Hello all,

Chris Marco is playing in the Umps Care charity bowling tournament during spring training on March 21 in Florida. Umps Care is the official non-profit charity of professional baseball umpires, providing emotional and financial assistance to youth and families in need across the markets of MLB/MiLB’s teams. The tournament is a fundraiser to help provide the following programs in 2020:

• 1500 Build-A-Bear Workshop experiences to critically ill patients in children’s hospitals across the US and Canada
• VIP baseball experiences for at-risk youth, children battling major illness and military families, (including visits in ALL 30 Triple-A Markets this year, a direct result of our fundraising efforts in 2019)
• College scholarships for deserving young adults who were adopted later in life
• Funding for short term assistance to umpires and their families in times of need

Obviously, MLB/MiLB is dominated by American-based teams, but Umps Care is active at Sick Kids Toronto on a consistent basis. Check out this piece Sportsnet ran during a broadcast in 2014 (https://www.facebook.com/UmpsCare/videos/10154232102255007/). Umps Care has been to Toronto every year since.

His spring crew are bowling in support of this great cause and he personally hopes to raise more than $120 for the crew. Please visit the crew page and consider making a donation if you are in a position to support.

Their crew page: https://give.umpscare.com/fundraiser/2691217

Thanks for considering this.

Congratulations are again in order for Matt Blackborow, Steven Jaschinski and Chris Marco for their selection to their respective league playoffs and championship series to conclude the 2019 season.

Blackborow was selected to work the Gulf Coast League (Rookie) playoffs and League Championship series. This was to be Blackborow’s first career playoff assignment and championship series in his first season of professional baseball. However, the playoffs were cancelled due to Hurricane Dorian.

Jaschinski worked the Carolina League (High-A) North Division Championship Series as well as the League Championship Series. This was Jaschinski’s third career playoff assignment and championship series (2018 – Midwest League, 2017 – Northwest League) in his third season of professional baseball. Jaschinski has also been assigned to the Arizona Instructional League.

Marco worked the Eastern League (AA) East Division Championship Series as well as the League Championship Series. This was Marco’s fifth career playoff assignment (2018 – Eastern League, 2016 – Carolina League, 2015 – Midwest League, 2014 – New York-Penn League) and fourth career Championship Series (2016, 2015, 2014) in his sixth season of professional baseball.

Day 2 is in the books at the 2019 Baseball Ontario 16U Provincial Championship and just four teams remain heading into Sunday. Play will continue with two games at 9am:

Following the conclusion of play in the 9am games, one of two scenarios will remain:

Should Mississauga North be victorious against North Toronto, they would face the winner of the Barrie/Etobicoke contest at noon, at Bernie Arbour Stadium. A victory by Mississauga would clinch the title, while they would have to be defeated twice (due to their undefeated standing) in order to have the pennant cluched from their grasp.

Should North Toronto defeat Mississauga in the morning game, three teams would remain, all with one loss. A draw for a bye would occur among the remaining three teams, with the team winning the draw advancing directly to a single-elimination game for the provincial championship at 3pm at Bernie Arbour, while the other two teams would face off at noon. However, should Etobicoke defeat Barrie in their game, by virtue of the Rangers’ Round 3 bye on Saturday, they would be ineligble to participate in the draw.

In any case, Sunday is shaping up to be a fantastic day of amateur baseball in the Steel City!