The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

ONE year removed from a controversial exit in the Bahamas Baseball Federation’s Andre Rodgers’ National Championships, the Freedom Farm Baseball League returned to the nation’s second city in 2014 to deliver a dominating performance.

Freedom Farm appeared in the championship game in each of the six contested divisions and captured three gold medals in the 12th edition of the federation’s marquee event, which concluded yesterday in Grand Bahama.

The Farmers took gold in the Coach Pitch (7-8), Minor (9-10) and Major (11-12) divisions and finished as runners-up in the Junior (13-15), High School (16-18), and Collegiate divisions (18-25). 

The Junior Baseball League of Nassau took the Juniors, while the Grand Bahama Amateur Baseball Association took gold in the High Schools and the newly minted New Providence Amateur Baseball League came out on top in the collegiate ranks.

Nearly 800 athletes and 34 teams took part in this year’s event which also featured over 200 coaches and officials, making it one of the most populated national championships in the Bahamas.

Eight islands were represented by various leagues including Freedom Farm (FF), Junior Baseball League of Nassau (JBLN), Legacy Grand Bahama (LGB), Grand Bahama Little League (GBLL), Grand Bahama Amateur Baseball Association (GBABA), Eleuthera Junior Baseball League of Rock Sound (EJBL), Spanish Wells Baseball League (SWBL), Youth Baseball Association of Abaco (YBAA), North Abaco Baseball Association (NABA), Long Island Baseball League (LIBL), Exuma Little League Association (ELLA), Community Baseball League (CBL) and for the first time in grand Bahama, the Inagua Baseball Association (IBA).

The 12th edition of the tournament marked the third consecutive year the event was held in Grand Bahama, with The Grand Bahama Port Authority Limited (GBPA) as a major sponsor.

“It has been a pleasure working with Bahamas Baseball Federation (BBF) President, Craig Kemp, to bring the games to Freeport,” stated Ian Rolle, president of GBPA in a press release. “These games have become a signature summer event for local teams and fans, while having a significant impact on the economy by way of hotel room nights, car rentals and at the surrounding eateries, it is beneficial for numerous small businesses. We encourage everyone who comes out and supports the players while enjoying the festivities.”

BBF president Craig Kemp said he and his executive team were pleased with this year’s tournament. “The tournament was played at a high level throughout. We had four days of keen competition featuring the best young players this country has to offer and it is definitely one of the best tournaments that we have ever hosted in the 12 years of this event,” he said. “With events of this magnitude, of course you will have a few hitches, but we were able to overcome any obstacles and put on another first class event here in Grand Bahama.”

He also noted that hosting the games on Grand Bahama has offered a number of benefits. “With the proximity of the hotels and ease of movement to and from the events, the dynamics of Freeport really works well for the games relative to other destinations,” Kemp said, adding that he looks forward to returning once again for the 2015 Championships.