Irish National Squad Brings Baseball Back to America

(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 http://www.irishbaseballmovie.com