In times when the ball can finally be hit and run again, patience is a particularly valuable asset. Tomas Bison, trainer of the baseball players of the Regensburg legionaries, agrees. However, his team is already at the top of the table in the Bundesliga South after just three match days, together with Heidenheim Heideköpf.
The relief was great everywhere when, long after the corona lockdown, a mode was found to be able to choose a German baseball champion. The season has been shortened by half: all teams meet only once, as in the first half of the season, only two teams each from north and south qualify for the playoffs, the semi-finals and finals are played in best-of-three mode. Most games were shortened from nine to seven innings. Due to their squad, the Regensburg team has a good chance of becoming champions again for the first time since 2013.
The biggest problem with the free time, Bison openly admits, was the motivation during training. Quite simply because you never knew if and when it would continue. And on top of that, under strict hygiene rules: It was not allowed to train with full team strength, after a ball hit it was not allowed to run in order to avoid physical contact at the points. The catcher who caught the ball took on referee duties, making the decision miss or failure, ball or strike. The matter of motivation is not over yet: a Bundesliga squad may currently only consist of 14 players on matchday so that it doesn’t get too tight on the bench. So Bison also has to consider who he removes from the list and how often. Devon Ramirez, also a pitcher coach, was the only one who missed training time. After arriving from the USA via Switzerland, he initially had to remain in quarantine for two weeks before he was allowed to continue to Regensburg.
What works particularly well in Regensburg in this constellation is pitching. Many teams had the problem of not being able to maintain the level of their throwers for the entire duration of the game. With the legionnaires, the substitutions on the throwing hill have so far not resulted in a drop in performance.
There are only four game days left before the possible semi-finals, three in their own stadium. The only question that remains is whether the home games are actually such an advantage in times of Corona. The legionnaires don’t want to use the word “distortion of competition”. Regensburg’s board member Armin Zimmermann finds the spectator situation “unjust”. Not only because the away game in Mainz had a three-digit number of spectators to cheer on the home team, and in contrast to Regensburg no spectators are allowed. But mainly because your own stadium is very well filled on other occasions. “We have our open-air cinema in the stadium, each time with up to 400 spectators,” says Zimmermann, “but people are not allowed to come to baseball – with the same hygiene concept. We cannot understand that at all.” A cultural event with visitors is allowed, a sports event is not. Baseball fans should hang out in the restaurant, which is located above the stands. Its terrace falls under the Beer Garden Ordinance. But the stewards would have to make sure “that the spectators do not use the seats”.
The legionaries hope that the regulation will be relaxed at the beginning of September. Until then, the top games against Heidenheim for places one and two in the south are likely to be decisive. And then maybe spectators could come to the playoffs. Coach Bison is modest about the season’s goal, but board member Zimmermann at least says: “I think you have already seen that we are well positioned this year.”
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