‘Play ball’

Posted by Sunnie R. Clahchischiligi | Apr 28, 2016 | Baseball |

SABL kicks off new season

Navajo Times | Sunnie R. Clahchischiligi
Shiprock Amateur Baseball League Lil Red Sox T-ball player Urijah Hayes, 3, stands among the league players during the opening ceremony of Opening Day on April 23.

SHIPROCK

As sheets of sand blew through the fields, hundreds of Shiprock Amateur Baseball League players took their place for another Opening Day.

There were no bright green grass to catch their falls or mascots to interact with their fans, but to many that didn’t matter because they get another season to play baseball.

Shiprock Amateur Baseball League board member Pedro Tom said it’s a place where local players can get their feet wet and it always has been.

“It gets them ready for the next level, to build them up and make sure that all our coaches are aware of fundamentals, that where it starts fundamentals,” he said. “As they move up to the next division, we get them ready for that high school level… we want to promote and keep doing it.”

The league had its Opening Day on April 23 and celebrated with a day filled with games to kick off a new season. Children participated in five separate classifications: T-ball level, 8-and-under, 10-and-under, 12-and-under and 14-and-under divisions. Team members and coaches were introduced during the opening ceremony. This year the board chose to recognize local resident Denny Hale who recently lost his mother and home. Tom said Hale was an inspiration to all.

Tom said the league was happy to get another season of amateur baseball started.

“What makes it even more exciting is you see kids come out here, you see them playing doing all kinds of stuff, it’s just the atmosphere,” he said. “It’s really exciting to see the families out there, to see that whole community just come together like that…we don’t have grass or anything but we do our best to make it safe.”