Croatia opens first Youth Baseball field

Croatia opens first Youth Baseball field
11/01/2021
The impressive effort by the Zagreb Red Sox comes after a year in which the country suffered the COVID-19 pandemic and multiple earthquakes.

The Zagreb Red Sox have built the first youth baseball field in Croatia. The new field was inaugurated with an exhibition game, featuring the players' parents and a ceremonial first pitch by US Ambassador to Croatia Robert Kohorst.

Ambassador Kohorst, who is a lifelong baseball fan, the father of a Division One collegiate player and grew up in Jackie Robinson's hometown of Pasadena, was instrumental in building the new field.

More support came from Boston's Oldest Charter Military Organization. Members of the Ancient & Honorable Artillery Company saw the team practice on an open patch of grass during a visit to Croatia in 2019 and committed to helping President Izvor Ozvirek and coach Ozren Zec.

Youth Baseball has been played so far on adult-sized fields, with 90-foot baselines and an infield lip cutting across the shallow part of the outfield.

In a further impressive point to the accomplishment, building the first youth field comes at the end of a year that saw Croatia suffer not only the COVID-19 pandemic, but also multiple earthquakes.