LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
Ever dreamed of walking onto a finely-manicured baseball diamond, stepping up to the plate against the best in the world and crushing a baseball to the delight of thousands of fans.
Well, wake up - the open tryout for the traveling military all-star team, Heroes of the Diamond, May 13 at Lackland, can make that dream reality.
One of many recruiting stops over the next few months, the Heroes of the Diamond tryout offers active-duty, veteran, reserve and emergency first-responders a chance to join the team on its 2011 Red, White and Blue Tour. Current players represent the Marine, Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force.
Floating somewhere between amateur- and professional-level baseball, the Heroes of the Diamond play in 100 games annually, competing against international, college, minor league and major league ballclubs.
In the past, the military-minded team visited 45 states and eight countries, and even took the field against the Boston Red Sox.
In addition to the chance to play in a highly competitive platform, the Heroes of the Diamond program is a vehicle for exposing military players to Major League Baseball organizations. In 2007, the San Diego Padres picked up then Marine and Heroes player Cpl. Cooper Brannan.
However, not everyone's path is as storied.
The team's website warns interested ball players to first take a "reality check" when thinking about joining the team. Due to wartime conditions and the fact that a limited number of former MLB, professional, and collegiate players are on the roster, it's hard to make the team.
No stranger to serving the military on and off the baseball diamond, Warhawks varsity coach Davin Dukes understands the rarity of joining such a select group.
"A lot of these guys are just short of having the opportunity to play minor league baseball," Dukes said, who has had at least two of his own players become members of the all-star team over the years. "Some of the pitchers even have Major League Baseball potential, if only they had time to go out and train.
"It's high quality baseball."
Minimum requirements for joining the team include a focus on spreading the team's message of supporting deployed Armed Forces personnel, being in competitive shape, having a current performance report, valid passport and membership with Heroes of the Diamond, and possession of equipment and team uniforms.
Members are responsible for non-game day meals, entertainment and travel to and from the tour.
By definition, the team is a young, elite crew and making the cut is rare. But so is the chance to round the bases and the world in military service.
The tryout will be held at the Warhawk baseball field, 7 p.m., on the training side of Lackland. For more information regarding the Heroes of the Diamond program visit its website at
http://www.heroesofthediamond.com/index.html. For more details about the tryout, call Dwayne Reed, sports and fitness program director, at 671-3716.