86th AW CC tees up KMC baseball season

The KMC celebrated the start of the 2016 baseball season for all leagues with a ceremonial first pitch April 23 on Ramstein.

The guest of honor, Brig. Gen. Jon T. Thomas, 86th Airlift Wing commander, threw the first pitch.

Dating back to 1910 when then-President William Howard Taft originated it for the U.S., the first pitch is a long-standing ritual of American baseball in which a guest of honor throws a ball to mark the end of pregame activities and the start of the season.

According to Bernard Fleming, KMC Youth Sports and Fitness director, it’s a tradition the KMC holds dear by performing the ritual each year.

“The opening-day ceremonies have been a part of this community for as long as I can remember,” Fleming said. “They give the kids, parents, spectators and command the perfect opportunity to see the actual size of our program firsthand.”

From T-ball to high school baseball, the age groups participating in the event ranged from 4 to 17 years old. The ceremony began with a parade of players holding custom signs that displayed pride for their team while a large crowd of more than
400 people cheered them on.

According to Brook Sands, Ramstein Youth Sports and Fitness director, the raw emotions people feel are part of what makes the ceremony’s atmosphere so exciting.

“For the kids, coaches and parents, it’s a very proud moment to see their kids in the parade, in their team and in their uniform in front of so many spectators,” Sands said.

Once all the teams were ready, the commander walked onto the field to mark the beginning of a new baseball season with the first pitch.

This season, more than 800 players will demonstrate their one-team, one-fight spirits by playing 340 games in a span of eight weeks within the KMC.