Tournament honours chairman’s role
It was then that Imps moved to Rhodes Park in Kensington, where it remained for 26 years.
The Giants and Imps baseball clubs held the Pat McKinon Tournament at the Edenvale Sports Grounds on November 14.
In the early 1900s, the Crown Mines Giants were formed.
Ms Lana Bell, one of the tournament organisers, said in order to further develop and grow the game of baseball, a junior club was created and that is how Imps Junior Baseball began. The founding member of the junior section was Mr Eddie Birkett-Sharp.
“It was then that Imps moved to Rhodes Park in Kensington, where it remained for 26 years.
“In 1988 Mr Mckinon and Mr Birkett-Sharp moved the Imps junior section, combined with the Bedfordview Country Club Junior section, to the JP Bezuidenhout Park in Edenvale,”said Ms Bell.
One year later, the Giants senior club moved to join the juniors and formed one club, known today as the Giants and Imps baseball club.
Mr Patrick Mckinon, the former Imps chairman, then took over as the chairman.
He coached the Imps until 2011. Ms Bell said in over 50 years of junior baseball, the club has produced many provincial and national players. She said this year’s tournament was to honour Mr Mckinon for the role he has played in the club over the years.
This year’s tournament was sponsored by OLA and Dowerglen Kwikspar.
