The American Baseball Missionary Society Mission to France!

[Moonlight Graham]

Hi my baseball godfathers !

Just a few words to proudly announce that my baseball society (not a club yet though) is officially born today ! My boss gave me the thumbs up this morning, so the very first session should take place on a Thursday at 5 pm in early November, right after the first break (a week's holiday). I know it's not the best period to play baseball because by then the official season will be over in the US, but everybody here is quite enthusiastic about my project.

So if any of you can make it to France by then, you'll be warmly welcome !

[jackwhale]

Moonlight: What you are doing is certainly exciting (and challenging). I'm having rotator cuff surgery but will look forward to your posts when I get back.

Also: There could be several recently fired major league managers who might be available by then...not saying who

[Moonlight Graham]

Thanks ! I'll save my best anecdotes for you !

[vintagebrett]

Hi

Been receiving some notes from people sending stuff - this is great! Wareagle and stockbuddy - log in and check your messages - I sent you my address there so you'll know where to send the items.

Just a reminder, if you plan on sending items, please let me know by this Friday. Thanks.

[stockbuddy]

Hi Brett,

Will do. I will send you the resource guide shortly. Thanks.

Dave

[stockbuddy]

Hi Brett,

I left you an email through the forum. Thanks.

Dave

[stockbuddy]

Hi Brett, For some reason my reply back to you in the email section is not showing up in the sent box. I will just tell you I will send a glove book your way shortly to pass along to Moonlight. Thanks.

Dave

[vintagebrett]

I received the message - it won't show up in your sent box until I open the message - it resides in the outbox until then.

[stockbuddy]

Thanks Brett,

I sent the glove book out to you today via USPS. Thanks for carrying through with helping Moonlight and his students in France. I hope they will enjoy the ball stuff they receive.

Dave

[jackwhale]

Moonlight: do you receive television of u.s.a. baseball? october is playoff time, the time of year we all live for. baseball at its most intense. I'm still one-handed from rotator surgery yesterday but maybe someone could record some games to watch with your kids...give them a better idea about how baseball is played.

i've also been trying to think of throwing sports that are played in france. american kids play catch with a baseball in the spring and then switch to american football in the fall. i love french sports--cycling, le mans cars, but maybe french kids don't do much throwing???

if so maybe some rubber t-balls would be good to start with--especially the younger kids. i can hardly wait to see how it goes!!

[JSchnak950]

Greetings,

Is it too late to get in on this action? I would like to help out Moonlight if there is still time.

I'm active duty Air Force and was stationed for three years in Germany about 45 minutes from France. I spent many a pleasant afternoon in that country and thoroughly enjoy the people.

Best regards,

Jeff

[vintagebrett]

Yes, we are still collecting. I'll send you a PM with my address. Thanks!

[Moonlight Graham]

Hi everyone !

Jackwhale: American baseball matches are not broadcast here. The only way to watch a baseball game on TV is to subscribe to MLB TV and record it because the time difference is so important that games are shown very late into the night. So what I do is watch parts of innings on MLB.com, at least I manage to get a glimpse of the action... It would be great to show the kids a game or two, or at least parts of a game, so if someone can record one, it'd be just grand !

We don't have throwing games here. The major team sports are soccer, rugby, basketball, handball, but the national game is soccer really (we call it football by the way). The overall attitude here is to get interested in a sport when suddenly the national team is close to winning the title. Football has always been the national sport, but before the 1998 world cup win, it was considered really dowdy to be a football fan...

You have to know that baseball is almost invisible here, there are actually some clubs, only in some of the big cities, but not in all of them. There's a championship too, I don't know if it's professional, but the results are not made public, not in the way other sports are covered by the press. That is if you want to know about the standings you have to actually look for them. There's no chance you might stumble upon them in the local newspaper. So that is one of the reasons why baseball is so confidential here. Kids don't hear about baseball, so they don't get interested in baseball, so shops don't sell baseball articles, so baseball clubs remain in the shadow, so the media don't write about baseball, so kids don't hear about... At least, there's a big chance I might change that in my home town if my project works as I hope it will.

Your idea of the rubber t-balls to start with is quite good. I use a rubber t-ball to play with my little girls and it's really fun, I know they won't get hurt easily.

I was thinking the other day that the next step after that mission is fully complete is for you all to come here and have a big exhibition game. What do you say ? I hope someday some of you will make it here and see for yourselves how much your generosity has brought to this place.

Thanks again to you all ! Many thanks indeed !

[Moonlight Graham]

Just a quick note to proudly announce that the acts of generosity you all have shown in this forum or via email put so much passion in my heart that I have decided to start my baseball society earlier that I previously thought. The very first session will take place on this coming Thursday at 1 pm. So for those of you who live on the east coast, it will be 7 in the morning then. Try to think of me when you are sitting at your breakfast table ! That sure will help !

[vintagebrett]

Collection is going well. I have already received items from softball66, stockbuddy and crackofthebat. I have heard from many others who are sending stuff. My goal is to mail everything on October 21st. Still time for those looking to help out. Thanks!