Baseball players need more funds for Mini Games

The players of the Saipan Major League are just a couple of weeks away from retaking the Francisco M. Palacios Baseball Field from the Josai University team when they kick off the 2005 season, but while the CNMI All-Stars have been practicing for the this summer’s South Pacific Mini Games in Palau, the fate of the hard-ballers remains in question.

The players have been working hard to show teams from across the region that this group of hard-ballers from the Commonwealth are a force to be reckoned with on the diamond by spending plenty of hours in the batting cages, running laps, and shagging flies, but they have a long way to go until they can fund their trip.

Pitchers, shortstops, and outfielders were converted to chefs, servers, and counter help at the open air roadside café across the street from the stadium two weeks ago, as the team worked to raise over $1,600 from the sale of the traditional fund raising midday meal.

Each of the players sold all of their allotted $50-worth of tickets prior to the one-day lunch outing, but the sluggers are still shy of their goal.

According to team manager Tony Rogolifoi, the team needs to accumulate $12,000 for the airfare to Palau alone, and the March 3, deadline set by NMASA to do so is rapidly approaching.

Thus far, the team has raised approximately $3,000 and needs roughly $9,000 to close the gap in the next two and a half weeks. There will be another hot lunch sale next Saturday, Feb. 19, in the parking lot of the Oleai Sports Complex, but the team realistically needs to get some help from the community if they hope to make the NMASA timeline.

“Anything that will help the team will be greatly appreciated—especially by the players. We will continue our efforts by having more hot lunch fund raisers, a softball tournament, a dinner show, and a raffle drawing in May,” he said

The softball tournament is tentatively planned for March, but unless the team comes up with some funds in a hurry, the trip may be in jeopardy. According to Rogolifoi, both the baseball and the softball teams are still behind in their fund-raising.

There also remains the possibility of the two sports sharing players to save on costs—but neither of the team representatives have discussed the matter.

Tickets for next weekend’s hot lunch sale are available for presale from any of the team players, and are $5 apiece for a healthy helping of red rice, fried chicken, spareribs adobo, vegetable salad, and a drink.

For more information about contributing to the CNMI baseball team’s fundraising drive, contact Rogolifoi by calling 664-2508.