The Tribune

TAKING full advantage of his new role in office, Caribbean Commissioner Greg Burrows Sr is working on bringing the regional Babe Ruth Baseball Tournament to the Bahamas.

Less than three months after he was appointed in July, Burrows Sr revealed plans for the hosting of the event July 7-11, 2022 at the new baseball national stadium, featuring at least 10 teams in the acutual 11-12 championship series for the Caribbean and 15-and-under invitational tournament for teams around the world.

“I will use the Bahamas as the testing ground for the first ever Babe Ruth Caribbean Championships,” Burrows Sr said. “With me being the commissioner for the Caribbean, I think it’s only fitting that we test the tournament here.

“Once we host it here, we will allow the other countries to apply for the hosting of the tournament. Hopefully it will be a success and the other countries would want to put it on too.”

The good thing about bringing the tournament here, Burrows Sr said they hope to utilise the new national baseball stadium that is under construction by the Bahamas Government. It could be the first major international event to be hosted in the facility in the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre.

“This will give our young boys 15 and 12-year-olds the opportunity to play against some young boys in the region so that they can be scouted at the same time,” Burrows Sr said.

“So we are very excited to bring this tournament here. I think it would be good for the Bahamas and the region.”

“In two years, things might not be normal, but we expect that people will be travelling,” Burrows Sr projected. “So we feel that hosting the tournament in two years will give everybody the chance to prepare themselves to come to the Bahamas.”

Burrows Sr said they also expect officials from the Babe Ruth organisation to be in town to view the tournament.

The Babe Ruth League is an international youth baseball and softball league based in Hamilton, New Jersey. Founded in 1951, the league is named after legendary Hall of Fame baseball player George Herman ‘Babe’ Ruth.