Play Ball!
The East Vancouver Island Baseball League for adults is ready for the first pitch to be thrown out on Saturday, April 29 at 4 p.m. at the Chemainus Ball Park’s Larry Irving Field.
Heath Fenton got the ball rolling last season with the creation of the Stuart Channel Blue Heron and another team, the Yellow Point Vultures, is making its debut this season. Fenton will be the playing coach of the new team and Jon Aaron Hop Wo is serving in the same role with the Blue Heron.
The team names are not a reflection of residences. It’s just a matter of splitting the player pool into two.
“We just chose some regions that are kind of cool to go with the nicknames,” Fenton explained.
The two teams will include players from Ladysmith, Chemainus, Crofton, Duncan, Lake Cowichan and Cedar/Nanaimo.
Plans are to have another two teams join for the 2024 season. But, for now, it’s the Blue Heron vs. the Vultures 15 times during the season until Aug. 28.
“Everyone just wants to play, we’ve got to start somewhere,” said Fenton.
The prospect of playing ‘real’ baseball and not slo-pitch or softball appealed to so many adults. There’s a wide range of ages with the oldest player being 73, the next oldest around 55 and the majority in the 30-50 range. Women, if they’re so inclined, are welcome, too.
There’s been cancelled practices leading up to the opening. “The weather hasn’t really been cooperating,” said Fenton.
Otherwise, the players will be ready to go and “I’ve got a lot of people interested,” he added.
The first three games will be on Saturdays at 4 p.m., with the rest on Mondays or Fridays at 6:30 p.m. After the April opener, there are three games in May, three in June, five in July and three in August.
If things go well, there’s always the possibility of looking into playing against other teams on the Island or travelling to tournaments in the future.
Fenton said there’s always an opportunity for more players who might not have heard about the league to take part. He can be contacted at 236-333-6233.
There’s a Facebook fan page so people can track the progress of the league. Click here.
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don.bodger@chemainusvalleycourier.ca
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