The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

JUST weeks after the Bahamas Baseball Federation hosted the 12th edition of its National Tournament, Grand Bahama will once again become the country’s focal point of the sport, this time hosting the top Little League teams in the region.

The nation’s second city will host the 2014 Caribbean Little League Region Tournament at the Emera Caribbean Baseball Park July 18-27.

A total of 10 countries will participate in the event for 11 to 13-year-olds, with a qualification for the 2014 Little World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania on the line.

The Bahamas will field two teams in the tournament, one from the Freedom Farm Baseball League and the other from Grand Bahama.

Other participating countries will include Aruba, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. 

Donna Laing-Jones, host chairperson for the tournament, said the prospect of the Bahamas hosting the major event is a milestone for the development of the sport and for Grand Bahama in particular.

“It will be an awesome experience and we are really excited about the games being held in Grand Bahama. When you look at the excitement that was built around the nationals a few weeks ago we expect that level of excitement to be even higher for this event because national pride for the young players and all the fans will come into play,” she said.

“We are constantly receiving calls from the the different countries, they are all excited about coming to Grand Bahama and we are just busy in putting the final finishing touches together to ensure that this event will be one that the Bahamian people can be proud of as hosts.”

Since the tournament’s inception in 2001, the Bahamas has competed three times, however, its last appearance was nearly a decade ago when Freedom Farm competed in 2006.

Laing-Jones said despite the advanced stage of the planning, sponsors are still welcomed to assist the local organising committee.

“We are just about there in terms of planning, sponsorship is always the key factor in promoting these types of events so we still need the word out there, because assistance is always welcomed. A lot of the companies that were going to be a part of this event had already committed to the nationals so of course when you come right behind the nationals it may be difficult to get those funds, but we have gotten some support and of course welcome more.” 

Over 200 players will participate in the tournament, accompanied by hundreds of coaches, families and supporters.

“It will be a major boost for the island,” Laing-Jones said. “You will see a festive atmosphere over that time period, all of the locals from the countries will be there and I’m sure they will be supporting their teams and we need the Bahamian public to get behind our teams as well and create a real home-field advantage. We could see a Bahamian team advance to the Little League World Series so it is an opportunity to make history.”

Puerto Rico’s Sanmaritana Little League won the tournament in 2013 and were defeated in round one of the LLWS.

Curacao has been the dominant team in the region with 10 wins in the tournament’s 13 years. They are the only Caribbean team to win the LLWS when Pabao LL defeated Thousand Oaks, California 5-2 to take the coveted title in 2004.

Aruba is the only other team to capture a Caribbean championship.

Prior to 2001 when the region received an automatic berth, Caribbean teams competed for a berth in the LLWS in the Latin American region.

In a press release issued by the LOC, Buster Laing outlined what the Bahamian public should expect at the tournament.

“Within a mere month, the Caribbean baseball world will have an opportunity to see humans at their lowest and highest, from the oldest kid to the first year player and from the coaches to the ground staff, we will witness a group of heroes and villains. We will be flooded with alternating doses of excitement and disappointment. We will see greatness emerge from humble beginnings and sheer hard work. We will see stars rise and fall. We will see fans scream and cry out of joy and defeat. We will see the greatest of human kindness and the weakest of human companionship. This is the beauty of the Caribbean Regional Baseball Championships.”

Little League Baseball and Softball is the world’s largest organised youth sports programme, with 2.4 million players and one million adult volunteers in every US state and more than 80 other countries.