News and Announcements

The forecast for Thursday is for a high of -1degC and snow.

Therefore the Thursday 5:30pm CSMS League practice has been moved to TUESDAY (tomorrow) at 5:30pm. Please email Gary.Paukert@GMail.com IF AND ONLY IF this changes your attendance plans. There are still a few open spots left for this practice.

Meet a few minutes before 5:30 Tuesday at the Charleswood 1 diamond. Find me and I’ll send you to your assigned diamond.

The Wednesday 11:00am CSMS League practice remains unchanged. This practice is now full.

Practices next week will continue on the original Wed/Thur schedule, weather permitting.

Regards,

Gary Paukert

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Correction: Practices Start NEXT WEEK

Posted by Gary Paukert at Apr 17, 2021 7:48AM PDT ( 0 Comments )

Those of you who can actually read a calendar probably figured this out, but CSMS League practices start next week, NOT the week of April 28/29. Therefore, they will be held:

Wednesday, April 21st (11:00-1:00) and Thursday, April 22nd (5:30-7:30), weather permitting.
Show up at Charleswood 1 and we’ll form groups of 10 and disperse to the various diamonds.

If this makes a difference in your availability, please contact me at Gary.Paukert@GMail.com to change.

The CSMS Communications Department apologizes would like to assure you that those responsible for this error have been sacked.

Most regretfully,

Gary Paukert
Director, Communications Foul-ups

It's Time. Let's Practice!

Posted by Gary Paukert at Apr 16, 2021 7:45AM PDT ( 1 Comment )
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Well guys, who knows when the city will allow us to use our diamond permits and get the 2021 Season started? It’ll happen. We’re just ‘on hold’ until they do. But that doesn’t mean we have to lie on the couch all day.

Let’s Get Out There and Practice

Your Board wants to provide opportunities to practice and so we have reserved the Charleswood and Triwood diamonds for Wednesday, April 28th (11:00-1:00) and Thursday, April 29th (5:30-7:30). Current AHS guidelines allow 10 or fewer players per diamond to participate in outdoor adult sports as long as it is casual recreation and not official leagues.

With four diamonds, we can accommodate a total of 40 players for batting practice and shagging flies. We will have pitchers for you and set up nets to protect them. We will also supply disinfectant liquid and paper towels to clean equipment. Bring your own bat. Do not congregate closely in the dugouts.

+In order to participate, you must reply by email to Gary Paukert at Gary.Paukert@GMail.com. First come, first served. Limit of 40. + I want to especially invite and encourage those of you who are new to the League this year to come on out, meet all us crazies and get yourself warmed up.

Depending on turn-out next week, and weather, we intend to run these practices (and perhaps more) weekly until the season begins.

Come on out and get a head start on pulling those muscles you haven’t used in six months!

Best regards,

Gary Paukert
CSMS League VP and Communications Director

Lyn Irwin's wife Laurie Has Passed Away

Posted by Gary Paukert at Apr 7, 2021 8:04AM PDT ( 0 Comments )
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Hello League,

Norm Buckley has informed me that Lyn Irwin and his daughter Lyndsey would like the league, and especially AA Division, to know that Lyn’s wife Laurie Irwin passed away on March 30th.

Lyn has played in our league for 15 years, from 2005-2019, and so many of you may have known Laurie. I’m sure you all join me in letting Lyn know of your thoughts and support of him at this difficult time.

Laurie’s obituary can be found here:
https://www.myalternatives.ca/calgary/obituaries/2021-irwin-laurie-jean

As is the unfortunate norm these days, a Celebration of Life is delayed until COVID restrictions are eased sufficiently.

Donations in Laurie’s name can be made to the Calgary Women’s Shelter or Canadian Cancer Society, as mentioned in the obituary.

In sympathy,

Gary Paukert
CSMS League Communications

We're Still Here!

Posted by Gary Paukert at Mar 29, 2021 10:03AM PDT ( 1 Comment )
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Ok, who was it that got their ball glove out of winter storage in March? I’ve TOLD you before – WAIT UNTIL APRIL. I understand. The weather got a little bit warm and you just HAD to get your glove out. Well, now the weather gods are punishing us for YOUR impatience with snow, cold and howling winds. Put that old hunk of leather back in its box until April 1st!

UPDATE * UPDATE * UPDATE ** UPDATE

I wish I really HAD something to update you with! Mostly this is just a letter to let you know that the league is still intact, the Board members are still conscious (mostly) and sober (a few), and that we absolutely plan to be playing ball…sometime. However, we are at the mercy of the City of Calgary and Alberta Health Services to open up the diamonds and allow us to use our diamond permits. What little we hear is that the City may announce a decision on April 15th, but that it will be contingent on Alberta Health Services going to the next stage and opening up outdoor adult sports.

And don’t hold your breath on that! As I’m sure you know, the COVID numbers had been dropping and there was some reason to be optimistic that we could start the season on time. But the last few weeks, the numbers have started trending up again and there just aren’t enough vaccines getting into arms yet to reverse that upward trend. So, since my crystal ball is still in the shop for repairs I can’t be sure, but it would seem unlikely we’ll be able to start the season on May 4th as planned.

As you’ll recall, last year we were finally allowed to play ball in early July using a cohort-based approach. What with vaccines now available, we’ve been hoping for a full regular season this year. It just ‘feels’ as if things have improved, right? But the reported daily numbers of infections now are actually higher than last spring. Your guess is as good as anyone else’s, but at this point the most likely scenario is perhaps a repeat of last year’s cohort-based play, starting sometime in June.

But don’t despair! Your Board of Directors is sitting ready to jump-start the League into operation as soon as we get the word from the City. We believe we can basically get the evaluations, draft and scheduling done for both regular evening ball and this year’s NEW day ball done inside of two weeks. So when things open up, expect to find yourself out on the diamond FAST!

We’re extending the registration deadline indefinitely because of all this, so get yourself signed up. We have LOTS of interest in dayball and will have at least four teams made up of AA and AAA players for that. As for evening ball, if you played last year we’re rolling over your fees and assuming you’re playing again in 2021. Please let John Schmidt know if otherwise.

The next Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for April 17th. I will update everyone again after that meeting. Fingers crossed for better numbers (and weather!) by then.

To paraphrase the immortal Red Green: ‘Keep your glove on the ground. We’re all in this together.’

Gary Paukert
CSMS Communications

The document 2021-03-27_-_One_col_-_2.pdf was attached to this post.