In the 1990s, two passionate baseball players and creative minds added a unique chapter to French baseball history by launching a magazine.
Thierry Xuereb and Didier Huon produced 18 issues of what would become a landmark in media—once the undisputed king of print journalism, now facing stiff competition. In 1989, the first issue of Baseball, a full-color French-language magazine, hit the stands. It was the era of basketball’s boom, with a bit of American football thrown in. Canal+ was broadcasting NBA and NFL games, with commentary by Georges Eddy and François Mays on Eurosport and TV Sports.
In June 1989, the first issue of STRIKE: THE BASEBALL MAGAZINE was released. For over six years, the adventure was nothing short of incredible. Major international tournaments were covered, from the 1989 Eurobaseball to the 1993 All-Star Game in Baltimore, the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, international championships in Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Spring Training in Florida in 1991, and all the French championships. Imagine our pioneers, ending a night in the Orioles’ locker room, sitting next to Barry Bonds, Cal Ripken, Joe Carter, and even Michael Jordan! A thousand anecdotes about exceptional people met at the CEBA, IBA, MLB—the greatest players, legendary venues, economy-class flights, all-nighters, the mad dash for cash to pay the printer.
The magazine had a print run of 10,000 to 12,000 copies. Today, Strike issues are collectors’ items. It was heartbreaking when the final issue, published on March 18, 1995, made way for Issue No. 19, which, despite being in production, never saw the light of day due to lack of time and financial resources.
For lovers and nostalgics, you can find details of the adventure on the blog The Strike Out.
Have you heard of it? Do you own one or more copies?
Share your memories with us!
Vincent Picard (owner of 11 issues)
