Munich is making a name for itself in the baseball world
For all their diplomacy, the Munich Ambassadors occasionally let frustration show. Especially when it comes to the topic of baseball pitches. The club’s home ground, at Säbenerstrasse 61, has long been the center of the Munich baseball scene, hosting not only the Ambassadors and their co-tenants, the Munich Carribs, but also the now defunct Brewers before them. The expansion of the Bayern-München empire next door is, however, after nine years, finally becoming a reality, and the club must pack up in search of newer fields. It’s a worrying situation for the Ambassadors, who are trying to focus on the 2005 season, but then—as they demonstrated in last year’s Bavarian League Championship game—the club has a history of escaping from tight situations. “Nothing’s signed, but we may have a solution,” said Karsten Kunert, president of the Ambassadors. “We are negotiating to obtain two old soccer pitches at the ZHS [Zentraler Hochschulsport] near the Olympic stadium, which we may be able to convert into a field. It would be fantastic if that were to come through.”
On the negative side, the uncertainty about a field has seen a number of the juniors drop out, which means the club may be unlikely to field a junior team in 2005. On the positive side, though, the team that won the Bavarian League Championship has remained largely intact, with the sole exception of Rob Schneider, who returned to the United States. As a replacement the Ambassadors have picked up Todd Pelman from the San Francisco Bay Area competition and former German National League player Gerd Müller. “The off-field issues can be distracting, but as soon as the first ball is pitched, you try and block it all out and get on with what matters—baseball,” said Kunert. “And I reckon we have an even stronger team than the one that beat the Fürth Pirates in 2004, so it should be a good year.”
The Ambassadors, formed in 1992, are named after an old Ford Ambassador that one of the founders drove across the United States. The name is appropriate for a club that harmoniously combines so many nationalities. Australians, Americans, Cubans, Brazilians and Germans all play at the club, which also includes team members from Iran, Hong Kong and Vietnam.
“It is very multicultural, which makes for a great atmosphere, and we are always on the lookout for new players as well as supporters,” said Kunert. “Everyone is welcome.”
Typical of the international players is Dave Ryan, a 36-year-old catcher from Australia. The oldest member of last year’s victorious team and one of the mainstays of the club, he has dropped back this year to play with the seconds—but denies it’s because of his age. “Baseball is a great game,” he said. “I love it. It’s so hard to give it up. Once you play the game, you just die to get back onto the field and the Ambassadors are a great bunch of guys.”
Altogether, the club boasts three teams. Apart from the first team, there is also a team in the regional league (Landesliga) and one in the district league (Bezirksliga). The club’s coach is Alan Holinbeck, whom Kunert recruited rather spontaneously at a game. “He was standing there on the sideline, commenting on the game, so I sidled up to him and had a chat,” said Kunert. “He seemed to know what he was talking about, so I asked him if he wanted to coach. He was taken aback, but accepted and it has been a good combination.”
Like most other sports, baseball has struggled to get attention in the soccer-crazed capital of Bavaria, but outside the city limits the scene is healthier. There are strong teams in various leagues, including the Haar Disciples and the Garching Atomics, as well as the Dachau Firetigers and the Gauting Indians. Local businesses are more willing to sponsor local teams, and there is a growing base of young players. It is a situation that the Ambassadors hope to emulate. “After the ground issue is sorted, we will focus on rejuvenating the junior team, as well as forming a women’s team. These are important for our long-term future,” said Kunert. “Right now we have to focus our attention on fighting for the survival of the club.”
