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Big League gets a big change
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Posted on Mar 09 2005
The Saipan Little League Baseball Association returned to the Oleai Sports Complex last weekend to the delight of the managers, coaches, player, parents, and fans, but while the Big League teams were unable to get their season underway due to technical difficulties with the lighting array, league officials have come up with a solution that will benefit the program.
Beginning tonight, the Big League will play games under the lights of Francisco M. Palacios Baseball Field. Games will be played on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30pm rather than their regularly scheduled weekend outings.
The Northern Yankees, Ol’ Aces, Braves, and Comets will get the opportunity to play in primetime just like the all-stars of the Saipan Major League, but this is only part of the solution.
Citing a need to get the Big League games played, league president Joe Salas made the call to change the dates, and tonight he will discuss the scheduling changes and go over the ground rules with team representatives in the conference room of the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium at 6pm.
Aside from accommodating the teams, Salas believes that there will be a beneficial side effect in that the evening games will aid in the development of the young players’ ability to adjust to different conditions.
“Once (the players) get off-island they need to be prepared for the night games. When our boys played in the mainland for the World Series they were on the field well after sunset. This is the kind of thing that will help our boys become ready to win championships,” said Salas.
The new schedule will run until Tuesday, March 22, when the league will include the Junior and Senior Leaguers into the rotation for the Tuesday and Thursday night contests. Tonight the long-ball sluggers of the Big League take their first cuts at opposing pitchers as the Northern Yankees and the Ol’ Aces lace up the cleats under the lights at 6:30pm.
