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Fred Sturrup

Sports Scope  

January 6, 2017 

 Freeport News

Grenada has embraced Chris Brown and is leaning on him for administrative and marketing support as that country aims for regional sports history. The Grenada Invitational Track and Field meet is scheduled April 8 and our Eternal One, The Fireman, is the catalyst.

The approach by another country to lead a national initiative is a tremendous compliment and speaks volumes about the level of respect Brown has earned throughout a career of legendary proportions.

The highly decorated Olympic champion, in networking with our sister Island, Grenada, on an event of national magnitude, is making a powerful statement. Brown is indeed a global entity. When he staged the first Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational (CBBI) back in 2013, the occasion was most revealing. It became clear that he had evolved to one of the most revered athletes on the world track and field scene.

It was automatic for the best of track and field to answer his calls and converge on The Bahamas. A second CBBI took place in 2015, but apparently the event has not been prioritized to the point in this country for it to be annual, with full support from our government.

It will be interesting to see what happens with the Grenada Invitational, whether it gets the blessing of that country’s administration, to be included in the national budget every year. Judging by the comments of Prime Minister Keith Mitchell, there are high hopes for the Grenada Track and Field Invitational.

“There are signs that the event will be highly successful.  I say to all Grenadians that the invitational is about the future of the country and we should maximize the potential of the event,” said PM Mitchell at the launch last year. His remark regarding “the future” of Grenada was compelling.

Obviously the prime minister is counting on the invitational to be a signature item each year for Grenada, and the expectation is that Brown will lead the way. Brown is no doubt the architect of the event, with the Government of Grenada throwing its full support, financially and otherwise behind it.

As for the Brown connection to Grenada, it has gotten strong, very quickly.

“I thank the lovely people of Grenada for inviting me to be a part of this happening. Grenada has a world-class stadium, world-class athletes, but what was missing, was the world-class competition of an invitational. I have done it at home and I learned a lot of things from behind the scene. We created something new there. I want to do the same thing in Grenada. On April 8, we will have the first invitational in the region and the first opportunity to witness world class performances,” said Brown at the December 29 launch.

He spoke further of his determination to do all he can to bring world class track and field events to the Caribbean Region, just as others have been doing in Europe, Asia and Africa.

“We will have a show. I am happy to be a part of history. The world will be focused on Grenada. The world will know where Grenada is, the kind of pleasant experience one can get and know about the people of Grenada,” said Brown.

It would be good if all of Brown’s energies could be focused on enhancing the track and field product of his native land. However if others express a profound interest in his expertise and appreciate him, it just makes good sense for Brown to respond in kind.

• To respond to this column, kindly contact Fred Sturrup at sturup1504@gmail.com

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Fred Sturrup\

Sports Scope 

 January 5, 2017 

 Freeport News

Basil “Bar” Davis, Bruce “Dick Brown” Russell, Sherrick “Sharky” Martin, Jessee Ferguson, Allan Ingraham, Jeff Williams, Jim White, and Don Huyler are names from a past era of American Football that breathe nostalgia.

Very often these days, I interact with the shark, the running back who gobbled up yards like few others, nationwide, have.  No other running back out of Grand Bahama has ever been able to carry the ball at the level of efficiency, comparable to the shark.

I refer to Sherrick Martin, who is the Customs Chief in Grand Bahama.

Almost always, we talk a bit about the golden era of American Football in the country. The aforementioned names are just a sample of the legendary individuals who built the foundation that a revived sport stands on today.

Martin was one of those players who transcended the normal concept of the game of American Football. On many occasions, he played beyond the success range expected. These days, he has no choice but to acknowledge the strides made in the sport by the flag dimension, but he admittedly longs for the tackle aspect to recapture the old days.

Here are some comments of lament from Martin:

“American football was the top sport. The fans flocked the venues to see us play. 

Tackle football is not what it used to be.

“The fans were very important to us. They were instrumental to the success of our game. They followed us and were into the game as much as the players. I don’t see that connection for tackle football now.

“American Football was big. When we travelled to New Providence and when teams came to Grand Bahama, the games captured the attention of a great number of people. That kind of a rivalry in tackle football, you don’t see anymore.”

Without a doubt, tackle football has taken a back seat to the flag version of the sport.  Thousands of players, males and females are registered on teams that compete in three prime flag football organizations, in New Providence, Grand Bahama and Abaco. Based on what I have observed, it could be argued that tackle football, even in its prime in the country, was never as popular as flag football is today.

In fact, it is through flag football that the sport in The Bahamas is on the verge of a major international breakthrough. Bahamian Flag football is at the point whereby it can attract an international audience. The same cannot be said about our tackle football.

So whereas “Sharky” Martin and others of the “old school” ilk relish the high profile their beloved sport is getting because of the inroads made by flag football, he grieves for yesteryear.

“I’d like to see tackle football return to the prominence we once had,” said Martin.

His desire could become a reality, in time. For now though, it is flag football, taking the sport on a glorious ride.

Indeed, the future looks very bright for the sport, because of the major role being played by flag football.

However, the shark and others are entitled to reminisce about how it used to be.

(To respond to this column, kindly contact Fred Sturrup at sturrup1504@gmail.com).

Published  Thursday, January 5, 2017

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Fred Sturrup

Sports Scope  

January 4, 2017 

 Freeport News

Jonquel Jones, the 6-6 cen-ter/forward from Holmes Rock, Grand Bahama, is blasting along in the Women Korean Basketball League (WKBL), carrying the Woori Bank Wibee team to one of the greatest regular season runs in history.

Woori Bank Wibee is 18-1, atop the South Korean-based league with a big lead over second place KEB Hanabank (10-9). The Jones-led-Woori team defeated the  Shinhan Bank S-Birds 75-57 on December 31 to close out  2016 on a roll towards the regular season title, barring some catastrophic slide.

Jones in that game, recorded yet another double/double and a commanding performance while contesting shorts. She had six blocks to go with 17 points and 19 rebounds. Add two steals and an assist to the stat line and you get the full picture of what Jones has been to her team and the league in Asia.

Going into Round 20 of the regular season, Jones and company will face the KB Stars on Thursday, January 5. She leads the league in scoring (15.8); rebounding per game (12.6); and blocked shots 3.3 per game.

Incredibly, she is putting up such statistics while averaging just 23.3 minutes per game out of 40 minutes. She is shooting 55 percent from the field, 70 percent from the free throw line and 46 percent from three-point territory. Jones continues to perform at a level, beyond where any other Bahamian professional basketball player, male or female, has ever been,

Amazingly, with Jones exemplifying female excellence in basketball and the national program for women on the decline, the Bahamas Basketball Federation is not seizing the moment to project Jones, given the great item of inspiration she could be to the demoralized members of the local female basketball fraternity.

BTC, led by General Manager Leon Williams, who knows a thing or two about marketing, has made Jones one of their poster products.

Jones has been back in the country twice since her (Bahamian) historic first round selection in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) first round by the Los Angeles Sparks (later to be traded to the Connecticut Sun), last April.

Federation President Charlie Robins showed up at an event sponsored by the Grand Bahama Power Company and promoted in partnership with The Freeport News. He presented her with a plaque, but needless to say, the parent body for the sport in our country has failed thus far, to fully capitalize on the rise of a Bahamian female basketball player to world prominence.

Hopefully Robins and his executive colleagues will plan some kind of an event for the federation to salute and showcase her to the country and in particular connect the star with the female basketball groups as a spokesperson, or something akin.

Indeed the federation is obligated to find a way to heighten the profile of Bahamian female basketball, through Jones. She is appropriate at this moment in time, to put a spark in the Bahamian female basketball program.

• To respond to this column, kindly contact Fred Sturrup at sturrup1504@gmail.com

Published  Wednesday, January 4, 2017 

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Sports Scope  

January 3, 2017 

 Freeport News

For decades, American Football in the country was stuck in a tug-o-war battle, regarding just which organization owned “international recognition” status.

The now seemingly defunct Bahamas American Football Federation (BAFF) seized the opportunity a little over 10 years ago to become the official member representing The Bahamas at the table of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF).

Meanwhile of course, those associated with the founding American Football entity in the country, steamed and documented their opposition to the authority upon which BAFF operated. Indeed, the Commonwealth American Football League that evolved out of the first organized group emphasized its disagreement and disgust, nationally and internationally.

The CAFL was on a shaky wicket (internationally) at best though, once the IFAF remained intent to honor its member body, BAFF, as the prime organization in the country for the sport. Based on the international sports code, there was little that the CAFL could do. In this space, on numerous occasions, I pointed out that reality.

As fate would have it though, IFAF became fractured, and BAFF, according to all indications, threw its full support behind one of the factions. Unfortunately for BAFF, its IFAF associates functioned in a manner that was considered quite disdainful to the country and some Bahamians in particular, who were connected to the ill-fated World Flag Football Championships that was proposed for Grand Bahama late last year.

At the height of the controversy, Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe convened a meeting of top American Football affiliates in the country. At that time, the CAFL, headed by Tony Maycock, took a position that exemplified it in my view, a matured national outlook. The CAFL declared that it would not support the hosting of an international event that was rushed and destined to cause the country embarrassment.

It was a sound decision and at the same time, opened the situation to a compromise. Alas, the IFAF faction that was linked to BAFF was determined to force a certain time frame upon the sport and the country.

Therefore, BAFF became the Bahamian element of American Football in the country, on the outside looking in. 

As the situation played out, of course, the international event did not take place, and The Bahamas was able to retain its tremendous reputation as a host country.

So, here at the commencement of 2017 we stand and the CAFL is well positioned to take the sport of American Football into a new and immensely progressive era. The relationship the Ministry of Tourism, through Minister Wilchcombe, has forged with the Miami Dolphins and the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl, collectively forms a most inspiring backdrop for the CAFL.

It is time for the CAFL to assume a greater overall business concept. The thousands of young males and females who play flag football, the organized tackle football action in several islands, and the multitude of the Bahamian youth communities with aspirations directly related to participation in the sport, send a resounding and encouraging message to Maycock and company.

That message, simply put is: “Maximize the present situation for American Football in The Bahamas.”

Best wishes to the CAFL fraternity and certainly, to other sports groupings for the year of 2017 and beyond.

(To respond to this column, kindly contact Fred Sturrup at sturrup1504@gmail.com).

Published  Tuesday, January 3, 2017 

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At yesterday’s press conference are, from left, Dianne Philips, Managing Director BAF Sandy Morley, Pauline Davis Thompson, Deputy Director General Ministry of Tourism Ellison Thompson and Sherial Mortimer. Photo: Tim Clarke/Tribune Staff

As of Wednesday, August 3, 2016

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#By ALEXANDER HAWKINS

#GOING into its second year, more participants are expected to hit the roads for Run for Pompey in October in Exuma, an event which celebrates Bahamian history, culture and sport, according to organisers and tourism officials yesterday.

#More than 200 people from several countries took part in the inaugural Run for Pompey last year and officials believe this year’s event, set for October 7 for 9 and expected to add at least 600 room nights during Exuma’s typically slow period, will draw even more. BAF Financial & Insurance Ltd will again be the title sponsor.

#Run for Pompey sees runners compete in six distance races – 2km ‘Georgetown Dash’, 5km, 10km, half marathon, marathon and the gruelling ultra marathon (50km), the only one in The Bahamas – to raise money for a scholarship for Exuma’s best and brightest students.

#The racers run in the footsteps of Pompey, the slave who risked his life to sail to New Providence to convince the Governor of The Bahamas not to allow the splitting up of slave families with whom he lived. In 1830, the then 32-year-old Pompey led a rebellion against his British plantation owner, Lord John Rolle, who had declared that Pompey and 76 other slaves would be moved from Exuma to Cat Island. Local historians have said that Pompey’s rebellion marked the birth of the “freedom fight” that concluded with the emancipation of local slaves in 1838.

#Ellison “Tommy” Thompson, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, Chester Cooper, the president of BAF, and Pauline Davis-Thompson, the Bahamas’ Olympic gold medal winner descended from Exuma, attended the launch.

#Mr Cooper said of Pompey that he “symbolises the spirit of fighting for what you believe in”. All proceeds from the event are channelled into an educational scholarship for young Exumians, which last year sent one young lady to Acadia University, Canada.

#The Ministry of Tourism also believes that this event can be a boon for the economy of Exuma. “Pompey is one of our first national heroes, so it’s appropriate that this Run will be held on National Heroes Day,” Mr Thompson said. “Run for Pompey has all the elements of a tourism winner, opportunities to bring visitors and locals together for a weekend of activities that brings focus to Exuma’s unique history and stunning beauty.”

#The Run for Pompey luring guests to Exuma in October also coincides with the Ministry’s “Bahamas Love” calendar, a year of romance with a different focus each month, noted Mr Thompson.

#• For details and

#registration visit www.runforpompey.com.

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Wednesday, March 23, 2016

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#FOR the second consecutive year, Terrance “Redeye” McSweeney is all set to hold his Diamond Basketball Development Programme’s annual Easter Break Basketball Development Training Camp.

#Scheduled for Tuesday to Saturday (March 29 to April 2) at the Tom ‘The Bird’ Grant Sporting Complex next to the AF Adderley Junior High School, the camp is free of charge for girls between the ages of eight and 16 years.

#“Diamond Basketball Development was established back in 1995 when I was at Temple Christian High School where I started the senior girls’ basketball programme there and then I came back down and started the junior girls’ programme,” McSweeney said.

#“I noticed during that first year at Temple Christian that a lot of the schools in the BAISS (Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools) needed help because while we were getting the blow out victories, it was not good in a sense that there was a lack of attention on the female players in our country.”

#That prompted McSweeney to expand the Diamond Basketball Development Programme to a Saturday training session to Sunday as well for a couple of players who were Seventh-Day Adventists.

#Through the programme, McSweeney said he has seen a number of the female players who have gone on to secure athletic and academic scholarships to colleges and universities in the United States and have returned home to gain employment in the community.

#“This year being the second year for the Diamond Basketball Development Easter Break Camp, we will continue to focus on the development of the female basketball players who are interested in learning the fundamentals of the game,” McSweeney said.

#“The programme is very slow. You will know that you are actually learning because for the week, I will be teaching them how to do the cross-over dribble, the dribble through the legs and dribbling behind the back. I will challenge the players to better themselves.”

#It’s slightly different from the boys, who find themselves patterning their games after players they emulate. McSweeney said the girls require more personal attention because they can be easily distracted with any and everything that is not pertaining to basketball.

#He’s calling it a March Madness camp as it’s being held around the time that the NCAA is holding their national basketball championships in the United States.

#During the camp, McSweeney said the girls would go through a 30-45 minute drill, they will have a pep talk where they explain the basic skills they have learnt and they also have a classroom setting where they go through the rules and the regulations of the game.

#McSweeney, who just completed his second year as a coach at Jordan Prince Williams, said he expects to have a number of his Lady Falcons players in attendance as they start their preparation for the upcoming BAISS season.

#“In my first year, we lost one game during the regular season and lost to St Augustine’s College in the championship. The second year, I challenged the girls, but I should have challenged them a bit more,” McSweeney said.

#“We went 11-0, but when we got back to the championship, we came flat footed against SAC and they were ready to play. They beat us by two points in the finals. This year, we are going to step it up some more. We will start our off-season training the week after this camp, but we want to encourage all players to come out.”

#While invitations have been sent out to all of the schools to send their players to develop their game, McSweeney said he just wants to provide an avenue to assist them before they come back to school and participate in their particular programmmes.

#For those parents/guardians who wish to drop off their daughters between 7-8am, McSweeney is asking them to contact him at 456-1477 or email redeyemcsweeney@gmail.com the day before to make the necessary arrangement. Otherwise, he will be there every morning from 8:30am and the programme will start promptly at 9am.

#The Diamond Basketball Development Programme has been named after McSweeney’s daughter, Tamara, whose nickname was “Diamond.”

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Wednesday, April 1, 2015

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#COACH Terrance ‘Red Eye’ McSweeney, committed to ensuring the improvement of our young basketball players, will be taking advantage of the Easter break by providing a free mini-basketball camp for girls only next week at the Tom ‘The Bird’ Grant Community Centre, next to the AF Adderley Junior High School in Yellow Elder.

#The camp, under the theme “Developing Your Hidden Talent for the Future,” is scheduled to be held 9am to 1pm Tuesday to Friday (April 7-10).

#“The Diamond Basketball Development Programme is something that I started for young girls between the ages of 10 through 16 years old, interested in learning the game of basketball or want to during the offseason to continue working on their game,” said McSweeney of the genesis in 1996 when he was working with Temple Christian Academy.

#“I saw the need in 1998 right in BAISS (Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools) that there was a need because a lot of the schools didn’t have the help, which was also a problem in the public schools with one physical eduction  teacher coaching a number of disciplines. I think it was very difficult for them, in BAISS in particular, when they started off with softball in September and it ran into basketball when they were trying to have practice during the season.”

#Having established the programme, McSweeney said he was fortunate to have had the opportunity to take his service to a number of schools, including the Jordan Prince Williams, where he is currently working with their girls’ basketball programme, guiding the senior girls to runners-up to the St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine during the BAISS championships.

#“After I started the programme for Temple Christian on Saturdays, I realised that I needed more time to work with them, so we went into Sundays,” McSweeney said. “Since 1998, I have been doing the Diamond Basketball Development Programme for free on Saturdays and Sundays.

#“Saturdays are a more intense format where they have to be more repetitious,” McSweeney said. “What you would have said last week or the week before, you have to say it again and you have to find a way to break it down because the players today come with a different mindset, especially if they come from a different school environment. They like to use those two big words in the dictionary, ‘I can,’ so you have to break it down for them.”

#Since returning home from Bethune Cookman in 1984, McSweeney said he was given the opportunity to coach a men’s team in the New Providence Basketball Association by the late coach Randolph Swaby, but from 1991, he said he saw that the female players needed more help so he switched his attention and direction to them.

#The former coach of the women’s national basketball team from 1996-2000, McSweeney said by introducing his programme, he was able to help bridge the gap that existed without a vibrant mini-basketball programme.

#“You would hope that they could learn something in the PE classes, but with one teacher teaching so many kids, it’s so difficult for them to learn anything,” he said. “But the programme has given me a chance to push them further than they have been pushed before so that they can get more interested in the game.”

#During the sessions next week, McSweeney said each day they will begin with an opening ceremony as they get started promptly at 9am. That will be followed by a 15-20 minutes exercise session. For another 10 minutes, they will go through a classroom session where they are given an indication of what the calls and signals are that the referees use during games.

#There will be a 45-minute ball handling skills as the players learn to use their right and left hands separately. Another 45-minute session will be geared to displaying to the campers the proper way to develop their shooting forms and techniques. For another 25 minutes, they will then go into a passing drill and take another 35 minutes for their defensive drills.

#Before the day is done, McSweeney said the campers will engage in a 45-minute intensive team drills competition where the players get a chance to display their skills and interact a little more with each other as they build a bond that he hopes will be strengthened over the duration of the camp.

#“I’m hoping, not just for numbers, but for those parents who want their kids to be a safe environment where they will get a chance to improve their skills,” he said.

#“The parents are also welcomed to come out and watch their children work on their hidden talents.”

#The camp is opened to all girls between the ages of 10 and 16 years. Interested persons can contact McSweeney at redeyemcsweeney@gmail.com or calling 456-1477 for further information

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As of Wednesday, January 29, 2014

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Oneil and Ramon Williams

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#In an effort to bring some international awareness for the Bahamas in distance running, Oneil Williams decided to return to Kenya to continue his training. He and his younger brother, Ramon, left town on September 27, 2013 and after a journey that took more than 20 hours, they finally arrived two days later.

#“Our training has been going great and we are currently working out with Mo Farah, the double Olympic and World champion in the 5,000m and 10,000 metres, also Jake and Zane, the Robertson twins who are world championship 5,000m finalist 2011/2013 respectively,” Williams said from Kenya.

#“We average 70 and 80 miles a week at 7,800 feet above sea level. Every now and again, we get to see world and Olympic champions like David Rudisha, Asbel Kiproch and Linet Masai just to name a few. The struggle of training is both hard on and off the track.”

#Like they did when they left, Williams and his brother are enduring a financial struggle, yet they are still determined to stick with their goal.

#“The training is going well but we are struggling financially. Kenya is half way around the world and without financial assistance, it has proved quite difficult because we don’t have enough food and sometimes we run out of water but we still train and do it twice a day,” he said.

#While they would like to get some financial support from the Bahamian people, Williams said they are more disappointed in the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations, who has rejected their request to be able to represent the Bahamas at the NACAC Cross Country Championships.

#“We emailed the BAAAs, asking if we could represent our country at this year’s NACAC cross country championship and we never got a response for the past month,” Williams said.

#“I was fortunate to get through to vice president Iram Lewis who forwarded me to Carl Oliver, the secretary general. The email Carl sent me was very disappointing because it stated the BAAAs was rejecting the request to represent our country at the regional games.”

#Williams, still peeved with the BAAA which has yet to endorse their trip or even provide any financial support towards their cause, said that because of financial constraints, the BAAA can’t afford to send them, but they are making provisions to send one athlete from New Providence and two from Grand Bahama.

#“When I heard about financial restraints, I thought about days my brother and I did not eat or have water to drink, but we continue to train because we really want to represent our country,” Williams said.

#“We are not on subvention and there are not many people helping us. We spent over $4,000 just to come to Kenya to train for my country because we don’t have any good distance runners. We depended on the money from my jeep I sold, Mr Dionisio D’Aguilar, Ravi Noronha, Mr Harrison Petty and Mrs Cartwright.”

#Williams said all they want to do is represent the Bahamas. “It seems like we have to beg our federation and it’s a crying shame,” he said.

#“Last year, the federation had over 20 athletes for the World Championships along with the same number of officials and each person’s ticket cost was $2,100. However everyone was able to make the trip to Moscow. The federation said they had no money but several teams went to represent the country so why can’t the federation field two of their best athletes to go to NACAC which costs under $1,700. The question still remains, does the BAAA really care about distance runners?”

#On the contrary, BAAA president Mike Sands made it emphatically clear that they have made one small request from Williams and so far he has not heeded to their wishes.

#“Oneil quotes what he has been doing with respect to what he has been doing in training in Kenya, but he has not given us any official times,” Sands said. “We are aware that he is training in Kenya, but he has not sent in any performances.”

#While he applauded the Williams brothers for their decision to make it a personal trip to develop themselves, without anything substantial to look at, Sands said the BAAA cannot make any decision on his selection to the national team.

#“We have no performance for him. He is away training and he has communicated to the association his willingness to participate. That’s fine, but we have nothing to measure his ability on,” he said. “The athletes who we have identified, we have information on their performances and we are still looking at a few other recommendations, but we have performances on all of those athletes from either the cross country that we had here or the marathon. But we have nothing on Oneil.”

#Once he can provide some information on his performances, Sands said the BAAA will be in a much better position to make an assessment on his selection to the national team.

#This is the second sting for Williams in Kenya. He first made the trek there about two years ago by himself before he returned this time with his brother.

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Monday, September 15, 2014

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#WHILE Antoan Richardson continues to make his presence felt with the New York Yankees, two more players from Grand Bahama have been added to the Major League pipelines in the Minor League.

#The Cincinnati Reds have signed both outfielder Reshard Munroe and catcher Quinton Rolle to their organisation.

#Rolle, the youngest member of the Bahamas Softball Federation’s team that represented the Bahamas in the qualifying tournament for the Central American and Caribbean Games earlier this year, also represented the Bahamas at the Pony Baseball’s Caribbean Zone Championships in 2012 and 2013.

#The 16-year-old currently attends the Sir Jack Hayward High School in Grand Bahama where he is expected to graduate in June. He played organised baseball from the age of six to 12 years with the Grand Bahama Youth Little League’s Legacy Hurricanes and Focal Predators.

#At the age of 13, he joined the Grand Bahama Amateur Baseball League (GBABA) where he has played at a number of positions on the infield. He has also represented the GBABA in the BBF National Baseball Championship since 2009 and was a member of the GBABA 16-18 national champions team this past June.

#He is the son of Annair ‘Buffy’ Cooper and the brother of Terrann.

#Munroe, 18, graduated from Sunland Baptist Academy in Grand Bahama in June. He got started in organised baseball at the age of six and played up to his 12th birthday for teams in the Grand Bahama Youth Little League. At the age of 13, Munroe joined the Grand Bahama Amateur Baseball League (GBABA) where he has played as a centre fielder and left -handed pitcher.

#He has played for the Borco Buccaneers and the BCA Tigers, both teams were coached by REDS Freeport associate Patrick Knowles and has represented the league (GBABA) at the BBF National Baseball Championship since 2009 and was a member of the GBABA 16-18 national championship team in June.

#Munroe has represented the Bahamas on the Caribbean Zone Championship teams in 2010, 2012 and 2013. His parents are Stephen and Shevonne Munroe and he is the brother of Stephen Jr, Shevanno and Stephanique.

#Brian ‘Ambi’ Armbrister and Patrick Knowles, the local scouts for the Cincinnati Reds, were both responsible for getting the two players under contract, following last year’s signing of Bimini native Dario Saunders last year.

#The three players are a part of Cincinnati’s major league organisation that employed former outfielder Ed Armbrister, who had a five-year sting from 1973-77 with the Reds. Armbrister had played with the Houston Astros before he was traded in a deal that sent Joe Morgan, Cesar Geronimo, Denis Menke and Jack Billingham to Cincinnati for Lee May, Tommy Helms and Jimmy Stewart.

#Bahamas Baseball Federation secretary general Teddy Sweeting, who has been monitoring the progress of the young players during the involvement in their national championships, said they are excited about the movement in the sport over the last few years.

#“This brings a great joy of satisfaction because we’ve just witnessed as a country, having an opportunity to watch Antoan Richardson over the weekend play in the Major Leagues and now we have two more young men that will be aspiring to achieve just what he is doing,” Sweeting said.

#“Right now, in all aspects of baseball, we’re seeing all of the hard work behind the scene taking place throughout the membership of the federation. Previously, we had young men drafted out of the Freedom Farm system and we now have young men drafted out of the Junior Baseball League of Nassau and out of the Grand Bahama Amateur Baseball Association.”

#Both players will be heading to the Dominican Republic next year to participate in the Summer Rookie Ball Programme that Saunders played in this year after he was signed out of Bimini.

#The other Bahamian players in the pipeline are Albert Cartwright with the Philadelphia Phillies’ Reading Fighin Phils, Jervis ‘Champ’ Stuart with the New York Mets’ Savannah Sand Gnats, Anfernee Seymour, drafted this year by the Miami Marlins in the 7th round with the 297th pick and Byron Murray, drafted as well this year by the San Francisco Giants in the 25th round with the 748th pick.

#Todd Isaacs, who was drafted by the Toronto Bluejays in the 22nd round with the 654th pick, opted to head to junior college with the view of getting a much better pick in the June 15 draft when he is expected to be joined by a number of other Bahamians who are also playing exceptionally well in high school and college.

#“The pipeline looks extremely good because we have a lot of young men who are playing very well,” Sweeting said. “We’re looking for another exciting time next year. And it’s good to see these young men getting drafted right off the island because the scouts are coming back.”

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As of Monday, December 23, 2013

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#FROM several players who have been there and done it, Dario Saunders got some valuable advice to help him prepare for his trip to the Dominican Republic in April to play in the Cincinnati Reds’ minor league summer league programme.

#Saunders, the fifth Bahamian now in the minor leagues, spent all day Saturday getting introduced to the Bahamian public at various functions, including a party for D’Quan Brown, who is preparing for a major surgery.

#Brian Armbrister, the Reds’ scout in the Bahamas who was instrumental in securing the deal for Saunders, said it’s important for the Bahamas to show their appreciation to the latest player to crack the professional ranks.

#Saunders, a 20-year-old native of Bimini, signed a seven-year deal with the Reds that was orchestrated by Armbrister and officially signed last week. The Reds’ global coordinator James William Stoeckel and their Curacao consultant Fermin Coronel were in town in November to conduct a showcase with the Bahamas Baseball Federation in Grand Bahama and New Providence when they were impressed by Saunders’ athletic talent.

#“The contract was 18 pages and the organisation was very pleased to sign him,” Abrmbrister said. “One of the things they told him is that they would love for him to be able to get on base when he plays. So they want him to go to the Dominican Republic and show what he can do and they will be happy to welcome him to Arizona next year.”

#Antoan Richardson

#As the last Bahamian to play in the Major League with the Atlanta Braves in September, 2011, Richardson said although he met Saunders for the first time (on Saturday), he was just excited to welcome him into the pro fraternity.

#“I know that he’s going to be a great ambassador for the country. He’s going to a great organisation in the Reds and so I’m just glad for him and for baseball in the country because it’s going in the right direction,” Richardson said. “So that has me excited.”

#Richardson, who made his pro debut with the San Francisco Giants in 2005 after being drafted three previous years, said he only wanted to encourage Saunders to go out there and do his best.

#“I just want him to have fun and enjoy it,” said Richardson, whose career now has him in the New York Yankees organisation. “I just opened myself to him because we are all in the same fraternity. “When I started, it was just me and now there are five of us. I could only imagine what it will be like in the next 10 years. It really gets more doubly proud of his accomplishment and those others who follow me ahead of him.”

#The 30-year-old Richardson said while it may take some time for Saunders to excel to the majors, he’s hoping that one day he can get some tickets from him to watch him play in the majors.

#Saunders said he was honoured to meet Richardson, whom he has a lot of respect for, having watched his performance over the years. “It was unbelievable that someone of that calibre could talk to me and offer me the kind of advice that he gave,” Saunders said. “He told me about the things that I have to do and the obstacles that I will have to overcome down in the DR where I have to hold my head.”

#For Saunders, it still hasn’t sunk in yet that he’s now officially a pro baseball player, but hearing the accolades and the sentiments from so many people has been just what he needed to hear.

#Brian Armbrister

#As a former minor league player himself, Armbrister said he was honoured to assist another Bahamian in the pro ranks. “This guy did the work. For me, it was just a matter of making some phone calls and assuring them that this guy can play,” Armbrister said. “He can handle himself. He’s a very matured kid. That’s the most important thing and they believed in what I had to say about him. This kid is going to be a tremendous player once he can stay focused. I have to tip my hat off to Antoan, Richard and the other guys like Albert Cartwright and Sean. They all had a chance to talk with Dario. It wasn’t just about baseball.”

#Armbrister said he, along with Saunders, Richardson and Cartwright all signed a Reds’ cap that they presented to D’Quan Brown. Armbrister said the guys showed that they definitely understand the meaning of what it is to be a pro player.

#Without the support of Armbrister, Saunders said his dream would not have been a reality.

#“He’s been a good ambassador for me. He’s a great guy,” Saunders said. “I am just delighted to have met him. He has helped me out tremendously and I really appreciate all that he has done for me.”

#Shad Rolle

#As a former Mets player back in the 1970s, Shad Rolle, who doubled as one of the most outstanding baseball and softball players, said as long as Saunders stays focused, the sky is the limit for him.

#“Once he gets his mental aspect down, he will be able to make it,” Rolle said. “It’s going to be a lot of mental stress, especially when you are in a slump and things are not going good. You just have to keep working at it and it’s going to come. Don’t try to change it. Just continue to work on what you were doing to get there.”

#Richard ‘the Lion-Heart’ Johnson

#As the premier fast-pitch softball player in the country for more than two decades, Richard ‘the Lion-Heart’ Johnson said he was thrilled to have met Saunders for the first time as well.

#“We got to talk. I’ve never been as far as this guy is going, but right off the bat I’m proud of him,” Johnson said. “I need this brother to make it. I don’t just need him to go one step. I need him to go into the majors and stay in the majors. You need to show them longevity. Show them that you belong there. This is bigger than him. It’s for the whole country. I don’t want to put any pressure on him, but I need him to make it. That’s the bottom line.”

#While everybody is excited about all the festivities surrounding the Christmas holiday, Saunders said he will have to concentrate on working out and making sure that he is still fit and trim for next year.

#“I will be going back to Freeport to train with my cousin Jervis ‘Champ’ Stuart, who just recently signed with the Mets and his father, my uncle, Jervis ‘007’ Stuart, who played professionally for the Orioles,” Saunders said.

#“It’s a great head start for me working out with people who have been there before. They can help me with what I have to deal with. I think it’s a great honour to have people like them in my corner. They will definitely make it easier for me when I go on the circuit next year.”

#Armbrister said the Reds have already predicted that Saunders could be the next Ed Armbrister, the first and only Bahamian to play in the Major League for the Reds from 1973-77