The organizers of the city’s oldest US sports club have recognized that in the internet age, you have to offer something to get people in Germany excited about an absolutely fringe sport. The club has changed its public relations work and has been relying more than ever on social media to draw attention to itself since this season. And it has been successful, as was evident from the large number of spectators on the so-called “Opening Day”, a season opening based on the American model, on Sunday at the VfR Kaiserslautern grounds.
German-American specialties
“This is my first time here, I only knew baseball from television. I have never watched a whole game before, partly because the rules are quite complicated at first glance. But live, it’s a completely different story. I’ll definitely be back,” said a young spectator. At the entrance to the field, an oversized balloon garland welcomed spectators, and directly behind it, German-American grilled specialties such as hamburgers and sausages were already sizzling away and attracting the first visitors. The fact that the season opening was all about German-American friendship was not only evident in the decorations in the respective national colors. Before the game began, both teams lined up together to listen reverently to the two national anthems. Before the first batter was allowed to go, things got emotional: the ceremonial first throw, in which a guest of honor throws a ball to mark the end of the pre-game celebrations and the start of the game, was the responsibility of Bears veteran Hartmut Förster. The long-time groundskeeper opened the game with a targeted throw to his son Andreas, who caught the ball with his usual confidence. The stadium announcer then announced “play ball” at around 12 o’clock.
A little result correction
Saarlouis quickly made it clear that there was no time to celebrate in the West Palatinate and went 2-0 ahead in the first quarter. The Kaiserslautern Bears’ response was not long in coming. Coach Antonio Lopez’s team went 6-2 ahead in the extra time and extended their lead to a decisive 16-2 by the end of the fifth inning. From the guests’ point of view, more than a small correction of the result was not possible. The next home game is on Saturday (12 p.m./VfR Kaiserslautern) against Mainz Athletics III.
Comment
Living integration
The fact that sport is a unifying element between nations became more than clear on Sunday at the VfR Kaiserslautern grounds.
Just a glance at the line-up of the hosts revealed that integration is not only propagated but actually lived in the association founded by German citizens in 1990.
The Kaiserslautern Bears baseball players come from many countries. From Germany, Puerto Rico, the United States of America, India and also Japan. US soldiers stationed in the West Palatinate pursue the same goal as students, employees and skilled workers from a wide variety of cultures. Religion, skin colour and origin play no role. What sports clubs do for social cohesion cannot be valued and praised highly enough.
2024-06-04 16:02:25
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