For the love of the game: St. Albert seniors keep active in 70-plus slo pitch league
A slo pitch league in St. Albert is helping seniors stay active and have fun on the field.
The St. Albert Men's Slo Pitch Association, with 1,100 members, has a team for any age group, including open pools, 40-plus, 50-plus, 60-plus, and 70-plus divisions.
Malcolm Parker, a pitcher and coach for the Esso Bees, has grown up playing in the league.
"I've been in the league since '82, until now," Parker told CTV News Edmonton. "So a lot of time."
"When you ask me my age, I'm not telling ya," he added with a laugh.
Esso originally sponsored the team in 1984 — hence the name. Parker said the play on words was too good to give up.
"Esso Bees, you can read into what I'm trying to say with that without me trying to say it," he said.
Playing in the 70-plus division, most players are not strangers to the diamond, but experience doesn't always mean success.
The team's last win was in August 2018.
Parker is quick to point out that there was no season in 2020 due to the pandemic and an abbreviated one the next summer.
"We can't stretch it (the streak) to four," said Ryan Markowski, 68, Esso Bees left field.
Winning is not the team's priority, Parker says.
"We're all competitive to a point that we do want to win, but the main thing for us is the friendships that we have and how we get along and the fun we have doing it," he said.
"It's no point getting upset about," Markowski added. "Not like any of us are going to the majors or anything."
Al Weinger, who has played ball for 50 years, said it's more about the exercise and the friendships.
"I love the game," Weinger said. "We go out and have fun. That's what we do. If we lose, we lose. If we win, fantastic, but it's the game. We play to get out and get some exercise."
Parker is optimistic the team will shatter their losing streak in the coming season.
"It's just a matter of when," he said. "And when we do, we'll call you."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
NEW 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire': A crowd pleaser that turns it up to 11
Hot on the heels of last year's 'Godzilla Minus One' comes 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,' the first ever Academy Award winner in the giant reptile's decades-long film career.