A dark day in Tofield baseball history

When a marriage ends, sometimes things can be said and done that hurt both sides. The ending of the marriage between the Tofield Lakers and the town of Tofield could have ended the same way.

But the team is taking the high road and saying the right things. They tried their best to make it work in Tofield, but when guys have kids and family, working three or four hours a week on a baseball field, plus play and manage the team becomes a little too much. They thanked the town for all its done for baseball, but it’s too tough to keep it going now.

I’m a little bias here, and I don’t know all the politics, and I’m also not a taxpayer in Tofield so really I have no say. However, it doesn’t look good on the outside looking in, that a town of 2,000, plus a few hundred more within a 10 minute drive, can’t take care of their midget and men’s baseball field better.

The reality

I know baseball is dying, and I know it’s not cheap to keep a field maintained that’s only used a dozen or so times each summer, but would the town let this happen to their curling or hockey rink? The slo-pitch fields seem to be taken care of OK, and we’ve seen the new additions to the rink – where’s the love for baseball?

A men’s team is willing to put in time before the season to pick weeds, scrape the diamond and volunteer time to raise money for the town. All we generally ask for is some regular maintenance like new dirt/shale, mending the fences, dugout or backstop and maybe some bases and chalk. Most of the teams even drag the field before their games because no one else will do it.

But we have jobs, too, and family. If a team has a bunch of young players and only one or two who can take care of the field, a town or recreation association needs to step up to meet in the middle.

Hopefully the Lakers move will help the town come to its senses to become a partner with men’s baseball in the future when it comes back. The Lakers weren’t looking for handouts, they were just looking for some help.

The future

The 250 or so people that enjoyed some baseball on Canada Day might have some questions when this Canada Day, no baseball is played. If that’s the decision of the town to put their money toward more popular and cheaper activities to maintain and foster, then that’s fine – I respect the tough decisions that come with managing town budgets.

But if it’s just a matter of personalities clashing, a lack of passion for the sport of baseball over other things, or just plain lazyness on the part of some people, then you should feel ashamed.

I personally believe there are several more years left of minor baseball in that area. Improving the field will only help keep it alive longer, and having a men’s team in town will only lead to more positive experiences – both on and off the field for years to come.

Maybe the Lakers were taken for granted. I guess we’ll see if anyone notices for the first time in decades, they’ve sadly departed.

Posted on October 1, 2010 by Jason Buzzell