Minor girls’ fastball set for new year Hemingway in as new president; registration started

It might seem a touch early given freezing weather, but Moose Jaw Minor Girls’ Fastball is getting off to a quick start on the new season — as in Jan. 1, the new first day of registration for the coming campaign.

Given the number of youngsters taking up the sport in recent years, it certainly seems like a good idea, according to new president Craig Hemingway.

“The numbers have been going up in Learn to Play and have been pretty steady in the other divisions, so opening registration up earlier and giving players more time to sign up seems like the way to go,” said Hemingway, who was elected to a two-year term. Fees will remain the same as last year at $150 plus $50 for fundraising, until Feb. 28. As of March. 1, fees increase to $200 plus $50 for fundraising. The board of directors was also set for the coming season – Troy Rusu (vice-president), Cindy Simmons (treasurer) and Shawn Okerstrom (commissioner) all begin the second year of their two-year term, while Jody Brown (secretary) and Vicki Halverson (past-president) join Hemingway in their first year. It’s hard to gift wrap something 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds, but the Miami Marlins accomplished it a few days before Christmas, sending slugger and reigning National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton to the New York Yankees in a one-sided trade that had conspiratorial-thinking baseball fans wondering whose side new Marlins executive Derek Jeter was on. Jeter, a Yankee great, of course, and whose No. 2 uniform has been given the ultimate reverence — retirement — is spearheading a complete rebuild of the Marlins and the first obvious piece to go was Stanton, who swatted 59 home runs in 2017 and joins the only other hitter to go beyond the 50-homer mark, Aaron Judge, in the 2018 Yankees lineup.

So while American League east rival Toronto Blue Jays were tinkering with backup players to the middle infield — doing what they can to perhaps rise to fourth from fifth — the Yankees were figuratively raising the A.L. pennant over Yankee Stadium before a single pitch had been thrown.

Stanton and Judge in the same lineup, probably batting back to back, borders on unfair. The slugging duo will join other historic pairs — Ruth and Gehrig of the 1927 Yankees; Mantle and Maris of the early 60s’ Yankees; Mays and McCovey of the San Francisco Giants of the 1960s; Aaron and Matthews of the late 1950 Braves; and McGwire and Canseco of the Oakland A’s of the mid- to late 1980s.

The one-sided ‘trade’ — second baseman Starlin Castro the only ‘name’ player to go to Miami — happened because Stanton’s seniority in the game meant that he brucepenton2003@ yahoo.ca “I know I have a great group of people to work with and I’m really looking forward to try and help minor fastball grow and improve in the city,” Hemingway said. “We have a lot of great coaches helping the girls improve their skills and I’m hoping we’ll have had the right of refusal to go to certain teams. So while Jeter had reasonably favourable deals cooked up with both the Giants and Cardinals, Stanton — who is in the midst of a 13-year, $325-million contract — said no to both. Only a few teams have the financial means to take on such a large contract, which reduced Jeter’s potential dealing partners. In the end, Stanton went to where he probably wanted to go in the first place, the Big Apple.

With a lineup that includes Judge, Stanton, Gary Sanchez, Greg Bird, Didi Gregarious and Brett Gardner, the Yankees will be a virtual Murderers’ Row. Throwing hittable pitches to Judge to avoid walking him with Stanton in the on-deck circle — and subsequent good pitches to Stanton with sluggers Sanchez and Bird coming up — could result in some hideous earned-run averages for opposing teams’ pitchers. So is the A.L. East race over before it starts? Is that good for baseball? It’s good for New York, obviously, but patrons in Toronto, Baltimore, Boston and Tampa Bay merely shudder.

Headline at TheKicker.com: “Winter meetings mostly just people shouting ‘Not fair!’ at Yankees.” Greg Cote of the Miami Herald, after the Yankees acquired 59-home run slugger Giancarlo Stanton: “In the Bronx, Yankees fans are partying like it’s 1927.” NOT Baseball Tonight, on Twitter: “After agreeing to a deal for Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees are still looking to upgrade their roster. Sources say they are in talks to acquire Kevin Durant and possibly Connor McDavid.”

Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times: “A man proposed to his girlfriend at ‘Monday Night Raw.’ That’s what she gets for saying she expected a humongous ring.” Norman Chad of the Washington Post, on ESPN’s saturation coverage of even minor sporting events: “If ESPN televised The Last Supper, it would’ve had another great season and the kids will all have a lot of fun.”

To that end, if there is one area the organization is looking to grow, it’s in the number of coaches currently available — the quality is most certainly there, the numbers just need to be a little higher.

“Anyone interested in coaching is welcome to do so and get hold of us or check our website for more information,” Hemingway said. Coaches for the Ice ‘A’ Select teams have also been announced — Kristin Rusu will work with the Squirt team, while Halvorson will return as the coach of the Bantam Ice and Grant Mackie as coach the Midget Ice. The Pee Wee coach will be selected after evaluations.

League action across the board traditionally begins on the May 1 weekend with a full slate of games at Optimist Park. tableside reporters assigned to each apostle, with pregame and postgame studio shows from Bethany Wild Wings in east Jerusalem.”

Chad again, on the bowl selection committee choosing the four U.S. college teams to play for the national football championship: “It’s a crooked system weighted toward the richest schools; the last Filipino election under Ferdinand Marcos was more legit than the CFP selection process.”

Comedy writer Alex Kaseberg, after explosives failed to raze the Silverdome on the first try: “To get it to collapse, they had to rename it Cleveland Browns Stadium.”

Marc Sheffler, on Facebook, on living in New York City in the 1970s: “I used to jog 5 miles a day — 2 for my health, 3 for my life.”

RJ Currie of sportsdeke.com, on Patriots coach Bill Belichick’s brusque news conferences: “What’s is the guy’s motto, anyway — surly to bed, surly to rise?” Currie again: “Cleveland has one of the six NFL teams without a cheerleading squad. Inside sources say this may change if the Browns do something to cheer about.”

Comedy writer Jim Barach: “Alex Rodriguez gave the commencement speech at the University of Miami. After which his career was celebrated by awarding him an honourary degree in chemical engineering.” Comedy writer Alex Kaseberg: “A NASA scientist says earth is overdue for an asteroid hit that we will not survive. Finally some good news for Cleveland Browns fans.”

Currie once more: “Someone broke into Ex-Maverick Charlie Villanueva’s home in Dallas and stole — his toilet. Police say no arrests have been made because there’s nothing to go on.”

Care to comment? Email brucepenton2003@yahoo. ca