Debrecen's First Baseball Field Opens

In Debrecen, Hungary you are more likely to see soccer fields or handball courts than the filed that has for so long represented America's favorite passtime. But the times they are a changing. On June 2, 2007 Debrecen's first baseball field opened with fanfare and festivities. Even the mayor of Debrecen was on hand to cut the ribbon and a special representative from the US embassy, Eric Gaudiosi, politcal advisor to the ambassador, threw out the first ball. Also on hand to celebrate the event was former pitcher for the Minnesota Twins, Tom Johnson, who now heads up GoddSports programs in Slovakia. It was a weekend of baseball, hotdogs, Hungarian gulyas and lots of play as the baseball tournament brought teams from Szentendre and Jászberény (near Budapest) to play Debrecen's own Tiger Kids.