As sure as spring is here the South Hastings Baseball League is gearing up for a new season. It is the 89th consecutive season for a league that has played through wars and pandemics.
Opening Day is Tuesday May 24 and will feature the Tyendinaga Mudhens against Uens Pole Line.
There is significant symbolism for this game as these teams had close connections to the late South Hastings Baseball League President John Masterson who passed away suddenly last November.
Masterson was a longtime player, coach, builder and executive spanning five decades.
The SHBL has played at least one game every year since its inception in 1933 including World War 2 and the current COVID-19 pandemic. This season, teams will play a 17-game schedule with the exception of the Tyendinaga Mudhens who will play 12.
The SHBL is considered an “outlaw” league as it does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Ontario Baseball Association, the Ontario Baseball Association or any other umbrella organization in Canada.
Adam Dutton is the new president after four years as vice. Dutton has played and coached in the league for more than 20 years. John Milligan will be the new vice president.
One thing will be missing in the South Hastings Baseball League this season. The “ping” of the bat hitting the ball. It will be replaced by the traditional “crack” of the bat as the league will move from steel and aluminum bats to wood bats only.
