Irish National Squad Brings Baseball Back to America
Ireland's National Baseball Team will be playing a series of exhibition games in Southern California from July 30-August 6, 2005.
(PRWEB) July 29, 2005 -- The Irish National Baseball team is preparing for a
week of exhibition games in Southern California.
"Most people don't know
that we play baseball in Ireland," says first basemen Chris Foy. "This trip will
be helpful from a training standpoint, but it will also help our fundraising
efforts. It's a constant struggle to raise funds for equipment, uniforms and
youth programs, especially in a country like Ireland where baseball is still in
its early stages."
The first baseball games in Ireland were played in the
early 1990s, followed by Ireland's first international competition at the 1996
European Championships. Through its formative years, much of the support has
come from Irish-American communities.
"We've gotten a great deal of help
from Irish-American baseball fans and baseball fans in general," added shortstop
Darran O'Connor. "But they've done more than make financial contributions,
they've also helped us receive top-notch instruction from American high school,
college and professional coaches."
Despite baseball's unlikely place in
Ireland, the National Team has had an increasing level of success, highlighted
by a bronze medal performance at the 2004 European Championships in
Germany.
Ireland's baseball community is spread across several areas,
including Dublin, Greystones, Belfast, Cork and Kerry. In addition, the National
Baseball Team features several Irish-Americans who hold citizenship in both
countries.
The team's story will be chronicled in the upcoming
documentary, "The Emerald Diamond," due out in 2006. Filmmaker John Fitzgerald
will be documenting the US trip for the final segment of the film.
This
US trip will be the second for the Irish squad. In 2001, the team played a week
of exhibition games in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, highlighted by a game in
Boston's historic Fenway Park.
The schedule for the Irish National
Baseball Team's 2005 California Trip:
July 30th - vs. Club California @
Edison HS (Huntington Beach, CA), 10am
July 31st - vs. Team MVP @ Edison HS
(Huntington Beach, CA), 9:00am
July 31st - vs. UCLA Alumni @ Edison HS
(Huntington Beach, CA), 4:00pm
August 1st - vs. Southern California
Tremors @ Edison HS (Huntington Beach, CA), 1pm, 5pm
August 2nd - vs. Club
California @ Edison HS (Huntington Beach, CA), 3pm
August 5th - vs.
(Opponent TBA) @ Fountain Valley HS (Fountain Valley, CA), Time TBA
August
6th - vs. (Opponent TBA) @ Sonora HS (La Habra, CA), Time TBA
For more
information and media inquiries on the Irish National Baseball Team or the film,
"The Emerald Diamond," contact John Fitzgerald at 914-316-2056 or visit www.irishbaseballmovie.com
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/7/prweb266499.htm