Baseball’s hopes rest on real ‘boys of summer’
The Canadian Little League baseball championship is showcasing the real “boys of summer.”
In our fast-paced digital age, everything about baseball feels old-fashioned.
Youth participation in the sport has been on the decline in both Canada and the United States. Game 1 of last year’s World Series was the lowest-rated ever, and baseball viewers have the oldest median age among North American professional sports, according to ESPN. But don’t tell any of that to the home team, the 11- to 13-year-old players who make up the East Nepean Eagles in the Ottawa area.
“It’s much slower than other sports,” agrees second baseman Matteo Disipio. “But it’s much more relaxing.”
“You have to be very patient to play the game,” says third-baseman Evan Stucker.
“You really have to think ahead.”
When “painfully slow,” the game is at its most dramatic, says Eagles coach Mike Crepin. And don’t his players know it.
“In a matter of seconds, the game can change dramatically,” says third baseman Jake Calder.
Take Sunday night, for example, when the Eagles broke a scoreless tie to score 11 runs in two innings.
For a game steeped in nostalgia and tradition, the key is to hook players at a young age, Crepin believes.
“At this point, most of our kids understand the intricacies of the game,” he explains.