The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IF you're a baseball player from Abaco or Grand Bahama and you've had to move to New Providence because of the passing of Hurricane Dorian, Freedom Farm is extending an arm to receive you in their fold.

While registration for the 31st season got started over the weekend, Greg Burrows, founder and president of Freedom Farm, said they are providing free access for those players displaced here when they begin in January.

"In the aftermath of the hurricane, Freedom Farm has decided to do their part, the little that we could do in assisting the young people who love baseball and who play baseball," Burrows said.

"Whatever the financial requirement it is to play in the sport, we are just waiving that and trying to find ways to equip the players with whatever they need so that they can get the opportunity to play baseball and get their mind off what has happened in Abaco and Grand Bahama."

Burrows said with the help of their international partners, Freedom Farm will provide a package for each displaced player that will include their cleats, uniform, glove and bag.

"That's how we are going to embrace them," said Burrows, who is unsure of the exact amount of players that will take advantage of the league. "We just want to be able to do something for them so that they can continue to play the game they love."

Registration closes during the first week in November and so interested players can go to the park in Yamacraw and sign up or go online to Freedom Farm's web page and fill in the registration form.

Heading into their 31st season, Burrows said they are looking at surpassing the total of 47 registered teams that participated last year.

He said that will increase because of the influx of players who will come in from Abaco and Grand Bahama.

"Freedom Farm has a long-standing relationship with Grand Bahama," said Burrows, who also served as the first president of the Bahamas Baseball Federation, which started the junior national baseball championships.

"Under Will Weatherford and the Grand Bahama Baseball Association, Freedom Farm was able to interact with the teams in Grand Bahama," Burrows said.

"Over the years, Freedom Farm has also interacted with the Abaco league through the nationals."

Every year, Burrows said Freedom Farm continues to grow and this is one of the reasons why.

He said they have also seen the formation of MaxD, now headed by Greg Burrows Jr, which has played a role in getting some of the local players off to high school and college and even into the professional ranks.

"We have a success story and I am very pleased with the direction that the league is going in," Burrows said.

"I give thanks to the many coaches who give up of their time to come out and participate in the programme.

"Even in the aftermath of this storm, the coaches were busy out at the park because we did suffer some damage to the fields with the flooding. But we are able to get it cleaned up. We also had some damages to the concession stand, but that is sorted out too."

Burrows said they are just looking forward to receiving the new members when they begin their new season.