March 19, 2021

By Adam Morissette

Baseball Canada

Short Hops is a weekly look at news and information that is of interest to the Canadian baseball community from the pros to the local sandlots!

Challenger athletes need YOU now more than ever – From April 12 to April 23, the Jays Care Foundation will be hosting 2021 Challenger Baseball Training Camp opportunities for your league (virtual & in-person) to get athletes CONNECTED & ACTIVE safely this season! Sessions include: Challenger Baseball 101, Zoom 101, hosting in-Person and virtual Challenger Baseball training camps, COVID safety concerns, best practices, networking opportunities and much more! Registration info can be found here.

Visit Labatt Park in London this summer – Tourism London announced earlier this week that Labatt Park, located in London, Ont., will be open for tours beginning this summer. Labatt Park is considered the oldest baseball diamond in the world with a history dating back to 1877. The current home of the Intercounty Baseball League’s London Majors, Labatt Park has loads of history and unique artifacts to display with many stories to be told. The Southwestern Ontario region is being billed as a “baseball destination” this summer with the “Southwestern Ontario Baseball Heritage Pass” available that includes the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in nearby St. Marys, Ont. and the Beachville District Museum, home to one of the first ever recorded baseball games, located just outside of Woodstock, Ont. For more info visit labattparktours.com.

Romak prepares for 19th pro season – Speaking of London, Ont., slugger Jamie Romak who hails from the Forest City is about to embark on his 19th professional season and fifth in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) with the newly named SSG Landers (formerly SK Wyverns). Korean baseball journalist Yoo Jee-ho (who happens to be Korea’s biggest Toronto Blue Jays fan) caught up with the six-time national team member for a story that can be read here.