Sports

High Park preps for new season

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: Elizabeth Alves holds the High Park’s Little League championship trophy from last season while Ernest Hudaj and Ken Sherbanowksi bask in the victory.
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: Elizabeth Alves holds the High Park’s Little League championship trophy from last season while Ernest Hudaj and Ken Sherbanowksi bask in the victory.

Baseball league says the number of players is up

High Park Baseball Association can’t wait for the start of their 2010 season.

Seated inside an office kitty corner to three baseball diamonds Little League president Ken Sherbanowski, vice president Louis Rocha, along with executive members Elizabeth Alves and Ernest Hudaj welcomed registrants to the Bloor West league March 20.

It’s all in preparation for the nice summer weather, hot dogs and baseball, naturally.

Don’t be surprised, Sherbanowski said, if there are a few extra faces at the league’s opening day parade May 15.

“The T-ball program has been growing by leaps and bounds for the last couple of years and we stand a possibility, depending on how registration goes, of adding maybe another team or so,” he said.

A common benchmark for growth in minor baseball is the player lockout in the Major League 1994-95.

The 232-day work stoppage depleted interest in any action on the diamond but Sherbanowski said High Park has recovered since the fallout and may add more teams to their T-ball and little leagues.

“Last year we had 155 (players) in both divisions,” Sherbanowski said. “We’ve already phoned the kids coming out of T-ball and there’s a whole slew of them coming this year.

“Most of them said they will be coming, so we may be expanding,” he added. “We may add another team or two in the minor division.”

High Park’s Toronto Baseball Association wing, led by John Primeau, is also optimistic about the coming rep season.

“Things are looking pretty promising. Our numbers are generally up a bit,” he said of the older age groups, adding not even a recession could maintain a no-hitter against the rep program’s lineup.

“There was a bit of an impact last year, but how noticeable that is pretty subjective,” Primeau said.

Noteworthy events for this season will be High Park’s chance to qualify for the Little League World Series. The provincial championship is in Ancaster this year.

The winner out of six teams, including adversaries Stoney Creek, Dundas, Erindale, Oakville and the aforementioned Ancaster, will make a run for the national title held annually in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

When it comes the spirit of the game, it remains a constant with both the little league and rep programs.

“One question I always ask, ‘Is winning an objective or is it a result?’ You’re objective is the best you can be and give yourself a chance,” Primeau said. “If you’re focused on winning as the only thing you’re not thinking about the right things.

“Like any game, if you do the little things better than the other team, you’re probably giving yourself a decent chance of a decent result.”

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