A new diamond in Neunkirchen

In a windswept ceremony this week, the local club in Neunkirchen, near Cologne, Germany, began work on its new baseball diamond, the Koelnische Rundschau newspaper reports.

In fact, work has already in progress on the Neunkirchen Nightmares' new field for some time. The builders will have to shift 6,500 cubic metres of soil, so that they can level the playing surface and add a 12-centimeter-deep drainage layer before replacing the topsoil.

The total construction costs are €300,000, but the club is concerned about how it will finance ongoing maintainance in the future. As a result, the club is selling sponsorship of one-square-meter units of its field, with outfield patches going for $euro;5 and pieces of the infield for €10.