WITH OPENING DAY FAST APPROACHING, THE HARD AND DIRTY WORK OF GETTING OUR EQUIPMENT READY FOR THE 2017 SEASON HAS BEGUN
Photos of the baseball gear that was organized and cataloged over the past two weeks during the annual equipment inventory initiative at the TP House League and Select Baseball Equipment Rooms at Christie Pits and Bickford Park.
With only 61 days left before Opening Day, the Toronto Playgrounds House League Baseball Committee has begun the laborious task of getting its equipment prepared for the upcoming 2017 House League and Select baseball season.
A caricature of Paul during the annual equipment inventory process.
For the eighth consecutive year, our Equipment coordinator, Paul Hum, has been busy as a beaver during the past two weeks emptying out thirty-seven assorted equipment bags at our respective facilities at Christie Pits and Bickford Park in preparation for the annual equipment inventory report.
This volunteer driven offseason initiative began in 2010 and is the genesis of our annual equipment inventory program whereby the committee organizes and takes stock of all of its baseball gear. By taking full account of our equipment (bats, batting helmets, gloves, catcher’s masks, chest protectors & shins, uniforms, pants, caps, umpire accessories, bases, etc.), we determine which gear is still useful, needs tender loving care and repair, or decommissioned.
The detailed inventory data that is collected allows the committee to determine where to allocate its limited financial resources with regards to the purchase of new baseball equipment and to get more bang from our precious dollars and cents.
As a committee member for over a decade, Paul concedes that the equipment inventory process that he undertakes every year is a dirty, laborious and thankless task:
“Taking inventory is hard and dirty work. However, I feel that it’s important that someone in the community steps up to the plate to do this job. The yearly inventory equipment initiative has allowed us to make better investments in gear that benefits our players and coaches at both the House League and Select levels. It results in a better baseball experience and performance on and off the diamond for everyone involved. The task is undoubtedly insane at times, but I continue to do it for the love of the game.”
If you have any questions, please contact us at tpbaseball@gmail.com.