Baseball is a very popular team sport in America. You don't have to travel far to experience baseball. "Baseball has been played with us Devils since 1989. We are a division of TV St. Ingbert and the oldest baseball club in Saarland. We have three different teams. Since the 1990s, we have been hosting hobby tournaments. We welcome interested participants and aim for an as international tournament as possible," says Mark Unbehend, head of the baseball & softball division of TV St. Ingbert.
But how does baseball work? With the Devils, you can learn what the pitcher, batter, and runner are all about. In the mid-80s, Robert Redford gave audiences a glimpse into baseball and the biography of baseball player Roy Hobbs in the movie "The Natural." Similarly, the story of "Babe Ruth" was adapted into a film in 1992 starring John Goodman, as well as the film series "The Cleveland Indian" in the 90s.
All these stories are about passionate goals and the joy of the game. This is exactly what the Devils aim to achieve with their invitation to the hobby tournament in cooperation with the German-American Institute (DAI) and the Saarpfalz district: fun, the promotion of American sports, and a place for exchange. "With the tournament, we also want to reach Americans living in our region and their families as players, supporters, or spectators. That is why our invitations also go to the US communities in Baumholder and Ramstein/Kaiserslautern," explains Dr. Bruno von Lutz, managing member of the DAI board.
The venue for this is on Sunday, April 30, from 1 to 6 p.m. at Ballpark Wallerfeld, located at Heinrich-Laur-Straße, St. Ingbert. Interested parties are invited to get to know the sport of baseball. In case of bad weather, play will take place in the Wallerfeld sports hall. Participants should only be equipped with appropriate sportswear. After an introduction to the rules and team assignment, games will be played with softballs. Incidentally, women’s baseball was and still is rare in the USA. Women have so far played a subordinate role in professional baseball and have practiced the sport with softball. That baseball is also a women’s sport was proven by female baseball players of the first women’s league in 1942. This is recounted in the 1992 film “A League of Their Own” with Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Lori Petty, and Madonna. “A League of Their Own” will be shown on April 15 at the St. Ingbert Kinowerkstatt. “Perhaps, in the long run, more women will conquer the sport of baseball. That would be an interesting aspect similar to women’s soccer. Following the German-French project ‘Baseball crosses borders’ last year, the continuation of the hobby tournaments is a wonderful initiative for encounters with Americans living here, people from neighboring France, and the Saarpfalz,” emphasizes District Administrator and DAI board member Dr. Theophil Gallo.
At the Devils, women and men play together in the baseball and softball leagues. Training also takes place together.
In addition to the sporting eye candy, spectators can look forward to typical American burgers with regional ingredients. Participation is free of charge. To help with planning, registration is required. Information and registration with the Devils: Department Head Mark Unbehend, email: kontakt@devils-igb.de and www.devils-igb.de
