We’re cursed, I tell you, cursed.
We have a record-smashing weather event that lasts an entire month, curtailing or diminishing all manner of outdoor sports, then, when the skies clear, something else happens that means we will have an empty diamond at Butler Park for the next few days instead of the high level of ball I and many others were looking forward to.
The senior men’s level Trail Orioles, who need a nice home stand to get their performance together, were supposed to play three or four games against the San Diego Stars semi-pro team. The Trail games were supposed to be high level exhibition events to keep the Stars sharp between tournaments in Kelowna and Kamloops, all leading up to San Diego’s umpteenth trip to the National Baseball Congress World Series at the end of the month.
The news is worse for the Stars, of course. Their field boss and bus driver suffered a heart attack en route to Kelowna - which he claims is the first commitment he has missed in 25 years (Cursed, I tell you) - where they were among the favourites to win some money.
He will, so its said, be fine, even in the near term, but his medical clearance to drive through B.C. is at least a couple of days away.
The Orioles are hoping to salvage a couple of early next week games with the Stars, but nothing has been settled as yet.
So, still no baseball at Trail’s little jewel for July.
The American Legion Trail Jays are scheduled for a Sunday matchup with Pullman, but that may well depend upon their progress in the wood bat event in Spokane in which they are currently competing. The timing for Sunday was TBA on the Jays schedule as late as Thursday, but we now know the park will sit idle, so perhaps a doubleheader is still a possibility.
Both of Trail’s elite programs have plenty of games scheduled at Butler in the next few weeks, with the Orioles taking on Vernon next weekend and the Seattle Studs, perennial favourites at the Grand Forks Invitational International tournament, on tap the following weekend. So, we still might get an opportunity to take ourselves out to a ball game or two this month.
That is, of course, if the curse is lifted.
Cross your fingers, or dance, or whatever, on behalf of that.
The B.C. Little League championship is, of course, good to go at Andy Bilesky park in a couple of weeks - we hope.