Strathmore Reds begin preparing for season
Amy Gregson – Times Reporter
An early spring has been taken advantage of by the Strathmore Reds Midget AAA team as they have already been out practicing.
In its second year of action, the Reds will have a good group of core players to draw on with 12 of 13 players returning from the team’s inaugural year.
“It should be a strong team because everybody knows each other,” said Zane Anderson, coach.
Anderson and Darwin Armitage, also coaching the squad, said they set up the team last year because players were getting to the age where there would be no team left for them to play on in Strathmore.
The team finished with a record just below .500 last year and have gotten a great response from players who want to be on the team.
“During last year we had a lot of kids wanting to play with us and even this year we had a lot of kids wanting to try-out,” said Anderson.
Out of the 13 players, four are from the Strathmore area, while others are coming from places like Calgary, Drumheller and Okotoks to play for the Reds.
Armitage said getting a whole team of players from Strathmore would be a difficult thing to do.
“Once you get to this level you get to pick and choose who you want,” said Armitage.
Anderson said the goal of the team this year is to gain respect from other teams in Alberta and Western Canada.
“Last year a lot of people didn’t know our concept and it sort of didn’t benefit us,” said Anderson.
The Strathmore Reds team play a tournament style of play.
“We’re not in a league again this year because at tournaments you get to see a lot of different teams, whereas if you are in a league you are playing the same teams week after week,” said Armitage.
With the tournament style they are able to travel a bit, and the Reds will make trips to Montana, B.C. and Medicine Hat, just to name a few.
“The boys have to get used to it because that’s what college ball is all about,” said Anderson, about the travel. “That’s what most of them want to play [college baseball], so it’s good to get them ready for that.”
With all the travel, the team doesn’t get to play many games in Strathmore, but will be playing some games in town in April.
The team started off the year in the Best of The West tournament in Penticton, B.C. from April 2 to 4.
They’ve already had a few exhibition games in Medicine Hat and have a few more games lined up, weather permitting.
The majority of the season will be played from May until the middle of August.