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Whtby Free Prss, Wednesday, August 10, 1994. Page 31 Bantams win 31in tune-up for provincials The Whitby Peacock Sports mninor bantam basebail teamn began te gear up for the provincial championships with three straight victories last week. *After falling behind 7-3 ealy against Kingston Township, Ryan Vopni entered the gaine on the mound te shut down the K(ingston bats. Five-member teams can enjoy the Oshawa Postal Werkers' mixed bowling tournament for the United Way of Oshawa- Whitby-Clarington, at Leisure Lanes, 728 Champlain Ave., on Saturday, Aug. 20 at 1 p.m. Teains are guaranteed three gaines. Sign up by Friday, Aug. 5. Prizes te be given includo high teain as well as individual prizes To the editar: An open leter te the menibers of the WhitIby Miner Basebail Association As a meinhor of the WMBA executive for the past eight years, I have taken on a variety of respensibilities in the opration of this association. The past two years I-hà.ve held the position of buyer -- I amn the individual who .makes ail the purchases of awards, uniforrms and equipinent on hohalf of the WMBA. Over the years and certainly more recently with my direct involvement with equipinent, I feel it necessary to address the memhorship regarding a serieus problein that demand attention -- the neglect, misuse and abuse of our equipinent by our members. The equipinent teani frei our executive is cornprised of myseîf and two other members whoee responsibilities include the stocking of equipinent bags, distribution of these bage, general maintenance of equipment and equipinent boxes and collection of equipinent bage at seaaon's end. In addition, they give up their Monday evenings ail summer te, attend te, equipment repairs and exchange at Peel Park. It is therefore espocially disturbing te us when some coaches shew up claiming they lest equipinent or they need more basebalîs, etc. The lack of responsibility demonstrated by these coaches is net encouraging (we even had a coach loebis entre bag of equipinent, though we managed te locate it.) The other area of negect has Thus bogan the corneback that would see Whitby turn on the offence te the tune of an 18-7 victory. Leading the attaek was Mike Foret with threbits and three runs batted in. Peter Triantafilou also collected three bits. Othors having multiple bit games were Chris Rutherford, Josh Huether such as high single and high triple. Proceeds frein the team entry fee of $75 support the United Way of Oshawa-VWtby- Claringten, wlich holp fund more than 200 prograins frein 43 agencies in our community, frein which more than 80,000 residenta receive direct benefits. been quite evident with aur equipinent boxes situated at parka around tewn. These boxes contain bases and umpire equipinent and are subject te blatant neglect constantly..Locks are left open, bocks go missing, equipinent is subetituted, equipinent is missing. Boxes must ho locked with the proper equipinent inside te ensure t at gamnes can ho played as scheduled. Misuse and abuse of equipinent go hand in bond. Bats are hoing used as hammera for base pegs; base pegs are battered inte pretzel shape, rendoring them useless; bats are banged off screen posta; base straps ripped in twe, etc. The list goes on. Some of this equipinent, when damaged, cannot ho repaired and replacement is necessary. I could list numerous incidents involving our equipment frein this current season alono, but rin sure my pint is clear. Here are some cos te ponder: equipinent box stocked, $300; equpment bag stecked, $500 te $9010 (depending on age group); locks, $25 plus re-keying charge. In addition, new equipment that 1 order each year averages eut at $72,000 and doesenet include basebaîls -- that's another $12,000 plus. It is with this in mind that our equipînent people appoar somewhat reluctant at times te issue new replacement items or more basebalîs for every request. 1 have heard commenta such as '"he WMBA bas lota of money. Thef tan afford it" or "It's net costing you anythingl" and John i>artlow with two hits each. Maing late inning comebacks was once again the order of the day as Whitby, trailing Clarington majors 5-1 entering their half of the ninth inning, loaded the bases before Foret drilled a line shot double into left centre field te, tie the gaine. You're damn right it's costing rou -- and me. As far as having ots of money -- that's open for interpretation. However, the money wo do have eista for a reason. It's there because the members of this executive and executives of the past were vigilant in the manner in which they used the association's monoy. We are proud and fortunate that wo are net forced te operate fund-raisers eveiy year in order te survive like somo other groupa. Through the generosity of our sponsors and local service groupe as well, we are able te lceep costa te a minimum and maintain our gaine as a relatively inexpensive summer activity for the youth of our cemmunity. So, as you can see, just because we function every year with ne significant financial problein, it does not allow us te conduct business and sIJend with reckless abandon. If we, as an association, can keep our casts down thon it is passed on te the general memhorship. On the other hand, if equipment costs continue te escalate for reasons that 1 have discussed, thon tho obvieus will result. Coaches, players and parents are asked te, exorcise more responsibility in'the care and accountability of equipinent. Let us ail do our part in preserving this fine organization and keep it growing strong for the meinhors long after you and I have moved on. Thank you. EriecDohnelly Whitby Miner Basebali Association The score remained tiod until the bottom of the llth when Greg Zedic raced home froin second base on an infield out. Whitby closed out the week with a hard-fought 11-6 victory over Clarington minors. VWtby's offensive attack was se well balanced that aIl 12 players collected base bits. Select basebai season underway The 1994 select basebal season is now underway, operating under the naine South Durhami Select Basebail League. Participating associations from Whitby, Ajax, Pickering and Markham will field teams in the mosquito, peewee and bantam. divisions. There will be a regular season schedule and a playoff format. Ail teams are encouraged te participate in various select teurnanients. Regular season champions frein each division will be invited te represent the beague and their associations at the 1994 Ontario select championships in Burlington on Labeur Day weekend. Whitby will field four teams in each of the mosquito and peewee divisions, and two teams in the bantaxn division. Head coaches for the mosquite teamns are Jef Sisson, Scott Mathews, Guy Connelly and Dereck Balan. Head coaches for the peewees are Rick Hubbard, Jack Morasse, Real Michaud and Rick Dunford. Head coaches for the bantain teains are Mike Janecek and Bob Dicksen. Convening the league in Whitby are Jim Difiori, Balan and Walt Lazary. In fact, ih the championship gaine, Peterborough domidnated the first two periods and led 4-1 going in the third. If not for outstanding netminding by Doherty and a goal by Dustin Morrison late in the first period, the Whitby squad would have been in even deeper trouble than it was. But O'Brien's team nenver gave up. Led by a spectacular individual effort by Haley -- ho scored two goals and added four assiste -- Whitby scored seven third period goals, the final one into an empty Peterborough net. Kyle OB3rien made it 4-2 early in the tbird. Only 32 seconds later, Haley narrowed the gap te 4-3 and 76 seconds after that Greer, who had il goals and eight assists in the six provincial tournazuent gaines, tied the game at four. MacKenzie, who led the teain in scoring at the provincials with 10 goals and il assists, scored the go-ahead goal with 7:56 te go, giving Whitby the lead for the first tino. But Evans raced eut of the penalty box and scored the equalizer for Peterborough with 4:02 left in regulation tino. Things looked bleak for. Whitby wnen they.. were penalized wirth only 1:33 left in the gaine, but Haley took over and scored a spectacular shorthanded game-winning goal with 1.17 remaining. Howe added a shorthanded insurance niarker with 43 seconds Ieft and McKenzie put the gaine and the title away with the empty-net goal with only 31 seconds te go. "Ise proud of every one of our boys," coach O'Brien sad. "Thcre was a lot of pressure on us as being the teain te boat al season long but the boys were a teain in the truest sense of the word. Everyone contributed.- "(Assistant coach) Wayne McDonald was a huge part of our success and se was (traîner) Mike Doherty. The ids teok turns coming up big at crucial moments throughout the season. "Our strength was our depth and a real sense of teamwork. The boys are true champions."~ Leading tho onslaught with two hits each were Zedic, Scott Thompson and Partlow. Thompson earned the victory, pitching six strong innings before Shane. Beetham and Vopni combined te preserve the win., Whitby will compote in the alI-Ontario AAA championships in Waterloo in early September. Big bowl tournament on Sunday A major lawn bowling toumnament will be held Aug. 14 at the Whitby Lawn Bowling Club. The local club is hosting the first-ever Jeffrey Douglas/Fortune Financial Challenge Cup competition, a new, major lawn bowling event. Free bleacher seating at the clUb's ]3rock Street South location will enable spectators to see top-ranked bowlers in action. "The new compotition will be a highlight of the Ont.ario lawn bowling season," said club spokesperson Bilan Perlcs. 'We anticipate that a lot of lawn bowling enthusiasts wil? be visiting Whitby for the event." .Major Tom Edwards will officially open the event. Seating will bo availablo from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the day of the tournament. "People can corne and go as they please," said Perks. Post Office to hold fundiraising slo-pitých event Swing into the fun at tho Second Annal W;hitby-Oshawa Post Office Slo-Ptch Tournainent for the United Way of Oshawa- Whitby-Clarington. The teurnament which is held at the Bowrnanville Rec Centre on Highway 2 and Waverly Read, takes place Saturday, Aug. 27 from 8 a.m. t 6 p.m. Your teain of 10 players (two of whom must ho female) will net only have a great day at the bal park, but will aIse support the United Way of Oshawa-Whitby- Claringten which receives proceeds frein the $100 teaxa entry fee. Prizes include $150 for first place A division and $50 for first place in the consolation round B division. Ail money collected for the United Way of Oshawa-Whitby- Clarington romai ns in this area, supporting more than 200 programs frein 43 non-profit agoncies in our cemxnunity, from wbich more than 80,000 residents receive direct benefits. Seme of these local charitable organizations include the Distress Centre of Durbain Region, Durhamn Region Comxnunity Care Association, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and Oshawa and District Unemployed Help Centre. Players are urged te contact Ruth Churchbey between 7:30 and 9:30 a.m. at 725-6410 or after 3 p.m. at 434-1469 by August for more information. Bowling tournament is United Way fundraiser Take care of equipment