Junior Intercounty endorses use of wood bats

The Board of Directors of the Junior Intercounty Baseball Association Inc. voted unanimously to accept Dorothy Young as President of the league for the 2002 and 2003 seasons on February 17, 2002, at the annual general meeting.

Dorothy is the first female president since the inception of the league some 75 years ago. She has been involved with Minor Baseball and the Inter County for 20 years including 5 years serving as the Secretary Treasurer of the junior baseball league. Dorothy brings the intrinsic values necessary to maintain and promote a league of such class and distinction.

Other members elected at the meeting were Mr. Murray Hallman - Past President, Mr. Allan Young - Secretary/ Statistician and Mr. David Young - Treasurer.

In other news, a major change to the league was implemented by the Board of Directors during the first meeting of the 2002 season. The Board of Directors made a near unanimous decision to transform the league into a wooden bat league, like many other elite leagues such as the UP.SO. Cape Cod league and the Senior Inter County Baseball Association. Traditionally, wooden bat leagues have allowed premier players to showcase the purity of their talents in order to obtain scholarships or to further their baseball career. It is believed that the use of wooden bats will attract and retain the elite players and also ease the transition for players moving up into the Senior Inter County league or other wooden bat leagues in Canada and 'South of the Border'. This change is seen by many as sweetening the old cliché of "the way baseball should be played".

The league has also expanded to the 10 team mark. The St.Thomas Tom Cats have left the Association, while both the Hamilton Jr. Cardinals and the Woodstock Jr. Wranglers have returned to the league.