Berlin Sluggers
Encyclopedia
The Berlin Sluggers, officially named "Sluggers eV Berlin", is a baseball
club founded on October 1, 1985 in Berlin
, Germany
, making it the oldest baseball club in Berlin. The first men's team played a few seasons in the first division of the German Baseball Bundesliga
in the early nineties and was promoted again for the 2011 season. However, though the team qualified to advance to the first division in 2006, it was unable to do so due to financial constraints.
The Sluggers play their home games at Paul Rusch Stadium in the Buckow neighborhood
of Berlin. It is the only baseball-only field in Berlin. Max Kepler-Rozycki, who signed with the Minnesota Twins
in 2009 for a signing bonus of $750,000, the standing record for a European player, is a former Slugger.
Additionally, the club is developing a team for children 4 to 7 years old, which it dubs the "Mini Sluggers." The club claims 85 members as of 2010 and charges a membership fee of €48 for members under 18 and €57 for members over 18 years of age.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
club founded on October 1, 1985 in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, making it the oldest baseball club in Berlin. The first men's team played a few seasons in the first division of the German Baseball Bundesliga
Bundesliga (baseball)
The Baseball-Bundesliga is the elite competition for the sport of baseball in Germany. In it, the men's German championship is determined annually. Like most European sports leagues, the Bundesliga uses a system of promotion and relegation...
in the early nineties and was promoted again for the 2011 season. However, though the team qualified to advance to the first division in 2006, it was unable to do so due to financial constraints.
The Sluggers play their home games at Paul Rusch Stadium in the Buckow neighborhood
Buckow (Berlin)
Buckow is a locality within the Berlin borough of Neukölln.-History:The village was founded in 1373 by German settlers probably at the place of an earlier Wends' village of the name Buk spelled along with its patronymic suffix -ow...
of Berlin. It is the only baseball-only field in Berlin. Max Kepler-Rozycki, who signed with the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
in 2009 for a signing bonus of $750,000, the standing record for a European player, is a former Slugger.
Club structure
The full club consists of 4 teams:- 1st Men's Baseball (Sluggers I), Bundesliga's 1st Division
- 2nd Men's Baseball (Sluggers II), Berlin-Brandenburg Union League
- Sluggers Youth (13–15 years old), Youth League
- Sluggers' Students (7–12 years old), Berlin League
Additionally, the club is developing a team for children 4 to 7 years old, which it dubs the "Mini Sluggers." The club claims 85 members as of 2010 and charges a membership fee of €48 for members under 18 and €57 for members over 18 years of age.