It’s Batter Up Time for the 2016 Toronto Playgrounds House League Baseball ‘Derby for Distance’ Event on October 23

THE FOURTH EDITION OF OUR FUNDRAISING BATTING CHALLENGE EXTRAVAGANZA IS ON DECK FOR THIS UPCOMING SUNDAY AT CHRISTIE PITS

Tally-ho! Tally-ho!

The Toronto Playgrounds House League Baseball Committee wishes to remind everyone that the fourth edition of our fundraising Derby For Distance Event is scheduled for this upcoming Sunday, October 23 at Christie Pits from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Have you ever wanted to try your luck against the pitching machine? We know you’re curious, so now is your chance!

Here’s how the Derby works….we will have pitching machines set up on Christie Pits Diamonds 1, 2, and 3. Each machine will be pitching at a different speed….

• 25 to 35 m.p.h. on Diamond 3
• 40 to 55 m.p.h. on Diamond 2
• 60 to 80 m.p.h. on Diamond 1 [a.k.a. Dominico Field]

Participants can decide which speed they’d like to hit at, and then proceed to “buy” the amount of pitched balls they desire, and then step in and have their desired swings.

• $10.00 for 10 pitched balls
• $20.00 for 30 pitched balls

Prizes will be awarded in the following age categories:

• 7-9
• 10-11
• 12-13
• 14-15
• 16-19
• Coaches & Adults

We’ll have distance markers set up with a certain point value awarded for each hit depending upon how far it goes. Each participant will then receive a total point score for all ten of their hits. Prizes will be awarded for the first, second, and third highest point totals in each age category…the winners will be determined after the last batters hit at 4:00 pm.

In addition, there will be a prize raffle draw. And refreshments will also be available.

When we’ve held the Derby in the past years, they’ve been a lot of fun and have raised a fair bit of money for our house league baseball program. This year all of the monies raised will be put towards our fundraising campaign for installing lights on Christie Pits Diamond 3.

As a part of the festivities, distinguished local author Joyce Grant will be on hand at Christie Pits to launch her children’s novel, Tagged Out, during our ‘Derby for Distance’ Event.

However, in order for us to put this event on we require a lot of volunteers from our baseball community…we’ll need people to sell tickets, people to collect tickets at each diamond and record participants names and scores, people to measure the hits and call out the point values to the recorders, people to sell refreshments, etc. And remember we’re planning on having machines going on all three diamonds, so we’ll need people filling those volunteer roles on all three diamonds.

In fact, given the large number of volunteers required, the committee is going to hold off on making the final payment for the Special Events Permit for the Derby until we know we have enough people willing to help out. We’re looking for people to take on ninety minute shifts:

• 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
• 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

We will need five people at each diamond for each shift, so that’s 15 people per shift (or 60 people over the four shifts). So please let us know by return email as soon as possible if you’re able to take a shift…let me know what time works for you and if you have a preference as to what role you’ll be doing. If you’re willing and able to do more than one shift that is great!