THE EMERALD DIAMOND
A Documentary by John Fitzgerald      www.theemeralddiamond.com

            The Emerald Diamond will be featured Friday, February 23, 2006 as part of the Sioux Falls Film Society Series.  The screening will be at the Jeschke Fine Arts Center on the University of Sioux Falls campus.  The feature will begin at 7:30 P.M.  The program will be the 2007 Hot Stove League Gathering for the Rex Stucker Chapter of the Society For American Baseball Research.  Interested baseball people will have an opportunity spend a mid-winter evening talking baseball and baseball history. 

            The Emerald Diamond is a feature length documentary following the history of the Baseball Ireland Baseball team. John Fitzgerald first became interested in baseball played in Ireland when he tried to become a member of the Irish National Baseball team.  His attempts at receiving Irish citizenship failed.  However, John decided to create a documentary on the emergence of the Irish National team and the efforts of individuals throughout Ireland to have people play and experience the game on the individual and team level.  The documentary hopes to enhance the awareness of the game of baseball in Ireland both in Ireland itself, as well as throughout the United States. 

            The Emerald Diamond documents the efforts of athletes such as Mike Kindle who moved to Ireland in 1990, but continued to want to play the game.   How Irish athletes such as Gareth Donnelly, Cormac Eklof, and Darran O’Connor learned and developed their baseball skills to become important members of the 2004 Irish team that finished third in the B pool of the 2004 European Championships.  The Irish National team hopes to move up to a higher position in the standings in their next tournament, as Irish players, who have learned their fundamentals at an early age, grow into their prime as players.  A ballplayer knows that you must work at and develop your fundamentals at an early age.  This will hold true in Ireland as well.  You can learn more about the efforts to develop the game of baseball in Ireland at the Baseball Ireland website, baseballireland.com.  There is a special section on the Irish National team as well as information on the various leagues from t-ball age players to local adult amateur teams.  They must learn their fundamentals.

            The long range hope of the project is to help with exchanges between baseball associations in the region and various local baseball groups back in Ireland.   Irish teams could come and spend time learning the game in the States.  Baseball people could go to Ireland to help the Irish develop their fundamental baseball skills.  We all hope to have the experience out on green ball field on a beautiful summer day.  

            Copies of the video and materials from the Irish Baseball Movie and the Baseball Ireland organization will be available.  The screening will be free to the public.  People are asked to consider contributions to the Emerald Diamond USA project, SupportIrishBaseball.com.   This will include financial support for individual associations and programs in Ireland.  Exchanges between local baseball associations and related Irish organizations are being developed. 

            For further information contact:  David Kemp,  Rex Stucker Chapter SABR, (605)367-6913; Erica DeJong, Sioux Falls Film Society; 605-331-6728; Contact John Fitzgerald at  www.theemeralddiamond.com

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