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Embassy Hosts Tigris Tigers
The Ambassador hosted members of the Iraq National baseball team, the “Tigris Tigers,” along with several of the Tigers women’s softball team members for lunch and some fielding and hitting drills on October 10. Baseball and softball are not widely popular in Iraq, but with recent support from U.S. donors, the Embassy and Major League Baseball, there is a chance that the sports could begin to flourish.
The Baghdad-based Tigris Tigers, recently outfitted by the generosity of U.S. uniform company Ebbets Field, had no equipment until their plight was highlighted this summer in several McClatchy articles and their cause was championed by Rachel Maddow on MSNBC. At an Embassy barbecue on October 10, the young Iraqi men and women engaged in spirited conversation with embassy officers about our national pastime, sketches of plays, and rules and strategies helped bridge the language gap. Highlights of the Red Sox recent World Series victories also provided entertainment. After lunch, the Iraqi baseball and softball players received practical tips from, and practiced with, Embassy staff who share their love of the game. Eight baseball players and four softball players were accompanied to the two and a half hour event by the Secretary General of the Iraq Baseball Federation and their coach.
The Ambassador, wearing a signed Daisuke Matsuzaka Red Sox jersey, told the Iraqi players that the Japanese pitcher had succeeded in the major leagues for three years without speaking English, noting that it does not take English to throw the ball hard. He lauded the group’s efforts to learn the quintessential American game and encouraged them to continue their efforts. The Ambassador awarded the softball team’s catcher with an Embassy coin, honoring her as MVP of the barbecue and scrimmage.