John Wilmshurst | special to the Fitzhugh
In Jasper, bears not only attract tourists and keep Parks Canada on their toes, but they also play hockey, soccer and when the weather permits, baseball.
Last weekend in Edson, the Jasper Bears Bantam baseball team took to the diamonds in Edson for an annual fastball tournament that pits regional rivals against one another with a focus on participation and fun. The Jasper kids picked up on a bear’s fish-catching skills and peppered the traditional baseball banter with unusual angling references. Bewildered coaches and onlookers just went with it, enjoying the great play and unusual chatter on the field.
With only a few weeks of practice, borrowed uniforms and equipment, and a pair of willing import players, our Jasper “fishermen” made us proud in Edson. They won all their games in the round-robin by wide margins and earned a berth in the gold-medal game after a convincing win over Edson in the semi-final. But they were unable to land the big one in the final against Hinton. Facing the tournament’s hottest pitcher, they were unable to generate runs early and despite some outstanding defensive play, fell 9–6 after four exciting innings. But they proudly added a silver medals to their tackle box knowing full well how much they were in the same boat; achieving much in a short time.
Congratulations to the fishing Bears and thanks to everyone who made this team and tournament possible.
