to win the Pennant.
Ruuska praises Vimpel for playing a dangerous and versatile inside game all season. However, he assures that Manse has what it takes to beat the pennant holders.
– It requires great success, especially in the outdoor game. Their inside game must be caught immediately in zero and one situations. Then we are strong.
How tempting is it to hit the ball into the river at Saarikent?
Ruuska laughs, but becomes serious.
– It doesn’t matter to me where I hit the ball. As long as we play to win the match and the series. It doesn’t matter if it’s somebody else (who hits the run) or where he hits it, as long as we win.
– The river brings its own flavor, but you shouldn’t think too much about it.
Read also:
Loyal to Sotkamo, Roope Korhonen in the hunt for medals for the third decade already – “Talking about baseball is pointless jaw-dropping”
Kärkimatsi and the record audience in Hiukka got the atmosphere to the roof: Manse PP went home with a clear victory