The unexpected often happens: the “Penzberg Panthers” are still on the way to forming league teams. And yet there is a DM appearance coming up.
Penzberg – They haven’t played a game in a league yet, but they can still become German champions: The “Penzberg Panthers” are about to have a very special performance. Andreas Büchner, the driving force behind the “Baseball in Penzberg” project, managed to get the adult team a wild card for the upcoming Slowpitch German Championship. The title fights go on the weekend of 30./31. July in Cologne over the stage.
Penzberg Panthers start at Softball-DM in Cologne
“We are the underdogs – no ifs or buts,” says Büchner. But the Penzberger, who comes from Ansbach and has experience in the first division both as a player and as a coach, is also confident that the “Panthers” can play a good role. We’ve been training diligently for this recently: three to four times, “so that we can get fit,” says Büchner. The program on the two days is quite demanding. Twelve teams take part in the mixed competition. According to a special format with preliminary and final rounds, each team has to play eight games. Anyone who is familiar with the sport “knows that that’s a lot,” says Büchner. The individual games are limited to 70 minutes playing time, which creates another challenge: “Any mistake can decide a game.”
Slowpitch, played in Cologne, is a “family-friendly” twist on classic baseball, with its fast-paced throws and bats. It is played with a larger ball and on a smaller field. In addition, the pitcher has to throw specifically – the speed of the ball is so slower. Also important: women and men stand together on the field. In the mixed variant, there must always be two women or two men (depending on the majority of genders in the team) on the field. In addition to mixed, a tournament in the “Coed” discipline will also be played in Cologne; the teams consist of five women and five men.
Penzberg Panthers get the right to start via a wild card
The fact that the “Penzberg Panthers” even had the chance to take part in the DM is not least due to the ongoing corona pandemic. In individual state associations, no or no complete slow pitch seasons were played. Thus, the otherwise obligatory qualification requirement for the German championship was omitted. In order to ensure that the field of participants was full, the idea of a wild card came up. Büchner immediately seized the opportunity for the Penzbergers. Opponents of the “Panthers” on the opening day include the “Aachen Greyhounds” and the “Berlin Hangarounds”. The latter won the Berlin Mixed Softball League 2019.
In the past few months, the “Panthers” have had a lot of visitors. The company “Roche” with its approximately 6,000 employees plays a major role in this. It attracts people from all over Germany – including some who used to play baseball at a higher level. The “Panthers” offer men and women the opportunity to pursue their hobby again. The team now has players from 13 different clubs. “The level has really exploded,” says Büchner. A good 60 baseball fans of all ages meet regularly.
Training in the stadium on Karl-Wald-Strasse
The official training times are Mondays and Tuesdays (5 to 8 p.m.) in the stadium on Karl-Wald-Straße. The “Panthers”, who do not form their own division at TSV, but are affiliated with the volleyball department, can hold their units there on a section.
With the number of participants increasing, it is now a matter for the team to “create sensible structures in order to be able to handle everything organizationally,” says Büchner. He praises the accommodating nature of the city, but also says that the “Panthers” will probably need more space than before for training in the future. “It’s not about growth, it’s about the safety of the players during the practice sessions,” emphasizes Büchner.
