Slo pitch starts season
Association hopes to revive minor ball
Sarah Ladik
Northern News Services
Thursday, June 2, 2016
INUVIK
With some changes in the roster, Inuvik's slopitch league is back on for the season.
Chelsey Larocque prepares to deliver a pitch May 29 during the first slopitch game of the season. - Sarah Ladik/NNSL photo
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"We want to see a lot of people out having fun," said Barry Jacobson, the new president of the association. "I want to see some good ball, some good competition."
Just Call Vince, Americo Barry Pickers, Aklak Air, Native Yankees, TNT Auto and the Brew Jays are joined by teams sponsored by PCM (Plumb Crazy Mechanical) and Nihtat Services, according to organizer Scott Macbeth. With eight teams lined up for the season, the league is about the same size as last year.
Still, there will be some changes.
Macbeth said the format will be that of a round robin for the season in which every team will play each other twice, which is less than last year. It will, however, mean that playoffs will be longer and be a best-of-five contest instead of best-of-three.
"We're trying to get the playoffs done a bit earlier," Macbeth said. "And trying to have the year-end banquet earlier, too."
Jacobson said despite the shorter season, it will be a packed one, with more tournaments on the schedule than last year.
The season will kick off with the Fun Draft Tournament in June, then the league's men and women's competitions June 17 to 19. The women's territorials will be held the weekend of June 30, with the Midnight Sun Tournament at the end of July.
"The Midnight Sun is always the best," said Macbeth. "But the ladies' territorials are just getting better and better. This is our fourth year hosting it, and the teams are really competitive now."
Also new this year, Macbeth said there will be an umpires' committee to review calls and make decisions if it comes to it. More umpires will also mean more options for tournaments and make it so that the load is spread more evenly in terms of work.
Those tournaments draw spectators from the community as well, but organizers admit there is one segment of the population that could be better included in the league.
While nothing is official yet, Macbeth and Jacobson said they are eager to get a soccer-baseball night going to encourage younger players to come out and get a taste for the game.
"It doesn't take any equipment, and it's open to all ages," Macbeth said. "Then, if there's interest, maybe we can bring back minor baseball."
