Winter Burby. Aka Snow Ball. Aka Snurby.

 

It’s always been a term fraught with fear of injury and not nearly as satisfying as the spring/summer game. To some this may have been true in the past, but the pandemic has lowered everyones activity temperatures. It turns out,it’s just as much fun.

 

For the first time in Burby history, enthusiasts have taken to the pitch in late October, November, December and January and now February. The Burby diehards are the usual suspects. They are the same guys that take to the pitch in between regular season games, and you can add some winter newbies as well.

 

On October 23rd it was fittingly....23 degrees and sunny at the Hood. Andreas Constantinou and some members of the new Scarborough Bluffs team showed up for a balmy and beautiful game.

 

On November 8th that Bluffs team had a serious scrimmage with The Leslieville Brickies at the Hood. It was a close and heated affair for the first 5 innings. A Playoff type atmosphere in November never felt so good.

 

On November 28th The temperature dropped down to 10°. The afternoon sun beat down on the seldom used diplomatico field. A rare sighting of Greg Majster and Jerome Persaud along with Darren Osborne made this an old school affair. It was one of those scrimmages where no one cared about the score they were just happy to be there.

 

Then for the first time ever on December 24....yes Christmas Eve some of the boys got together to play at a brand new and quirky Burby Park in the West End. Sunny and 7°! Joel Heard and Luciano Perna were among the few to have a look at Greg Majster’s Burby creation at Perth Ave secondary school. Astro turf and a painted pitchers mound made for a festive event.

                    

                    Joel Heard pitches on Dec 24th at Perth Ave PS

Then on January 9th former TBLer David Hodes and his Hallam Hammer crew saw the weather was 5° and sunny. So why not take to a snowy field at the Den? With Stick bats in hand they made a rare winter Burby appearance.

 

Finally on Sunday February 28th, The Kevin’s from The Beach along with a Nick Wadden sighting made for quick and clean affair at St.Paul’s School in Downtown Toronto. This game felt like the start of spring training and there will no doubt be many upcoming weekends where the diehards will be out in full force playing their favourite childhood sport.

 

Adrian Golombek