Canberra Cavalry hit a home run for festive fun with family and friends

A baseball match is never just a baseball match. As anyone who has ever been to a game would know, baseball is as much about the spectacle as anything else.

There’s often entertainment, such as dancing and comedy at Canberra Cavalry (the Cavs) matches, between innings and in-field swaps.

“Baseball culture doesn’t rely on the game alone to entertain the audience … The Cavs have some of the best game announcers in the business, and they know how to capture the audience,” the Cavs general manager Ciaran O’Rourke says.

Ciaran reckons this, combined with the nature of the sport, means there are few sports better suited to spectators who like to socialise at games.

“The culture and mechanics of baseball means it naturally lends itself to spending time with friends,” he says.

“The game can move quickly, but at the same time, it’s not the kind of sport you have to pay close attention to every moment.

“As you watch the ins and outs of what’s happening on the diamond, you get a good feel for when things are happening and in between, you can chat with friends or grab some drinks and snacks without missing out on too much of the action.”

For this reason, people looking for an ideal setting for spending quality time with family and friends during the festive season will find it at a baseball game – and there will be plenty of opportunity in the coming weeks.

The Cavs’ schedule is stacked in the lead-up to Christmas with six matches between 16 and 23 December. Saturday and Sunday games occur at family-friendly hours, as early as 1 pm.

“It means you can bring the kids along and still get them to bed at a reasonable hour on the weekend,” Ciaran says.

“You often see kids running about on the grounds itself, burning off energy. Plenty of foul balls go out and you see the kids sprinting to see who can get to them first. Our team mascot Sarg is always walking around, giving out gifts. He’s good value and the kids love him.

“Children enjoy going to ball games, and baseball is the kind of sport where you can take the time to explain the game mechanics to your children or simply watch as they observe and the understanding comes to them.”

At Cavs games, families often come and enjoy a picnic in the bleachers or catch up with friends over drinks as entertainment plays out all around them.

Centred around the end-of-year celebrations, the 23 December match will be particularly suited to this at Christmas time, giving people the opportunity when they finish work to have a break, enjoy a game, catch up with friends and family and maybe even see the big man in red himself.

While the Cavs bring a slice of the Americano culture that makes baseball so big in the States to Narrabundah, the organisation is expanding the offering to cater to a broader Australian palate.

“We still have some of that in-your-face, hot-dog and waffle-fries American baseball culture that we know and love, but recognising Australia is a multicultural audience, we also have things like Korea night, Canada night, Japan night,” he says.

“That’s a celebration of the team itself as well. We have four Japanese players, four Korean and six from the States. We invite a wide mix of people from all backgrounds to come out and play baseball.

“Every match is a different experience, but they’re always more than a match alone.”

For more information, including game schedules or to buy tickets, visit Canberra Cavalry.