Local club aims to grow baseball in SA

Baseball is not that popular in South Africa or even Africa.

However, the sport has a large following in the US, and one club wanting to emulate that in SA is the Red Sox Baseball and Softball Club.

Based in Kempton Park at the Barnyard Stadium, the club was established in 1972. Chris Dorlas manages the club as its president.

Over the years, the club built a strong sporting community with traditions and values inclusive of all the community members.

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Apart from being a fun sport, baseball and softball teach life lessons such as the importance of interpersonal skills, being a team player, developing a good work ethic and handling pressure.

Annually, the Red Sox hosts the Gordon Munk Soft Ball Tournament.

Last year, more than 30 softball sides competed in the tournament over the last weekend in January.

The tournament is just one in a long list of events hosted by the club, along with night markets and family days.

The club is family-orientated and features junior baseball sides for boys and girls aged eight to 18, softball for women aged 16 and older and men aged 19 and older, and offers senior baseball for players 18 and older.

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Furthermore, the club aims to accommodate all players, including those with special needs and those differently abled.

Dolars spoke to Kempton Express.

“Baseball is a growing sport in SA and on the continent.

“My wish is for the sport to grow and get more recognition. I’d like to see it become one of the top sports in the country,” he said.

The club opens weekly for training on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with junior baseball and softball games on Saturdays and senior baseball games on Sundays.

The membership fees are paid annually and are structured differently for each age and discipline.

To join the Red Sox Baseball and Softball Club, contact Dorlas on 082 906 3841 or Michelle Bouwer on 072 297 0797.