Page 6 - GC-Oktoberfest-24

6 • The German Citizen • September-October 2024 Lancaster's Parker making a name on the
Ludwig Thoma (1867-1921) a study in contradictions diamond with Team USA selection in reach

by Martin Ederer sued law, opening a firm, but ulti‐ World War I turned Thoma’s at‐ by Steve Dlugosz MVP Mike Trout participated in. In
nyone who spends a mately earning little distinction. He titude conservative. After illness ome youth spend their total, more than 300 players from
good amount of time in began to submit stories to newspa‐ from serving as a medic on the east‐ summer hitting the nearest the Tri-State Arsenal program have
Athe Munich area usually pers and weeklies, and also com‐ ern front ended his military service, Sbeach, swimming pool or gone on to be drafted by a MLB
encounters the name Ludwig mentaries on politics and society. he openly supported nothing less lemonade stand. For team. "He's probably
Thoma. In many respects he re‐ In his younger years his opinions than German victory. Germany’s Alex Parker of the hardest-working kid
flected the complicated time in could be characterized as left lib‐ defeat devastated him. He consoled Lancaster, getting a in all of Western New
which he lived and the complicated eral, although he was also critical of himself in the arms of a wealthy chance to play for the York. He's really made
Bavarian world in which he came of the Social Democrat party. (and very married) Jewish wom‐ national 13-and-Under a name for himself. I
age. He was a picture of contradic‐ Eventually Thoma settled back an…at the same time he was writing Team USA baseball was so stoked to see
tions and irreverence, a literary en‐ in the Munich area and spent time antisemitic editorials. squad has been the him make (the regional
fant terrible who nonetheless man‐ among the large artist community Thoma did not live to see dominant goal of the team). He emerged out
aged to capture something of the that had settled in nearby Dachau. Nazism have a real future, but some warm-weather months of literally hundreds of
Bavarian soul in his works. By the late 1890s into the 1900s, critics have claimed that his literary in Western New York. kids."
Born in Oberammergau a few Thomas was producing stories and contributions in the superheated po‐ Alex has already Parker, a talented
years before the Kingdom of plays (one of which premiered at litical atmosphere in Germany after advanced to a shortstop, plays for the
Bavaria was pulled into the unified Munich’s Residence Theatre before World War I contributed to its suc‐ prestigious diamond level by being 18-member northeast region that
German Reich, Thoma’s early years getting staged in Berlin). It also cess. Beloved though Thoma might selected to the northeast region's encompasses 11 states. Other
were quintessentially rural Bavaria: bears mention that all through these have become, he has also become baseball squad. regions include the southeast,
he came from a family of multigen‐ years Thoma bounced through one controversial. He certainly was a Parker is vying for a spot on the midwest, south, southwest and
erational foresters working along ill-fated romance after another with significant indicator of the interwar 25-member overall Team USA northwest.
Bavaria’s border with the Austrian women whose families disapproved Zeitgeist in any case. baseball squad for the 2025 Games, The round-robin National Team
Tirol. Since the family business was of him or he had affairs with mar‐ Thoma is obviously a study in being played in Mexico. Making Identification Series (NTIS) USA
that of public officials, Ludwig ried women. He finally married a contradictions. On the one hand that team would have meant Parker Baseball tournament was slated to
Thoma was essentially raised by a Philippine woman, but the marriage many of his works captured well the would emerge from a competition take place Aug. 21-25 in Cary,
nanny. Family dreams for the young quickly failed, albeit amicably. rural Bavarian common-sense pop‐ that pits players from six national North Carolina. Parker emerged
Ludwig were for priesthood. At Still, he often turned a bitter pen ulism that was part of his upbring‐ regions against one another. locally and regionally from a group
least that plan kick-started his edu‐ against women. He also contributed ing. Yet on the other hand he regu‐ "He's a heck of a kid," German- of literally hundreds from the 11-
cation. regularly to the satirical weekly in larly took aim at much of what American Matt Parker said of his state group, selected as one of 20
In 1874 the family moved closer Munich, Simplicissimus, which shaped that Bavarian spirit: the hon‐ son, who was also enrolled at the from WNY to make the regional
to Munich; his father then died, and took sarcastic aim at conventional est simplicity, the respect, the renowned Tri-State Arsenal squad. Described by his father, as a
his widow (with nanny) was left to politics, religion and society – to the Catholicity (even if sometimes anti- program in Mount Laurel, NJ, the "five-tool" player, Alex is said to
care for seven children. Ludwig extent that it was legal to do so. clerical), and clear-cut morality that same one that Major League possess a baseball sense that is wise
Thoma earned a reputation in After a shakeup at Simplicis‐ went with it. Baseball All-Star and three-time beyond his years.
school as a defiant troublemaker, al‐ simus in 1899 (the editors were ac‐ One of his most beloved stories Alex plays for the Lancaster
beit with a keen wit that surely an‐ cused of demeaning the political au‐ captures many of these contradic‐ – irreverently – and blasphemingly. Legends Little League squad and
noyed his teachers. One of his bet‐ thorities too much), the remaining tions: Ein Münchner im Himmel Finally God decided to send Alois trains at Hot Corner Athletics on
ter-known works, his Laus‐ editorial staff (with reservations) se‐ (An Angel from Munich, 1911). In on a special mission to deliver di‐ Lincoln Avenue in Lockport. The
bubengeschichten (Tales of a Ras‐ lected Thoma as editor-in-chief. this story, the hard-working, hard vine messages to the Bavarian gov‐ Parker family is originally from the
cal), draws heavily on his own ex‐ The staff’s reservations were well- drinking Alois worked so hard that ernment in Munich. But as soon as Seattle, Washington area.
periences as a youth. He finally fin‐ founded. In 1906 he did time for he dropped dead. Since he was a de‐ he arrived in Munich he made "He's a five-tool hitter who uses
ished school in Landshut and was “insulting members of a social cent sort, he went to heaven where straight for the Hofbräuhaus where the whole field," Matt Parker said
selected to give the graduation morality organization.” The ag‐ he was issued wings and a harp and he started guzzling beer endlessly. of his son. "He steals bases. He's
speech. He froze up when his big grieved organization was the entire was offered manna to eat. He His message never was delivered, the way he is because he works his
moment came. clergy of Cologne who had become quickly hated heaven. He missed and as a result the Bavarian govern‐ tail off. He's not a cocky kid – he's
Thoma planned to become a the butt of his satirical poem. his beer and he hated to keep ment has had to manage with no di‐ very humble. He's a baseball-smart
forester, but quit and instead pur‐ singing hallelujah. So he sang badly vine guidance ever since. kid, and he makes all the kids
around him better."