Breds meets with representative from the Pittsburg Pirates to discuss the possibility of starting a baseball program.

Variety is good, maybe badminton later?

As Jamaicans are the track stars on the planet, is there an athletics program?

badminton is fun.
excellent suggestion!

I can imagine the kids taking a liking to baseball. The pace of the game is much like Cricket. The hardest part of the game, hard to believe, was learning to use a glove after having grown up fielding the ball with bare hands.

Baseball is a game where many good values are learned. It takes a long time to learn the game, but the rewards are numerous. There is much to learn and experience. I have played and coached baseball since I was a kid. For 14 seasons I was a member of the National Adult Baseball Association which is an adult baseball league in the USA.
Team work, responsibility, commitment,sportsmanship, individual fitness, executing under pressure, and learning individual skills are part of baseball. I am convinced that baseball has been as important to me as my college education.
Baseball teaches a person to compete and Jamaicans are competitive, very athletic people. The combination of the good weather and the athletic talent of the Jamaican people makes baseball and softball a natural.
I intend to donate equipment to the cause, my next reach in July.

Baseball vs Cricket...it's going to be a blast watching and hearing the fans at the Sports Park comparing the "athleticism" of the players, and the relative techniques and skills of both sports.

A bar-room "smack-down" might go something along these lines:
On Offense: Ever tried hitting a major leaguer's 100 mph fastball, or made to swing foolishly at an inside curveball, or a slider that appears to "drop off the table" as it approaches your bat (baseball); likewise, as a batsman awaits a fast (90 mph) or spin bowler's ball coming off the pitch, "legally" aimed at your body protecting a wicket...or instantly figuring out, surprisingly, the physics of a "goggly"? (cricket)

On Defense: Watching a 3rd baseman snatch a shot to the "hot corner" barely within reach of the web of his glove, and in a twisting, aerial, continuous motion spring to his feet to start a double play that throws out two runners (baseball); or the snuffing out of several runs by a fielder stretched-out from some preposterous barehanded catch, hit at a bat speed of up to 80 mph, of a truly "hard ball" compared to a baseball, that fans will nostalgically revel about for years on end. (cricket)

The Economist: Cricket & Baseball--Common Ground
www.economist.com/node/16636359

Sports Science: Baseball vs Cricket
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYMhT_wgBwE

The Aussies Explain The Science of Cricket
www.youtube.com/watch?v=naMJz2KlLoA


..just for fun, a harmless joke about baseball, as seen through the eyes of a "cricketeer":

A Scotsman, who's played many a friendly cricket match with his fellow blokes back home, moves to the USA & finally attends his first baseball game.

The first batter approached the batters box, took a few swings and then hit a double. Everyone was on their feet screaming "Run," "Run."

The next batter hit a single & the Scotsman listened as the crowd again cheered "RUN, RUN."

The Scotsman enjoyed the game & began screaming with the fans.

The fifth batter came up and four balls went by. The umpire called "Walk" and the batter started his slow trot to first base.

The Scotsman stood up and screamed, "R-R-Run ye bastard, Run!"

The people around him began laughing. Embarrassed, the Scotsman sat back down. A friendly fan noted the man's embarrassment, leaned over & explained, "He can't run, he's got four balls."

The Scotsman stood up and screamed, "Walk with Pr-rr-ide, laddie, Walk with Pride!"