Batter up!
From the dugout a reminder that while all of the players, except Blastball, will have already taken the field for practices and some pre-season games, this Saturday is Oceanside Minor Baseball’s official opening day up at Springwood Park in Parksville.
Games begin in the morning and continue throughout the day and ceremonies will begin around noon. Save-On Foods, back for another season as league sponsor, will be providing free hot dogs and refreshments for all the players.
According to OMB president Mike Parlow it looks like registration is up about 10 per cent for the 2012 season.
Bruce Brown, Manager of Save-On Foods in Parksville, said his store is pleased to be the sponsor for the Oceanside Minor Baseball Association for the third straight year.
Brown said Parlow and his executive “have placed strong emphasis on player and coach development, which carries a lot of value,” explaining examples of that value would be a winter development camp held this past February which saw over 40 players show up, (they had planned for 30) to have pitching and hitting analyzed using the latest high speed video technology. As well as player evaluations by head coach of the Thunderbirds Baseball Program, a Division 1, NAIA team. Other clinics have included over 80 players and coaches and were deemed a great success.
There are a few new teams planned for a Rookie Ball league this coming season. (classically like TBall).
Parlow said registrations make up about 50 per cent of the league’s operating budget, and thanks Save-On Foods and their other sponsors, which, he said “allows the league to put the infrastructure in place for ongoing player and coach development.”
