240 Kids in 24 Teams at Indoor Baseball Tourney in Germany

On February 16, 2013 24 teams from six federal states followed the invitation of the Luetjensee Little Lakers to Europe’s biggest indoor baseball tournament for kids – the 6th Little Lakers Baseball Cup.

Teams from Berlin/Brandenburg, Niedersachsen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein and even Nordrhein-Westfalen found the way to Stormarn to the Little Lakers und played the whole day in 60 partly dramatic games for the 6th Little Lakers Baseball Cup.

Already the line up of the 267 kids to the – for baseball fans well known – hymn “Take me out to the Ballgame“, was very impressive. In the presence of more than 250 spectators the mayor of Luetjensee, Mrs. Ulrike Stentzler, made the welcoming speech. The members of the BürgerStiftung Region Ahrensburg, Mr. Dr. Eckstein and Mr. Koester, then opened the tournament with the traditional „First Pitch“, the obligatory pitch, which in the USA, the home country of baseball, yearly starts the baseball season executed by the President of the United States of America.

The reason of the presence of members from the Buergerstiftung at the 6th Little Lakers Baseball Cup was the fact that the Luetjensee Lakers competed for the Youth Project Prize of this foundation in spring 2012 with exactly this tournament. In the presence of more than 100 spectators the baseball players from Luetjensee received at that time the 1.500 Euro prize for their idea of a sustained tournament for kids with 24 teams from whole Germany.

„An indescribable atmosphere with so many kids who love their sport“, expressed Mr. Dr. Eckstein spontaneously who afterwards watched the games in this for him unusual kind of sport.

In four groups of six teams each, who never met before, the kids played for the places in the preliminary round.

In group A the hosting team of the Little Lakers won against the Marl Miners-Little Sharks form Nordrhein-Westfalen, the Hamburg Knights and the Berlin Flamingos. The duel against the team of Berlin turned out to be the most exciting game in this group which the Berlin Flamingos lost with a quite narrow 4:6.

In group B the second team of the Berlin Flamingos was successful after the preliminary round, and so were in group C the Kiel Seahawks and in group D the Lueneburg Woodlarks.

During the break after the preliminary round the 900 lots were sold in a very short time – another highlight of the event. Even the New York Yankees, worldwide the best known sports team und their league competitor, the Chicago Cubs, were involved. Both teams sent parcels with giveaways, which happily could be redeemed from customs examination in time.

„A great tournament and fantastically organized“, judged Holger Krause, coach of the Aurich Shoreliners from North Germany’s coast, and wondered if he could fill in the application form for the 7th Little Lakers Baseball Cup in 2014 promptly.

In the following games of the final round there partly was a deafening noise in the halls so it was rather hard for the umpires to do their job. Besides, some of them were former Bundesliga umpires with even international activities.

The Hamburg Stealers won there first game of the finals by 3:1 then, however, in the game for place nine, they met the Berlin Sluggers and lost in one of the best games of the tournament 6:7. The Alligators from Elmshorn – after their tournament debut in 2012 – scored first against the Großhansdorf Skunks and then against the second team of the Kiel Seehawks.

In the two semifinals the Berlin Flamingos won quite distinctly 9:3 against the Lueneburg Woodlarks; the Luetjensee Lakers however, scored a rather narrow 5:4 against the Kiel Seehawks.

The final consequently read Berlin Flamingos against Luetjensee Lakers. The favorite roll clearly was with the team from Berlin. But it ran out differently… Two points right in the first inning – a little exclamation mark for the Little Lakers. In the second inning they even could reach a 3:0 by a single homerun whereas the Berlin Flamingos came away empty-handed of the three first innings. Now the fourth and last round: The Little Lakers had to start and achieved two runs. This should be enough – or any doubts?

Then there came the last chance for the players of our capital to turn the game. Tow points already for Berlin, but two „outs“ as well. Another pitch – and another point for the Flamingos.

The Flamingos – already on the first base – were prepared for the winning run. A bat to the short stop of the Lakers followed which could be controlled promptly and forced the perfect “out” on the second base. That was it! While spectators and coaches shouted out for joy, the Little Lakers were still so concentrated that they needed some seconds to realize: they won by 5:3 in Europe’s biggest indoor baseball tournament for kids.

After jubilation had died down and all teams lined up again in the hall, firstly the ten main prizes of the raffle were handed out.

What a laughter and applause when Michel from the Berlin Flamingos with his seven months old son on his arm, accepted the first prize – a baseball bat.

Then the presentation ceremony followed. All teams were called one after another and to each participant Mr. Walter Otto, chairman of the TSV Luetjensee and Mr. Michael Poehls, second chairman, handed out medals in memory of the 6th Little Lakers Baseball Cup.

Mr. Dr. Eckstein, too, attended the ceremony, congratulated each coach personally and gave them a tin of sweets which on the way back home was emptied at the latest.

But also parents, helpers and spectators on the terraces were not forgotten. During the presentation ceremony they all received a little goodie to thank them for their steady support and obviously they had a lot of fun while the whole tournament.

„ Unbelievable how concentrated and exact these kids aged from 5 to 13 know how to pitch, catch, and bat“, a father of a player of the Doren Wild Farmers, another team from Niedersachsen, proudly explained. „It is a great pleasure to see, how our children take up this demanding and outstanding sport”.

„A successfully and well organized tournament“, said Lucas, coach of the Bergedorf Marines, happy about the fact that his children had such a lot of fun.

The Holm Westend 69´ers, who arrived with two teams, held the upper hand of the Gym Mei Schul-AG by 13:10 – the game with the most points – and added proudly that, up to know, they didn’t miss a single Little Lakers baseball cup.

All spectators, coaches, and kids agreed: this tournament was a special one.

Right after the presentation ceremony the Luetjensee Lakers had already next year and the 7th Little Lakers Baseball Cup in mind. „In 2014 we probably will limit participants to 12 teams and go back to our sports complex in Luetjensee“, Michael Pape from the Luetjensee Lakers, the principal of the tournament, pointed out.

A tournament of superlatives in the field indoor baseball for kids was drawing to its close. 60 helpers, eight umpires, more than 300 medals, 900 prizes at the raffle, however, the most important were 267 kids, fully enthusiastic about baseball, with their coaches, their parents and helping friends.

Last but not least we wish all participants – specially the kids – a terrific new baseball season, to which the 6th Little Lakers Baseball Cup only was the opening.

Actually all agree in looking forward to next spring and the 7th Little Lakers Baseball Cup, when you will hear again:“ PLAY BALL“!