Helmut Buchner

Helmut Buchner was a member of the first three German national teams ever assembled, alongside his brother Alfred Buchner. In the first European Championship, the 1954 European Championship, he was 0 for 7 with a walk and a run and had two errors in two chances. In the 1955 European Championship, he struggled offensively (1 for 15, 3 BB, 2 R) and fielded .955 but excelled on the hill (12 K, 4 H, 1.80 ERA in 10 IP). He went the distance in a 5-4 win over the potent Italian national team and Italian Baseball Hall of Famer Romano Lachi, allowing four runs (two earned) and only four hits and one walk. He also saved Jürgen Helmig's 5-4 win over France, Germany's other win of the event. At 2-2, they won the Bronze Medal.

He helped the Mannheimer B.C. Knights win the German title in 1956. In the 1956 European Championship, he fell to 0-3, 4.24; Wolfgang Schmid was the only other hurler they used in their four games. At the plate, Buchner was 1 for 13 with 4 walks, 8 whiffs and a run; he fielded .818.

Through 2010, he was still among the German national team career leaders in ERA (3.33, 8th, between Schmid and Peter Budny), strikeouts (27, 9th), K/IP (1.26, 2nd, behind Werner Gehrig), fewest BB/IP (0.33, .02 behind Enorbel Marquez) and WHIP (3rd, behind Manuel Möller and Helmig).

Main source: German Baseball and Softball Federation