After the Perfect Game by Enorbel Marquez-Ramirez last weekend, the Baseball-Bundesliga kicks off another game day on Saturday. In the north, the ALLIGATORS, eventually still with catcher Kai Gronauer, travels to Hamburg to face the STEALERS. SOLINGEN has not lost a game so far this year and the possibility for a change are slim, when they face the last-ranked club.
The more interesting duels take place in the southern conference of the league. At the Roberto Clemente Field in Mannheim the TORNADOS are host to the BUCHBINDER LEGIONAERE. In the first doubleheader in Regensburg at the beginning of the season, the LEGIONAERE won twice. Since then the club is cruising with pitchers Martin Almstetter, Mike Bolsenbroek and Craig Crow at the top. MANNHEIM hopes at least for a split and rely on another great performance by second-game starter Eddie Aucoin.
In Heidenheim, the runner-up in the standings, the HEIDEKOEPFE clash with the ATHLETICS, which are currently in fourth. Home team player/coach Mike Hartley has recovered from injury and could start game two against Keigo Miyagi, who returned this week to Mainz, after a short stint in the United States. He was their hero during last year’s playoffs and will form the first all-Japanese battery in the Baseball-Bundesliga with Shu Sasaki.
With the DISCIPLES looming with a 7-7 record in fifth, three teams will fight for the last two spots in the postseason in late summer. They will play the local rivals GAUTING INDIANS on Sunday.
{mrb-schedule:2008-05-31|2008-06-01|DE}
{mrb-standing:germany-2008}