GK Hitmen, ESSL Vice-Champion 2018, are ready to rumble
In 2018 the GK Hitmen played their first ESSL season. They won the Brunssum tournament and finished second in the ESSL 2018 as well as in the ESSL West Division. Will they reach for gold this year? We interviewed the team manager George Riebling from GK Hitmen.
(Q) Why did you choose GK Hitmen as a team name?
(A) The softball team at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen, Germany, was likely founded around the time the first Americans began showing up to man the new NATO E-3A AWACS unit in the early 1980s. I honestly don’t know what the team’s name was back then. When I showed up in 2011, we were already called the Hitmen, but I believe that was a relatively recent name change. Obviously, the name “Hitmen” has two connotations. A Hitman can either be a hired killer or someone who hits the ball well. Needless to say, we’re not hired killers and, unfortunately, we don’t always hit the ball well. Maybe we should find a new name. I’ve always wanted to call us the GK Sentries after the NATO E-3A aircraft which is called the “Sentry.” However, all the young dudes on our team prefer the name Hitmen.
(Q) Why did you join the ESSL?
(A) After two years of listening to Marc Stein’s whining, we finally gave in 😉 In all seriousness, we enjoy playing softball against teams from across Europe. It’s a fun time and a great experience.
(Q) What do you expect from this season?
(A) In our first season in the ESSL, we far exceeded our expectations by placing second in the championship tournament. We will have a tougher road this season and would be happy to just qualify for the championship tournament. Once we get there, anything can happen.
(Q) How would you describe your team’s playing philosophy?
(A) Smoke and mirrors. Just kidding. We’re going to have several new players this season, so it’s hard to tell what our style will be. I think we have consistent pitchers who throw strikes and force the other team to swing the bat. On defense, I would say that we’re fundamentally sound with s group of very experienced — yes, we’re old — ballplayers who don’t make many mistakes. On offense, we’re not really a power-hitting team, but we hit line drives, put runners on base and run the bases smartly. In short, I would say that we’re experienced and fundamentally sound.
(Q) How do you see the future for slowpitch in Europe and for the ESSL?
(A) It seems like slowpitch softball in Europe gets more popular with each passing year. I think there are even more teams out there that would like to participate if we can get the word out. European slowpitch has a bright future and ESSL can play a big role in this future.
(Q) Anything else you want to say?
(A)Middle’s closed when you play GK … please. Game’s on! Looking forward to it!
