The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ARUBA added the 16-under title to the 12-under crown as they out-duelled Puerto Rico in the two matches as the Babe Ruth Caribbean Championships came to a close on Monday.

Following their 11-0 whitewashing of Puerto Rico in the 12-under gold medal game at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex, Aruba with their fans rolled into the new Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium where they pulled off an 8-1 rout for the 16-and under title.

Unlike the 12U, where the top two teams advanced to the Cal Ripken Major/70 World Series at Ballparks of America in Branson, Missouri in two weeks, the 18U was for bragging rights.

It was an invitational tournament where teams got to display their skills before a number of visiting baseball scouts from high school, college and the pros.

The Bahamas, whose 12U team ended up in fifth place, saw their 16U team claim the bronze medal with an 8-2 decision over North Netherlands.

But the day didn’t go without incident as their playoff game earlier in the day against Puerto Rico was marred by a hour and-a-half interruption due to the ejection of manager Greg Burrows Jr.

Greg Burrows Sr, the commissioner for Babe Ruth Caribbean, admitted that it was an incident that should not have occurred, but it didn’t in any way diminish the success of the tournament.

“Everything went according to plan,” Burrows said. “We look forward to next year, if the Bahamas Government allow us to do it. If they do, it would be more under a Caribbean banner. We want to get that aspect of the tournament off. But I was pleased with what happened.

“A lot of people who were here were pleased with the hospitality, they felt the competition was tough, so overall, I was very pleased with what happened.”

In providing a brief description that resulted in his son getting ejected from the game, Burrows Sr said Burrows Jr asked the umpire, Edaine Cannister from Curacao, in the first inning not to allow the Puerto Rican player to play with a band on his head.

He took it off to bat, but eventually put it back on.

Burrows Sr said when Burrows Jr questioned Cannister to ascertain why the Puerto Rican player was still wearing the band, the umpire ejected him from the game.

Burrows Sr said he and other officials went on the field to question Cannister, who didn’t feel it was the right place or time.

Cannister, a 60-plus year-old who indicated that he had more than 40 years of officiating all around the world, had a slightly different story.

“After the first pitch, the Bahamas manager asked for time and he told me that the pitcher had something on his head that he could not use,” he said. “I told him from what I see, it’s not white so he could continue because he was not disrupting anything. So let’s continue to play ball. “He (Burrows Jr) went back into the coaches’ box and the inning went by and we came to the second inning and he came back with the same issue. I went to the pitcher and double checked it and I told him (Burrows Jr) that there was nothing wrong. I told him he could wear it, let’s play ball.”

Cannister said Burrows Jr came back and protested again in the third and he advised him to continue. They went to the fourth and Burrows Jr returned and this time he was ejected.

Burrows Jr refused, claiming that the umpire could not eject him. After Burrows Jr refused to leave, a three-man protest committee that included Burrows Sr approached Cannister to ascertain what transpired. After giving an explanation, Cannister told the committee that the only way they would continue is if Burrows Jr is removed from the stadium because of the ejection.

After insults were hurled at him, Cannister subsequently walked off the field. After consulting with umpire-in-chef Andrew Burrows, the umpire eventually returned to official the conclusion of the game, despite the fact that Burrows Jr was still in the stadium.

Puerto Rico held on for a 6-5 win. Burrows Sr, however, refuted claims that the Bahamas team and officials were quite unruly and the incident erupted into a fight behind closed doors in the locker room behind Burrows Jr and Cannister, who has made an official report that has been circulated to the media.

The loss put The Bahamas into the bronze-medal game, while Puerto Rico got into the gold medal game. Aruba beat North Netherlands 5-3 in the other playoff game to book their ticket in the gold-medal game, sending North Netherlands into the bronze-medal game.