I played hooky from last night's Northampton County Council meeting for a game in Coplay's 24th Annual 9 and Under Baseball Tournament. Sixteen teams from all over the Lehigh Valley will gnaw at each other over the next several days. On Sunday, one will walk away as winner.My prediction? The Bethlehem Canes will walk away with the honors. That's my grandson's team, of course. Earlier this year, they won ECTB's Memorial Day Tournament in Leesport, PA, upsetting the Gainesville Cannons.
The kids love this tournament because they get to use big barrel bats, which is prohibited in Little League play. And in Coplay's lower field, a good swing can send the ball right out of the park and through LC Comm'r Bill Leiner's window.
I love the tournament because of the homemade pierogies, the best in the world, and the strawberry shortcake served up on Saturday.
13 comments:
Have a great time Bernie, good luck to Dat's team.
The Banker
Bernie,
Thank God you finally said something nice about Coplay. Coplay Sports has been positively serving our kids for over 50 years. I am a product of Coplay Sports. My Son played eight years of basketball for Coplay Sports prior to his wonderful career at Whitehall High School and his collegiate career at Penn State. Without his experience at Coplay Sports he never would have been a scholarship member of the 2009 NIT Championship Nittany Lion basketball team. There is no higher calling than helping our kids grow to be productive, positive adults. I'd urge your readers, even the "anonymous" ones to go to 6th Street in Coplay and drop in to watch some baseball and patronize the concession stand. Happy Friday and have a great weekend. Bill
Bill, I wrote about the tournament last year and had plenty nice to say about it then, too. It's my favorite of them all.
Where is this tournament being played (other than Coplay) for the benefit of those who might not know?
Where is 6th Street ball field for those not familiar with Coplay?
Where is Coplay and 6th Street in relation to US 22 for all the Major League scouts flying into LVIAP to attend the tournament now that they have been made aware of its existance?
IronPigPen,
I can give directions from Nazareth. Take 248 W to Bath, go thru light at 512 intersection , go to 2nd light and make left hand turn , at stop sign make a right hand turn about ½ block make a left onto Rt 329. Contiune on Rt 329 to Northampton. At the first light, turn left onto Laubach Ave. Go past Northampton HS and Community Center, follow Laubach Ave. until it intersects with Main Street.
Turn Left onto Main Street.
Continue on Main Street.
Turn right at the 9th Street traffic light. (Mario’s Pizza)
Cross the bridge into Coplay and thru the traffic light.
The stadium is about 4 blocks from this light on the right hand side. Parking is on either of the side streets.
It's Samuel Balliet Stadium.
Boonie only attends these things to scout out new little boys to be friends with.
Coplay's a nice town...the Cement Fair, they have the Ironton Trail, and the Beef Jerky and Candle Outlet (for real) No other borough can beat that. Isn't this where the feral cats were taken care of?
Anon 8:19,
I understand you LongDems are more than a little concerned about Monday's prliminary hearing. based on the subpoenas flying srouind, you should be. Nice to know you're still stupid enough to comment here.
William Penn's Ghoast, Bill Leiner never told me about the jerky outlet. My grandson loves jerky. I'll be in Coplay early tomorrow.
Oh yeah, Bernie. The candle and beef jerky outlet, I think, is on Cherryhill Road. It used to be across the street from a store that has a cow on a sign post. (As you can see, I don't bother with directions. I use landmarks.)
The beef jerky is to the rear of the store. They have one called sweet and spicy. Pick me up a pound of it and mail it to me if you could.
Peace, ~~Alex
Will do, Fr. Alex.
Anon 8:19
This was about little league baseball.
Get you f#^%*&(% mind out of the gutter.
I understand your low-life, perverted, utterly culture-free mind resides in the gutter 24/7 (why else would you be thinking of such), but give it a rest!
There is STILL plenty of Michael Jackson (since you are obviously interested in adults with a thing for little boys) coverage for you to follow, Anon 8:19, since you have CLEARLY indicated what runs through your mind.
Hurry, you might miss 20 seconds of someone I would imagine to be a hero of yours, Michael Jackson, Anon 8:19.
YOU, Anon 8:19, were the one who brought the subject up.
Remember that.
Do you play with little boys improperly, Anon 8:19? The fact that you raise such a question such as the one you did for Bernie leades me to wonder aloud if, in fact, YOU DO and are really doing nothing but SERACHING FOR OTHERS who feel the SAME AS YOU about little boys!
So what's the word? How did Dat and the team do?
I was re-reading the comments on this thread. I read all of the nice comments about being involved in sporting programs and the character and chances it builds for young men and women.
I wanted to point out something that gave me a lot of joy over a better part of my adult life: Officiating.
I officiated, chiefly, basketball but dabbled a little into baseball. I made many friends and a few bucks. There is nothing that builds character and accountability in a person than people challenging your intergrity and authority.
Some get into officiating for the wrong reasons. But I got into it to continue on with a sport that I was so bad at playing. Right before I applied to the seminary, I was hired by a local college, Lafayette, to become the men's and women's NCAA Scorer for Lafayette basketball. That was a direct result of my officiating expertise (or lack thereof.)
I took more away from basketball and officiating than I could ever give back to it. That was one of the hardest things (officiating) to walk away from to join the seminary. If I was ever to leave my vocational calling, it would be to don the stripes, again.
Officiating is like any other vocation, especially the call to priesthood. We have to encourage our youth and young adults to get involved. It is something that needs a special type of person to make it work successfully.
And yes! I loved it when they booed me!
Peace, ~~Alex
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