Get with the (Amateur) Game

Last Sunday, our Toronto Maple Leafs (no, not those ones), the intercounty baseball team, had their home opener at Dominico Field in Christie Pits. People of all ages sat hillside for the first time this season to watch a relatively exciting game against the Barrie Baycats. Relatively, of course, because we're talking about baseball. Exciting because the game was filled with highlights, and some shitty-call-drama which resulted in a long break, leading several fans to yell, "Come on! Play ball!"

Although the Baycats won 11-10, scoring the winning point in the final inning of regular play, the experience of watching the ball game in the sun, with friendly neighbourhood strangers, including couples, families, and groups of friends, stirred up a sense of pride over an otherwise unsexy park. The Blossington Post now wishes Christie Pits belonged clearly, and exclusively, to Bloorcourt.

Christie Pits was a designated dumping spot during last summer's garbage strike

As a preventative measure against people who like to enlighten us with journalistic ethics that we are already fully aware of, we would like to clearly acknowledge that Dominico Field is technically just outside of Bloorcourt, and therefore, outside of our normal reporting boundaries. Still, the Blossington Post would like to point out that municipal parks are very much like international waters...okay, well we don't actually have a real defense and cannot be bothered to find a relevant precedence.

We have a corny excuse though, which usually works well when tempering the scorn of senior citizens. Blossington residence should be in the know about free, sun-filled Sunday events in our almost-hood. If the Christie Post has something to say in retaliation to our boundary breach, we would gladly do a ten step pace followed by a turn-and-draw in the park at dusk, dawn, or some other equally dramatic time.

So come on down neighbourhood folks, buy a hot-dog, bring a beer. Just because the Maple Leafs lost the first game of the intercounty baseball season, doesn't mean it was a shameful defeat. Even if they had home field advantage, watching the Leafs' genuine hustle, including ten well earned points, was satisfying in itself.

Typical Baseball game, enjoy a closer view when in the Pits

The next home game is this Sunday, May 9th, when the Maple Leafs will face the Guelph Royals, who lost their first game of the season to the Brantford Red Sox. So head over to Dominico Field for the Maple Leaf's third game, starting at 2:00pm. Keep in mind that the transition time between innings is really long, so if you do make it in time for the top of the first, plan on staying awhile. Cheer especially loud for Toronto Maple Leaf's first baseman, number 11, Dan Gibbons. He was a major factor in turning the tide mid-game when it looked like Barrie's to-be victory would not be threatened.

If you can't make it out this week, check out this season's schedule. Sunday's home games always start at 2:00pm, and weekdays' games conveniently start after most office hours.

"What do you want? Let's play ball."


(All photos from Wikimedia Commons)