Back on the Field: Jr. League Baseball 2023 Opens

since the pandemic’s interruption in 2020.

Officer Pedro Grant emceed the brief ceremony, and Pastor Jason Thompson opened in prayer, as teams of senior and t-ball division players lined up on the field with their coaches and mentors accompanying them. Teams from Rock Sound, Tarpum Bay, Palmetto Point, Governor’s Harbour, and Deep Creek & Green Castle were present to take part, with an additional team from James Cistern, Hatchet Bay & Gregory Town (combined) not in attendance, but expected to join the other teams in upcoming matchups.

The Twin City Arena ball park in Palmetto Point was abuzz with a festive family atmosphere on Saturday, February 11th, 2023 as regular season play for the 2023 Eleuthera Junior Baseball League got underway.

Teams from throughout Central and South Eleuthera began to gather at the park at 9am in preparation for the first day of competition, with a break at 1pm for an official opening ceremony to mark the beginning of the first full season of junior baseball play,

Eleuthera Baseball Association (EBA) president, Mr. Elline Sineus, welcomed the healthy crowd of parents, friends, fans and community members, who filled the surrounding bleachers to the first day of the playing season, and encouraged all to continue to support the teams as they played, every Saturday during the four-month season, which winds up in early June, in preparation for the nationals scheduled to begin in New Providence on June 20th, 2023.

Special guests and League executives were invited to give remarks, including MP, Minister Clay Sweeting, and Past EBA president, Mr. Larry Forbes.

Minister Sweeting, harking back to his past days of playing baseball in Eleuthera, with EBA past president Michael Dorsette as coach at the time, said, “What is so important about functions like this and bringing young people together, is that it trains them for much more than just baseball. It teaches them discipline. It teaches them how to work well with others, and it teaches them the importance of team work.” Mr. Sweeting also announced a $1,000 donation from the constituency fund to the Eleuthera Junior Baseball Association, to assist especially with the expenses of transporting the teams around as they played during the next several months within the different townships.

Mr. Forbes, who served 13 years as EBA president, and worked tirelessly with junior baseball teams in Eleuthera, during those years, commented that the Junior Baseball Association was on a good roll before the three-year hiatus, and that it was good to be back. He encouraged parents to continue to support the teams, and to continue to bring the children out. “This is a really good beginning, and I’m looking forward to this continuing every Saturday. Hopefully we get baseball parks prepared in every settlement, so we can move this around and have clean and wholesome activities for our boys and girls throughtout Eleuthera.”

EBA Secretary, Mrs. Suzanne Bethel, then introduced the current board members of the Eleuthera Baseball Association, for the information of the crowd gathered, which included: Mr. Elline Sineus, president; Angelo Bethel, vice president; Suzanne Bethel, secretary; Thelia

Sineus, assistant secretary; Charmaine Culmer, treasurer; Darrel Smith, assistant treasurer; Larry Forbes, public relations; Ingrid White, fundraiser; Marco Bethel, executive; and Lincoln Young, executive.

Umpires who would be giving of their time and expertise during the 2023 season were also introduced. They were, Cyril Dean (chief umpire), Ricardo

Dean, Mario Mortimore, Reginald Bodie, and Alpheus Cooper.

During the ceremony, a beautiful set of trophies were on display in the center of the diamond, along with medals. Teams from Governor’s Harbour and Palmetto Point, who had taken part in a summer series of play during 2022 were presented with individual medals for participation. The trophies, explained Mr. Forbes, were part of the prizes up for grabs for those teams who would play to win in the Eleuthera Junior Baseball League 2023 season.

Past EBA president, Mr. Michael Dorsette, then threw the ceremonial ‘first pitch’ to formally let ‘the games begin’ - which closed out the opening ceremony of the 2023 Eleuthera Junior Baseball season. The day’s matchups then continued with a face-off between senior teams from Rock Sound and Tarpum Bay.