This past weekend, the Brooklyn Cyclones hosted both the Ukrainian national baseball team as well as the Eastern European All-Stars in an exhibition matchup for their third annual Eastern European day on Sunday, June 1. Ukraine ended up winning the friendly 3-2.
The celebration took place Sunday starting at 10:45 a.m. EST at Maimonides Park in Coney Island.
The event consisted of not only the game, but also a variety of different cultures bringing their own Eastern European flair to the venue. There was traditional music, dance performances, and many different authentic food stations.
The Cyclones and other event contributors made sure to show their support for Ukraine, as they invited over 600 Ukrainian refugees to attend the game free of charge. Other attendees included Lithuanian-born former Major League pitcher Dovydas Neverauskas.
The All-Stars featured players from 10 different European countries and was coached by former MLB managers Bobby Valentine and John McLaren.
Team Eastern Europe player Dominik Olech said in a comment about the event on Facebook that, “It was an incredible experience to represent Team Poland and join together in a roster with players from 10 countries in an exhibition against Team Ukraine. We had players coming from around the US, Canada, and from their home respective Eastern European countries. Hearing that Team Ukraine traveled 60 hours to NYC for this event made it even more special. It was truly special to meet so many great new people, and the game day festivities were truly entertaining!”
A full replay of the game is available on the Brooklyn Cyclone YouTube page.
Photo: The Eastern European All-Stars (Photo via Dominik Olech on Facebook)
