- Mannheim Tornados
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Mannheim Tornados Founded in 1975
Mannheim
Team logoLeague affiliations - Baseball-Bundesliga
- Bundesliga Süd
Name - Mannheim Tornados
Team Colors - red/black/white
Ballpark - Roberto Clemente Field
Championships - League titles: 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997
Owner(s)/Operated By: General Manager: George Bull[1] Manager: George Bull Media: ' Website: www.tornados.de The Mannheim Tornados are a baseball and softball club from Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg. Founded in 1975, it is the oldest continuing baseball club in Germany.[2] The first men's team plays in the first division of the Baseball Bundesliga and has won 11 championships, the most of any club to reach the top tier of German baseball. The team won every championship between 1984 and 1989. However, the Tornados have not won a championship since 1997, though they perennially make the playoffs.[3]
Contents
Club Structure
The full club consists of 12 teams:
- 1st Men's, plays in Bundesliga's 1st Division
- Men's Regional
- Association Men's League
- 1st Women's
- Association Women's League
- Juniors (16–18 years)
- Youth (13–15 years)
- Student (9–12 years)
- Junior Women (17–19 years)
- T-Ball (4–8 years)
- 2 recreational teams (Slow Pitch)
- Mixed Team League Softball Fast Pitch
Each member pays an annual club fee, ranging from €55 for ordinary members to €170 for active adult members.[4] The club also set up a separate organization, The Friends of the Baseball Club Tornados Mannheim eV. It is classified as a charitable organization by the City of Mannheim, and has an annual membership fee of €24.[5]
Season by Season Performance (1st Bundesliga)
Year Rank Games W L Win% Season Notes 2007 3 28 18 10 .642 Lost to Solingen Alligators in Quarterfinals, 1-3[6] 2008 3 28 18 10 .642 Lost to Regensburg Legionaere in Finals, 2-3[7] 2009 3 24 15 9 .625 Lost to Heidenheim Heideköpfe in Finals, 2-3[8] 2010 3 28 17 11 .607 Lost to Paderborn Untouchables in Quarterfinals, 2-3[9] Retired Numbers
The team has five retired numbers:
- 30 - Frank Jäger, played 390 games with the Tornados from 1984 to 2000, batting .314 lifetime
- 22 - Bernard Pickett, known as "Yogi," played 213 games with the Tornados and batted .413 lifetime
- 20 - Stephan Jäger, hit .425 for the Tornados over 194 games
- 35 - Eddy Polanco, hit .413 over 221 games for the Tornados[13]
- 44 Klaus Knüttel, played 498 games in his Tornados jersey, pitched 1121 strikeouts in 1129 innings. Also a power hitter, he had 97 home runs, 20 triples, and 9 doubles during his career
References
- ^ http://www.tornados.de/modules/info/index.php?cat=2&id=7
- ^ http://www.tornados.de/modules/info/index.php?cat=2&id=6
- ^ http://tornados.mailsys.de/uploads/fckeditor/Deutsche-Meister-Herren.htm
- ^ http://www.tornados.de/modules/info/index.php?cat=2&id=6
- ^ http://www.tornados.de/modules/info/index.php?cat=2&id=5
- ^ http://www.mister-baseball.com/german-baseball-final-standings/
- ^ http://www.mister-baseball.com/buchbinder-legionaere-win-german-championship-100-shutout/
- ^ http://www.mister-baseball.com/german-finals-simon-guehring-leads-heidenheim-title/
- ^ http://www.mister-baseball.com/german-quarters-untouchables-celebrate-comeback/
- ^ http://www.mister-baseball.com/bundesliga-results-july-2627/
- ^ http://www.mister-baseball.com/recaps-mainz-athletics-clinch-playoff-spot-baseballbundesliga/
- ^ http://www.mister-baseball.com/2010/08/page/5/
- ^ http://tornados.mailsys.de/modules/info/index.php?catid=10&id=173
External links
1st Division, Baseball Bundesliga Teams Division NordSolingen Alligators • Paderborn Untouchables • Dortmund Wanderers • Bonn Capitals • HSV Stealers • Berlin Sluggers • Pulheim Gophers • Dohren Wild FarmersDivision SudHeidenheim Heideköpfe • Regensburg Legionäre • Mannheim Tornados • Mainz Athletics • Haar Disciples • Gauting Indians • Bad Homburg HornetsFormer Teams Bennigsen Beavers • Saarlouis Hornets • Neuenburg Atomics • Cologne Cardinals • Cologne Dodgers • Hannover Regents • Neunkirchen NightmaresSeasons 2007 • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011Categories:- Baseball teams in Germany
- Baseball-Bundesliga
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