Beyond the ballpark: How an Australian team is embracing American culture

The Aussie Drop Bears walk toward the field during the Babe Ruth World Series opening ceremony Friday, Aug. 9, at Capaha Field in Cape Girardeau.

Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com, file

The Babe Ruth World Series is a fun competitive time for the teams, but it also is an adventure for many on the international squads. Most have never been to the United States, much less our slice of home in Cape Girardeau.

One of these teams is from four of the six states in Australia. The team landed in the U.S. on July 30 and, since then, has gotten to know each other while immersing itself in the U.S. This visit will provide the players with a unique opportunity to experience American culture beyond the baseball field.

A big thing the team said it was exploring was the fast-food chains. So far, the squad has tried a handful and ranked them with Wendy’s emerging as a favorite. In-N-Out and Hooters also has received positive reviews. However, the experience with Chick-fil-A was mixed, with some players feeling it was overhyped.

“So far, Wendy’s is the best. I think In-N-Out second and then Hooters was pretty good. Their food was actually really good,” Kye Varrone said. “Chick-fil-A was not as good as I thought it would be.

Beyond fast food, the team has been enjoying the buffets the hotel has offered for breakfast and dinner. Many have expressed appreciation for the cuisine, noting the variety of the food served each time.

One cultural experience the team attended was the last night of the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo, which offered an inside look at the Southeast Missouri tradition.

This event provided a glimpse into American culture and, so far, has been one of the team’s favorite things in this country.

While the players did not dress in “rodeo clothes”, they did observe the cultural differences and enjoyed interacting with the locals, talking to some of them for hours.

“Our style is not like that, but that was the stereotype that we think of, that was the expectation,” Varrone said about how he saw people dressed at the rodeo.

Another off-the-field highlight has been shopping, Geoffrey Kerr said. Many have spent time at Walmart, Academy and Target in Cape Girardeau, often spending too much money, with Kerr saying he already had been told not to spend too much.

The Australian dollar is only 0.66 for each U.S. dollar, causing them to spend more per item. Varrone said he bought extra luggage to bring to Australia so he could keep shopping and then bring items to his home. Before coming to Cape Girardeau, the team stopped at the Bass Pro Shop in Memphis and enjoyed seeing the variety of items there.

While the team came to the U.S. for baseball, it was appropriate for all involved to watch a Major League Baseball game before the Babe Ruth World Series. Traveling to Texas for some sightseeing, the team watched Texas play Boston and saw a professional baseball field.

“The MLB game was a great experience,” Varrone said. “It’s fun to be in a different country that baseball actually comes from.”

Varrone said a big difference in baseball in the United States versus Australia is how bouncy the fields are. They do not have turf fields in Australia, but call their fields normal, with grass and dirt. They do sometimes have turf mounds.

Along with the turf, the heat is a big factor the team has had to deal with in its short time coming from winter in Australia to the summer heat of Missouri. There were a few players on the team who got sick from the heat, one being a pitcher who threw up while pitching, and another player who passed out. Some even got heat stroke during a game.

The Australian baseball team’s visit to the U.S. has been a blend of cultural exploration and athletic competition. The members of the team said it is an honor to represent Australia in the Babe Ruth World Series. They have embraced the opportunity to experience a different country and their journey has been filled with new experiences, from culinary adventures to cultural exchanges.

Head coach Lance MacKichan said his boys are not just liking this experience, they are loving every moment of it.

“This is a dream for a lot of these kids to just play ball in a space. You know what I mean? Whether they go all the way or whether they just go back home and say, ‘Hey, what an experience’. That’s all that matters to them, is that they, play good good baseball, love the game and have a lot of fun. That’s the real thing that they’re all happy about.” MacKichan said.