Baseball is being played all around the world, even if we may not realize it. As a Greek-American, I didn’t even know about the Greek National Baseball team until recently. But, I am sure you can imagine how ecstatic I was to learn more about it and to share more about it with you all.
I spoke with Dimitri Kourtis, a right-handed pitcher for the Greek National Team, originally hailing from Atlanta, Georgia but with Greek roots in Alexandroupolis. Kourtis has been on the team since 2016, so you can say he knows a thing or two about the team.
Oh, and pitchers can’t hit? In 2019 European B-Pool vs Israel, Kourtis went 5-5 with 2 HRs and 7 RBIs vs Israel. But I won’t use this to start a debate about the universal DH happening in Major League Baseball (even though you all likely know by now that I’m against it).
Now back to the Greek National Baseball Team — unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the main tournament that the team would normally play in has been cancelled. However, this makes it a perfect time to learn more about the team and to root for Greece in the future.
Baseball in Greece?! Not many people know that baseball is played in Greece. How long has the Greek National Baseball team been around? How did it start?
The Greek National team was formed unofficially in 2003 before the 2004 Athens Olympic games. The owner of the Baltimore Orioles, Peter Angelos, took the initiative to build a team to play in the Olympics in Greece. Greece then formed a local league in Athens that lasted until around 2015 before the Greek government shutdown all Olympic baseball fields to start construction for a new retail and tourism project. So currently there is just a 4-5 team little league in Athens.
How does the league work? Is it similar to America’s MLB? How is it different?
Prior to being shutdown, it was more of a “men’s league” and not professional in terms of players being on salary. The league was made up of local players who either just started playing or had been playing pick-up games unorganized. The league reached a point of eight teams and was super competitive. The Greek government has not been very supportive of baseball in Greece and has made growth extremely difficult.
What types of tournaments do you have? Who does the Greek National Baseball team play against? Any wins?
The National team plays typically one tournament a year in the European Championships during the summer. There are three levels: A, B, and C pool. Greece was in A pool in 2016 with the Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, Italy etc. Then we were demoted to B pool where we have been the last three years playing against Ireland, Israel, Russia, Serbia, Lithuania etc. Most recently Greece finished 3rd in the 2019 European championship qualifier after losing to Russia and Israel.
Have any notable baseball players played for the Greek National Baseball team?
Most notable alumni are Nick Markakis, George Kottaras and Clay Bellinger (Father of Cody Bellinger). There are numerous minor league players who played over the years. Mike Moustakas has expressed significant interest in helping the National team and growing the game in Greece. We have not figured out specifics but he does cherish his Greek heritage and wants to play for Greece if we ever get invited to a World Baseball Classic.
Is there a big baseball fandom in Greece? What is the feel at the ballpark for games?
Baseball is not a popular sport but there are numerous MLB fans. We currently do not have any stadiums remaining as they were torn down recently for construction. We had three stadiums that were built for the Olympics.and then one little league field that is currently used by the little league but it is not in very good shape.
How are players recruited to the team? I noticed on the roster there are a lot of American-born players (with Greek heritage, of course).
Players are recruited usually by coming across their Greek names throughout the year as we have several people who will report to us any names that they see and are talented enough to play for the National team. Most of the roster is Greek-Americans and Greek-Canadians as baseball development in Greece is very limited. All players on the team are required to have or obtain Greek citizenship, which is a difficult process.
Has the Greek National Team had any interaction or involvement with America’s Major League Baseball? If so, what has it been?
Greece and MLB used to have a strong relationship after the 2004 Olympics as numerous owners and officials have expressed their love for the city of Athens. Prior to baseball in London, Athens was the preferred destination for MLB to host their international series. The Greek government did not have much interests in investing money and resources to hosting these games unfortunately as they believe the support amongst the locals was not big enough. This stance has hindered the progress of baseball in Greece, as we have struggled to get an invitation to the World Baseball Classic qualifier because MLB believes Greece is not a market they are willing to invest in.
What’s one thing you want baseball fans in America to know about baseball in Greece?
There are a lot of kids and adults who love the game, but are extremely limited in terms of resources to learn and play the game. Most kids love it as soon as they are introduced but knowledge and coaching is almost non-existent but that is slowly changing as we are putting a lot of effort into growing the game again. We welcome any and all support to help grow baseball in Greece. We are currently looking into fundraising to build a mini two-field complex in Athens for the little league.
I did see that Greece also has Little League! Is it popular amongst kids? How does that work?
It is definitely growing! We have about 50-60 kids in the league. The enthusiasm is high and the effort is there. We just don’t have the proper infrastructure and support to make it high-level as we are always looking for equipment donations etc.
Of course, due to COVID, this year’s baseball season is different. Is baseball happening in Greece this year or is it postponed until 2021?
The little league was shutdown due to COVID. The national team’s tournament in Croatia was cancelled as we were looking to qualify for A pool and is rescheduled for sometime in 2021.
If someone is visiting Greece in the future and would like to attend a game, how would they go about that?
Hopefully in the coming years, we can get an adult league built and going again whenever the government decides to help fund and support the game of baseball! It has become a dream of mine to open up a baseball academy in Athens to develop and grow Greek baseball players. I would love to be able to coach and teach baseball in Greece.
For anyone who is interested in learning more, they can visit the website www.GreekBaseball.com and we have a lot of information on the history of baseball in Greece!
