We had our biggest St. Patrick’s Day ever in 2023! We marched in Baltimore and New York City and we held our first in-person events for the Irish Wolfhounds Baseball Club! Read all the details below!
IABS Marches in the Baltimore St. Patrick’s Day Parade
On Sunday, March 12, 2023, a contingent of members, led by Craig Collins-Young, marched in Baltimore’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The parade was filled with floats, bands, and marching groups, all celebrating Irish culture and tradition. The society’s presence in the parade demonstrated our commitment to celebrating the impact of the Irish on baseball history and our support for youth baseball programs in Ireland and America. Our members even got to meet the venerable Baltimore Oriole! It was a joyous occasion for all involved, and the Irish American Baseball Society is looking forward to participating in many more parades in the future!
Irish Wolfhounds Pitcher Mitch Hillert Meets and Greets Fans at Clover Stadium in New York
While we were marching in Baltimore, IABS Member and Irish Wolfhounds pitcher Mitch Hillert was making an appearance at Clover Stadium, home of the New York Boulders, in Pomona, NY. The appearance was part of the Boulders’ annual Irish Heritage Festival and Mitch was there to promote the Wolfhounds’ debut game against the NYPD All-Stars on June 17, 2023.
Mitch was a big draw for fans due to his success as a professional baseball player in Germany and his gold medal win for Team Ireland in 2018. He was happy to meet with fans and sign autographs, and the event was a great way to generate excitement for the newly formed Irish Wolfhounds Baseball Club.
Irish Baseball Ambassador Steve Garvey’s NYC Media Tour
A few days later, Irish Baseball Ambassador Steve Garvey embarked on a media tour in NYC on behalf of the Irish American Baseball Society. His busy schedule included appearances at various events, such as the Parade Foundation’s gala dinner, where he met with Cardinal Timothy Dolan and discussed the Irish Baseball movement with business leaders, politicians, and members of the media.
Garvey also made time to meet with the Irish Business Organization and for interviews on popular sports talk shows, including High Heat with Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo and the Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox Radio. Garvey also made an appearance on Sports Xtra on Fox 5 NY with host Tina Cervasio where he spoke in great detail about his work as Irish Baseball Ambassador and he announced the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame‘s 2023 inductees: Jim Palmer, Jim Leyland, and the late John McSherry:
Mitch Hillert Meets with the Narrowbacks Organization
The day before St. Patrick’s Day was a busy one! Irish Wolfhounds pitcher Mitch Hillert spoke to a group of Irish Americans called the Narrowbacks at the Heritage Bar in Yonkers, NY. Hillert shared his experiences as a professional baseball player in Germany and as a member of Team Ireland, where he won a gold medal in the 2018 European Championships. His talk focused on the importance of the Irish Baseball movement in the US and Ireland. His message was a great inspiration to the group and a testament to the growing popularity of the Irish Baseball movement in the Irish American community.
IABS Marches in the NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade
St. Patrick’s Day was the culmination of a week of amazing events as the Irish American Baseball Society marched in the NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Our contingent was led by Steve Garvey and his wife Candace, along with Emerald Diamond International Board of Directors President Patrick Winters, Vice-President Father Daniel O’Reilly, Secretary Robert Score, and former Board President Aidan Curtin. Check out these great videos, courtesy of Eilidh Foy!