Variants

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

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

Good morning, League:

I’ve heard, through both Herm Thielen and Fred Lukich, that Ken Brillon has passed away. Ken played in our league from 1998 to 2002.

I have not been able to find any further information or an obituary online. If any member has further information about Ken, please pass it along to me and I’ll make it available to all.

Best regards,

Gary Paukert
CSMS Communications

Hello League,

The weather is beginning to show a few signs of spring and that gets us all beginning to think of the upcoming 2021 CSMS League season. You are probably wondering what that’s going to look like this year, after a ‘different’ 2020 season, and what with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Board of Directors would like to keep you up to date with as much as we know at this time.

Your Board intends to do everything possible to provide as much quality slopitch enjoyment as possible given any provincial restrictions in 2021. At the moment, it would seem the upcoming season might look like this:

• At the very least, a full season of scrimmages/practices in small cohort groups like last year, with social distancing and reporting in place.
• At best, a full regular season.
• All teams will be stocked entirely by a draft in April, as we do in a normal year.
• There will be the normal April evaluation session for players new to the league.
• Some shifting of the number of teams in each division may take place, based on the numbers at registration.
• A new dayball opportunity will be created for players evaluated at AA and AAA divisions.

We enthusiastically encourage everyone to get vaccinated as soon as it is available and safe for you to do so, for the safety of everyone in the League. However we will not require proof of vaccination in order to play if AHS does not. It’s likely, though, that you will have to answer questions about your present health and possible exposure to the virus again this year before each game to satisfy AHS.

Once again, as far as evening ball is concerned, if you paid your CSMS League fees last year, we are rolling them over to apply to 2021. In that case you do NOT have to register or pay this year. You’re all set to go. All you need to do is buy your $30 Alberta 55+ 2021 membership for insurance coverage. This year everyone will have to do that themselves at www.Alberta55Plus.ca, (why not do it today?) If you wish to play AA/AAA dayball, that will cost just $75 and you will need to register and pay at www.grandslamslopitch.com, (and also of course join Alberta 55+).

Registration closes April 11th.

The Board will meet again in mid-March and we hope both the AHS regulations and season details will be clearer at that time.

Best wishes to everyone!

Ernie French
CSMS League President

As most of you are aware, CSMS League memberships for those of you who played summer ball in 2020, have been rolled over into 2021. This makes registration simple for most of you – do nothing! – except register with Alberta 55+ for 2021.

However, it does cause a problem for the registrar. Because you have been rolled over, i.e. you don’t have to register, I have no idea whether or not you actually want to play in 2021.

So if you do not plan to play in 2021, please email me at registrar@grandslamslopitch.com.

Note: If you plan to play AA/AAA Dayball, you have to register/re-register. You fall into Category 10 under “What are you registering for”.

John Schmidt
CSMS League Registrar