“I didn’t know Muenster has a baseball team.”
Typically the response when people found out I played a season of baseball in a small town situated in Northwestern Germany.
In their defense, it’s not the first sport which first comes to mind in the country, or even rest of the European continent. In Germany, football (soccer), is crowned king. You’re more likely to find children pretending to be the next Gerd Muller, than Babe Ruth. Kids would rather reenact Germany winning the 2014 World Cup than the baseball World Series…soccer is in their blood.
But yes, Muenster (also spelled Münster), has consistently fielded a team since 1989. The league’s existance can be traced to American soldiers stationed after WW2 who introduced the sport.
Where They Play
The baseball field is situated less than a 10 minute bicycle ride from downtown It’s tucked away between a soccer field on one side and Deutsche Bahn train tracks along the other.
They have the typical American baseball field amenities but with a few German twists: bratwursts are served in the Northern regional style, sausages with a slice of sourdough bread and curry ketchup to dip. And don’t forget the 1.50 Euro ($2) Pilsner beer to wash it down.
Any fans lingering around the field after sundown shouldn’t be concerned with the prostitutes working down the street from the stadium entrance. This nightly occurrence is due to the legal and relatively accepted profession inside this liberal country.
During Wintertime, the city leases the baseball field as grazing pasture for a herd of sheep. It’s a unique way for the city to reduce operating expenses. The team practices inside a nearby gymnasium until the frigid weather begins to thaw out.
The low gym ceiling and narrow space makes for less than ideal practice conditions but the Muenster Cardinals clearly need to be commended for their dedication to the game.
Joining the Team
I played for the 2015 Season after overhearing about the team from a friend, and Googing the rest. I reached out to the coach and was at practice the following week. The Cardinals were in the Division 4 “Bundesliga,” and there were two other foreigners participating on the team. Two Cubans. Luckily all players spoke basic English and baseball terminology was already in the same language. So with my rudimentary German, we managed to communicate together relatively seamlessly
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German Rules
The main differences between League rules in the US compared to Germany were that a maximum of two foreign players could play on the field together at any given time. Foreign pitchers were restricted even further, to throwing a maximum of three innings per game. These regulations were intended to deter teams from recruiting experienced foreign players and dominating the league.
The Cardinals’ overall success in 2017 can be best measured by individual player improvement rather than overall record. Many players simply joined after watching American sports on television and deciding to give it a shot. Others including the coach, had the passion and patience to bring a team together.
While visiting Münster in 2017, I had the opportunity to reunite and play in the final season game against The Paderborn Untouchables. Luckily my roster information was accepted last minute so I didn’t need to fraudulently register as a German teammate who was absent that game. A potential scandal may have erupted had someone started a German conversation with me and heard my foreign accent.
The Saturday afternoon game in Paderborn turned to be a surprisingly competitive despite being the underdog. And although ultimately suffering a disappointing 11-5 loss, our players were more satisfied by their individual and team improvement, rather than the score.
Today the Münster Cardinals are still playing. Spring training has begun with twice weekly practices, and weekend games starting soon. So anyone traveling in the North Rhein Westphalia region this Summer, go pay a visit and show support for this 30+ year baseball tradition.
For more information, check out the Muenster Cardinals Website
And special thanks to Jens for the great team photos, more are available at Flickr