Another highlight awaits the following Wednesday: Then the Prague Eagles will play the first Champions Cup home game in the history of Heidenheim baseball in the Hellensteinenergie Ballpark. Such series are very popular in the motherland of baseball, but represent a particular challenge in this country, where not every club has 20 good pitchers in their squad. After a full game, a pitcher usually needs a week’s break, otherwise there is a risk of problems with his throwing arm. The Heidenheim coaching team around coach Klaus Eckle will have to think carefully about how they use the players on the mound.
Will the preliminary decision be made in the fight for the southern championship?
“If we have the chance to win, we want to take advantage of it, but we also have to think about the game against Prague and the rest of the season,” says Eckle. For the first time in many years, the Heideköpfe are allowed to compete against the Czech runner-up at home in European competitions, which should be a celebration for all baseball fans in the region.
The national and international season is still long, and completely wearing out your strength now would be fatal. On the other hand, the Heideköpfe are already a bit behind the Legionnaires (8:2) with 5:3 victories. If they lose three or even all four games in the series, they would be in first place in the Bundesliga South and therefore the best starting position for the game -offs probably out of reach.
The problem with the Heideköpfe pitchers: The promising reinforcement from the USA – national player Dalton Duke von Schamann – is not there yet, Mike Bolsenbroek is still injured and Sven Schüller is impaired by an accident. A deer ran into his car last weekend, so he was missing from the games in Hünstetten, where the HSB baseball players only achieved partial success (4:5 and 7:0). Schüller suffered whiplash and it is still unclear when he will be able to play again.
Regensburg with a huge array of throwers
On the other hand, things look better. Regensburg traditionally has a broader range of pitchers and has already fielded twelve different pitchers of various nationalities this season (Heidenheim has eight). So it’s not easy to keep track of things in Upper Palatinate. Two throwers of South American origin were sent home, and two fresh players came from the USA. However, their efforts did not go as planned when Regensburg shared the victory against Munich-Haar (10:1 and 6:12) and so it would not be surprising if Legionnaires head coach Martin Helmig made another replacement.
Speaking of Helmig, the coach now also has his son Lou on the team. He managed to make the leap into US professional baseball from Heidenheim in 2021. After being released by the Philadelphia Phillies, he is now playing in Germany again and in Regensburg.
The Heidenheimer concept is not yet working
The role of favorites in the series lies with the Legionnaires, if the Heideköpfe want to have a chance, they have to support their pitchers and play better offensively than last. The actually planned concept of “small steps”, i.e. putting the opponent under pressure with lots of base runners and running plays, is not yet working properly.
The head coach is also a bit puzzled about the reasons. “We played great in preparation and in the first game, but since then we have often been a step too slow both defensively and offensively; not everyone has internalized the game philosophy yet,” said Eckle. One reason, of course, is the injuries and fluctuations in form among both the fielders and the pitchers.
This season is certainly like a long journey in which it is important to be able to offer top performance at the end. Overall, Eckle sees his team on the right path and motivation is always ensured in the Classico of German baseball between Heidekopfen (7 titles) and Legionnaires (5). Especially in the home games on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, the Heidenheimers will do everything they can to get two wins on their side.
Home games for the second team
The Heideköpfe’s second team has held up very well so far in the 2nd Bundesliga. Last weekend the Freising Grizzlies were defeated 7:6 and 17:7, so the Heidenheimers are now in second place behind the representatives of the Bavarian Baseball Academy. On Sunday there will be two home games against Garching Atomics (12 p.m. and 3 p.m.) from the other group of the 2nd South-Southeast League.
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2024-05-07 15:15:33
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