The Legionnaires have been part of Regensburg’s sporting landscape for 37 years. Initially laughed at, the once exotic baseball players have long since made a name for themselves among sports fans in the city and the country. Today, the Schwabelweiser are the largest baseball club in Germany – and at the same time one of the most successful. Over time, the club, founded in 1987, has seen many sponsors come and go.
A supporter who joined the Legionnaires family 30 years ago and has not left since is celebrating his anniversary: On June 19, 1994, the Regensburg Legionnaires Association was founded.
At a time when the Regensburg baseball players were just about to realize their dream of promotion to the 1st Bundesliga, the then department heads Stefan Ondracek and Armin Zimmermann had a vision: the construction of their own stadium.
15 founding members
In order to put this plan into practice, sponsors and supporters had to be found. The idea of a support association was born. 15 founding members came together, consisting mainly of players from the first baseball and softball team as well as parents of active players. “The founding members laid the foundation for the Armin Wolf Baseball Arena with vision, courage and a willingness to take risks,” says today’s first chairman Franz Grundler, looking back.
Three decades later, the support association and its 255 members are the Legionnaires’ most consistent sponsors. With a total of 800,000 euros from membership fees, but above all savings on wages through voluntary work, the support association is one of the Legionnaires’ biggest sponsors. “The founding of the support association was a stroke of luck for the development and establishment of baseball in Regensburg,” says Grundler. “Supporting the many junior teams in particular was and always will be the main focus.” For example, equipment, ball machines and jerseys for the youngest players were financed by the support association.
One of the biggest contributions is the catering. The support club lounge was an integral part of the first version of the Armin Wolf Arena. From here, the spectators were supplied with drinks. Since this year, a mobile food truck has been a reminder of the beginnings, from which the other playing fields of the Legionnaires’ facility, which has continued to grow, can also be supplied with food.
In any case, it would be unimaginable to run the games and events without the numerous volunteers from the support association in the Legionnaires’ food shop. On behalf of the many helping hands that have pitched in over the past few years, support association member Ilse Ondracek recently received the Ratisbona Silver Medal of Merit from the city of Regensburg.
The two stadium announcers Jochen Bender and Ralf Kettner are also among the founding members of the support association, with Bender being the first board member after the association was founded.
Invitation to the Mainz game
In order to honor all of these achievements in the field of baseball in Regensburg and to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the support association, the Legionnaires are inviting all founders and supporters of the past decades to the first division home game on Friday evening (7 p.m.) against the Mainz Athletics. In keeping with the tradition of the support association, drinks will be served from the food truck for the celebratory occasion.
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2024-06-19 16:04:33
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