Foreign Devils invade Benoni
There was an American invasion in Benoni on Sunday, October 25, when the Foreign Devils baseball team played two international friendly games on the Benoni Northerns Indians Ball Club’s main diamond.
The Foreign Devils is the team name of the Baseball International organisation, a non-profit company which facilitates and arranges trips around the globe in the spirit of the game.
The team, selected from a large database of amateur baseball players (mostly seniors) from around the USA, took on a combined masters team made up of Gauteng, Easterns, Northerns and South West Gauteng (SWG) players, on Sunday.
Although they were on the receiving end of two defeats on a blistering hot day in Benoni, according to Baseball International director and team manager John Gilmore, no matter what happens, win or lose, the travelling party always has a great time.
Gilmore is also an experienced scout for Major League Baseball (MLB) team the Tampa Bay Rays and has visited South Africa on previous occasions in search of talented players.
Asked about the future of baseball in South Africa he said: “It is definitely on the rise.
“Every year one or two more South African players are scouted and brought over to play in the US, so that is a sign of good, positive growth.”
Denis Birkett-Sharp, chairman of Easterns Masters Baseball, told the City Times that it was a great privilege to host and play against the Devils, and extended an invitation for future tours.
Shawn Schwartz, president of Benoni Northerns Indians Ball Club, said the guests were pleased with the facility at Indians and were impressed by the number of juniors playing the sport.
“It is great exposure for the club; we must have had at least 400 people around the place,” he added.
Bruce Stiely, a member of the Foreign Devils, jokingly told the City Times that he was hoping to get a selfie with a lion when the team headed out to the Kruger Park, this week, before jetting out to Cape Town to play some matches over the weekend.
“This is the best place that I have been to,” he said.
“It was definitely on my bucket list.”
For more information about the Foreign Devils and Baseball International visit www.baseballinternational.com.
CLICK HERE for a GALLERY taken during the first friendly game.
