'August Madness': Baseball Ontario begins first provincial play in two years
The crack of the bat, the pop of the catcher's mitt, and an emphatic umpire call... just some of the sounds of summer that people have missed so dearly.
"it's just good to be back playing baseball," says Mitch Prsa, a pitcher for the Tecumseh Thunder.
The Thunder were among the teams competing in St. Thomas, Ont. this week as part of the first Baseball Ontario tournament in two years.
The Tecumseh Thunder in the dugout at the U22 baseball Ontario Championships in St. Thomas, Ont. on Friday July 30th, 2021. (Brent Lale/CTV London)
The Tecumseh Thunder in the dugout at the U22 baseball Ontario Championships in St. Thomas, Ont. on Friday July 30th, 2021. (Brent Lale/CTV London)
"We are calling this month August Madness", says Aaron Dunlop, U22 series chair for Baseball Ontario.
"Teams across the province will play a home-and-home series. We have different brackets set up throughout the province and when you win you move on to the onto the next round. It's kind of a hybrid of a series and a tournament format".
Dunlop says it's difficult to describe how much his organization and players missed sanctioned events like a provincial championship.
"It wasn't until you actually got back out here with these kids, and these coaches and families that you realize that this was part of our life," says Dunlop.
"The families and relationships that are made out here on the baseball diamond go on for a lifetime".
A major part of competitive travel baseball is the ability to spend weekends together on the road, and in hotels. Teams haven't been able to do that since 2019.
The tournament also began with a bang, with both of the openers requiring extra innings. St. Thomas won their game via a game winning bases-loaded walk.
"It's a tie game late in the game there, that's a feeling that none of us have had in two years," says Paul Pettipiece, manager of the St. Thomas Tomcats.
"We play in league play, and it's competitive baseball, but nothing compares to something like this where you're playing for a championship."
That opening contest actually got heated and contested. It's a missing feeling that has effected the mental health of young players across province.
St. Thomas pitcher Brett Reid stares in for a sign at the U22 Baseball Ontario Championships in St. Thomas Ontario on Friday July 30, 2021. (Brent Lale/CTV London)
St. Thomas pitcher Brett Reid stares in for a sign at the U22 Baseball Ontario Championships in St. Thomas Ontario on Friday July 30, 2021.
"It's been tough, I'll be honest," says Brett Reid, a pitcher for the Tomcats.
"It's such a relief (to be back). At school we were supposed to have a season but unfortunately, COVID got worse so it got canceled. Getting the pitch in competitive meaningful game in an elimination tournament, it's just awesome."
Competition and kids are back, and so is the beginning of a sense of normalcy.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.