SML: Players to have fun in the sun

The lights are on but nobody’s home at the Francisco M. Palacios baseball field in Oleai, and due to the situation with the illumination, the field will remain that way for sometime—during the evening, that is.

According to the director of the autumn edition of the Saipan Major League, Tony Rogolifoi, managers and coaches for the upcoming season will be meeting at 6pm in the conference room of the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium this evening to discuss possible alternatives to night games due to the disarray of the stadium’s lighting array.

“I don’t think that we’ll start as scheduled next Monday, but we’ll be meeting to discuss the possibility of playing day games until the lights are fixed. I’m pretty sure that the players want it all to get started,” said Rogolifoi.

Most of the lights were repositioned courtesy of a storm named Chaba, leaving organizers no other choice than to alter the primetime schedule until such time that the necessary repairs are made. Where and when the funding will come from remains to be determined, but Rogolifoi is hoping to receive support from local and federal agencies.

“We need to find out the FEMA situation first. We submitted our assessment to them and we are now waiting for a reply to find out what’s going to happen. We may also ask the mayor’s office to lend a hand as well,” he said.

Teams were to have their complete roster turned in to league officials for today’s meeting, with the season originally slated to get underway next Monday, Sept. 13, however, now nothing is set in stone.

The teams that have tossed their hats into the ring so far are the defending champions Hustlers, Pirates, Northern Yankees, D-9ers, a new unnamed team comprised mainly of all-stars from the Senior and Big leagues, and possibly a team from Tanapag.

Players for the upcoming season will be on the forefront of change as they will be the first required to use the wooden or composite bats in stead of their trusty aluminum sticks, and teams need to start placing their orders soon.

The price range for each of the newly implemented bats is between $25 and $50, but each team will be provided with six from the league.

According to Rogolifoi, the wooden and composite bats are the only type that will be allowed under the rules of the Baseball Confederation of Oceania in next year’s Mini-Games in Palau.

The cost to enter a team into the fall league is $1,200 and all payments should be made out to the Saipan Major League. Only individuals between the ages of 16-25 may play in the league. For further information, contact League Coordinator Tony Rogolifoi by calling 664-2508.