George RR Martin hosts Starks vs. Lannisters baseball game for charity – Entertainment Weekly

Baseball, as everyone knows, is the national pastime of … Westeros?

On Saturday, George R.R. Martin threw a fundraiser in the form of a Game of Thrones-themed minor league baseball game. It was a Starks-versus-Lannisters showdown as the home team, the Staten Island Yankees, played as the Direwolves against the Hudson Valley Renegades, a.k.a. the Lannister Lions. The Starks triumphed — thank the old gods and the new! — decisively crushing the Lannisters 10–1.

The fundraiser benefited the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary in New Mexico, a nonprofit that rescues abused and abandoned wolves. Martin has supported the organization in the past, and he stepped out on the diamond before the first pitch to talk about its mission alongside Flurry, an arctic wolf who looked exactly like Jon Snow’s devoted direwolf Ghost.

Game of Thrones theme music blasted through the stadium as walk-up music, and fans attended the game in full Game of Thrones wardrobe — including some very committed Jon Snows, who came in fur cloaks despite the heat. Martin (a Mets fan) tweeted a photo of himself sitting on an Iron Throne made of baseball bats instead of swords. All men must play ball! 

Had a great time at the Direwolves game tonight, check out their cool throne made of baseball bats! pic.twitter.com/KjIzFQsF3x

— George RR Martin (@GRRMspeaking) August 9, 2015

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