Honoring a pledge

BURTON — The Burton Youth Baseball League is hosting its baseball banquet and presentation Saturday at Bendle High School. To honor a promise made to the players for stepping up their game, coaches will be shaving their heads and coming to the banquet sans hair. Prior to the playoffs, in particular at the 10U level, coaches gave the kids an incentive to make it a little farther this season, offering to shave their domes if the kids won the championship.

Two seasons ago, the young squad played a make up game in very hot conditions that put them in the championship game. Although they played hard, their fatigue from the heat ended in a loss. Last year, the squad posted one of its best records, but still lost to the last place team—eventual champions—in the first game of the playoffs. Not wanting the squad to go down a similar path this season, the coaches offered up the fun challenge, which the kids took to heart.

The kids staged a comeback in the first game in the playoffs and then won the championship game, 7-3, against a team that also had a 9-1 record going into the championship game. With the win, the team ended its season with a 10-1 record. Seven of the eight season games for Grace Community Christian Fellowship were shut-out wins.

One coach noted that while the kids likely would have been thrilled just to see the coaches dye their hair bright orange to match the team’s colors, they honor the pledge this time around with shaved heads Saturday morning. —

L.P.