The Similkameen News Leader
Sports Page - March 6, 2007
MERCHANTS 'RETIRE' FROM LEAGUE
The South Okanagan Mens Fastball League has confirmed five teams for the upcoming campaign but sadly, the Princeton Merchants won't be part of the league.
They've dropped out as it's been hard to find players and marquee pitcher Ryan Corsi has moved his family to Kamloops.
The Merchants have played in the league for the past 14 years making the long trip into the Okanagan for weeknight games.
League President Mark Berry was disappointed to hear the team had dropped out saying it was always a 'treat' for each team to make the road trip to Princeton to play a double-header in the historic Memorial Park field.
The Merchants also hosted one of the league's tournaments each year.
To try and fill the void, the league has split one team. The younger members of the Barry and Smith team are going out on their own and will go under the Fibreglass Specialist-Interior RV label.
The other teams returning are Kal Tire and Interior Roofing with Gabriel Fastball Extreme coming back as defending champions.
The Princeton players have all been invited to roster with the other teams in the league, it's not known now how many, if any, will.
The Mens Fastball League in 2006 lost the Summerland entry. The year prior to that, the Naramata and Penticton leagues combined to keep going.
It's the same story around the province. The popularity of slo-pitch has taken it's toll on competitive fast-pitch, and finding quality pitchers is a problem.
The skill of fastball pitching is becoming a dying art.
