Again, thank you for supporting this site and an even greater one for supporting the sport of Baseball in Ontario and Canada. All Inter-County Major Baseball League, Grey Bruce Baseball League and North Dufferin Baseball League and Member Franchises Executive, Coaching staffs and players would like to take this opportunity to thank all our fans for the tremendous support you have given us this year and every other on since the inception of this site in 1997. 1999 was one of the most successful seasons for all of the above league in a very long time, but that success must be followed up by a strong 2000 season and after that an even stronger 2001, the first season of the 21st Century. We ask that you go out and support your local Baseball team, no matter which of the above Ontario Major or Minor leagues it is in.
Personally, we started the year off with a new look and a new attitude to polish things off. We have made this site more accessable to the smaller teams, rather than catering to the larger as we had done before. We are truly making this a local site with the majority of the teams now covered coming from the Inter-County recruitable smaller Ontario minor league markets (ie. Grey Bruce and North Dufferin). This is a positive grassroots response to many scouts who have asked for presence on the internet to keep them up to date of all prospects in those parts of Ontario that aren't accessable to them. It also gives the media a redeemable chance to atone for their previous ignorance towards this sport on the local eye, a choice we find both disgraceful and disrespectful. The sad truth is this site is, in some communities, as close to a story the teams there will get because of the lack of media response to this great sport. Only in Canada, say some, if this was The 'States they would pick us up in a sec, says another.
Many volunteers were involved with this site and they are all remembered and credited for the work they put in. Many more volunteers are still needed from each team and league to contact us via email so to help us keep this site up to date and a useful service to those scout and media types and the feeling is that with so many people volunteering to take their time and put this information up for all to see, why bite the hand of those who feed them. As the season and this site moves forward, as we have from years one through to three, the excitement of what each league and teams accomplished is being felt throughout our region of southwestern Ontario, please support this excitement by designating an information/media contact/reporter for your team and for your league. THEY ARE THE LIFELINES FOR THIS SITE AND WE NEED, AS MANY AS POSSIBLE, TO COVER ALL THE ABOVE LEAGUES AND TEAMS MENTIONED.
Also, since this site began and is based in Listowel, we would just like to bring up the fact that one of the main reasons this site is even up is due to our community's need to retain our original Inter-County Major Baseball League franchise that disappeared quite a few years ago. With Barrie recieving next year, which will cover the North Dufferin talent base, and Owen Sound plus Port Elgin in line for one to support their present Grey Bruce talent base. We currently have no such support here as the jewel of the crown in the North Perth Wellington talent base until this year's former 1999 Grey Bruce Baseball League Champions Listowel Legionnaires entered themselves into the Inter County Minor Baseball League circuit and fared quite well staying in the top 3 all season long during their inaugural bash back. We hope that the Inter-County executive will take into consideration that we have tradition, we have a huge talent and fan base and most importantly we have a junior team to supply a senior team well. So take this as a plea from the Town of Listowel, look at us next time expansion is brought up at league meetings, then you can rest your eyes further north the way of Owen Sound and Port Elgin.
And it is to the 10th man, the fan, who attended their local league's team's games, who were involved in and made the games fun and enjoyable and who, besides the game, had an energy that added to the excitement. It is to that 10th man, we would like to say without you, that league and team would not only be unsuccessful, it likely would be in existence.
Remember this website address here at http://www.oocities.org/i_c_m_b_l_on_ca/
