Bainbridge Island Little League turns 52 | LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Published 10:17 am Tuesday, March 1, 2016
To the editor:
Do you hear that? The buzz of kids excited to play baseball or softball for yet another year.
If you go to the Bainbridge Island Historical Museum and ask about the history of baseball on the island, they will take you to a computer that contains a database of pictures, cataloged items, and articles that date as far back as 1885.
Judging from those 1880s photos, baseball was being played on this island long before that and they were pretty well outfitted. The early leagues on Bainbridge were spawned from the creosote plant and the mills across the island. People here were passionate about baseball, drawing crowds to watch games between the many island teams including those sponsored by the Port Blakely and Port Madison saw mills as well as the Pacific Creosote and Pleasant Beach teams. People cheered for guys nicknamed Squirrel and Bunny.
We had plenty of ballfields located across the island including Fort Ward, Port Blakely, Port Madison and even in Winslow where T&C now proudly stands.
According to Little League International records, Bainbridge Island Little League has been incorporated here since 1964. That makes us a sprite 52-years-old.
Today, passion for baseball remains strong on the island. Over 500 kids played for the league last year. Today our ballfields are at Rotary, Strawberry, Hidden Cove, Sands and Battle Point parks. And now the cheers are for guys nick named Coco, Juni and Z.
On March 26, we will have our second annual pancake breakfast season kickoff at Woodward Commons.
May 7 is our biggest fundraiser, “The Battle of the Ballfields” at Rotary Park, where all the teams compete for home runs, fielding, base running, and of course, fundraising.
Join us at any of the parks to watch a game. Check the schedule at www.bilittleleague.org to see where and when the games are. We are hoping to have the snack shacks open and well stocked with burgers and dogs at both Rotary and Strawberry fields.
Championship Saturday is June 11. For the first time ever, we expect to have the baseball championship games on Upper Rotary and the softball championship games at Lower (Yes, Lower will be completed this year!). Combining both softball and baseball at Rotary will make this a great community event.
If your son or daughter is interested in playing, regardless of experience, register them at www.bilittleleague.org as late as March 15.
See you at the park.
Play ball!
TIM DUFFY
President, Bainbridge Island Little League
